Finally Got A Copy Of My Blood Test Results

[lvpriest]

Hello all,

So today, after 3 weeks of pestering, I finally got faxed a copy of my blood test results.

I've already had a follow-up appointment with the gastro to go through my results. Devoting 5 minutes (no joke, this guy is a private specialist on Harley Street in London, who is often running late due to over-running with other, I guess, 'more worthwhile' patients - which, judging by the waiting room, mean his old croney doctor type friends!) to summarise my results as 'highly satisfactory,' completing ruling out celiac, and advising me to stay on my anti depressants and prescribing me ibs medication.

I was gutted, I cried. Just because I felt really like a fraud - I posted in this forum soon after and you were all so supportive - I know having an affirmative diagnosis is not necessary, but I really felt like he just turned me away like a silly little gil making a fuss, but I have put up with this for so many years I know something is wrong! He also did an ultrasound and barium follow through, which also came back normal - at the initial stages, he was looking for anything.

Anyway, that was back in June that I got my results. From July, I decided to cut out gluten and dairy anyway, stuck with my anti deps but reduced to 10mg and the silly ibs pills. And I began to feel heaps better - my skin was better (no rash), my hair was thicker, my nails weren't breaking, my stomach was getting better and I was crazily out of wack and so unwell the day I had some almost certainly contaminated food.

SO I digress. My results come back as follows- please can you help interpret?

Transglutaminase IgA 6.9

I also have low haematocrit and RBC and high MCH - which the results tell me are indicative of anaemia.

Also, I am intrigued as although some might thing the IgA is low, I actually didn't eat gluten very much prior to the testing - I just wasn't a bread or pasta eater, but I definitely got it elsewhere, such as noodles, soups etc.

Any advice on my results gratefully received!!!

Lauren

[i-geek]

My tests came back negative as well, and like you, the only celiac test run from my blood was tTG-IgA. I'd been on a low-gluten diet because it was the only thing that alleviated some of the misery (I didn't know it could give false negatives). I know now that a total IgA test should have been done, because a total IgA deficiency is fairly common.

In short: these tests have a high rate of false negatives for a lot of reasons. If going gluten-free helps you, then stay with it.

[tarnalberry]

Two things:

1) He didn't sufficiently test you for celiac. You can't tell a darn thing off that single test. Dumb doctor.

2) I would call the office back and let them know that the doctor missed reading the tests which clearly state you are anemic but he failed to tell you.

I'd also never go back to the guy.

(I've had abnormal results overlooked before, but it was in the transfer of care process, where my midwives sent my postnatal blood work results to my GP, but the office likely just filed it rather than having anyone review it. I'm still going to give my doctor a gentle earful (she's a great doctor, so I will do it as constructively as possible), however.)

[Skylark]

Hi there. I'm sorry that doctor made you feel bad. There should be more tests like total IgA and anti-gliadin IgA in a celiac panel. Also, labs cannot be interpreted without the reference range.

I suspect you weren't eating enough gluten. The usual recommendation is four slices of bread a day worth of gluten for at least 4-6 weeks.

You may just have to trust your recovery off gluten. Remember, the absolute best way to test for food reactions is to take the food out of your diet and see whether you feel better.

[cassP]

that's a "weak" positive actually (in the ranges my doc had)-

but it doesnt matter-> you could be deficient or low on Iga serum.

plus there's other tests for celiac like stated above.

if you feel better off gluten- then you're on to something.

everything posted above is great advice.

dont feel bad!!!