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I had a weak-positive blood test for Celiac disease (tTG IgA=8.9 U/ml). I am awaiting seeing my GE and will probably get more blood work and an endoscopy.

It is my understanding that some people with MS also test positive on tTG IgA tests. I have a lot of symptoms consistent with MS, including Uhthoff's phenomenon. Though I understand these symptoms are also consistent with B12 deficiency ala celiac disease.

Should I be (seriously) worried?

My symptom most suggestive of Celiac Disease is chronic diarrhea.

What should I do to make sure I'm screened properly for MS?

this answer won't be exactly what you were looking for, but do make sure they test your serum zinc level. it's often low in ms patients, and celiac disease most certainly causes zinc depletion. i can't state with as much academic certainty that zinc deficiency causes celiac disease but either way, all signs are pointing to low zinc in your case from the little i've seen so far. your zinc level will probably come back 'normal' but make sure they tell you the numbers and units because healthy people have serum zinc levels in the high teens.
hth

Thanks. I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow morning to test for B12 deficiency. I'll also test for Zinc.

Anything else?

well ms patients also tend to be low in the b complex vitamins, vit d3, vit e, magnesium, selenium, and omega 3 fatty acids, for starters.

but zinc is a fundamental one.. it basically holds your intestines together, among a wide, wide variety of other things. i think you'd do well to fix your zinc status and nutrient absorption capacity before measuring much else.

a little reading:

Zinc deficiency, malnutrition and the gastrointestinal tract.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10801949
Recent clinical and experimental findings have reinforced the link among zinc deficiency, malnutrition and diarrheal disease. Because there is a strong association between protein and zinc content in virtually all types of foods, insufficient protein intake may often be the cause of zinc deficiency. Compensatory mechanisms operating in monogastric species during malnutrition are less effective for the absorption of transition divalent elements such as zinc, which remain bound to ligands of dietary or endogenous origin. Both protein and zinc deficiencies are strong negative determinants for normal cellular immunity. In zinc deficiency, the organism is more susceptible to toxin-producing bacteria or enteroviral pathogens that activate guanylate and adenylate cyclases, stimulating chloride secretion, producing diarrhea and diminishing absorption of nutrients, thus exacerbating an already compromised mineral status. In addition, zinc deficiency may impair the absorption of water and electrolytes, delaying the termination of normally self-limiting gastrointestinal disease episodes. The gastrointestinal tract may be one of the first target areas where zinc insufficiency may be manifested. A prolonged low zinc intake deprives the organism of the local potential beneficial effects of zinc, including interactions with oxidative free radicals and nitric oxide metabolism. Nitric oxide is a second messenger that plays an important part in the triggering of diarrheal disease. The possible interrelationship among infection, inflammation, free radical damage and its quenching by potential scavengers, such as zinc, in the intestinal lumen or within the enterocyte should be more extensively studied.

I take 20mg of Zinc Oxide a day.

I eat 200-300g of protein a day. Mostly beef and eggs.

good to know. so there'll be about 16mg elemental zinc in that, i imagine. not sure how bioavailable it is though..

fyi
A Comparison of the Bioavailability of Three Dietary Zinc Sources Using Four Different Physiologic Parameters in Dogs
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2809S.full
"...Zn from ZO, however, has recently been shown to be of relatively low bioavailability relative to other dietary sources and prone to antagonistic reactions with other dietary nutrients (Baker and Ammerman 1995, Lowe et al. 1994, Lowe and Wiseman 1997

Comparative absorption of zinc picolinate, zinc citrate and zinc gluconate in humans
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3630857
"The comparative absorption of zinc after oral administration of three different complexed forms was studied in 15 healthy human volunteers in a double-blind four-period crossover trial. The individuals were randomly divided into four groups. Each group rotated for four week periods through a random sequence of oral supplementation including: zinc picolinate, zinc citrate, and zinc gluconate (equivalent to 50 mg elemental zinc per day) and placebo. Zinc was measured in hair, urine, erythrocyte and serum before and after each period. At the end of four weeks hair, urine and erythrocyte zinc levels rose significantly (p less than 0.005, p less than 0.001, and p less than 0.001) during zinc picolinate administration. There was no significant change in any of these parameters from zinc gluconate, zinc citrate or placebo administration. There was a small, insignificant rise in serum zinc during zinc picolinate, zinc citrate and placebo supplementation. The results of this study suggest that zinc absorption in humans can be improved by complexing zinc with picolinic acid."

so, zinc picolinate seems to be the best but to date i haven't found any myself (i don't go hunting regularly or anything). i've had to be content with the considerable gains i was able to make using zinc citrate.

query: have you historically eaten a fair amount of bread/grain products?

Thanks.

I've always been pretty food sensitive. When I was younger I would eat a lot of candy. I didn't like foods other people liked, like bacon or large meals.

In my adulthood, I made an effort to become more health conscious. So I started eating a lot more whole-grain foods. From 19-present I began a downward spiral of feeling like crap all the time.

When I was 13 I had an episode where I was vomiting and extremely emotional and depressed and nauseated for several days. I am having another one now. I went to the ER last night because I was afraid to go to sleep. They ran some tests (CAT scanned my brain) and didn't turn up anything except some high blood sugar.

ow. that sounds really unpleasant. sorry to hear it!

candy and whole gluten grains would both make it difficult for you to store zinc. oddly, low zinc levels can lead to sugar cravings, which would deplete zinc further, rinse and repeat. it sounds like you may have had depleted nutrient status for a long time.

doctors don't usually look at nutrition, and when they do test it i've found through repeated experience that they don't truly understand the results. it's not their fault exactly, it's just not part of standard medical training.

let's hope you can get a zinc test and that it turns up some useful data. hope you feel better soon. if you can, while you're waiting for a zinc test, boost your intake of zinc rich foods and limit your intake of zinc depleting foods like gluten grains, dairy, sugar, alcohol, etc.

fyi

zinc info http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... t&dbid=115

food sources http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... oodsources

gotta run, bbl