August's Uber-Hot JUDDDDers!

[Agee]

I wasn't criticizing your way of eating. You seemed to be mourning the fact that you liked breakfast and weren't having any, and I was concerned that you didn't think you could on JUDDD. I just wanted to clarify.

I know you weren't criticizing and I *was* mourning breakfast. Fact is, I mourn not being able to eat ALL of everything I want ALL of the time!! Which is why I like this WOE so far - I can eat what I want 1/2 of the time. I am not restricting UD at all, except to respect the full tummy and not overstuff.
If you all look at my sig. I have good news, too - 4 DDs and I'm down 5.4 lbs (and that's even with 2 UD in a row this weekend)! I'd say a good 2-3 lbs were beach trip weight gain, but still - on straight LC it'd take me 2 months to get it off.
I'm just hoping I continue to lose. 172 has historically been a MAJOR stopping point. If I lose down to 172 over the next 3-4 down days and then stay there for 2 months I won't be at all surprised! Which is NOT what I hope happens, of course, but it might.
A

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by EmandM

I never know how to read the stats. Are you 215 in that picture? Your face looks so thin. When I read your stats I couldn't believe it. You must weigh less now, no? You look great and congrats on the loss!

Homestretch - woo hoo to you too! You weren't feeling that great either so I bet this is a real pick-me-up. I am like you and I can tell when to weigh and when to wait! lol I have this uncanny skill of knowing what I weigh based on what I look like in the mirror. I am never off by more than half a pound!

Nitenurse - congrats to you as well! Lot's of losers out there today!

I wish that I had the ability to read the mirror but I cannot really tell what I weigh unless I get on the scale. I do know which mornings I feel lighter though and this morning was one of those.....so seize the day, as they say! Right now my size 8's are certainly telling (screaming) me to "LOSE WEIGHT NOW".

[mistydisa]

Thanks, everyone, for the weight loss congrats!

Naomi~ Gluten eyes, eh? lol, I have to say, I've been called a lot of things in my life, but never Ol' Gluten Eyes! I did have to have my gallbladder removed about 5 years ago due to gallstones.... I'm going to continue to hope it was just the fish oil, though. I can only imagine how incredibly difficult it is to avoid gluten! Is there a simple blood test a doctor can do to tell if you're gluten intolerant, just for peace of mind for myself?

Homestretch~ Congrats on the 2 lb. weight loss!

Nitenurse~ Congrats on the weight loss!

EmandM~ That picture was taken in September 2008, so almost a year ago, and I weighed roughly 205 in it. Thanks for the thin face comment! Now, if I could just get a thin butt comment, I'd be on cloud 9! Seriously, though, I think I got my face and the camera at just the right angle to make my face look thinner in that pic. On 7/13/09, I weighed 215.2. Today, it's 204.6.

[Leo41]

Misty-

Naomi is the expert on this, but I wonder whether there's a condition that's not celiac but that we're sensitive to gluten--i.e., we might come up negative on a test but we still don't tolerate it well.

I wasn't worried about gluten, but I kept hearing that ALL wheat is bad at some level. I've been low carbing for years, and the only 'wheat' I had on a regular basis were my bran crackers--which I loved. To experiment, I didn't eat them for a month--nor any other wheat products of course. After about a month, I happened to go to an Indian restaurant and couldn't resist their warm bread. I got the most violent cramps from that indulgence. I waited a while ( a few more weeks of no wheat) and tried some of my bran crackers. Same result, except not as violent--terrible cramping. That's something I didn't have (or notice) when I was eating the crackers on a regular basis, but I've since eliminated all wheat because clearly that pain indicated some irritant that I was better off without.

Unlike you, I don't see avoidance as a problem, since I eat non-processed foods almost entirely. There's no danger in my meat, fish, eggwhite, veggie diet.

Since you've identified the fish oil as your problem, I wouldn't worry about gluten unless you have a real cause for concern.

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Misty-

Naomi is the expert on this, but I wonder whether there's a condition that's not celiac but that we're sensitive to gluten--i.e., we might come up negative on a test but we still don't tolerate it well.

