Should I Ask For Blood Tests?

[EBsMom]

My dd has her yearly physical coming up. We figured out her gluten sensitivity on our own - positive dietary response - and confirmed our suspicions with Enterolab testing. There hasn't been an MD managing her disease, so my plan is to share everything with my pediatrician and hope that she'll get on board. Dd is doing pretty well without gluten, casein and soy in her diet - her GI symptoms are all gone- and she's now taking a gluten-free/cf multivitamin. She's still a bit pale, though, and she tires more easily than she used to. I'm wondering if I should ask the pedi to run some blood tests - to look for anemia, to check her thyroid, etc. I'm just not sure which tests I should be requesting. Any ideas?

Rho

[ptkds]

IMO, you should ask for a full blood panel to check all her levels (iron, thyroid, IGA, etc) But be prepared for a negative Celiac test since your dd has been gluten free. And dont' let your dr talk you out of putting her back on the food that you have found to make her sick. Just say that you did an elimination diet and have found what makes her sick, and leave it at that. If the dr tries to convince you otherwise, just ignore it or stick to your decision. But checking her other levels and doing a CBC would be good. Just point out to the that you have read about children w/ Celiac/gluten intolerance sometimes have other autoimmune disease such as thyroid problems, Type 1 diabetes, and stuff like that.

Good luck! Dr.s can be a pain sometimes!

ptkds