New - Concerned About Upcoming Biopsy

[Peridot]

Hi all, I am quite new to the world of celiac having only yesterday received a result from blood tests that came back as a low positive.

After 40 years of eating basically whatever I liked, I had minor (but noticeable) symptoms for about 3-4 months this year before crashing big time about 11 weeks ago. Nausea, flushes, excessive gas, diarrohea, anxiety, excessive weight loss etc. It meant I could hardly eat and consequently I stopped eating gluten (although this was not intentional) as foods containing this made me feel so much worse. The symptoms are slowly fading which I was grateful for.

I live in a rural area of Australia and medical facilities are few and far between. I went to the doctor immediately but it tooks weeks of other tests before he gave me a referral to a gastroenterologist and that is for an endoscopy and colonoscopy. I won't actually have a consult with the gastro though. Last week my doc decided to do the bloods for celiacs and lo and behold it came back with a low positive result.

My concern is that my biopsy isn't scheduled for another 2 1/2 weeks away. There is no way I can get it done sooner. I have already been following a gluten free diet for approximately 7 weeks and doing a bit of reading it seems I may have done the wrong thing. Although I feel better, will the gastro be able to ID celiacs after I have followed a gluten free diet for about 10 weeks? To be truthful I am scared to eat gluten foods again because they make me feel so incredibly awful - what do I do? Do I force myself to eat gluten for the next few weeks and feel shocking so I get an easy ID or do I continue and hope for the best?

It is possible I have other malabsorptions going on and there may be other things there that the endoscopy/colonoscopy will pick up. However, having read about celiacs and its symptoms etc. having the positive blood result felt 'right'.

Any advice welcome!

[flagbabyds]

I would eat gluten because that is the only way of getting a positive test, unless you don't care about having a comfirmative biopsy, then you might as well just cancel the appt, and say that the blood test is enough of a positive for you, because there are chances that the biopsy will be neg, even if you go back on gluten, but don't use that. If gluten-free makes you feel better, then stay on the diet, and use the blood test as a good enough diagnostic test.

[Hoosiergirl]

I'm in the same boat you are as far as being gluten free for about 8 weeks before a GI specialist told me to go back on gluten for two weeks before they did a biopsy. In order to make it easier on me, the doctor gave me a prescription for an anti-nausea drug called Zofran. It's definately helping me get through the day. I still have to deal with all the other symptoms but the nausea hasn't really been a factor this week. Would this be an option for you?

Sheri

Hi all, I am quite new to the world of celiac having only yesterday received a result from blood tests that came back as a low positive.

After 40 years of eating basically whatever I liked, I had minor (but noticeable) symptoms for about 3-4 months this year before crashing big time about 11 weeks ago. Nausea, flushes, excessive gas, diarrohea, anxiety, excessive weight loss etc. It meant I could hardly eat and consequently I stopped eating gluten (although this was not intentional) as foods containing this made me feel so much worse. The symptoms are slowly fading which I was grateful for.

I live in a rural area of Australia and medical facilities are few and far between. I went to the doctor immediately but it tooks weeks of other tests before he gave me a referral to a gastroenterologist and that is for an endoscopy and colonoscopy. I won't actually have a consult with the gastro though. Last week my doc decided to do the bloods for celiacs and lo and behold it came back with a low positive result.

My concern is that my biopsy isn't scheduled for another 2 1/2 weeks away. There is no way I can get it done sooner. I have already been following a gluten free diet for approximately 7 weeks and doing a bit of reading it seems I may have done the wrong thing. Although I feel better, will the gastro be able to ID celiacs after I have followed a gluten free diet for about 10 weeks? To be truthful I am scared to eat gluten foods again because they make me feel so incredibly awful - what do I do? Do I force myself to eat gluten for the next few weeks and feel shocking so I get an easy ID or do I continue and hope for the best?

It is possible I have other malabsorptions going on and there may be other things there that the endoscopy/colonoscopy will pick up. However, having read about celiacs and its symptoms etc. having the positive blood result felt 'right'.

Any advice welcome!

[flagbabyds]

Fenergen is another anti-nausea which works real well, very good! but it might knock you out, you can take it very often.