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Advice On Next Steps From Positive Blood Test

Jimmac

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Jimmac Newbie
Jimmac
Posted

Hello

Just a few days ago I received my blood test results and they were positive for Celiac disease. My doctor suggested that I go on a gluten free diet for 2 weeks and then see how I feel and have another round of blood tests. My systems have been on and off for about 10 years, ie. I go through periods of 4-6 weeks of mild abdominal pain, some dioreha and then I might be well for another 3-6 months. I have noticed though the periods between feeling better and then worse again are shortening.

Anyway my question is - I am now on a gluten free diet (4 days now, not much change) should I keep this up for 2 weeks and then get the blood test again, if I feel good then job done and I am gluten free forever or should I go in for the biopsy to be sure. Plus how long should it take for my symptoms to go away once going on the gluten-free diet

regards

JM

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kbtoyssni Contributor
kbtoyssni
Posted

A positive blood test means you have celiac, regardless of biopsy results. A biopsy may or may not confirm you have celiac. Villi damage may be patchy so a doc can miss it if he doesn't take enough samples so I don't see a need for a biopsy unless your doctor suspects something in addition to celiac is going on, too, and wants to check for it but it doesn't sound like that's the case. Your doctor seems to be really educated on the disease. If you get another blood test after two weeks of being gluten free, I'm guessing your gluten antibody levels will have decreased, but not have gone down into normal range yet. You may want to do another follow up blood test in 4-6 months when you body should be mostly healed. At that point the blood test would indicate if some gluten is sneaking into your diet somewhere and you're not having known symptoms from it.

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