Debra Foster

I had Scarlet Fever in first grade (I’m now in my mid 40’s)and after that illness I was on antibiotics regularly as a child for recurring Strep throat, ear and sinus infections. I also have a heart murmur that developed after that illness and have had to be pre-medicated with yet more antibiotics before dental/surgical procedures. I too have issues with Candida. Ugh!

I will read the abstract and article you posted. Thank you!

And “I second” your request to Dr. Murray/Mayo Clinic to *Please* do a study on the Candida/Celiac connection.

I question how accurate the screening blood tests for Celiac Disease are. Here’s why:

I was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease after a long struggle with my health. Major fatigue, severe joint pain, horrible constipation, inability to lose weight, food sensitivities, rashes, sinus and ear infections…the list goes on. I was under the care of a major, highly respected teaching medical facility. I was told after many tests that I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and I should eat more fiber and whole grains. Needless to say, my health did not improve. I kept going back to my doctor and was told that perhaps I should see a therapist and get on anti-anxiety drugs.

I knew I was not crazy! I physically felt horrible!!!

I think “mainstream” medicine (including specialists) miss-diagnosed me because they have the symptoms of Celiac as being diarrhea and weight loss. I had the total opposite. If there’s one thing I’d like to get across to “mainstream” doctors/specialists out there it’s that the lack of those two symptoms should not rule out Celiac Disease as a diagnosis.

Very discouraged with “mainstream” medicine, I was directed to an M.D. that practices something called “Functional Medicine”. After going over my medical records and history she suggested that I do a stool culture. She said that she felt that all of my issues were related to my digestive tract. Wow, I thought, this doctor gets it!!! The constipation that I experienced was so uncomfortable! The results of the stool test came back with a high marker on sensitivity to the protein gluten. I’d never heard of that before. With that result, she wanted to do some blood work that looks for the antibody found in Celiac Disease. The results showed WEAK positive (I had been eating gluten regularly prior to and at the time of the testing). She consulted with a G.I. specialist who suggested I have an endoscopy which is the “gold standard” for diagnosing Celiac Disease.

I had the endoscopy procedure. The results showed SEVERE villious atrophy!!! Diagnosis: Celiac Disease. The G.I. specialist said that he would not have put my screening blood test (which showed WEAK positive) together with the SEVERE biopsy results. This concerns me tremendously! Just how accurate is the blood test? Have you experienced similar results in your practice? Could a person’s blood who has been dealing with Celiac for a long period of time somehow not show the severity or even be false negative? I want to bring this to your attention being that you are an expert on Celiac Disease research.

After my diagnosis, I did a bunch of reading and found out that the disease could be related to genetics. I wanted to find out if I had the genetic marker(s) associated with Celiac Disease. I had the genetic blood test done through my G.I. specialist and the results showed that I have the DQ2 gene and got it from one parent.

With those genetic results, my G.I. specialist recommended that my family members get tested.

My Mother has Type 1 Diabetes, rashes, fatigue, over-weight issues, joint pain, Gout etc.

I sent information with her to have her doctor test her for Celiac. Her doctor’s comment was, “You do not have Celiac Disease.” But she eventually ordered the screening blood test for my Mother which did show a negative result.

My Sister has terrible diarrhea, rashes, fatigue, over-weight issues. She also was tested and the results, negative.

I’m very concerned that they both have Celiac Disease and perhaps the blood test is missing it. Is this possible? (Just a note, I made sure to inform them that they needed to be eating gluten for the test results to be accurate and they both were eating wheat at the time the tests were taken (they are still eating gluten).)

Frustrated, I encouraged my Mother to talk with her doctor about having the genetic blood test done to see if she or my father were the carrier of the gene and perhaps to give her doctor the heads-up to test her on a yearly basis if she was the carrier of the gene. Her doctor told her that the test was not covered by her insurance and that it would be very expensive. No progress.

Without positive results on the blood test, an endoscopy is not advised. I fear that my family members are walking around with, as you say in your video, “a silent killer” and I wanted to ask you about the blood test accuracy. Again, my blood test showed WEAK positive and yet I had SEVERE damage to my small intestine. How can that be??? And what is the best thing I can do to help my ill family members. You said in your video that they should not go on a gluten-free diet before being tested and diagnosed.

Have you published the specific recommended blood tests that one should have to be screened for Celiac Disease? If so, it would be great to know where to find that information. I want to make sure that my family members are getting the proper tests. I’ve been reading about new stool cultures possibly being more accurate than the blood tests? Your expert opinion would be greatly appreciated!

I’m feeling tremendously better on a gluten free diet! So glad I was finally, correctly diagnosed!

A study was done which found a connection between Candida and Celiac. The study found the protein in Candida to be remarkably similar to the protein found in gluten that triggers the autoimmune reaction.

Here is the abstract and an article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12826451
http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/celiac.html

Anyway, antibiotic abuse may eventually be found to be the smoking gun in the increase in Celiac cases. *Please* do a study on this!

I live in St. Louis,MO and I work for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Your family sounds as if they have multiple symptoms of celiac. I can help you find a doctor in your area who understands celiac. Where in MO do you live?

Linda

“For 25 million years, the IRGM gene was effectively dead. But then, in the common ancestor of humans and the great apes, something unexpected happened. The gene somehow regained its ability to produce a protein, albeit a shortened one. The gene had been resurrected, and ironically enough, its saviour was another genetic hitchhiker that inserted itself in just the right place.”

This may very well be the first documented examples of gene death and rebirth. It would seem to follow that there could be a link with HERVs, the IRGM gene, and the recent increase in gluten intolerance and Crohn’s disease.

I would be curious to hear people’s comments about this theory.

Thank you