Hi, Has anyone been tested for a wheat allergy in relation to your diabetes diagnosis? I told my Endo that I was already tested for Celiac disease and it was negative, but he insisted that I should be tested because a wheat allergy is different from celiac! True or False?
I agree with your doctor that a wheat allergy is different from Celiac. Allergic reactions and its associated inflammation do impact health. Allergies may also interfere with healthy nutrient absorption in the gut.
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Yes, celiac disease and a wheat allergy are different. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition wherein the immune system attacks the small intestine in the presence of gluten. A gastroenterologist would diagnose celiac disease through a blood test and a biopsy. An wheat allergy is a specific immune system reaction against wheat (not gluten) and is diagnosed through a history of acute reactions, blood tests, and skin tests. An allergist would diagnose a wheat allergy. A gastroenterologist may be involved in diagnosing some very rare types of food allergies through biopsies.
True food allergies tend to cause very specific reactions and often severe symptoms. It is also possible to have an intolerance or sensitivity to food that does not involve the immune system. These tend to produce more vague symptoms, and there is currently no specific test to diagnose intolerances or sensitivities.
I was tested for celiac disease after my diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes in 1991. I’ve been tested twice again since then. All have been negative. However, about five years ago I was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis, a rare type of food allergy, and wheat is one of the foods that triggers this reaction for me. This condition is linked with a history of allergic diseases (which I have a strong history of) rather than Type 1 diabetes.
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A wheat allergy is different. You can actually have both a wheat allergy and celiac disease (autoimmune triggered by gluten found in wheat, barley and rye).
Make sure you had the complete celiac panel. Often just a screening TTG is given. I personally have never had a positive TTG ( positive DGP IgA). If my doctor had only ordered The TTG, my diagnosis would never have been caught (I am biopsy confirmed). Also know that about 10% of celiacs are seronegative.
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