Blood Test Results Feedback Requested

[Carlyallyn]

Hello, 

I had some preliminary blood testing done to test for celiac after I developed neuropathy and additional symptoms. Can someone expand on the meaning of these results. 
 

Celiac Serology IgA : 471 mg/dl (my result)

Normal Range: 69-301 mg/dl

I developed extreme neuropathy that seems to be slowly improving in the 2.5 months I’ve been gluten free. Other celiac blood markers came back in normal range. I’ve been referred to gastroenterology but wondered if this is indicative of celiac or if this is normal.

[trents]

Welcome to the forum community, @Carlyallyn!

The test result you posted is not directly a test for celiac disease but it is what we call "total IGA" and is run to check for IGA deficiency. If a person is IGA deficient then the specific antibody tests run to check for celiac disease can yield scores that are skewed toward the negative side and so are inaccurate. Your total IGA score is actually higher than normal so you are not IGA deficient.

But I have a large concern from your narrative. When was the blood draw for celiac antibody testing done in relation to your beginning the gluten free diet? Celiac antibody testing must be done while still consuming significant amounts of gluten daily for a period of weeks or months leading up to the blood draw for the tests. If the gluten free diet is begin ahead of time, inflammation in the small bowel lining dies down and antibodies stop being produced.

[knitty kitty]

Welcome to the forum, @Carlyallyn,

Is that the test results for TTg IgA, which is usually the first seriological test for Celiac?  

A result this high above the"norm" is usually indicative of Celiac Disease and intestinal damage.  

Does the gastroenterologist want you to be consuming gluten prior to endoscopy and biopsies?  Usually biopsies are taken to look for damage in the small intestine caused by Celiac Disease on a microscopic level.  

Reducing gluten or removing gluten completely from you diet prior to biopsy at endoscopy allows the intestines to begin healing.  The damage caused by Celiac can then be missed. 

Since biopsies are "the gold standard" of diagnosis, you need to discuss with your gastroenterologist if you should be consuming gluten prior to the endoscopy.  

Until the medical professionals implement a different diagnosis method, we must continue poisoning ourselves with gluten in order to get a diagnosis.  

Keep us posted on your progress!

[knitty kitty]

@Carlyallyn,

Have you talked to your doctors about supplementing with essential vitamins and minerals?

 Several of the B vitamins, if low, can cause neuropathy....  Cobalamine B12, Niacin B 3, Pyridoxine B 6 and Thiamine B1.