I wasn't worried about gluten, but I kept hearing that ALL wheat is bad at some level. I've been low carbing for years, and the only 'wheat' I had on a regular basis were my bran crackers--which I loved. To experiment, I didn't eat them for a month--nor any other wheat products of course. After about a month, I happened to go to an Indian restaurant and couldn't resist their warm bread. I got the most violent cramps from that indulgence. I waited a while ( a few more weeks of no wheat) and tried some of my bran crackers. Same result, except not as violent--terrible cramping. That's something I didn't have (or notice) when I was eating the crackers on a regular basis, but I've since eliminated all wheat because clearly that pain indicated some irritant that I was better off without.

Unlike you, I don't see avoidance as a problem, since I eat non-processed foods almost entirely. There's no danger in my meat, fish, eggwhite, veggie diet.

Since you've identified the fish oil as your problem, I wouldn't worry about gluten unless you have a real cause for concern.

My niece was hospitalized for several days this month because everything she ate went right through her. They tested her for celiac and it was negative. The last day she was in the hospital they decided to retest for celiac with a more definative test and they confirmed that it was indeed celiac. I wonder if people are being misdiagnosed?

[Leo41]

Homestretch-

Your niece's experience interests me because my sister has been having these bouts for a couple of years. When I mentioned celiac, she dismissed it because her gastro 'tested' her for it. He also has thrown up his hands and says he 'doesn't know' what is causing her problem. I think she needs to see another gastro and get seriously tested. She already has two autoimmune diseases, Hashimoto's and psoriasis and is a prime candidate for celiac.

But it's difficult to tell people what to do who don't want to listen. . . .

[Ilpirata]

Thats so interesting that you mention the psoriasis. I have a (very very mild) case of it mainly in two little spots. It hasn't gotten worse or better unmedicated over the last five years or so. I posted a thread once in the thyroid part of the forum asking if these two went together. I don't have hashi's but DO have that autoimune skin disease. I'm always curious about a link but haven't ever dug anything concrete up on it.

[Agee]

I am gluten intolerant and I always tell people that the best test for gluten sensitivity is to stop eating gluten and see if you feel better.
Seriously.
The blood test for celiac and the intestinal biopsy are notoriously unreliable. But if you have a sensitivity and you stop eating it you'll feel better, and then you'll know. It's important to stop gluten and dairy at the same time because sometimes gluten intolerance causes lactose intolerance so they may go hand-and-hand and you wouldn't want to miss one for the other.
Whether or not it's actually "celiac" makes no difference. The treatment is the same.
A

[homestretch]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Homestretch-

Your niece's experience interests me because my sister has been having these bouts for a couple of years. When I mentioned celiac, she dismissed it because her gastro 'tested' her for it. He also has thrown up his hands and says he 'doesn't know' what is causing her problem. I think she needs to see another gastro and get seriously tested. She already has two autoimmune diseases, Hashimoto's and psoriasis and is a prime candidate for celiac.

But it's difficult to tell people what to do who don't want to listen. . . .

Soooo true! You can lead a horse to water. I have a very close childhood friend with Chron's disease and I was at a wedding with her. She said she was off solid foods and could only drink Ensure. After she drank her Ensure she washed it down with about 6 screwdrivers. I will never forget how utterly confused I was by that.

[GME]

I am gluten intolerant. Well, not really all gluten, just wheat. People ask me all the time if I go to the doctor for it. I don't. After hundreds of dollars worth of tests, what's he going to tell me? Don't eat wheat. There. That was free.

I'm no expert, but I think Celiac's is a serious disease where you intestines can't absorb nutrients. Isn't one of the symptoms unexplained weight loss? That is certainly not one of my issues.

Mine seems to be cumulative too. I can have a bit here and there and be OK, but then BAM! one little thing doubles me over.

[giJ]

Quick drive by to congratulate all the losers here today!

[Leo41]

Kisha-

I'm no expert, but I've read that if you have one autoimmune disease, you are prone to others. My sister's psoriasis surfaced suddenly and was immediately widespread. She's seen 3 derms and has had every treatment imaginable, including some really powerful drugs, and has gotten only limited relief. Studies show that it is very much influenced by stress, of which she has a lot in her life.

