Hi all,
Just got my lab tests back and am surprised by the results. I have had chronic D for over 10 years, with no break, not even a day. I've always known gluten is an issue (tested positive for the gene in past test and have been relatively gluten free for 20 years) but am surprised that it appears there aren't other food issues. I'd love your take on the results and next steps. I am currently in stage 1 of the recovery diet (3 weeks in) and am feeling much better with a decreased amount of D but it is still there. Do I just stay on that and assume that as I feel better and begin to add other foods to my diet, that I just need to focus on no gluten and be more regimented about it? THANK YOU!
Comprehensive Gluten/Antigenic Food Sensitivity Stool Panel
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 14 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 7 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
While all of the foods tested can be immune-stimulating, the hierarchy of reactions detected were as follows:
Food to which there was no significant immunological reactivity:
Corn
Rice
Beef
Chicken
Pork
Tuna
Walnut
Cashew
White potato
Food to which there was some immunological reactivity (1+):
Oat
Almond
Food to which there was moderate immunological reactivity (2+):
None
Food to which there was significant and/or the most immunological reactivity (3+):
None
Within each class of foods to which you displayed multiple reactions, the hierarchy of those reactions detected were as follows:
Grains:
Grain toward which you displayed the most immunologic reactivity: Oat
Nuts:
Nut toward which you displayed the most immunologic reactivity: Almond
Entero Lab Test is in - would love help with interpretation
Moderators: Rosie, JFR, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi Jillian,
With so many low scores (and persistent symptoms), I wonder if you might have selective IgA deficiency. Have you had the blood test to rule it out? If not, it might be a good idea to ask your GP to check you for selective IgA deficiency. If you have already had the test, and the results were normal, then these test results are very likely to be correct. But if you have selective IgA deficiency, most of these results may be false negatives.
Also, I suspect that your diet is being cross-contaminated with gluten. After 20 years of following a GF diet, your anti-gliadin antibody level should be negative. The fact that it is not, may indicate that you are getting trace exposures to gluten regularly. That would be likely to be enough to prevent you from reaching remission.
Tex
With so many low scores (and persistent symptoms), I wonder if you might have selective IgA deficiency. Have you had the blood test to rule it out? If not, it might be a good idea to ask your GP to check you for selective IgA deficiency. If you have already had the test, and the results were normal, then these test results are very likely to be correct. But if you have selective IgA deficiency, most of these results may be false negatives.
Also, I suspect that your diet is being cross-contaminated with gluten. After 20 years of following a GF diet, your anti-gliadin antibody level should be negative. The fact that it is not, may indicate that you are getting trace exposures to gluten regularly. That would be likely to be enough to prevent you from reaching remission.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
IgA Deficiency
Hi Tex - Just heard from my doctors office that he did test my IgA counts to make sure they were normal and they were. Sounds like I need to figure out how to ensure I am not getting traces of gluten in my diet.
Would love any and all recommendations you have on my next steps. I will remain committed to the recovery diet.
Many thanks,
Jill
Would love any and all recommendations you have on my next steps. I will remain committed to the recovery diet.
Many thanks,
Jill
Thanks Jill,
First, please be aware that these IgA antibody tests are very specific. IOW, the casein test (for example) will only detect casein antibodies. Yet there are dozens (in some foods, hundreds) of other proteins in milk that could cause a reaction. The reason why casein is selected for the test is because it's expensive to do more testing than is necessary, and almost all individuals who have a cow's milk sensitivity are sensitive to casein. That concept applies to virtually all foods. Wheat, barley, and rye have at least 300 known proteins that can cause a reaction for celiacs. But probably about 99.9 % of celiacs react to the alpha gliadin protein in wheat, so anti-alpha gliadin antibodies are the one that everyone looks for with their tests.
