Help With Celiac Diagnosis Issues

[KimKF]

Daughter has had gastro issues for years! She has also been diagnosed with Hoshimoto's Thyroiditis (know there is a correlation between that and Celiac). We are in the beginning stages of having her tested for Celiac, as she has had diarrhea issues for the past 2 weeks. Diarrhea 10 to 15 times a day, very fatty. She just had blood drawn for Celiac Panel, Ultrasound tomorrow, GI Doctor on Friday. In the case that this is Celiac, to be safe, she has gone completely Gluten Free. How long would it take for her to see some relief. It's been 2 to 3 days so far with no let up with the constant diarrhea?

[ravenwoodglass]

Please get her back on gluten. She needs to be on a normal gluten diet for testing for the best chance of an accurate result. While you are waiting for the testing spend as much time here as you can reading about all that you need to do to insure that she is completely gluten free. As soon as the tests are done she can give the diet a good strict try. There are false negatives with both blood and biopsy so give the diet a couple of months. I would make sure that the doctor does stool testing to make sure she hasn't picked up something like salmonella or the like also.

[KimKF]

Please get her back on gluten. She needs to be on a normal gluten diet for testing for the best chance of an accurate result. While you are waiting for the testing spend as much time here as you can reading about all that you need to do to insure that she is completely gluten free. As soon as the tests are done she can give the diet a good strict try. There are false negatives with both blood and biopsy so give the diet a couple of months. I would make sure that the doctor does stool testing to make sure she hasn't picked up something like salmonella or the like also.

They took blood while she was still on gluten. She was hoping to be able to subdue the constant diarrhea by changing it after, just in case. Hasn't eaten much in two weeks, and doesn't feel like it, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

[Skylark]

You give up the chance for a subsequent biopsy if she's off gluten. Normal response time for diarrhea to go away gluten-free is 1-2 weeks. Raven's right that this sudden onset sounds more like Giardia, Salmonella, or some other GI infection though.

[KimKF]

Thanks for the help! She has given a stool sample and has had the blood test (no results yet after 2 days!). She is back eating gluten to prepare for further testing (which I only learned here). Given her history of in and out of every doctor and emergency room over the years, only to be told she has gastroenteritis or IBS (with no proof) and leading her to think it was all in her head or that she caused it all. She has had acute appendicitis (removal) at 17, depression, hair loss, insomnia, fatty stools, OH... and diagnosed 3 months ago with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I'm not leaning the Giardia or Salmonella route. But, good to make note of it and I am sure they are checking her stools for it. With ultrasound tomorrow, and GI Celiac specialist on Friday, we will hopefully rule in or out the culprit in time. Interesting how the only reason we are investigating this course is upon our own accord. Are the doctors good, but have a narrow scope, or are they poor and lack initiative?

[KimKF]

Yikes! Back on Gluten yesterday and today and stomach is worse than before! What does that say?

[Skylark]

Yikes! Back on Gluten yesterday and today and stomach is worse than before! What does that say?

That your hunch is probably right? Any word on the celiac panel results?

[KimKF]

That your hunch is probably right? Any word on the celiac panel results?

No results on that or the stool sample done on Monday. Does it really take that long? Not that I am confident that it will come back definitive. However, today was a pretty good indication that we are in the right neck of the woods.

[ravenwoodglass]

No results on that or the stool sample done on Monday. Does it really take that long? Not that I am confident that it will come back definitive. However, today was a pretty good indication that we are in the right neck of the woods.

I agree. As I said in my other response if she can take Pepto Bismal Liquid it may help the pain. It can darken the stool and do tell the doctor she took it if she does.