Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Reliable Genetic Testing--Preferably Without Dr. Referral


BlessedMommy

Recommended Posts

BlessedMommy Rising Star

Are the cheek swabs just as reliable as the blood testing?

 

I prefer not to have to talk a doctor into ordering the tests for me. 


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



GottaSki Mentor

Are the cheek swabs just as reliable as the blood testing?

 

I prefer not to have to talk a doctor into ordering the tests for me. 

 

Hi Ruth!

 

Given your history with gluten trial, I would think any of your doctors would order the genetic test.  That way insurance covers it as well.

BlessedMommy Rising Star

I don't have insurance.

GottaSki Mentor

Ah, I have no alternative suggestions. Hope someone else can help.

BlessedMommy Rising Star

I have the benefit of being in a tri-state area (MI/IN/OH), so it's possible that even if one state has no option to order blood tests yourself, that one of the other states might. It's looking like Indiana might have a lab that is geared towards self pay patients.

Fenrir Community Regular

Here is a suggesting for you:

healthcheckusa.com

 

It is run by a Lab company called Labcorp. In many states you can simply buy the celiac antibody panel on blood over the internet, without a Drs. order and go to one of their draw stations closest to you .

 

Here is the panel on their website:

Open Original Shared Link

 

It's about $180 , so I'm not sure how that fits in your budget.

 

I know they have locations all over the US, so they probably have one within a reasonable drive. Also, their panel is a very good one, much better than just genetic testing.

BlessedMommy Rising Star

I can't do the celiac blood panel, unfortunately. It would undoubtedly come up negative (regardless of whether I am or not) since I've been gluten free for over 4 years. 


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Fenrir Community Regular

I can't do the celiac blood panel, unfortunately. It would undoubtedly come up negative (regardless of whether I am or not) since I've been gluten free for over 4 years. 

Well, in that case you are better off saving your money and not doing any testing.

 

Even if you do genetic testing it doesn't mean anything. It's either going to show that you have the gene which doesn't in any way indicate or even hint that you may have celiac or it will come up negative which only means that it is likely that you don't have it but doesn't rule it out.

1desperateladysaved Proficient

I had a good experience with the company I used for my cheek swab test.  The test and paperwork took me about 5 minutes and I mailed it to the lab.    I received my results by e-mail in about 3 weeks.   I received an explanation of the results, and even had a chance to ask more questions and was given answers. 

 

Dee

BlessedMommy Rising Star

According to the University of Chicago, though, lack of having the HLA D2 or D8 genes does rule out celiac. My main purpose of looking into it in the first place was to assess my daughter's risk for celiac and determine whether to put her through a gluten challenge, but I also would like a little more info on my own genetics.

 

I feel very frustrated that due to circumstances and the doctors that I saw/consulted with, that I was denied the chance to get a DX in the first place and I'm looking for any pieces to help put together the puzzle, especially for my kids.

kareng Grand Master

Here is a suggesting for you:

healthcheckusa.com

It is run by a Lab company called Labcorp. In many states you can simply buy the celiac antibody panel on blood over the internet, without a Drs. order and go to one of their draw stations closest to you .

Here is the panel on their website:Open Original Shared Link

It's about $180 , so I'm not sure how that fits in your budget.

I know they have locations all over the US, so they probably have one within a reasonable drive. Also, their panel is a very good one, much better than just genetic testing.

Labcorp seems to be a good company. I have had blood work from them, just haven't done any genetic.
Fenrir Community Regular

Labcorp seems to be a good company. I have had blood work from them, just haven't done any genetic.

Yeah, they did my celiac panel and it worked out good for me.

 

I work for a different lab (we don't do celiac testing), but they are pretty good. Mayo Labs is very good as well.

mamaw Community Regular

go to  the  info  pages  on  this  site..  Journal of gluten  sensitivity Maybe?  that  mentions  a new  generic  testing.....

IrishHeart Veteran

 or it will come up negative which only means that it is likely that you don't have it but doesn't rule it out.

 

 

This is not entirely true, however.   

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

There is a blood test available to determine 
whether or not an at-risk individual carries 
the genes responsible for the development 
of celiac disease. These genes are located 
on the HLA-class II complex and are called 
DQ2 and DQ8. Each case of celiac disease 
has been found to show these so-called 
“haplotypes”; therefore, a negative gene 
test indicates that celiac disease cannot 
develop in that individual.
LauraTX Rising Star

Labcorp would be a great way to go.  I am one of their best customers, albeit unwillingly.  Labcorp and Quest diagnostics are the two giants of the medical lab world.

CajunChic Explorer

I just did a buccal swab through labcorp. Go to www.kimballgenetics.com to order. It was quick and easy. Only pit was that it was $395 for the test. I did not go through my insurance to order it, but you did have to have a dr sign saying they approve the test. Maybe your PCP instead of a GI can sign off? It was worth it for me. Good luck

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - cristiana replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      5

      Feel like I’m starting over

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

    3. - Wheatwacked replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      8

      Related issues

    4. - NanceK replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

    5. - Wheatwacked replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      5

      Feel like I’m starting over


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,294
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    laurallee
    Newest Member
    laurallee
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply.   Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct.   Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two, following my diagnosis - I pinned everything on coeliac disease, but it turns out I wasn't always right!  Dizziness, lightheaded - I was eventually diagnosed with cervical dizziness (worth googling, could be your issue too, also if you have neck pain?)  A few months after diagnosis I put my neck out slightly carrying my seven-year-old above my head, and never assigned any relevance to it as the pain at the time was severe but so short-lived that I'd forgotten the connection. Jaw pain - stress. Tinnitus - I think stress, but perhaps exacerbated by iron/vitamin deficiencies. Painful ribs and sacroiliac joints - no idea, bloating made the pain worse. It got really bad but then got better. Irregular heart rate - could be a coincidence but my sister (not a coeliac) and I both developed this temporarily after our second Astra Zeneca covid jabs.   Subsequent Pfizer jabs didn't affect us. Brain fog - a big thing for people with certain autoimmune issues but in my case I think possibly worse when my iron or B12 are low, but I have no proof of this. Insomnia - stress, menopause. So basically, it isn't always gluten.  It might be worth having your vitamins and mineral levels checked, and if you have deficiencies speak to your Dr about how better to address them?    
    • knitty kitty
      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.