Blood Test Results : Do I Have Celiac?

[jwblue]

I am 42 years old.  A few years ago I began having bloating when eating and constipation.  

 

The past few years I have had endoscopies for other stomach issues but I did not have a Celiac test.  I do not believe that the physicians that performed the endoscopies looked for any type of Celiac damage in my stomach lining.

 

The blood results appear negative, but I am not certain.  Clicking on the picture will enlarge it.

 

[StephanieL]

It does not look like it from these tests as long as you are currently consuming gluten.  Many people still try a gluten-free diet after testing to see if it's a non-Celiac gluten intolerance.

[jwblue]

It does not look like it from these tests as long as you are currently consuming gluten.  Many people still try a gluten-free diet after testing to see if it's a non-Celiac gluten intolerance.

 

I am almost certain I have gluten intolerance.  

 

I used to eat oats that had gluten in it and my stomach would bloat.  I switched to gluten free oats of the same brand and I don't get nearly the bloating.

[StephanieL]

So you say you use to, does that mean you are currently (as in when you had the blood word done) eating gluten?  If you were not, the tests may not be accurate.

[IrishHeart]

(1) From the celiac panel test results only, you do not have Celiac.

 

(2) when you say..."They did not look for celiac damage during the endoscopy."..did they do a BIOPSY?

 

(3) because that is the only way to diagnose Celiac, not from just "looking at your stomach"

[jwblue]

So you say you use to, does that mean you are currently (as in when you had the blood word done) eating gluten?  If you were not, the tests may not be accurate.

 

I was eating the gluten-free oats for about a year before test.  Nothing else though.

 

(1) From the celiac panel test results only, you do not have Celiac.

 

(2) when you say..."They did not look for celiac damage during the endoscopy."..did they do a BIOPSY?

 

(3) because that is the only way to diagnose Celiac, not from just "looking at your stomach"

 

No biopsy.

[nvsmom]

If you were gluten-free for a year (if I understand you correctly) then that definitely had an effect on the results. Most people's autoantibody levels fall with time once they are no longer ingesting gluten. Some people's levels are back to normal within weeks, some within months, and a few will take over a year.  You would need to do a gluten challenge of about 2 slices of bread per day for about two months to get more accurate results.

 

The same goes for the biopsy... and many celiacs, I would guess over half, do not have visible damage to their intestinal villi. It is only through a biopsy that damage is observed.

 

That being said though, if you know gluten is a problem for you, you either have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance (NCGI) and happily they both have the same treatment: gluten-free diet.  

 

Best wishes.