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Is My Doctor Clueless (new To The Forum)

DelphicDragon

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DelphicDragon Newbie
DelphicDragon
Posted

Hi all-

I've been having a lot of the problems described here (fatigue, foggy mood, digestive issues, sensitive stomach, etc). I've been pretty much having constant stomach pain since I was 8 (22 now) and after switching from a pediatrician to a General Practioner, I was told that I needed to have the stomach pain checked out. I went to a GI who did a celiac panel and one of the tests came back positive (she won't tell me which one). I thought, from researching celiac, that if one test was positive, I had the disease, but my GI says not to worry and to continue to eat gluten and take a digestive enzyme as my problem is lactose intolerance. (I did test borderline at age 8)

I don't really know where to turn and am getting nowhere with the doctor as I keep calling and getting the runaround because no one wants to tell me which test is positive because I'm "not qualified" (I'm a biochemist, so I think I'm inherrantly qualified, but that's beside the point.)

Any thoughts? Anyone here have a single positive test?

I'll post more when I know more. Thanks for the support.

Sara

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hannahsue01 Enthusiast
hannahsue01
Posted

It's the law.....they HAVE to give YOU the test results!!!!!! Well in the US anyways!

chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

tell them you want a copy of your medical test. if it is the anti-gliadin that is positive, it can be caused by other things than celiac-----but i can't imagine what that would have to do with lactose.

did you test borderline lactose intolerance or borderline celiac when you were 8?

LKelly8 Rookie
LKelly8
Posted
I went to a GI who did a celiac panel and one of the tests came back positive (she won't tell me which one).

Any thoughts? Anyone here have a single positive test?

Hi, DelphicDragon. :) I had my blood panels (done years apart) twice and both came back negative. I was positive on biopsy only.

As far as your test results (I don't know what the laws are outside the US) those tests are YOUR property, they must comply and give you copies. I don't think I'd feel comfortable going to a doctor who "wouldn't tell me", yikes! :o

Just FYI - They can charge for copies of x-rays, mine cost 12$ a "negative".

CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted

Sara, I would insist on getting the test results ... all of them, not just the one. It's your right!! I also would suggest finding a new doctor.

Yenni Enthusiast
Yenni
Posted

Sounds like your doctor is like the ones I have met. After spending some time reading about gluten intolerance I felt I knew more than they did. Some of them told me the weirdest things.

My blood test came out negative twice (10 years apart). Now I got positive on Milk and gluten from EnteroLab.

In Sweden (where I am from) it is illigal to keep the test results from the patients, like in the US.

To tell you the truth my doctor do not want to give me my latest test results either. I was curious what they were (even if they were negative- I had also been gluten free for 3 weeks when they were taken and the doctor told me it didn't matter) but they were not given to me. I got this very vague "they were negative anyways.." kinda mumble. They also didn't want to have anything to do with EnteroLab. And even if I felt better after stopping with gluten I was still told it couldn't be.

I am not fond of doctors after many years of this stuff... :P

GFBetsy Rookie
GFBetsy
Posted
Hi all-

I've been having a lot of the problems described here (fatigue, foggy mood, digestive issues, sensitive stomach, etc). I've been pretty much having constant stomach pain since I was 8 (22 now) and after switching from a pediatrician to a General Practioner, I was told that I needed to have the stomach pain checked out. I went to a GI who did a celiac panel and one of the tests came back positive (she won't tell me which one). I thought, from researching celiac, that if one test was positive, I had the disease, but my GI says not to worry and to continue to eat gluten and take a digestive enzyme as my problem is lactose intolerance. (I did test borderline at age 8)

I don't really know where to turn and am getting nowhere with the doctor as I keep calling and getting the runaround because no one wants to tell me which test is positive because I'm "not qualified" (I'm a biochemist, so I think I'm inherrantly qualified, but that's beside the point.)

Any thoughts? Anyone here have a single positive test?

I'll post more when I know more. Thanks for the support.

Sara

If I were you, I'd tell the doctors office that, if they are unwilling to accede to your request, you will be putting them in contact with your lawyer. I'm not a real fan of lawsuits, but this office needs to know that they are putting themselves in danger of legal action. Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if the threat is enough to make them reconsider their position.

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DelphicDragon Newbie
DelphicDragon
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for your support. In response to the questions- I tested positive for lactose intolerance when I was 8, no other testing was done then.

I am in the US and I know that they have to give me results and/or copies of my blood work, but getting that is like pulling teeth. Apparently, because there was a positive result only the doctor can talk to me about the results... (I don't know why but that was the response I got when I called back)

Thanks again- wish me luck tomorrow.

Sara

lawstudent Rookie
lawstudent
Posted

The posters above are correct; you do have a right to a copy of all of your test results, though they may have the right to charge you a nominal fee, depending on your state.

When my blood test results were in, the assistant/secretary at the GI's office told me by phone that the results were negative, but when I asked for the exact numbers, she said one test was "borderline", but she had a tough time reading me the numbers. I went to their office two days later after not hearing from the doctor to explain the results (as was promised) and told the front desk I wanted a copy my results now. I was asked why, because they had called and told me that they were all negative results. I told them that was untrue, there was a borderline. After some hem-hawing about how my file could be 3 floors down, they finally decided they had it but told me in a "threatening" tone..."you'll have to sign a release to get it", as if that would deter me. I told them to hand the release over, finished it in two seconds, and got my copy of the test results!

When I got the copy, I saw that there were 3 negatives and 1 POSITIVE (flagged as HH from the lab). Granted the amount was the lowest positive possible, but it was still positive and that is not what I was told.

At least you can talk to your doctor...I got only the secretary who couldn't pronounce the name of the tests and gave me inaccurate numbers over the phone This same secretary called an entire week later and said that the doctor decided I did have celiac and wants to schedule an endoscopy. I have an appointment tomorrow to see my GP and discuss my results with him and decide how to proceed, but it will not be with that GI!

I would advise you to find a new doctor as well. You are the only one looking out for you!

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