Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Saw The Gi Doc Today

Live2BWell

Recommended Posts

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted

Hey Guys, so I had my first appointment with a GI doctor today. He took my history, and what's been going on, and said he wants me to have a Sigmoidoscopy and an H-Pylori breath test (I have a history of H-Pylori, which is why he wants to do that test again.) As for the Sigmoidoscopy, I wasn't going to the GI doctor specifically for Celiac and/or Gluten Sensitivity, but I told him about my overall GI symptoms and the autoimmune thyroiditis, etc. So...

Has anyone had a Sigmoidoscopy? I'm nervous. It certainly doesn't sound pleasant (although he said that they could do it under ansthesia, which I quickly agreed to the whole anesthesia part, haha)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted

A sigmoidoscopy (in the back door) is not a test for celiac. If you are looking for villi damage, the test you want to ask for is an endoscopy (in the front door).

I have had several sigmoidoscopies. While it wasn't the most fun I have ever had in my life, it wasn't the most horrible exam I have ever had.

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author
A sigmoidoscopy (in the back door) is not a test for celiac. If you are looking for villi damage, the test you want to ask for is an endoscopy (in the front door).

I have had several sigmoidoscopies. While it wasn't the most fun I have ever had in my life, it wasn't the most horrible exam I have ever had.

So what exactly does the sigmoidoscopy detect/diagnose? Is an endoscopy something that a person can request?

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
So what exactly does the sigmoidoscopy detect/diagnose? Is an endoscopy something that a person can request?

From the NIH-

Open Original Shared Link

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (SIG-moy-DAH-skuh-pee) enables the physician to look at the inside of the large intestine from the rectum through the last part of the colon, called the sigmoid or descending colon. Physicians may use the procedure to find the cause of diarrhea, abdominal pain, or constipation. They also use it to look for early signs of cancer in the descending colon and rectum. With flexible sigmoidoscopy, the physician can see bleeding, inflammation, abnormal growths, and ulcers in the descending colon and rectum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is not sufficient to detect polyps or cancer in the ascending or transverse colon (two-thirds of the colon).

The doctor was not looking for celiac at all. You should tell your doctor directly that you suspect celiac and want an endo. Yes you can do that, although your doctor should have suggested it most look for celiac AFTER they have run us through a few thousand dollars of other tests first.

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author
From the NIH-

Open Original Shared Link

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (SIG-moy-DAH-skuh-pee) enables the physician to look at the inside of the large intestine from the rectum through the last part of the colon, called the sigmoid or descending colon. Physicians may use the procedure to find the cause of diarrhea, abdominal pain, or constipation. They also use it to look for early signs of cancer in the descending colon and rectum. With flexible sigmoidoscopy, the physician can see bleeding, inflammation, abnormal growths, and ulcers in the descending colon and rectum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is not sufficient to detect polyps or cancer in the ascending or transverse colon (two-thirds of the colon).

The doctor was not looking for celiac at all. You should tell your doctor directly that you suspect celiac and want an endo. Yes you can do that, although your doctor should have suggested it most look for celiac AFTER they have run us through a few thousand dollars of other tests first.

Thanks for the reply, Ravenwoodglass. I did not tell him I suspected Celiac or Gluten Intolerance, but I did tell him about my symptoms (and I also mentioned my abnormal esophogeal motility, for which the do an endoscopy.) In the end, he determined a Sigmoidoscopy. I was scared to say anything or be presumptous. I have had unpleasant experiences with doctors in the past, who have been totally unreceptive to listening to me if my symptoms don't run parallel with what THEYthink the problem is. Um, yea, it's been a nightmare and many doctors later and many thousands of dollars later as well. I did call and leave a messege with the nurse and she is going to relay it to my doctor (asking what he wants to do about the abnormal esophogeal motility test) - I do know that they usually do an endoscopy for that, so in a round about way I guess I was hoping they could kill two birds with one stone (do both the sigmoidoscopy and endoscopy all in one go-round, I mean I'm going to be under anesthesia anyway!)

