Is A Follow-up Endoscopy Needed 6 Months After Initial Diagnosis?

[mellamella]

I was diagnosed in Aug '07. I am feeling and doing well living gluten free. Last week I had a 6 month follow-up with myGI guy. Blood work was repeated and all came-back normal. He has scheduled me for another upper endoscopy. I think this is really not necessary. He is a major doctor in a major city and explained to me that this is his protocal for definative diagnosis. I would love to hear who else has had a repeat upper endoscopy, and what exactly was the time frame for doing so? Thanks for your input!

[johnsoniu]

I was diagnosed in Aug '07. I am feeling and doing well living gluten free. Last week I had a 6 month follow-up with myGI guy. Blood work was repeated and all came-back normal. He has scheduled me for another upper endoscopy. I think this is really not necessary. He is a major doctor in a major city and explained to me that this is his protocal for definative diagnosis. I would love to hear who else has had a repeat upper endoscopy, and what exactly was the time frame for doing so? Thanks for your input!

I was just dx'd last month and had my follow up consult and blood work last Thursday.

He said everything looked good on the blood work, asked how the stools were, and said he'd see me in 6 months. Said he might take another endoscopy in a year or so, but it would depend on how I was feeling then.

I would think if your original scope showed a lot of damage( I had a lot), he may want to look to see how things were progressing, but if you're feeling well it kinda seems redundant. Better safe than sorry I guess. Or he just might be using you as a guinea pig to source in his next research paper. For which you'll receive no royalties

[psawyer]

I had both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy in June of 2000. My colon was normal, but the small intestine showed severe damage to the villi.

Since it has been seven years, and I am over 50, my primary care physician believes that a colonoscopy every seven to ten years is indicated. Since the preparation overlaps and the extra effort is small, she also wants another endoscopy to see if my villi have completely healed (an indication of just how gluten-free I have really been).

The double procedure is scheduled for July 10. The actual procedure is not a big deal, but the purging of the digestive tract in preparation is a royal pain in the @$$. For a diabetic (like me), there are extra challenges as you try to manage blood sugar and insulin levels during the final 24 hours.

Six months seems, to me, a bit soon. Depending on how long you went without a diagnosis (while eating gluten) and your age when you went gluten-free, it may take longer that to heal the villi. But if your blood work is now negative, that is a strong sign that the gluten-free diet is working and the villi should be on the road to recovery.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

What will he do if your villi have or have not improved? It's not like you can go MORE gluten-free!

If the outcome is not going to change by having an invasive procedure, why have it?

[pinky]

my doctor had me do a follow-up endoscopy after 1 year to see if the gluten-free diet was working. then blood work also every year, but only the one endoscopy.