Blood Test Questions

[mwilliams34]

Hi,

I am new to this forum. I was diagnosed with IBS and fibromyalgia about 6 years ago. Recently, I began having constant problems with abdominal bloating, cramping, and D ( particularly after eating). Also, I was experiencing extreme fatigue, much worse than normal. I finally went to my doctor and did some bloodwork. I asked him to test for celiac, as I noticed that I felt much better when I do not eat wheat or gluten. I also tried eliminating dairy, but did not notice much difference.

I got my results back yesterday. Basically, everything was negative. My doctor said it is just IBS, and not to worry about it. I am wondering if it is possible to be intolerant to wheat, but not celiac. Also, he only did 3 tests. Are these the correct ones?

tTG antibody, IGA --negative

IGA serum --normal

Gliadin antibody, IGA--negative

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

[julie5914]

Yes, those are the right test, and they pretty much mean you do not have celiac. It is certainly possible to be intolerant to wheat and a whole slew of other things and not have celiac. I would do an elimination diet for wheat first - stay completely off it for a few weeks then try it back. If that doesn't do it, try it with milk - it sounds like it could be a milk problem. IBS is such a frustrating diagnosis - I wouldn't settle for it. Try figuring out what's ticking off your belly.

[Rachel--24]

The tests arent 100% reliable and you didnt get the full Celiac panel as far as the bloodtests go. You could also have a gluten intolerance that isnt Celiac. Gluten intolerance can cause the same symptoms as Celiac and still cause damage to tissue. Also if you limited your diet prior to testing or went off gluten for any amount of time...that could skew the results of the test and give a false negative.

If you feel gluten is a problem for you...it probably is.

It was a big problem for me and my bloodtests were negative.

[mwilliams34]

Thanks for your responses. How can I check for food intolerances? I have been reading about Enterolab. Would it be worthwhile to pursue testing through them, or not to bother since the other tests were negative? I know that I feel better when I do not eat wheat, but I was hoping for a firm diagnosis. I also am wondering about my children.They both have allergies, and my son cannot have dairy products. I am not getting much help from my doctor. He says it is just IBS and take Imodium!!

[Ursa Major]

He says it is just IBS and take Imodium!!

Oh, how convenient for him! Lets not bother to find out what IS irritating the bowel, and use a bandaid solution to cover up the symptoms. I say, time to find a new doctor who is actually willing to put up the effort to find out what is CAUSING your symptoms!

I am not saying that Immodium is bad, it works to help you feel better when necessary. But it isn't a permanent solution. And it obviously won't cure the cause of your symptoms.

I say, ignore the doctor and try an elimination diet, to find out what is causing you to feel bad. IBS is just a junk diagnosis doctors give when they're too lazy or incompetent to figure out causes, because that is work, and it can be frustrating. Well, what the heck are they paid for? They might as well use their brains for a change!