Negative Test Results

[hannahsue01]

My four year old daughter just got her blood test results back and they came back negative. I am not sure exactly what tests they did....they orded two of them. We have a family history of celiac disease. She has complained for about a year of an upset stomach almost daily, she has had constipation for about 6 months or so, she is small and under wieght (fallen even off of her own curve and I belive not even on there charts anymore), she is very moody, sometimes complains of a headache, eats as much as her father does and is sneaking food on top of that, she's always saying she is hungary but eats like a pig and eats a balanced diet (food pyrmid), she's often gassy, has trouble getting to sleep, seems to bruise easy, and has had a blister looking rash (once diagnosed as chicken pox) come and go. I thought many of these pointed toward celiac but I don't know if the doctors donno what they are doing or what. Or what else could be wrong with her. Does anybody know what I should do?

[CarlaB]

My tests came back negative, so it can happen. I was tested by Enterolab after the negative blood tests and intestinal biopsy, and got positive results from Enterolab. You could go that route. Or you could have the skin next to the blisters biopsied to see if it's dh, which is a celiac diagnosis. You can always see what her dietary response is to a gluten-free diet.

[Ursa Major]

Welcome to this board. Testing is highly unreliable with children under five, with many false negatives. All of her symptoms are very typical of celiac disease. Plus, there should have been five tests done, not just two (somebody else will have to tell you what they are, I don't really know).

A skin biopsy is a good idea, you'd have to be referred to a dermatologist for that. Mind you, some of them are quite ignorant of celiac disease and the accompanying rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis (or DH for short), mine was. He claims I just have eczema. Oh well.

Testing with Enterolab is expensive, but a lot more accurate than the testing doctors do (and not invasive, either, as all you do is send in a stool sample). Check it out: Open Original Shared Link

I would just put your little girl on the gluten-free diet (you don't have to be eating gluten for the enterolab tests) and see whether she will improve! I just bet her mood will improve within days, as well as her stomach complaints and constipation. With children, the diet is the best test. You can't lose, and don't need your doctor's permission for that, she is your child.