Celiac Screening

[ethos35]

All - 

I requested my doctor screen me for celiac due to family history and symptoms. He submitted the lab order and I got results back direct from the lab. The only lab done was total IgA. His office later called and told me I do not have celiac disease. Am I missing something here? This was not a full celiac screen...? I don’t want to second guess a professional but this doesn’t seem complete.  

[trents]

You are absolutely correct. The testing done was much less than complete. The most important antibody test (tTG) for Celiac was omitted as were some others. Was this a primary care doc or a GI doc? You might go back to him/her and say something like, "I'm just not feeling good and there is significant history of Celiac Disease in my family. Are there other antibody tests that could be run?"

If the doc is not open to pursuing a more complete celiac antibody panel I would seek another physician. The one you have now obviously is not up on celiac disease and may not be open to the reality of it. Some docs were taught years ago that the prevalence of celiac disease is only 1 in 5000 when we now believe it's more like 1 in 100.

Edited December 15, 2020 by trents

[DJFL77I]

Why ask?

Just tell him to do it..

 

Tell them you want these tests taken:

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgA

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgG

t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgG

Endomysial Antibody IgA

Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum

 

[trents]

It's called tact. When it comes right down to it, the physician is the one who has the authority to say yea or nay when it comes to ordering tests. It also recognizes the fact that many or most people uncomfortable with giving the appearance of upstaging a professional and the question I suggested may provide a way of making it easier to start the conversation without an unnecessary offense. This physician may otherwise be a valuable medical asset (or even the only one available to the OP) and avoiding an approach that alienates that doc may be wise.

[Scott Adams]

This article should be helpful for the normal blood tests that should be done:

 

[ethos35]

7 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

This article should be helpful for the normal blood tests that should be done:

 

Awesome, yes this is very straightforward and easy to understand. Thanks!

[ethos35]

2 hours ago, trents said:

It's called tact. When it comes right down to it, the physician is the one who has the authority to say yea or nay when it comes to ordering tests. It also recognizes the fact that many or most people uncomfortable with giving the appearance of upstaging a professional and the question I suggested may provide a way of making it easier to start the conversation without an unnecessary offense. This physician may otherwise be a valuable medical asset (or even the only one available to the OP) and avoiding an approach that alienates that doc may be wise.

Thanks! I called and left a message... I broached the topic by just asking if it was the final lab report or if there were any outstanding tests to be reported, because I understood the panel to include several other tests. We will see. 

[trents]

4 minutes ago, ethos35 said:

Thanks! I called and left a message... I broached the topic by just asking if it was the final lab report or if there were any outstanding tests to be reported, because I understood the panel to include several other tests. We will see. 

Sounds like a good, tactful approach.

[DJFL77I]

18 hours ago, trents said:

It's called tact. When it comes right down to it, the physician is the one who has the authority to say yea or nay when it comes to ordering tests. It also recognizes the fact that many or most people uncomfortable with giving the appearance of upstaging a professional and the question I suggested may provide a way of making it easier to start the conversation without an unnecessary offense. 

 

They get paid for your visits to them.... they should take any test you want related to what you have or might have.