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Where To Get Blood Tests Done?

ssauners

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ssauners Newbie
ssauners
Posted

:huh: Hi,

It's been a whlie since I've been here,but I'm glad to be back. Reading and learning here has been so helpful to me. I took myself off gluten 2 yrs. ago bec. someone suggested it might help me.I was suffering from constant gas,bloating,cramps,and constipation.Going gluten-free seemed to help but i didn't give me enough relief.

I went to a new GI dr. in Oct. and he listened to me list of symptoms and said I have IBS w/C.He gave me Zelnorm and that was it.I came home and researched what to do to help the IBS.The diet I found has made me feel so much better.

So I asked my dr. to do a new blood test to see if maybe I don't have celiac disease.(prev. tests were neg. but I had been gluten-free) Anyway,I ant to be sure this is done rt.

I see that certain labs are suggested as being better able to give accurate results.Does anyone know how I can have my blood work checked there? The dr.'s nurse said I could have it done anywhere,but not in his office.

Hope someone has some ideas.Thanks so much,Suzy

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kalo Rookie
kalo
Posted

Hi Susz. Do a search for Enterolabs or celiac testing. Enterolabs has a non invasive stool test that is MUCH MORE reliable than the blood tests are. What sort of diet are you on? Hugs, Carol B

angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

Enterolab isn't covered by insurance (at least not most) and also isn't accepted by most mainstream medical doctors. So if you do get a diagnosis from Enterolabs, most doctors do not accept it(yet, maybe never?). If you have problems with either of those things, then it is not for you.

-Jessica :rolleyes:

kalo Rookie
kalo
Posted

That brings up another question. Why do we need a doctors blessing or diagnosis if we know for sure through the stool test that is what we have? I know it's expensive but I keep hearing how reliable it is and to me that means everything.

:-) Hugs, Carol B (just curious, not putting anyone down)

angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

Kalo-

Here is a whole thread full of reasons why to get a formal diagnosis:

Open Original Shared Link

-Jessica

ssauners Newbie
ssauners
Posted
  • Author

Hi all

Thanks for your helpful ideas.

I had Entrolab do my gene tests,but wasn't brave enough to do the stool test.

Since I have been doing so well lately I am questioning whether I really have celiac disease. The IBS idiet I am on is what I term the

A.F.M.C.C.C.IF(AVOID FATS,MILK,CAFFEINE,CHOCOLATE AND USE CAUTION W/INSOLUBLE FIBER--insoluable fiber needs to be cooked and eaten only w/soluable fiber) diet.

I am now adding gluten products so I can be retested.

It seems so strange to me that I can now eat these things w/out having a reaction.

Really makes me wonder if I only have IBS.

I figured I'd just do this challenge fr 3 months and then have blood work done to see.

Now I am wondering if I should go ahead and have the stool test done,or if since I am doing so well to just go w/the blood tests.

I saw that there are 4 or 5 places that are reliable for having the tests done,but none are near me.

Was just wondering if there is a way to have the blood drawn locally and sent to them(then again I know nothing about medical stuff so don't know if this is feasible)

kalo Rookie
kalo
Posted

I just saw the post on WHY you need a formal diagnosis. So HOW does one do that if they have negative blood tests but a positive stool test from enterolabs and their doctors don't accept it? I won't have any problems since my doctor put me up to this in the first place. Just wondering about others and why doctors won't accept Enterolabs. He is a doctor (Dr. Fine) and it seems pretty reliable. Maybe others can find a new doc that will accept it. We go through this on my thyroid group. Trying to find a doctor that thinks outside the box and listens to the patients. Just curious. Hugs, Carol B

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

One reason there is so much skepticism about Dr. Fine's tests (and I'm still a skeptic), is that he doesn't not publish studies for peer review or share his process with the medical community. The responses from him that have been posted on the question that I have read imply the belief that other doctors should just believe him without going through the peer review process. The cynic in me thinks he's doing this for business reasons, to keep other labs from being able to do this testing and take business away from him, but that may not be the case at all.

European doctors, who are much more advanced in studying this disease, are starting to develop stool tests themselves, and are using a peer reviewed and scientifically accepted way of going about it, so there may be other stool tests available in the future, and it may possibly vindicate Dr. Fine's tests.

kalo Rookie
kalo
Posted

Is it possible he's to busy doing what he's doing to take the time for peer reviews? Treating thyroid with Armour is the same way. Doctors don't accept it. Or guaifenesin for Fibromyalgia. Dr. Paul R. St Amand hadn't been through the peer reviews either (he wrote the book on this treatment). However I was a part of a support group with many women who had improved by his treatment and didn't care about peer reviews. In my book if something works, that's proof positive. Don't even get me started in my UNBELIEF in the placebo affect. LOL Hugs, Carol B

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  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
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      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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