Are you sure you don't have Hashimoto's? Neither of my endos initially tested me for it (which I've discovered is common) because the treatment is the same regardless of why you're hypothyroid. I didn't know enough to ask for the antibodies test.

However, when my biopsy was done (on a nodule), the pathologist report confirmed Hashimoto's. Then my endo did an antibodies test to see how severe it was, and he told me that if he had just done the antibodies test, he would NOT have diagnosed Hashimoto's because the antibodies were so few. I understand from Pam that if they do the test when the antibodies aren't attacking, there can be a result like this. The biopsy was definitive.

My point is that if the antibodies test is negative that doesn't really mean you don't have Hashimoto's. Apparently all thyroid blood tests have limited usefulness!

Gina-
My sister's condition seems almost identical to yours! She certainly doesn't have any problems with weight loss--actually quite the opposite. She just began JUDDD because she's become so desperate to lose. And when I've mentioned "celiac," she says that her problem does not seem to be connected to any specific food because it comes on at some times and not at others when she's had the same foods. It could be, as you suggest, cumulative.

Since I've just determined that I have a 'slight' sensitivity to wheat, she may have a similar problem. But since I don't eat wheat (and haven't for a long time because of low carb), I don't have the dramatic symptoms that she has. She loves her pasta and thus frequently consumes wheat.

[EmandM]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Kisha-

I'm no expert, but I've read that if you have one autoimmune disease, you are prone to others.

Yes, that is very true. I have an autoimmune disease in the muscular dystrophy family (ocular myasthenia gravis) and am therefore more susceptible to other autoimmune diseases as per my neurologist. Lucky me!

[Trishagrrl]

Good Morning!

I have been sticking to JUDDD with no real bumps in the road. Today is a DD for me. Still no loss. Hanging out around 208-210. I've started researching other diets and I'm not sure which way to go. I did pretty standard LC before coming to JUDDD and didn't lose even a pound. I think weaning my baby might be a step in the right direction. I've been encouraging food as much as possible, but I can't hardly force the weaning process. I guess I'll be nursing at least a few months longer.

Leo- I've never been tested for Hashimoto's. Is there some advantage in knowing whether it is Hashimoto's or not since the treatment is the same?

Re: Celiac- It is a weird thing. I have a family member who was tested a couple of times and the THIRD test finally came back positive for celiac. She had become quite ill and was hospitalized by the time they found out. She had also gained LOTS of weight due to the disease, which I know is opposite of what is supposed to happen. There are actually 3 people in my family. My uncle is the most recent one who found out (but has not had the test to confirm it) but both his psoriasis and body aches and pains that had him almost non-functional completely subsided when he stopped eating wheat recently.

I feel like I've been retaining a lot of water lately. I don't quite know what to do about it since I'm not doing anything differently. I had to take my rings off the other day because they were so tight on my fingers and haven't put them back on since.

[NoSugarShell]

Hey Juddders!!

Yesterday, was a great DD, but not really a great day. I had a urinary tract infection..yuck! It is almost gone, but I still feel it.

As far as celiac, I have an uncle that has celiac and it has been confirmed. I KNOW I have an intolerance to gluten. It makes me retain water like crazy, breaks me out, causes insomnia...I could go on and on. I will admit there are times when I just go ahead and eat it, BUT I always pay for it.

Today is UD, yea!

[mistydisa]

Just curious....

How many of you ladies have had a failed DD due to TOM?

It's TOM for me and a DD....and I want to bake chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls......and eat 'em. All of 'em.

[Leo41]

Trish-

As I mentioned, neither of my endos felt any compulsion to test for Hashi's, since the treatment is the same. The only reason I can think of to want to know is to watch for other autoimmune issues. For example, I heard so much about folks with Hashi's being sensitive to gluten that I decided to test myself, but I'm not sure eliminating my bran crackers is a good thing since they were so useful in avoiding constipation

By the way, your water retention is from your hypo, I'm sure. Even when I'm eating very, very low carb, which is supposed to be diuretic, I will retain about 3-5 lbs of water (I've tested with Lasix--weighing myself before and after) with no symptoms at all. When my fingers start looking 'pudgy,' then I know I'm retaining beyond 5 lbs. It's truly annoying.

