Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

If You Are Gluten Intolerant As Opposed To Celiac...

elaine33

Recommended Posts

elaine33 Apprentice
elaine33
Posted

to your intestines or does it cause a different reaction? I have been trying to distinguish the difference. Is celiac only diagnosed when there is a positive blood test and/or biopsy?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest nini
Guest nini
Posted

technically Celiac is defined as the atrophy or blunting of the villi of the small intestine. Celiac is only one manifestation of gluten intolerance however and true, not all people who are gluten intolerant have Celiac, but, the outcome and treatment are exactly the same so to me it's pretty clear. Most Dr.s are still clinging to outdated methodology of only diagnosing Celiac if they find damage to the villi, including people with positive blood tests. However, the fact is that too often when they do a scope and biopsies they are missing damage (proven by later biopsies that show SEVERE damage) so don't put too much stock in negative biopsies. Also the blood work issue: The minimum needs to be the complete celiac panel (shown below)

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

even still too many Dr.s or labs are not sure about interpreting the results and there is still varying opinions on at what point is the bloodwork positive? (anything slightly outside the normal range is positive) Plus, some peoplle are IgA deficient and therefore these blood tests are useless in determining the presence of antibodies.

All that aside, positive dietary response indicating a problem with gluten is way more valid and way more important than any blood test or biopsy. Unfortunately as a society we are conditioned to trust medical dr.s and testing as infallible and to not trust our own bodies. If our bodies are telling us a certain food is a problem then why continue to eat it regardless of what any medical tests show? The testing is far from perfect. If it's positive then it is positive, there are no false positives ever... those Dr.s that say there are false positives are sadly misinformed. And if the tests are negative, there ARE false negatives all the time so a negative test result simply means "not positive".

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

The way I understand it... For a Celiac diagnoses you would have positive results on a blood test, then have an endoscopy with biopsy showing flattened or damaged villi, and positive on the biopsy. That is the "gold" standard for diagnoses.

If a person is having constant "D", having an adverse reaction to a medication, or other things I just can't think of right now; it can cause flattening of the villi.

Gluten intolerance causes damage to the body. There are many articles showing calcification deposits in the brain, and so on. If your symptoms of gluten intolerance cause you to have chronic "D", I think you would eventually cause enough damage to the villi to be diagnosed by the gold standard.

The treatment for DH, Celiac disease, and gluten intolerance is to follow a gluten free diet for life.

L.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,675
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jodylee383
    Newest Member
    Jodylee383
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.6k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • RMJ
      What might this EMA result mean?

      By RMJ · Posted

      g/L, a weight per volume unit, would be a very unusual unit for a celiac specific (EMA) test.   1.24 g/L would be in the normal range if this was a TOTAL IgA test. Best to ask the doctor.
    • Lieke
      Searching for good MD/PCP in Portland ME Area

      By Lieke · Posted

      Hi Hi! I am looking for a PCP in the Portland ME area. I have been dealing with Celiac disease for 30 years. My specialist Celiac MD is in Boston, but I want somebody closer by. Am thinking of an MD working in functional medicine/integrative medicine who is willing to ‘walk the journey’ with me. Despite a strict gluten-free diet, I still have challenges, am ‘super sensitive celiac’ with at time cross contact issues when going out to dinner.  any suggestions?  much appreciated! lieke
    • knitty kitty
      Food Tasting Salty

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Part of the body's immune reaction to gluten is to release histamine.  This tastes salty, just like tears and snot.        
    • knitty kitty
      Eye irritation 2.5 months into gluten free diet

