Testing - What All Should I Ask For?

[ohsotired]

I feel a little dumb asking this, as I've found many posts listing the tests involved in the Celiac Panel (Antigliadin IgA and IgG, Anti-tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (tTG), IgA and IgG, Anti-endomysial (EMA) IgA and IgG,Total serum IgA), but I'm wondering if there are additinal tests I should be asking for that might help give some clues as to what's going on.

Are there specific vitamin deficiencies that should be checked for?

Are there blood or other tests that can check for malabsorption?

Or should I just start with the celiac panel and go from there?

**My brain is super 'foggy' today, so if what I've written here doesn't make sense, please ask questions and I'll try my best to form a coherent response.

TIA

[ohsotired]

Anyone? Or is my question really really dumb?

[nora-n]

I had highish liver numbers, and ferritin had gone down from 60-ish to 30-something.

thyroid antibodies are common too, and I had them.

vit. D often is low.

I think there are other things too that are quite common in celiac.

[ohsotired]

Thanks for replying nora_n!

Did they find those things with blood tests?

I wonder especially about vitamin deficiencies, as I lost a bunch of weight, can't seem to gain it back, and bruise really really easily. I'm also really tired all the time.

I had some bloodwork done last November, but according to the doc, everything looked 'normal'.

I know they checked thyroid and iron levels, but I don't remember what else.

[Rachel--24]

I feel a little dumb asking this, as I've found many posts listing the tests involved in the Celiac Panel (Antigliadin IgA and IgG, Anti-tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (tTG), IgA and IgG, Anti-endomysial (EMA) IgA and IgG,Total serum IgA), but I'm wondering if there are additinal tests I should be asking for that might help give some clues as to what's going on.

Are there specific vitamin deficiencies that should be checked for?

Are there blood or other tests that can check for malabsorption?

If you're asking specifically about tests for diagnosing Celiac.....then it would be all of the ones you listed. None of the other tests are specific for Celiac.

Additional testing can be helpful in determining deficiencies or other problems/imbalances...however, they have nothing to do with diagnosing Celiac.

In addition to the blodwork listed above...there is also the endoscopy/biopsy.

Thyroid antibodies, vitmain deficiencies, malabsorption, etc....can all be found in people who do not have Celiac Disease. I actually have all of those issues...for reasons other than Celiac Disease. So those tests arent useful for making the diagnosis.

[HouseKat]

Ohsotired,

Make sure that they do the DNA test too. My blood tests were invalid because I had been gluten-free beforehand, but the DNA test - which I had to argue for - found that I'm a DQ 5. Finally, after 20 years of being sick and nearly 15 years of asking doctors about celiac disease, I was vindicated. The ignorant GI doc ignored the DNA results and tried to tell me that my blood tests "proved" that I was not celiac.

My primary care doc also tests my vitamin D levels twice a year because he's worried about malabsorption leading to osteoporosis.

Kate

I feel a little dumb asking this, as I've found many posts listing the tests involved in the Celiac Panel (Antigliadin IgA and IgG, Anti-tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (tTG), IgA and IgG, Anti-endomysial (EMA) IgA and IgG,Total serum IgA), but I'm wondering if there are additinal tests I should be asking for that might help give some clues as to what's going on.

Are there specific vitamin deficiencies that should be checked for?

Are there blood or other tests that can check for malabsorption?

Or should I just start with the celiac panel and go from there?

**My brain is super 'foggy' today, so if what I've written here doesn't make sense, please ask questions and I'll try my best to form a coherent response.

TIA

[ohsotired]

Rachel--24 - Thanks, I did mean specifically for celiac disease. I just wondered if there were common vitamin deficiencies that could be tested for as well, not necessarily to diagnose celiac disease, but to be on the look out for.

HouseKat - Is there a specific name for the DNA test? I'm still eating gluten, but went gluten-free for 4 short days as a trial and did see some results during that time.....