... So, my doctor is supposed to call me back

Any other words of wisdom or advice?

I feel as though I'm in a catch 22 situation.

Thanks!

dlp252 Apprentice
dlp252
Posted

I don't think you go under sedation for sigmoidoscopy...at least here they don't put you out. I haven't had one for several years though...but my aunt had one recently and she didn't have sedation (i.e., she could drive herself home). For a colonoscopy yes. My first endoscopy was done at the same time as a colonoscopy.

WW340 Rookie
WW340
Posted

I think you need to tell your doctor directly that you would like to be tested for celiac disease. Even if he does an endoscopy for the motility problem, it is unlikely he would do biopsies for celiac disease if you don't ask him to do so. Don't be afraid to discuss your concerns openly. If the doctor is not receptive, you may need a different one.

Unfortunately, celiac disease is not in the forefront of most doctors thinking. Speak up, or you may never get your answer until you have the "classic signs" of celiac.

I am surprised that a GI specialist is doing a sigmoidoscopy rather than a colonoscopy. GI's generally opt for the colonoscopy under anesthesia, as a sigmoidoscopy misses the majority of the colon.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author

The doctor said I was too young to need a Colonoscopy, so he wanted to start with the Sigmoidoscopy and do as little as needbe for my age. He also said I could choose if I wanted anesthesia or not for the Sigmoidoscopy (which I said I wanted it!)

I have not heard back from him, but I will let you all know when I do. Thanks!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
The doctor said I was too young to need a Colonoscopy, so he wanted to start with the Sigmoidoscopy and do as little as needbe for my age. He also said I could choose if I wanted anesthesia or not for the Sigmoidoscopy (which I said I wanted it!)

I have not heard back from him, but I will let you all know when I do. Thanks!

Jessica, With a comment like this from him you may end up finding you need to find another doctor. Perhaps not the case but there is no age limit for a colonoscopy and to give your age as the reason for doing the sigmoid instead of the colonoscopy is bogus IMHO. If nothing is found then he will be paid to do a colonoscopy as well, which is like doing things half way once and then doing it right the second time. I would not be surprised if he balks at testing for celiac. Do insist though if he does do the endo that you have a minimum of 5 biopsy samples taken and do get actual printouts of the actual test results that were sent from the lab. Don't just go with a verbal rendition, look at the actual lab report. You have a right to copies of all doctors notes, labs and testing results so don't let them intimidate you into thinking you don't.

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author
Jessica, With a comment like this from him you may end up finding you need to find another doctor. Perhaps not the case but there is no age limit for a colonoscopy and to give your age as the reason for doing the sigmoid instead of the colonoscopy is bogus IMHO. If nothing is found then he will be paid to do a colonoscopy as well, which is like doing things half way once and then doing it right the second time. I would not be surprised if he balks at testing for celiac. Do insist though if he does do the endo that you have a minimum of 5 biopsy samples taken and do get actual printouts of the actual test results that were sent from the lab. Don't just go with a verbal rendition, look at the actual lab report. You have a right to copies of all doctors notes, labs and testing results so don't let them intimidate you into thinking you don't.

I heard back from the nurse, and she spoke with my doctor, who basically said at this time nothing further is really necessary, and we'll go ahead with the sigmoidoscopy as scheduled.

Unfortunately I've had horrible luck with doctors, so 'standing my ground' so to speak, is easier said than done. I recently went through the ringer with my last doctor (and endo) who wrote a letter to my psychiatrist (whom I see for ADD/ADHD) and sent a copy to my other treating doctor (who sent a copy to ME!) questioning if my problems are more psychosomatic than actually physically valid (the letter was a 2 page letter!) Even though my tests keep coming back as abnormal, and things keep popping up that clearly are not "normal," I'm certainly fed up with trying to stand my ground and being labeled as "dramatic" and written off (why do doctors have to be so difficult to deal with?) It amazes me how nobody seems to realize that in 2 years time things "showing up" (Hashimotos, Diabetes, etc.) actually MEANS something (to me, that's common sense!)