Perhaps your inability to lose weight is because of nursing? If you consider that, perhaps you should just relax and try to maintain until you're finished nursing. It seems logical to me that nature would not want you to drop weight when you're nursing--the body considers weight loss a negative, and nature would want to protect you from harm for the sake of your child. I KNOW that most people say that their pregnancy weight just drops off when they're nursing, but I've read a lot of postings from mothers who cannot lose at all when nursing.

Misty-
I am way past TOM (age 68), but I can tell you that a DD would have been IMPOSSIBLE for me in those days. The day before my period, I was voracious, and no matter what I ate could not be satisfied. I also had an incredible craving for anything sweet. Often when I wasn't paying attention to the calendar, I would wonder what 'hit me' suddenly to be so ravenous. It's amazing what hormones can do.

[NoSugarShell]

Originally Posted by mistydisa

Just curious....

How many of you ladies have had a failed DD due to TOM?

It's TOM for me and a DD....and I want to bake chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls......and eat 'em. All of 'em.

Me!!! Most of the time I have been able to control myself, with our JUDDD mantra...I can have it tommorrow. But, there have been times when after I have eaten all my calories I go crazy on some almonds or something like that. :blush:. Hang in there and remember, you can eat it tommorrow.

[Ilpirata]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Kisha-

I'm no expert, but I've read that if you have one autoimmune disease, you are prone to others. My sister's psoriasis surfaced suddenly and was immediately widespread. She's seen 3 derms and has had every treatment imaginable, including some really powerful drugs, and has gotten only limited relief. Studies show that it is very much influenced by stress, of which she has a lot in her life.

Are you sure you don't have Hashimoto's? Neither of my endos initially tested me for it (which I've discovered is common) because the treatment is the same regardless of why you're hypothyroid. I didn't know enough to ask for the antibodies test.

However, when my biopsy was done (on a nodule), the pathologist report confirmed Hashimoto's. Then my endo did an antibodies test to see how severe it was, and he told me that if he had just done the antibodies test, he would NOT have diagnosed Hashimoto's because the antibodies were so few. I understand from Pam that if they do the test when the antibodies aren't attacking, there can be a result like this. The biopsy was definitive.

My point is that if the antibodies test is negative that doesn't really mean you don't have Hashimoto's. Apparently all thyroid blood tests have limited usefulness!

Well my tests came back super negative. Like no antibodies. But who knows! ugh. I doubt I'll get retested for those antibodies as I'm already being treated but this other autoimmune thing makes me wonder. Also my dermatologist back in the beautiful days when I had Kaiser health insurance thought I might have another uber rare autoimmune disease. I tested negative for it but I do have one of the symptoms.

Originally Posted by mistydisa

Just curious....

How many of you ladies have had a failed DD due to TOM?

It's TOM for me and a DD....and I want to bake chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls......and eat 'em. All of 'em.

I don't really get TOM per se due to my birth control shot BUT there are certainly days where I get some PMS symptoms which I think are related to my hormone cycle. crabbiness and eating!

[mammapo]

Originally Posted by mistydisa

Is there a simple blood test a doctor can do to tell if you're gluten intolerant, just for peace of mind for myself?

There are a lot of blood tests you can take
From celiac.com:

Written by Tom Ryan, Technical Service Specialist, INOVA Diagnostics, Inc.

There has been a lot of discussion about serological testing for celiac disease recently, specifically regarding tTG (tissue transglutaminase) testing. I will try to answer some of the many questions that have appeared on this list about all of the tests. First, and this applies to any of the blood tests, you must currently be on a gluten containing diet for the tests to be accurate. antibodies are produced by the immune system in response to substances that the body perceives as threatening. The immune response that your body produces is its response to being exposed to gluten in the diet and its subsequent effect on the intestinal mucosa. If there is no gluten in the diet, then there is no response that we can measure. A brief change in diet will not have a noticeable effect. If you have been gluten free for a week or so, it will not make any great difference. The response might be marginally less but the difference is insignificant because the body has not had time to respond to the change. Conversely, if you have been gluten free for a protracted period of time and decide to be tested, a brief challenge of a couple of weeks is not enough to elicit a response and get an accurate test.

