Vitamins Before Biopsy

[JoJo2310]

My consultant has finally agreed to send me for the biopsy to see if I have celiac.  (I live in the UK by the way) Ive got to wait at least another 2 weeks before I see him again & then he will make the appointment (Im not too sure how much longer after that I will have to wait).  Im also having lactose intolerance test, some kind of gall bladder test, scan of my bowel & barium something or other!

 

Ive just had a 10 day course of antibiotics for SIBO & Im supposed to take probiotics now.  I also think digestive enzymes would help & I need to start taking vitamins especially magnesium & vitamin D (I feel so tired at the moment & its always worse in winter months).

 

Im just worried that if I take any of these supplements it might improve my intestines & change the results of the biopsy but then Im fed up of feeling rubbish & tired all of the time.  I also think I should increase the amount of gluten I eat but if that includes cereal or bread for breakfast it means I will get a bad stomach for the rest of the day plus dizzy spells etc.

 

Does anyone know if Im best not taking anything until after the biopsy?  Im definitely going gluten free after the biopsy & there is no way Im eating gluten again for more tests so this is my only chance to see if I have Celiac or not!  Ive felt ill for 15 years now & suspected Celiac for nearly 12 months now.  It has taken me convincing the doctor to get these tests as they all thought there was nothing wrong with me.  One doctor wanted to send me to see a physiologist thinking it was all in my head!!!  Im really looking forward to feeling better now & cant wait for the biopsy to be over & done with!!

 

Thanks in advance

Jo

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board, Jo.  

 

I don't believe that any of those vitamins will help with healing your intestines over the next few weeks, especially if you are still correctly consuming gluten during that time. The Probiotics will just help "feed" the good bacteria in your intestines - well, the good ones that weren't killed off by the antibiotics - and it can take months for the good bacteria to return.  The digestive enzymes just help with digestion, not healing. Magnesium levels are very slow to respond to supplementing (as far as I know) and I don't think they are great healers; same with D.

 

If you are really unsure, you could wait to start taking them, but I would just get that show on the road.  

 

L-glutamine is one supplement that can help with healing of the intestines. Avoid that one for a couple more weeks.   Good luck with the biopsy.

[JoJo2310]

Thanks for your reply.  Thats interesting about L-Glutamine as I took that for a bit last year as I read its supposed to help with food cravings!  I have upped my intake of bread now by having it for breakfast aswell so think I will just put up with it until my biopsy & then take these vitamins afterwards in the hope to feel better!!

x

[NoGlutenCooties]

My doctor told me not to take any vitamins for a few days before the biopsy - but I don't think it had anything to do with them somehow healing the villi.

Also, there are some supplements that function as natural blood-thinners.  I know Ginko-Biloba is one - it is great for circulation.  However, it does thin the blood a bit so you don't want to take that within a week of getting the biopsy because you'd run the risk of the biopsy spots bleeding/not healing right away, etc.  I would assume other circulation supplements would do the same.