So, I do have another question, and am curious as to what you think.

I ordered one of those home allergy test kits - and it tests for: Gluten, Weat (excluding Gluten), Oat, Rice, Milk, Egg, Shrimp, Lobster, Prawn, Crab, Mussel, Almond, Cashews, Hazelnut, Peanut, Soybean, Cocoabean, Mushroom, Yeast, Chicken, & Beef. Do you think those tests are good (or atleast adequate) for diagnostics? Also, say I decide to go Gluten Free anyway, without any type of diagnostics, whatever an endoscopy could diagnose (and isn't, since I'm not having one) - going Gluten Free could only help, right?

Well, thanks again !!

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted
I ordered one of those home allergy test kits - and it tests for: Gluten, Weat (excluding Gluten), Oat, Rice, Milk, Egg, Shrimp, Lobster, Prawn, Crab, Mussel, Almond, Cashews, Hazelnut, Peanut, Soybean, Cocoabean, Mushroom, Yeast, Chicken, & Beef. Do you think those tests are good (or atleast adequate) for diagnostics? Also, say I decide to go Gluten Free anyway, without any type of diagnostics, whatever an endoscopy could diagnose (and isn't, since I'm not having one) - going Gluten Free could only help, right?

Celiac is not an allergy. It is an intolerance. If you are indeed celiac or gluten intolerant, it would not show up on an allergy test. Allergy tests measure a completely different class of antibodies (IgE). Celiac is an IgA and IgG response. One can have allergies and not intolerances and vice versa. The test you ordered may give you some allergy information, but it is not diagnostic for celiac disease.

Going gluten free certainly can't hurt you, and it may well help you. Your doctor sounds like he is not looking for celiac, and is (ahem) "barking up the wrong tree" with the sygmoidoscopy. I had my first sygmoidoscopy at 16, and my first colonoscopy at 18, so there is certainly no age limit on either procedure.

CeliacAlli Apprentice
CeliacAlli
Posted

A Sigmoidoscopy is a test for celiac, I am not sure where some of you get your info. but it does, that is how I was diagnosed as a baby, they take a piece of your intestine and it is not from the front end.

WW340 Rookie
WW340
Posted
A Sigmoidoscopy is a test for celiac, I am not sure where some of you get your info. but it does, that is how I was diagnosed as a baby, they take a piece of your intestine and it is not from the front end.

I will show you links to my information if you would like.

A sigmoidoscopy gets no where near the small intestine which is where celiac disease occurs. Even a colonoscopy, which goes much further up than a sigmoidoscopy, cannot get to the area of the small intestines needed for biopsy. Endoscopy is needed to biopsy the small intestine.

Sigmoidoscopy is used for diagnosing crohns and ulcerative colitis and some colon cancers. It only goes into the rectum and descending colon. It does not even go the full length of the colon, let alone the small intestine.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

I can give you links to hundreds of experts that say celiac disease is diagnosed by a biopsy of the small intestine.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
A Sigmoidoscopy is a test for celiac, I am not sure where some of you get your info. but it does, that is how I was diagnosed as a baby, they take a piece of your intestine and it is not from the front end.

Perhaps the person who told you that you were diagnosed with a Sig was simply mistaken. To many a scope is a scope and when someones infant is ill the name of the specific test may not be formost on their mind. You may have had a Sig and an Endo in the same procedure.

We really aren't pulling info out of the air. If you read my first post my source was the NIH or the National Institute of Health. If celiac could be diagnosed by a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy I would have been diagnosed a really long time before I was. Since my bloodwork was always negative they never thought to scope my small intestine only the large.