There are several steps that take place to generate an immune response and it takes time both for the positive reaction when gluten is present and to clear the antibodies when gluten is eliminated. There has been a great deal of discussion about how much and how long a challenge should be and there is no consensus. Talk with your Doctor. My personal feeling is that the minimum is 2 slices of bread per day for 6 weeks to get an accurate test but I would not try to second-guess the Doctor. There are basically four tests that can be performed to aid in diagnosing celiac disease. Notice that I say they will aid in diagnosing celiac disease. Immunology is fairly accurate but it is far from being an exact science. All of the lab tests, regardless of the type or source, are presented as aids to diagnosis. They should not be used alone as a basis for diagnosis but rather are intended to be considered in conjunction with the physical examination of the patient as well as the reported symptoms, etc. by a trained physician. There has been a great deal of confusion about what the tests are and I hope to alleviate some of the misunderstandings. There are many terms that we hear. tTG, IgA, IgG, ELISA, etc. What are all of these? Some contributors to the list make reference to the IgA or IgG test or to the ELISA test. These labels are incomplete for our purposes and could be referring to any number of different tests.

We all have, within our bodies, a family of closely related although not identical proteins which are capable of acting as antibodies. These are collectively referred to as immunoglobulins. Five major types of immunoglobulins are normally present in the human adult. They are IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE and IgD. Each of these is a shorthand way of writing immunoglobulin gamma G (or A or M, etc.) and they each perform a different function in our systems. IgG is the principal immunoglobulin in human serum. It is important in providing immunity in a developing fetus because it will pass across the placental barrier. IgA is the principal immunoglobulin in secretions from respiratory and intestinal mucosa. IgE is a gamma globulin produced by cells lining the intestinal and respiratory tracts. It produces the antibodies associated with most hypersensitivity (allergic) responses. It is associated with asthma, hay fever, etc. IgM is a globulin formed in almost every immune response in the early part of the reaction. IgD is a rare protein present in normal sera in a tiny amount. These designations refer to the type of protein that is carrying the antibody in question. Both IgG and IgA subtypes of anti-gliadin antibody are produced, hence we refer to them as IgG gliadin or IgA gliadin. Collectively they are anti-gliadin antibodies.

Anti-Gliadin Antibodies:

Both IgA and IgG anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) are detected in sera of patients with gluten sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease). IgG anti-gliadin antibodies are more sensitive but are less specific markers for disease compared with IgA class antibodies. IgA anti-gliadin antibodies are less sensitive but are more specific. In clinical trials, the IgA antibodies have a specificity of 97% but the sensitivity is only 71%. That means that, if a patient is IgA positive, there is a 97% probability that they have celiac disease. Conversely, if the patient is IgA negative, there is only a 71% probability that the patient is truly negative for celiac disease. Therefore, a positive result is a strong indication that the patient has the disease but a negative result does not necessarily mean that they don not have it. False positive results are rather uncommon but false negative results can occur. On the other hand, the IgG anti-gliadin antibodies are 91% specific and have an 87% sensitivity. This means that they will show positive results more readily but there is not as strong a correlation with celiac disease. It is less specific. Patients with other conditions but not afflicted with celiac disease will occasionally show positive results. IgG anti-gliadin antibodies are detectable in approximately 21% of patients with other gastrointestinal disorders. This test might yield false positive results but is less likely to yield false negative results.

A sensitive testing protocol includes testing for both IgA and IgG anti-gliadin antibodies since a significant portion of celiac patients (approx. 2-5%) are IgA deficient. This combined IgA and IgG anti-gliadin antibody assay has an overall sensitivity of 95% with a specificity of 90%. The type of test used to detect the anti-gliadin antibodies is called an ELISA. This is an acronym and it stands for enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay. ELISA is not a test in itself. It is a method of testing and it is a relatively simple test to perform. It involves putting a measured amount of diluted patient serum into the wells of a specially constructed and prepared plate and incubating it for a period of time with various chemicals. The end result is a color change, the intensity of which is dependent upon the concentration of anti-gliadin antibody (or other protein being measured) in the patient serum. The ability of this colored solution to absorb light at a particular wavelength can be measured on a laboratory instrument and mathematically compared with solutions that contain a known amount of anti-gliadin antibody to arrive at a number for the amount of antibody present. The sample can then be classified as negative, (0-20 units); weak positive, (21-30 units); or moderate to strong positive if greater than 30 units. The purpose of testing for anti-gliadin antibodies includes, in addition to diagnosis of gluten sensitive enteropathy, monitoring for compliance to a gluten free diet. IgA gliadin antibodies increase rapidly in response to gluten in the diet and decrease rapidly when gluten is absent from the diet. The IgA anti-gliadin antibodies can totally disappear in 2-6 months on a gluten free diet, so they are useful as a diet control. By contrast, IgG anti-gliadin antibodies need a long time, sometimes more than a year, to become negative. The reverse is also true. That is, a patient with celiac disease who has been on a gluten free diet and tests negative for IgA anti-gliadin antibodies, will show a rapid increase in antibody production when challenged by gluten in the diet. Approximately 90% of challenged patients will yield a positive IgA anti-gliadin result within 14-35 days after being challenged. The IgG antibodies are somewhat slower.

Endomysial Antibodies:

IgA class anti-endomysial antibodies (AEA) are very specific, occurring only in celiac disease and DH. These antibodies are found in approximately 80% of patients with DH and in essentially 100% of patients with active celiac disease. IgA endomysial antibodies are more sensitive and specific than gliadin antibodies for diagnosis of celiac disease. Antibody titers (dilutions) are found to parallel morphological changes in the jejunum and can also be used to reflect compliance with gluten-free diets. Titers decrease or become negative in patients on gluten free diets and reappear upon gluten challenge.

The test for anti-endomysial antibodies is more subjective and more complicated for the lab to perform than the anti-gliadin assays. It involves serially diluting some of the patients serum, that is, diluting it by ½ then ¼, 1/8, 1/16, etc. and putting these dilutions on a glass slide that has some sort of tissue affixed to it. The slide is then processed with various solutions and examined under a fluorescent microscope to determine if any of that serum binds to any of the proteins in the tissue. If so, then that patient is confirmed as having antibodies to that particular protein. This method of testing is called an IFA or sometimes IIFA. It stands for Indirect Immuno-Fluorescent Assay. The selection of which tissue slide to use is determined by what specific protein, hence which antibody, you are specifically looking for. Endomysial antibodies react with the endomysium, which is a sheath of reticular fibrils that surround each muscle fiber. Therefore, to detect endomysial antibodies, you would want to use a tissue substrate that contains a lot of muscle tissue. The substrate used most often for this assay is distal sections of the esophagus. These are very thinly sliced and fixed to the slide. They contain muscle fibers and not much else so there is a lot of endomysium available to react with the anti-endomysial antibodies.

Reading this test involves viewing the reacted slides with a fluorescent microscope to make the determination. This requires a highly skilled and trained eye and, of necessity, is somewhat subjective. You are looking for a green fluorescence in the endomysium covering the muscle fibers. The test is reported as the titer or final dilution in which the fluorescence can still clearly be seen. As you can imagine, this is very subjective. There are no standardized values and it is up to the judgment of the particular technician what the endpoint titer is. Recently, (1998) the endomysial antigen targeted by the anti-endomysial antibodies was identified as the protein cross-linking enzyme known as tissue transglutaminase (tTG). This has enabled the production of an antigen specific ELISA assay incorporating tTG as a reliable and objective alternative to the traditional and subjective Immunofluorescence based assays. In clinical trials, the correlation with the endomysial IFA assay has been shown to be close to 100%. This is a test that has been very well received in the professional community. It is an ELISA, like the anti-gliadin antibody test and, as such, is not subject to interpretation like the IFA. That is the greatest advantage to this new test! With this or any ELISA, the response is measured on an instrument that calculates the amount of light of a particular wavelength that is absorbed by the solution and prints out a numerical result. There is no chance of human error skewing the results because there is no judgment call involved. The ELISA plate, regardless of what you are testing for, is processed with at least three control sera (sometimes as many as eight) in addition to the unknown sample being tested. There is a negative serum and at least two positive sera containing different levels of the antibody being tested. There are specific requirements for the absorption levels of these three controls. That is, each of them has a minimum or maximum (or both) number that must be seen by the instrument in order for it to be a valid test. If there is any variance from these expected numbers, it is an indication that something went wrong and the test results are discarded and the test repeated. There is therefore no way the technician could report inaccurate results, (assuming they diluted the sample correctly). Either the test was valid, and you can rely upon the accuracy of the result, or the test is invalid, and the entire result discarded. If any error was made during the processing of the ELISA plate, it would result in the control sera numbers being out of range and the entire test result would be thrown out.

In summary, the tTG ELISA is measuring the same thing that the endomysial IFA is measuring but with a method that is more sensitive and specific and not subject to interpretation. IgA class reticulin antibodies are found only in Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. These antibodies are found in approximately 60% of celiac disease patients and 25% of DH patients. This test is falling into disuse because of the limited utility and the availability of better tests. It is an IFA performed on a tissue substrate with all the attendant problems that go along with it. The development of all of these serum assays has tremendously simplified the diagnosis of celiac disease and improved the accuracy as well. The original criteria for diagnosis according to the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, (ESPGAN), involved a year of arduous studies with:

An initial positive gut biopsy;
6 months on a gluten free diet;
A second, negative gut biopsy;
A gluten challenge for 6 months and;
A third, positive gut biopsy. The revised ESPGAN criteria call for positive results in two of the serological tests confirmed by a single positive biopsy. In practice, many gastroenterologists are utilizing the serologies in conjunction with a controlled diet and the clinical presentation to form a basis for diagnosis without the need for the invasive procedure.
Through the auspices of the Celiac Disease Foundation and others, a professional symposium and workshop was organized earlier this year in Marina Del Rey, California with participants from Europe as well as the U.S. to establish standards for reporting test results. This should improve testing and diagnosis even more. At the conclusion of this conference a Celiac Disease Standardization Committee was formed to investigate and make recommendations on a standardized method of reporting results.

You can get a really accurate test from Entero Labs, using fecal fat and cell count - but it's often out of pocket (many doctors won't order it and prefer blood tests), and at $400 that may not be worth it for you.

Also... you may have nonceliac gluten intolerance. In which case all that info above doesn't even apply.

*le sigh*

[mammapo]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Misty-

Naomi is the expert on this, but I wonder whether there's a condition that's not celiac but that we're sensitive to gluten--i.e., we might come up negative on a test but we still don't tolerate it well.

I wasn't worried about gluten, but I kept hearing that ALL wheat is bad at some level. I've been low carbing for years, and the only 'wheat' I had on a regular basis were my bran crackers--which I loved. To experiment, I didn't eat them for a month--nor any other wheat products of course. After about a month, I happened to go to an Indian restaurant and couldn't resist their warm bread. I got the most violent cramps from that indulgence. I waited a while ( a few more weeks of no wheat) and tried some of my bran crackers. Same result, except not as violent--terrible cramping. That's something I didn't have (or notice) when I was eating the crackers on a regular basis, but I've since eliminated all wheat because clearly that pain indicated some irritant that I was better off without.

Unlike you, I don't see avoidance as a problem, since I eat non-processed foods almost entirely. There's no danger in my meat, fish, eggwhite, veggie diet.

Since you've identified the fish oil as your problem, I wouldn't worry about gluten unless you have a real cause for concern.

Yes, there's something called nonceliac gluten enteropathy, and be warned it's an area of medicine that most of the medical community knows NOTHING about, because it's just come on the radar.

