Does This Sound Like Celiac?

[msmom]

My son has been losing weight pretty fast. Ten lbs in a week. His bloodwork was normal and he was even tested for Mono to rule that out. He is nauseous and vomits all of the time. He has no appetite and feels full and says it feels as if he has vomit in his throat. He is taking Nexium and Zantac, they are helping a little but not enough. Dr wants to have him have an upper GI scope. How do you test for Celiac? A friend said she thinks that this could be what he is dealing with and I would rather rule it out before he has a scope done. Just need a direction to try. Any ideas???

[Dixiebell]

Welcome to the forum msmom.

The endoscopy is not a bad idea, just make sure you ask the Dr. how many biopsies he/she is planning on taking. I believe six is the norm.

Celiac tests:

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA and IgG

Total IgA level

Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) Antibodies, IgA & IgG (this is a newer test)

You might want to go ahead and get his vitamin and mineral levels checked too. If he is low on any that can help with a diagnosis as well.

If he tests negative for celiac I still think it would be a good idea for him to try gluten-free for a few months and see if it helps.

Something I wanted to add, has he had an x-ray or an ultrasound to rule out an intestinal blockage or anything else?

[teresasupermom]

My son has been losing weight pretty fast. Ten lbs in a week. His bloodwork was normal and he was even tested for Mono to rule that out. He is nauseous and vomits all of the time. He has no appetite and feels full and says it feels as if he has vomit in his throat. He is taking Nexium and Zantac, they are helping a little but not enough. Dr wants to have him have an upper GI scope. How do you test for Celiac? A friend said she thinks that this could be what he is dealing with and I would rather rule it out before he has a scope done. Just need a direction to try. Any ideas???

It certainly could be celiac. Does he have any other symptoms? I ask this because I have 2 kids with diabetes and one with celiac and the rapid weight loss is a red flag for diabetes as well. But if he's not having other symptoms - frequent urination, excessive thirst, I wouldn't be concerned about that. I definitely would see a GI doctor. Have they done a blood panel for celiac?