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author

Woops, I was mistaken about the tests - they are food intolerence tests, not food allergy tests

Here is the link :)

Open Original Shared Link

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
Woops, I was mistaken about the tests - they are food intolerence tests, not food allergy tests

Here is the link :)

Open Original Shared Link

If I had the test in my hands I would go ahead and do it. It does appear though that the test is only going to tell you if you are forming antibodies but not what they are antibodies to so I don't know how helpful that is going to be. Do be sure when all is done with the testing you are going to let them do that you give the diet a good serious try for a couple months even if all results are negative. I hope you get some answers soon and are feeling better.

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted

Here's what the Open Original Shared Link:

Important notes on test results:

If you are worried about a particular food or suffer from a

classical IgE mediated food allergy e.g. shellfish, but it has

not given a positive result in this test, we advise you to

continue to avoid such foods.

A positive result for gluten does not necessarily indicate

coeliac disease, but we strongly suggest that medical

advice is sought and a coeliac screen be carried out

(available from CNS service laboratory).

It doesn't specifically say what variant of IgG it is measuring. So you don't really know if the celiac tests are in there (EMA and TtG). If it is a home test kit that you administer yourself, I'm not really sure how specific it could be. To date, I do not know of a self-administered celiac test thta you don't have to send off to a lab somewhere for processing.

Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author

Thanks again for your replies. I am not expecting all that much (although hoping for something, so maybe I'll have some answers.) I think if anything, I figured that for the money, taking the test would do no harm and couldn't put me any worse off than I am now, since the doctors aren't getting me very far <_<

So we'll see ...

  • 2 weeks later...
Live2BWell Enthusiast
Live2BWell
Posted
  • Author

Hey Everyone, so I had the procedure yesterday. They ended up doing a Colonoscopy instead of a Sigmoidoscopy, and they took biopsies of 3 areas. The doc said that everything appeared normal' but they wanted to do the biopsies to be sure. I feel pretty cruddy today now that the med cocktail they gave me, has worn off :(

They said they results should be back in about a week.

So, that's that ..

Just wanted to update ;)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. suek54
      - suek54 replied to suek54's topic in Dermatitis Herpetiformis
      5

      Awaiting dermatitis herpetiformis confirmation following biopsy

      Thank you all for your advice and the dermatitis herpetiformis article. The latter made me realise I had stopped taking my antihistamine, which I will restart today. The Dapsone has cleared the rash entirely but I still get quite a bit itching, absolutely nothing to see though. I know its notoriously hard to clear and its still relatively early days for me...
    2. trents
      - trents replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when...
    3. catnapt
      - catnapt replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      thank you so much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!! I can say with absolute certainty that the less gluten containing products I've eaten over the past several years, the better I've felt. I wasn't avoiding gluten, I was avoiding refined grains (and most processed foods) as well as anything that made me feel bad when I ate it. It's the...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for...
    5. catnapt
      - catnapt posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,257
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KariNoMoreGluten
    Newest Member
    KariNoMoreGluten
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • suek54
      Awaiting dermatitis herpetiformis confirmation following biopsy

      By suek54 · Posted

      Thank you all for your advice and the dermatitis herpetiformis article. The latter made me realise I had stopped taking my antihistamine, which I will restart today. The Dapsone has cleared the rash entirely but I still get quite a bit itching, absolutely nothing to see though. I know its notoriously hard to clear and its still relatively early days for me.  The iodine issue is very interesting. I do eat quite a bit of salt because I have Addison's disease and sodium retention is an issue. I also have autoimmune hypothyroidism, not sure how a low iodine diet would play into that? Because of my Addison's I am totally steroid dependent, I take steroids 4 x daily and cannot mount any defence against inflammation. I need to increase my meds for that. Now that I know what is wrong I can do just that if Im having a bad day. Life is very sweet, just so damn complicated sometimes! Hey ho, onwards. Thank you again for your advice.  
    • trents
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By trents · Posted

