New To This Need Advice

[redsidekick]

I had terrible bloating at the beginning of the year and my primary care dr. called for a celiac test. One of the two tests came back slightly elevated (I'm sorry I dont know which test or scores). I was eating nothing but bread the week before due to symptoms.

When I heard the positive result I went to a gluten free diet. I went to a GI doctor a week later who was not convinced that I had celiac from the one slightly positive and called for an endoscopy. I had that performed 3 weeks after I went gluten-free.

Yesterday I went back for the results of the biopsy. My villi showed mild blunting which he said could also be from gastritis, but also stated that it could be the fact that my intestines were healing. He called for me to eat normally (including breads) and to take another blood test in two weeks. If it still showed any positive result he would diagnosis me as celiac. He also believes I have IBS, he put me on Librax at the same time and it has helped (although I'm not sure if it is the librax or b/c I have avoided gluten).

My questions are

1) Since things seem mild, am I safe to assume that if I begin ingesting gluten for the next few weeks before the blood test that I am not going to cause terrible damage to my system due to the what appears to me to be a mild. Basically, is it worth the risk?

2) If it is celiac, is this the beginning of the manifestation of it or was it doing things to my system "under the radar" for years? I know that as of now I have never had a problem with anemia (from two blood tests I have taken in the past 2 months, plus 5 others over the past 5 years). I'm asking just to get an understanding how I could have this my whole life and only now see it "come alive".

Thanks in advance

[Lisa]

Welcome! This is a great source and glad you found us.

OK, so many questions and certainly understandable.

Many of us have been predisposed to Celiac Disease and it often takes a trigger to kick in. Mine was stress, others, illnesses, pregnancies...

IBS stands for "I B Stumped" as it is not a diagnosis, just a classification where no known cause can be found. Do not stand for a diagnoses of IBS!

Mild villi blunting is generally a diagnostic earmark for Celiac Disease. It can be cause by other things, but with your combined symptoms, most likely you have Celiac Disease.

Your blood work may or may confirm, although they are not as accurate as we would like at the present time.

If you choose to pursue further testing, yes, it is imperative to continue to consume gluten. But, there is no guarantee that you blood work would support your biopsy result. Blood work can rule Celiac in, but it cannot rule it out.

You certain could go on a complete gluten free diet and if you have a positive dietary response, it also will support a diagnoses. Should you have Celiac Disease (and I think you do, although I am not a doctor) and if you continue to consume gluten, it will continue to damage your small intestines until you remove that toxin from your system.

I may not have answered all of your questions. This is a great site. Take a walk around, there is much to learn.

[RiceGuy]

Hello, and welcome.

Just backing up what has already been said. It is right on the mark AFAIK. Fell free to ask any questions. The members here are extremely knowledgeable.