Do I Need To Get An Egd?

[jewelie]

Hi,

I'm posting for the first time here and need some help.

I tested positive on one of the antibodies for celiac. My doctor told me I need to see a GI.

I was then told I need to get an EGD to know for sure if I have it. I haven't been able to get one done right away and in the meantime I have been on a gluten free diet for the past few weeks.

My question is would being on the gluten free diet negate the findings on an EGD?

Also, I have in the past reacted to anesthesia and am afraid of having another reaction. The sedation they told me they use is dipravan.

I would appreciate your help.

[Lisa]

Hi,

I'm posting for the first time here and need some help.

I tested positive on one of the antibodies for celiac. My doctor told me I need to see a GI.

I was then told I need to get an EGD to know for sure if I have it. I haven't been able to get one done right away and in the meantime I have been on a gluten free diet for the past few weeks.

My question is would being on the gluten free diet negate the findings on an EGD?

Also, I have in the past reacted to anesthesia and am afraid of having another reaction. The sedation they told me they use is dipravan.

I would appreciate your help.

Welcome Jewelie:

You have found yourself in a great place to learn everything you need to learn.

If you had a positive blood test for Celiac - you have a conformation of a diagnosis.

A follow-up endoscopy could indicate the level of damage to your small intestin and look for some other issues such as a hernia or gastritis. But you have a confirmation through your bloodwork.

Many people here are satisfied with what you have already tested for and have begun the gluten free diet and never looked back. The choice is yours.

[RIMom]

I challenged our doctors' insistence my daughter have a endoscopy. I said we had a positive response to a gluten-free diet and I didn't want to put her through it. He said the official line is he has to tell us to, but that "the most definitive diagnosis was a positive response to a gluten-free diet". He said if her symptoms come back or there are other concerns he may insist later, but for now he seemed content with our decision.

If you really want to know, do the Enterolab test instead, it's non-invasive and will tell you more about your absorbtion and malabsorbtion concerns.

[jewelie]

Welcome Jewelie:

You have found yourself in a great place to learn everything you need to learn.

If you had a positive blood test for Celiac - you have a conformation of a diagnosis.

A follow-up endoscopy could indicate the level of damage to your small intestin and look for some other issues such as a hernia or gastritis. But you have a confirmation through your bloodwork.

Many people here are satisfied with what you have already tested for and have begun the gluten free diet and never looked back. The choice is yours.

Thank you for your reply and affirmation. I will consider what is then best.

Again, thank you for the warm welcome.

[confused]

Hi,

I'm posting for the first time here and need some help.

I tested positive on one of the antibodies for celiac. My doctor told me I need to see a GI.

I was then told I need to get an EGD to know for sure if I have it. I haven't been able to get one done right away and in the meantime I have been on a gluten free diet for the past few weeks.

My question is would being on the gluten free diet negate the findings on an EGD?

Also, I have in the past reacted to anesthesia and am afraid of having another reaction. The sedation they told me they use is dipravan.

I would appreciate your help.

which antibody test was positive?

paula

[jewelie]

I challenged our doctors' insistence my daughter have a endoscopy. I said we had a positive response to a gluten-free diet and I didn't want to put her through it. He said the official line is he has to tell us to, but that "the most definitive diagnosis was a positive response to a gluten-free diet". He said if her symptoms come back or there are other concerns he may insist later, but for now he seemed content with our decision.

If you really want to know, do the Enterolab test instead, it's non-invasive and will tell you more about your absorbtion and malabsorbtion concerns.

Thank you for your reply. I see I have much to learn.

Again, thanks and hope your daughter is doing well.

[Ginsou]

whoops,incorrect post, don't know how to delete it.

[Ginsou]

Welcome to this forum. I'm also brand new to the gluten problem. My blood tests for Celiac were negative. Since I have no insurance, I decided not to have an endoscopy done, for the simple reason that I immediately went on a gluten free diet, and was no longer sick. Like my GI said.....the only proven way to know if you have this problem is to go on the diet. The endoscopy is done to see if damage is done to your intestines....and that is not always accurate because the damage may be further along than the area that is investigated. A year from now I will have insurance, and may have the endo done. Out of curiosity, I ordered the stool test from EnteroLab and am awaiting the results. If you have medical insurance, then your doctor will surely suggest you have every test done that your insurance will cover. Since you are aprehensive about the sedation, and may have a reaction, then I would say don't have it done.

This forum is the best place for lots of information on the disease.....sometimes more informative than your own doctor.

It has taken some time to have a 100% gluten free diet, and I have found some really good recipes on the internet, and have just purchased a bread machine. I'll well on my way to good health again, but it took some time to figure out what I could safely eat (I'm also lactose intolerant).

I recently visited relatives in another state. I brought my "special" food along, but also went out to eat at a few restaurants, and also had my very favorite Subway sub on wheat bread....and within hours started getting sick all over again......but not as sick as I was for 2 months prior to seeking medical help.

We're all fortunate that this forum exists!

[jewelie]

which antibody test was positive?

paula

I'm sorry I was away for awhile today and just got to look at the posts now. The positive antibody was Anitgliadin ABS, IGG - it was 47 with a negative from 0-9.

[ravenwoodglass]

I have to agree with the other posters who have said that you are already diagnosed. If after a while on the gluten-free diet you have not had any relief then perhaps I would do the endo. You also would be needing to actively be consuming gluten for about three months if you have been gluten free for a while.

For now I would do the diet strictly for at least 6 months, and to speed your healing process please also go dairy free for at least the first couple of months. You can then add things like yogurt and hard cheeses in to make sure you can digest them with no problem. The villi that are damaged by celiac are also needed to digest milk so unless you are also casien intolerant you should be able to consume again after you have healed a bit. Enterolab is also a great way to go and they can test for antibodies to casien, egg, soy (you really want to know about soy if possible), yeast and gluten.

I had a severe reaction to the meds and the endo procedure, others go through it like it is a walk in a park on a sunny day. The choice to do it is yours, not your doctors. Also some find they have problems with insurance after an 'official' diagnosis so that may be something you want to consider also. It doesn't make any sense since we are healthier, for the most part, than the rest of the population if we are diagnosed before we get in the later stages and comply with the diet.

Edit- Also if you do decide to endo make very certain that there is an anesthesiologist present. Some GI doctors are doing endos in 'In and Out' outpatient facilities without one present at the procedure. One of the biggest problems with my last endo was that the GI doctor did not know how to properly assess whether the anesthesia had taken effect. He was in a hurry. I was nervous to begin with and in pain from the prep reaction and things would have been very different if I had been monitored by someone who knew what they were doing. The procedure can be very traumatic if you think you are going to be out and your not. There are folks who go through it with no anesthesia or sedation (it is often an amnesiac that you are given, you are awake you just don't remember) and they are fine, but this would not be a good route IMHO if you were already anxious about it.