      So, essentially all of the nutrition in the food we eat is absorbed through the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestinal track that is damaged by celiac disease. This villous lining is composed of billions of finger-like projections that create a huge amount of surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the celiac person, when gluten is consumed, it triggers an autoimmune reaction in this area which, of course, generates inflammation. The antibodies connected with this inflammation is what the celiac blood tests are designed to detect but this inflammation, over time, wears down the finger-like projections of the villous lining. Of course, when this proceeds for an extended period of time, greatly reduces the absorption efficiency of the villous lining and often results in many and various nutrient deficiency-related health issues. Classic examples would be osteoporosis and iron deficiency. But there are many more. Low D3 levels is a well-known celiac-caused nutritional deficiency. So is low B12. All the B vitamins in fact. Magnesium, zinc, etc.  Celiac disease can also cause liver inflammation. You mention elevated ALP levels. Elevated liver enzymes over a period of 13 years was what led to my celiac diagnosis. Within three months of going gluten free my liver enzymes normalized. I had elevated AST and ALT. The development of sensitivities to other food proteins is very common in the celiac population. Most common cross reactive foods are dairy and oats but eggs, soy and corn are also relatively common offenders. Lactose intolerance is also common in the celiac population because of damage to the SB lining.  Eggs when they are scrambled or fried give me a gut ache. But when I poach them, they do not. The steam and heat of poaching causes a hydrolysis process that alters the protein in the egg. They don't bother me in baked goods either so I assume the same process is at work. I bought a plastic poacher on Amazon to make poaching very easy. All this to say that many of the issues you describe could be caused by celiac disease. 
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      thank you so much for your detailed and extremely helpful reply!! I can say with absolute certainty that the less gluten containing products I've eaten over the past several years, the better I've felt.   I wasn't avoiding gluten, I was avoiding refined grains (and most processed foods) as well as anything that made me feel bad when I ate it. It's the same reason I gave up dairy and eggs- they make me feel ill.  I do have a bit of a sugar addiction lol so a lot of times I wasn't sure if it was the refined grains that I was eating - or the sugar. So from time to time I might have a cookie or something but I've learned how to make wonderful cookies and golden brownies with BEANS!! and no refined sugar - I use date paste instead. Pizza made me so ill- but I thought it was probably the cheese. I gave up pizza and haven't missed it. the one time I tried a slice I felt so bad I knew I'd never touch it again. I stopped eating wheat pasta at least 3 yrs ago- just didn't feel well after eating it. I tried chick pea pasta and a few others and discovered I like the brown rice pasta. I still don't eat a lot of pasta but it's nice for a change when I want something easy. TBH over the years I've wondered sometimes if I might be gluten intolerant but really believed it was not possible for me to have celiac disease. NOW I need to know for sure- because I'm in the middle of a long process of trying to find out why I have a high parathyroid level (NOT the thyroid- but rather the 4 glands that control the calcium balance in your body) I have had a hard time getting my vit D level up, my serum calcium has run on the low side of normal for many years... and now I am losing calcium from my bones and excreting it in my urine (some sort of renal calcium leak) Also have a high ALP since 2014. And now rapidly worsening bone density.  I still do not have a firm diagnosis. Could be secondary HPT (but secondary to what? we need to know) It could be early primary HPT. I am spilling calcium in my urine but is that caused by the high parathyroid hormone or is it the reason my PTH is high>? there are multiple feedback loops for this condition.    so I will keep eating the bread and some wheat germ that does not seem to bother me too much (it hasn't got enough gluten to use just wheat germ)    but I'm curious- if you don't have a strong reaction to a product- like me and wheat germ- does that mean it's ok to eat or is it still causing harm even if you don't have any obvious symptoms? I guess what you are saying about silent celiac makes it likely that you can have no symptoms and still have the harm... but geez! you'd think they'd come up with a way to test for this that didn't require you to consume something that makes you sick! I worry about the complications I've been reading about- different kinds of cancers etc. also wondering- are there degrees of celiac disease?  is there any correlation between symptoms and the amnt of damage to your intestines? I also need a firm diagnosis because I have an identical twin sister ... so if I have celiac, she has it too- or at least the genetic make up for having it. I did have a VERY major stress to my body in 2014-2016 time frame .. lost 50lbs in a short period of time and had severe symptoms from acute protracted withdrawal off an SSRI drug (that I'd been given an unethically high dose of, by a dr who has since lost his license)  Going off the drug was a good thing and in many ways my health improved dramatically- just losing 50lbs was helpful but I also went  off almost a dozen different medications, totally changed my diet and have been doing pretty well except for the past 3-4 yrs when the symptoms related to the parathyroid issue cropped up. It is likely that I had low vit D for some time and that caused me a lot of symptoms. The endo now tells me that low vit D can be caused by celiac disease so I need to know for sure! thank you for all that great and useful information!!! 
    • trents
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome, @catnapt! The most recent guidelines are the daily consumption of a minimum of 10g of gluten (about the amount found in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of two weeks. But if possible stretching that out even more would enhance the chances of getting valid test results. These guidelines are for those who have been eating gluten free for a significant amount of time. It's called the "gluten challenge".  Yes, you can develop celiac disease at any stage of life. There is a genetic component but also a stress trigger that is needed to activate the celiac genes. About 30-40% of the general population possesses the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develop celiac disease. For most with the potential, the triggering stress event doesn't happen. It can be many things but often it is a viral infection. Having said that, it is also the case that many, many people who eventually are diagnosed with celiac disease probably experienced the actual onset years before. Many celiacs are of the "silent" type, meaning that symptoms are largely missing or very minor and get overlooked until damage to the small bowel lining becomes advanced or they develop iron deficiency anemia or some other medical problem associated with celiac disease. Many, many are never diagnosed or are diagnosed later in life because they did not experience classic symptoms. And many physicians are only looking for classic symptoms. We now know that there are over 200 symptoms/medical problems associated with celiac disease but many docs are only looking for things like boating, gas, diarrhea. I certainly understand your concerns about not wanting to damage your body by taking on a gluten challenge. Your other option is to totally commit to gluten free eating and see if your symptoms improve. It can take two years or more for complete healing of the small bowel lining once going gluten free but usually people experience significant improvement well before then. If their is significant improvement in your symptoms when going seriously gluten free, then you likely have your answer. You would either have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity).
    • catnapt
      how much gluten do I need to eat before blood tests?