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I've had dry eye symptoms.  The eye drops did not help me.  What did help was making sure I was consuming Omega Three fats like flax seed oil and olive oil, and taking essential B vitamins, especially Riboflavin, Thiamin, and Vitamin C, as well as Vitamin A, one of the fat soluble vitamins.   Newly diagnosed Celiac can have trouble absorbing fats and absorbing B vitamins.  Most gluten free processed foods contain saturated fats which the body can't utilize. Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like gluten containing products.  The eyes make a film of healthy omega three fats which keeps the eyes lubricated.  Insufficient omega threes can show up as dry eyes.  Most newly diagnosed Celiac are low in Vitamin D, as well as Vitamin A, both fat based vitamins.   Thiamin Vitamin B 1 and Riboflavin B 2 are needed for eye health and optic nerve health.  Taking a B Complex vitamin supplement is beneficial.  Since the B vitamins are water soluble, any excess that the body doesn't need is excreted easily in urine.  The gluten free diet is low in essential B vitamins because gluten free processed foods that replace gluteny breads are not required to have vitamins and minerals added to them in order to replace vitamins and minerals lost in processing as is required with gluten containing products.   Other things that are helpful is to refrain from using highly perfumed products (hair care, body washes, deodorants, room fresheners, cleaning products, etc.).  These can dry out the eyes, too.   Staring at computer screens can be detrimental because you STARE and don't blink.  The tear ducts that keep the eyes lubricated are in the corners of the eyes.  Take breaks from staring at the computer screen.  Look out of the corners of your eyes to the right and blink several times, then look to the left and blink to help the tears spread over the whole eye.   My eyes have sustained permanent damage because of nutritional deficiencies.  My ophthalmologist and my doctors did not connect any of my health problems with nutritional deficiencies which occurred with undiagnosed Celiac Disease.  My optic nerve shuts down and I lose my vision if I spend too much time looking at computer screens, led lights, and TV.  My vision goes gray and dim.  It's much worse than "optic snow".  It can take  hours or days for my vision to return.  My ophthalmologist said my vision might not come back from that sometime.  My ophthalmologist said the flash rate, refresh rate, is registered by the optic nerve which gets over stimulated and shuts down.  The optic nerve uses lots of Thiamine.  Thiamine insufficiency will cause permanent optic nerve damage unless corrected promptly.  My thiamine insufficiency/deficiency was not corrected promptly and I have this permanent damage and light sensitivity.  I take Benfotiamine, a form of Thiamine that also is beneficial for healing the intestinal tract.  Riboflavin,  Pyridoxine B 6,  and Vitamin A are also needed for eye health.   Thiamine insufficiency can also cause anxiety.  Thiamine and magnesium will relieve muscle cramps. Talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with essential vitamins and minerals while your intestines are recovering.  Hope this helps!  
    • cristiana
      Reflux related cough anyone?

      By cristiana · Posted

      UPDATE I've been asked for an update by someone who sent a PM, but It's best to post health info publicly because this means fellow Mods can make sure I'm staying on the straight and narrow path with any advice I'm giving out! Alex...   Yes, my symptoms did slowly improve.  They started around October, from memory.  Approaching Christmas I remember the feeling as if there were feathers irritating my chest in my lower throat and in my lungs, and things like scented candles made things even worse.  I had a endoscopy and they found nothing wrong, I also had a chest X-Ray because of the cough which lasted more than six weeks and nothing showed. In the end I think the end it settled because I was doing the following: following a reflux/gastritis diet  (you can find lots of these diets on line, which focus on a low fat, low acidndiet, avoiding spices etc, avoiding alcohol and coffee etc) not eating three hours before I went to bed, which means going to bed with an empty stomach sleeping with a wedge pillow, which I still do, five years on... taking Gaviscon Advanced before bedtime, and after meals (not much, just a large teaspoon) using a blue Salbutamol inhaler, I think it was two puffs in the morning and two puffs at night. I felt a lot better after about three or four months.  I then only used the inhaler and Gaviscon when I had to, if I started to feel my chest was getting irritated again. I find keeping on top of reflux symptoms the way forward.  My gastroenterologist told me that the cough was to do with reflux/gasses in the gut coming up that can irritate the throat and airways and the fact I noticed improvement when using Gaviscon showed that that was what was causing it, because it provides a barrier that stops this happening. From the Gaviscon UK website: "It creates a protective barrier or raft over the Stomach contents (which is mostly acid, but also pepsin and bile)." https://www.gaviscon.co.uk/#:~:text=It creates a protective barrier,water and other neutral substances. This protective barrier stopped the contents of my stomach from coming up to irritate my throat, as I understand it, and allowed any irritation in my throat to settle. I do still take Gaviscon if I eat a late meal but not every day.  I hope this helps.  Do come back to me on this thread if I can help further. Cristiana    
×
×
  • Create New...