Capsule

[Mgyoung77]

My doctor wants me to do a capsule. He didn't even tell me what it was let alone why he wanted me to do it. I have researched and now know what it is. I also know it is to see what damage has already been done. What is he going to do with this information. Is it worth the money and time that it will take?

[shadowicewolf]

Most damage, to my knowledge is microscopic, however in some cases "scalloping" of the intestines can be seen.

[LauraB0927]

I recently had the capsule test done in November and I definitely think it was worth it - but my insurance did cover it. My endoscopy only showed "curling" of my villi, but the capsule test showed that I actually had much more significant damage than we had all thought - more than half of my small intestine has no villi whatsoever. Its a more comprehensive picture (literally) of where the damage is located and how severe it is, because the endoscopy cant get far enough and only takes about 4-8 biopsies, which isnt a lot given that you're small intestine is about 20 feet long. They printed out pictures for me and you can CLEARLY see the areas that have lots of beautiful little villi and the ones that dont, are scalloped, and have a cobblestone/mosaic pattern. It also rules out bleeding and masses. The capsule is about the size of a multi-vitamin so its not incredibly large. The only inconvenience is the fasting before the procedure, but the rest is fine, you only have the leads (wires) on for 8 hours. I have to get another done in about 3 months to see if I made any progress.

If your insurance covers it, I'd definitely say go for it - you'll get a TON of more information of whats going on inside.

[Mgyoung77]

Thank you for the information. Is there anything the doctor can do about the damage he sees? I have it schedule for the 28. We already met our deductible so I want to squeeze it in this year. My other concern is my iron. A couple days before I found out I was celiac, I found out my hemoglobin was 5.4. This past Monday it was up to 9, which is still low but a huge improvement. It's only been the last couple days that I've felt like I had enough energy to get anything accomplished. I don't want to go back to being so tired. I have a lot that needs to be accomplished right now.

[mushroom]

Thank you for the information. Is there anything the doctor can do about the damage he sees?

Not with the camera which only passes through. It helps him make a more accurate diagnosis and a better treatment plan, depending on what he finds.