      By catnapt · Posted

      after several years of issues with a para-gland issue, my endo has decided it's a good idea for me to be tested for celiac disease. I am 70 yrs old and stunned to learn that you can get celiac this late in life. I have just gradually stopped eating most foods that contain gluten over the past several years- they just make me feel ill- although I attributed it to other things like bread spiking blood sugar- or to the things I ate *with* the bread or crackers etc   I went to a party in Nov and ate a LOT of a vegan roast made with vital wheat gluten- as well as stuffing, rolls and pie crust... and OMG I was so sick! the pain, the bloating, the gas, the nausea... I didn't think it would ever end (but it did) and I was ready to go the ER but it finally subsided.   I mentioned this to my endo and now she wants me to be tested for celiac after 2 weeks of being on gluten foods. She has kind of flip flopped on how much gluten I should eat, telling me that if the symptoms are severe I can stop. I am eating 2-3 thin slices of bread per day (or english muffins) and wow- it does make me feel awful. But not as bad as when I ate that massive amnt of vital wheat gluten. so I will continue on if I have to... but what bothers me is - if it IS celiac, it seems stupid for lack of a better word, to intentionally cause more damage to my body... but I am also worried, on the other hand, that this is not a long enough challenge to make the blood work results valid.   can you give me any insight into this please?   thank you
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.