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Post Diagnosis Blood Tests/tests?


Shanmegjilal

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Shanmegjilal Rookie

Hi , I found out by bx that I have celiac about 1 mnth ago.The GI nurse called to tell me and said to do the diet and the Dr. wants to do another endoscopy in 4 mnths.Thats it???!!!My health insurance doesn't cover a nutritionist consult which my Dr. ordered.I'm figuring it out but don't even know when my numbness/pins and needles in my feet will/should go away.How do I know the diet is working(I've been doing it 1 mnth)???Can I really wait 4 mnths to see?I kind of thought I should have more bloodwork to see if I have any other vit. deficiencies,etc.I know my B12 was low but that is high now after supplementing....How long did people's symptoms continue on the diet?Thanks.


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sbj Rookie

You should now contact your regular primary care doctor, AKA your internist, for other testing. At least in my case, the diagnosis came from the GI but other testing and referrals came through my internist. You should ask for further blood testing for nutritional/vitamin/mineral deficiencies. He/she should order a bone density scan. And you should at the least schedule a visit to describe any symptoms you might have that indicate some of the other auto-immune conditions that are associated with celiac disease. Don't bother with a nutritionist - if you see anyone in that regard you should visit a dietitian (anyone can call themselves a nutritionist). But if you can't see a dietitian don't fret - the same type of information is available online so start doing your research!

The follow-up endoscopy is unusual as many GIs don't even bother. I'd ask your GI more about that. The best measure of success will be follow-up bloodwork and resolution of symptoms after dietary changes. Improvement could be rapid but for some takes quite awhile.

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