So theoretically, you might not be sensitive to the main protein in these foods, but you're sensitive to some other proteins. For example, you might not be sensitive to casein, but you might be sensitive to whey. That said, it's not very likely, but it is theoretically at least possible. If this is the case with you, the elimination diet should bring some degree of improvement within a few days to a week or so, and that would tell you that you're on the right track.
If that doesn't pan out, let's look at the possibility of your diet being cross-contamination with gluten. Is there any wheat flour anywhere in the kitchen? Is there a flour mill nearby? Do you use any commercially-processed foods, or do you cook everything from scratch. Does anyone cook any gluten-containing food in the kitchen at any time? Do you ever eat at restaurants or anywhere away from home?
Look at your cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo,skin care products, glue on envelopes, etc. for any ingredients that might be derivatives of gluten. If you chew any gum, it often contains traces of gluten from the powder that keeps it from sticking to the conveyor belts. That can apply to many commercially-processed products.
Especially look at any medications and vitamin supplements that you take. They are prime suspects.
I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
First, please be aware that these IgA antibody tests are very specific. IOW, the casein test (for example) will only detect casein antibodies. Yet there are dozens (in some foods, hundreds) of other proteins in milk that could cause a reaction. The reason why casein is selected for the test is because it's expensive to do more testing than is necessary, and almost all individuals who have a cow's milk sensitivity are sensitive to casein. That concept applies to virtually all foods. Wheat, barley, and rye have at least 300 known proteins that can cause a reaction for celiacs. But probably about 99.9 % of celiacs react to the alpha gliadin protein in wheat, so anti-alpha gliadin antibodies are the one that everyone looks for with their tests.
So theoretically, you might not be sensitive to the main protein in these foods, but you're sensitive to some other proteins. For example, you might not be sensitive to casein, but you might be sensitive to whey. That said, it's not very likely, but it is theoretically at least possible. If this is the case with you, the elimination diet should bring some degree of improvement within a few days to a week or so, and that would tell you that you're on the right track.
If that doesn't pan out, let's look at the possibility of your diet being cross-contamination with gluten. Is there any wheat flour anywhere in the kitchen? Is there a flour mill nearby? Do you use any commercially-processed foods, or do you cook everything from scratch. Does anyone cook any gluten-containing food in the kitchen at any time? Do you ever eat at restaurants or anywhere away from home?
Look at your cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo,skin care products, glue on envelopes, etc. for any ingredients that might be derivatives of gluten. If you chew any gum, it often contains traces of gluten from the powder that keeps it from sticking to the conveyor belts. That can apply to many commercially-processed products.
Especially look at any medications and vitamin supplements that you take. They are prime suspects.
I hope that some of this is helpful.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8330
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Further to Tex's suggestions
-did you replace cooking equipment, utensils, chopping boards etc when you went gluten free?
- shampoos/skin care products that are 'natural' can have wheat germ etc in them
- gluten free processed products (breads/cereals/cakes/cookies etc) can still have small amounts of gluten in them and still meet classification of 'gluten free'
- are you having any instant coffee? this can sometimes have trace amounts of gluten
the other sort of random thing that maybe happening, (it happened for me) is gluten cross reactors - sweet potato and eggs caused my body to react as if I was having gluten. avoiding cross reactors for 3 weeks can 'reset' this immune reaction
link to previous discussion on this topic that may be of interest
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... uten+cross
-did you replace cooking equipment, utensils, chopping boards etc when you went gluten free?
- shampoos/skin care products that are 'natural' can have wheat germ etc in them
- gluten free processed products (breads/cereals/cakes/cookies etc) can still have small amounts of gluten in them and still meet classification of 'gluten free'
- are you having any instant coffee? this can sometimes have trace amounts of gluten
the other sort of random thing that maybe happening, (it happened for me) is gluten cross reactors - sweet potato and eggs caused my body to react as if I was having gluten. avoiding cross reactors for 3 weeks can 'reset' this immune reaction
link to previous discussion on this topic that may be of interest
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... uten+cross
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama