The Doctor Gluten Project

“I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance 2 years ago, and going lactose free settled some of my gastrointestinal problems, but not everything.

I tried going fructose free for a month earlier this year as things like coconut cream and apples upset my stomach. Things were still not right, I was incredibly tired even after a good night’s sleep and had difficulty concentrating.  I would wake with headaches frequently.

I knew there was no medical reason for the tiredness. So I tried going gluten-free as a desperate measure a few months ago and felt less tired within two days.  My fuzzy head disappeared too which meant I could concentrate better.

Then I found your website and read a couple of your books – this all made a lot of sense at this point.  I tried going back on a small amount of gluten after a month and I was back with the tiredness, headaches, stomach upsets.  In addition, when I went back onto a normal amount of gluten, I had marked muscle weakness initially in my legs but frequently my whole body.

At this point I went to my GP to request coeliac blood tests - I'd been tested before, but I wondered if anything had changed after my accident and didn't know if the IgG-gliadin test was one of the previous tests.  My results were:  The results were tTg 0, total IgA 0.77, IgG-gliadin 6 (normal range 0-20).

I really don't understand the numbers in light of the symptoms (I am a scientist by training and am used to dealing with numbers).

Melissa writes:

“I wanted to thank you for your article in the Scott-Free Newsletter on how long it takes children to get celiac disease- see: gluten and the brain.

Roger writes:

“I am now 73.  When I was a teenager, a doctor put me on an elimination diet to check if I had the allergy to milk that he suspected.  He was right.

When I was 50, I gave up smoking but with great difficulty.  I was told by another allergy specialist (Dr Bruce Duncan) that this was because I was intolerant to wheat.  So I went "wheat free" but this didn't help much.

Cynthia writes: “23 yrs ago I started having these health problems but my doctor just said it was stress.  But 3 yrs ago I read that celiac disease the most misdiagnosed disease.  Well that was me!  It also was affecting my mother.  I went back to my doctor to get the blood work.  It came back positive - I had it!  Then the biopsy showed that I had total villus atrophy.  Wasn’t I slow to be diagnosed?!  I am now worried about my 16 year old daughter".

I work in a supermarket part-time in the bulk foods department.  So I am handling food (with gloves on) which contains gluten.  I find that I get a sore throat & headaches more when I am at work. Could this be linked?  Or is working near the bakery enough to cause a problem?

By the way, I went to work last night (after 4 days off) & got a sore throat &  headache not long after being there so will start job hunting. Thank you for your interest, Katrina.”

"My son, who has just turned five, has now started complaining of sore tummies, and he has very large, loose bowel movements.  Also, he has become very irritable and easily upset etc.  In fact, like my daughter, was when she got sick, he's really changed.  He is not the same little boy he used to be."

"So we took him to get his blood tested.  His results were: high gliadin IgG Antibodies (31 units (0-20)) and low Tissue Transglutaminase (0 units (0-3))."

"I understand that Gliadin alone is not a sign of coeliacs.  Our GP says that he has no idea what to do and the  Paediatrician we see up here yearly also does not know what to do.  I told my Doctor that  I would try and contact you for some advice. Should we arrange for a biopsy?  We would really love your guidance.  Kind regards, Jo.”