Gastric Biopsy

[tpchan85]

Hello.

I posted before wondering whether I have celiac. I have IBS symptoms (pale 'fluffy' stool that floats and is hard to pass), bad acid reflux and regurgitation and now palpitations and other symptoms. I had an endoscopy to diagnose esophagitis but the doctor did not take a biopsy of the small intestine, how ever he did take a biopsy of the lower part of the stomach (gastric biopsy), I saw him yesterday (bowel surgeon at my local hospital) and explained that I had since the endoscopy experienced great relief of my symptoms on a gluten-free, dairy free and low fat diet. But he insisted that since my bloods are negative and the gastric biopsy didn't show any damage that the chance of me being celiac is slim to none so more tests are out of the question, despite the fact my brother is diagnosed celiac.

 

Can a gastric biopsy show damage from celiac?

 

I also have what I believe to be are symptoms of malabsorption but every doctor stonewalls me on them. I'm 22 year old, male and eat plenty of meat and veg yet my blood test results show I am borderline B12 deficient, borderline folate deficient, borderline potassium deficient and actually vitamin D deficient. I've seen 3 different doctors who insist "it's in normal range means it's normal". Ferritin / Iron has been tested and is perfectly normal. I have treated myself with supplements and my symptoms have drastically eased.

 

How can I have problems with B12 and such but not Iron, wouldn't everything be low?

 

Actual levels are:

- B12, 314, range 200-1000

- Folate, 2.4, range 2 - 17

- Potassium, 3.8, range 3.5 - 5

- Vitamin D, 72, range 75 - 125 (test was taking after I'd been supplementing 2000 iu daily for 2 months already!)

 

From what I can see a healthy boy of my age should NOT have results like this unless something is wrong!

[beth01]

I would say you are at a higher risk for celiac being that you have a brother with it.  Did you have a full celiac panel, or just the tTg IgA?  If your doctor is giving you the run around, get a different doctor.  I would especially since they didn't biopsy the small bowel where celiac is going to show up, which you are worried about.  You could also just follow the gluten free diet, you don't need a prescription for that.  Unless you NEED a diagnosis.

 

About your labs, what other labs did you have done? 

 

I was a lab tech for 16 years.  Your potassium is normal.  I wouldn't worry about that one bit. The B12 and folate are on the low end of normal, but still normal.  It would be something to keep an eye on.  Are you taking a multivitamin? Many, many people have Vitamin D deficiency, even those with perfect health.  If you aren't getting enough sun, not enough dietary intake, and so on. I would just keep taking the supplements.

 

All my vitamin levels were undetectable and my Folate and Iron were just barely detectable. I was also deficient in protein, magnesium, and calcium. After five months of supplementation, my Vitamin D and D3 are 36 and my D2 is still 0, my B12 -is 105 and my Folate is 0.7.  My Iron levels are still low, coming in at a whopping 12 with normal being 37-145.  My potassium was 3.7 at diagnosis and I wasn't given anything for that until it dropped down to 3.0 when I was sick from my appendix. My other deficiencies are now normal.

 

Like I said, if you are really worried about celiac, see a different doctor or just start the gluten free life.  Just make sure you are getting all your labs tested once a year and make sure you aren't over supplementing, that can make you feel like crud also.

 

Good luck.