My husband happens to have it.

[Leo41]

Mammapo-

Just supposing that I have nonceliac gluten enteropathy or even celiac, is there any physical harm if I eat a couple of bran crackers a day? The reason I ask is that since I've eliminated them, I've realized how much they contributed to regularity! Just last Sunday, I had to take a "world class" laxative because I was so miserable.

However, if that little bit of bran is also harming my intestines in any way, I'll just figure out how to get regular without it. Right now, I'm trying to be VLC for the next week, so it's not an issue yet.

[mistydisa]

Naomi ~ Thanks for all that awesome information! I'll keep it tucked away in the back of my mind for just in case I experience "issues" again. So far so good with the avoidance of fish oil, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that was all it was.

[Agee]

Just supposing that I have nonceliac gluten enteropathy or even celiac, is there any physical harm if I eat a couple of bran crackers a day?

What kind of bran are in the crackers? If it's wheat bran, then no. But there are other brans.
I know you didn't ask me, but as I said several posts ago, I am gluten intolerant, have been gluten free for 5 years, and know that the key to taking care of this is no gluten, ever.
A

[Leo41]

Yes, it's wheat bran.

I was just asking because they affect me so 'slightly' that I thought they might be safe to eat just a few. Keep in mind that I don't think I have celiac, but I certainly have some sensitivity to wheat, based on my elimination experiment.

[shellbells]

Question for all experienced JUDDDers. I am on my third up day... Thursday will begin week two of my JUDDD experience. For the first time on an UD, I am ravenously wanting to overeat. I think it's because I'm really tired. How do you all find that overeating on UD's but sticking to the rules on DD's affects your weight? Do you still weight lose like that?

Here are some benefits I have experienced: I wake up without an alarm, and have much more energy during they day than I used to.

[Su11]

Another beginner question if you don't mind...

I keep seeing '36 hours' as a key interval for the DD. Do you really keep to the 36 hours (as in from 6 on the up day evening to 6 on the next up day morning?)

[mammapo]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Mammapo-

Just supposing that I have nonceliac gluten enteropathy or even celiac, is there any physical harm if I eat a couple of bran crackers a day? The reason I ask is that since I've eliminated them, I've realized how much they contributed to regularity! Just last Sunday, I had to take a "world class" laxative because I was so miserable.

However, if that little bit of bran is also harming my intestines in any way, I'll just figure out how to get regular without it. Right now, I'm trying to be VLC for the next week, so it's not an issue yet.

If you had true gluten intolerance - celiac or nonceliac - then ANY gluten would be accumulating damage, especially if eaten every day. There are LOTS of gluten free sources of high fiber -

I personally use Metamucil, flaxseed (ground), and black beans to help move things along when a little less regular than usual.

[mammapo]

Originally Posted by Leo41

Yes, it's wheat bran.

I was just asking because they affect me so 'slightly' that I thought they might be safe to eat just a few. Keep in mind that I don't think I have celiac, but I certainly have some sensitivity to wheat, based on my elimination experiment.

Thing of gluten intolerance as a cumulative damage disease - a little once in a while will hurt, but you'll heal. A little over a long course of time will cause irritation to build and build... and you'll set yourself up for some real problems.

Keep in mind some gluten intolerant people have NO symptoms, yet tests show high degrees of colon damage...

If you've discovered a sensitivity, I'd avoid ALL forms of gluten (or in your case, perhaps wheat) at all levels.

[mammapo]

Originally Posted by shellbells

Question for all experienced JUDDDers. I am on my third up day... Thursday will begin week two of my JUDDD experience. For the first time on an UD, I am ravenously wanting to overeat. I think it's because I'm really tired. How do you all find that overeating on UD's but sticking to the rules on DD's affects your weight? Do you still weight lose like that?

Here are some benefits I have experienced: I wake up without an alarm, and have much more energy during they day than I used to.

I was like this at first - it's the body freaking out. Your body will calm down eventually, and then the urge to overeat will be psychological if it's still there. And yes, even when I overate on UDs I still lost. Especially at first.