She I Ask To See A Gastro Doctor Or Is The Blood Test Sufficient?

[Jeffiner]

Last night I got a phone call from my new doctor telling me that I had Celiac Disease according to my blood tests. She then told me to avoid gluten and to look it up online. That was all the direction I got. My niece has Celiac also and my sister insisted that she should have sent me to a gastro doctor for a biopsy to see how bad it is. I have been vomiting on nearly a daily basis for seven years and have been tested for everything from a brain tumor to being told I am just stressed. I have bad days but being stressed for seven years is a little ridiculous aye? Anyway, I am going to call her to ask to see a gastro doctor. Is that what you would advise too? Can they tell the severity of the gluten allergy by the blood test? Thanks, I am a wee bit overwhelmed.

I got a phone call while I typed the title and typed she instead of should. oops, can't fix it.

[Jeffiner]

Last night I got a phone call from my new doctor telling me that I had Celiac Disease according to my blood tests. She then told me to avoid gluten and to look it up online. That was all the direction I got. My niece has Celiac also and my sister insisted that she should have sent me to a gastro doctor for a biopsy to see how bad it is. I have been vomiting on nearly a daily basis for seven years and have been tested for everything from a brain tumor to being told I am just stressed. I have bad days but being stressed for seven years is a little ridiculous aye? Anyway, I am going to call her to ask to see a gastro doctor. Is that what you would advise too? Can they tell the severity of the gluten allergy by the blood test? Thanks, I am a wee bit overwhelmed.

I got a phone call while I typed the title and typed she instead of should. oops, can't fix it.

I guess it doesn't matter what anyone advises, she won't refer me until I start the diet. I was told that starting the diet hinders the result. I would like to know the damage done.

[Lisa]

I guess it doesn't matter what anyone advises, she won't refer me until I start the diet. I was told that starting the diet hinders the result. I would like to know the damage done.

Yes, beginning the diet WILL hinder the accuracy of future testing. It would more important to start the diet and begin healing, rather than wait to see your damage. In addition, an endo/biopsy exam may or may not reveal affected areas of your intestines.

This is a great place for information. Welcome to the Club!

[sandsurfgirl]

There are no cut and dry tests to be done. The biopsy can be a gamble for a few reasons. You must continue eating gluten and causing more damage. Vomiting for that many years is downright dangerous. The intestine is long and you have to take a gamble that the doctor will choose affected tissue and that they will interpret the result correctly. Some are ignorant of the fact that blunting of villi is sufficient and it doesn't have to be a total war zone in there to have celiac.

From everything I've read a positive blood test is postive. I don't think that there are false positives but I'm no expert. But then neither are most doctors.

You have to choose whether you want to suffer for a few more months until the referrals appointments and testing are done or if you want to get on with your life and start the diet now.

You are lucky to find a doc who is willing to go with blood tests and is knowledgable enough to recognize your symptoms combined with results from blood tests are enough to diagnose celiac. Many of us DREAM of finding a doc like that.

[woodnewt]

Once you start the diet the biopsy will not be an accurate method of diagnosing. I would highly advise you push to see a gastroenterologist and get the biopsy done while you are still consuming gluten to have a confirmation of the diagnosis. There are some doctors who will not accept a celiac diagnosis unless confirmed with a biopsy and this may work against you in the future if you forgo the biopsy (moreso because going back on gluten to "prove" that you do have celiac will be torture, plain and simple). I would say get the biopsy done if you can. It will be worth it.

[Jeffiner]

I picked up copies of the blood test today to send to my old doctor. I intend to switch back to him. It seems that the only number on the entire test that was elevated was transglutaminase iga, which was 4.5, a weak positive. Researching that, I found that it is possible to get a false positive number if there is any other autoimmune disorder present. I really just want confirmation because now I am doubting whether or not it is right. I am not trying to play doctor, I just want an accurate diagnosis so I can end seven years of hell. She would not have even tested for it had I not mentioned it. Shouldn't all the other numbers be elevated too? Thank you for the responses. Might I add, eating gluten free is expensive and we don't have money to waste if she is wrong. kwim?