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Need Help After Endoscopy

pinkpandapants

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pinkpandapants Rookie
pinkpandapants
Posted

I just had an upper endoscopy yesterday, and they said so far that everything LOOKED normal. They took biopsies of course, and I still have two weeks or so to wait for those results. My question is, could it be Celiac if my stomach, intestines, etc. LOOK normal? Because I know that Celiac causes the villi of the intestines to flatten... doesn't it? Or can it not and still be Celiac? Just wondering! Thanks!

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GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

Welcome pinkpandapants!

Yes, your small intestine can look normal during endoscopy - there can even be negative biopsies in those with Celiac Disease. It is great that your stomach looked good, but not part of Celiac diagnosis - only the small intestine.

Did symptoms lead to the possibility of Celiac Disease? If so, a three month trial of strict gluten free may be the way to confirm whether you need to be gluten free.

Did you have positive antibody tests (tTG IgA or tTG IgG)? Positive means you have Celiac Disease and need to remove all gluten from your diet. Unfortunately, these tests can have false negatives, which brings you back to the option of trialing gluten removal to check for symptom improvement.

Good Luck to you!

pinkpandapants Rookie
pinkpandapants
Posted
  • Author

Yes, I have a TON of symptoms that have made me suspect Celiac - pretty bad digestion issues (including GERD), thyroid disease, eczema and depression/anxiety issues. I had ONE blood test done (TTG IgA) and that came back negative, but then I was referred to a gastroenterologist and she wanted me to get the endoscopy. I haven't tried going gluten-free yet, because I didn't want to mess up any of the test results... but I suppose since the testing is out of the way now, I can give that a try. The only problem is, it's going to be hard!!

GottaSki Mentor
GottaSki
Posted

gluten-free can be difficult at first, but it does become easy somewhere along the line.

Hang in there!

Takala Enthusiast
Takala
Posted

Did they do a full celiac blood test panel, or just the one test ?

Biopsies also miss a lot because the damage is patchy.

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  • Recent Activity

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      - trents replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
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      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      You might consider asking for a referral to a RD (Registered Dietician) to help with food choices and planning a diet. Even apart from any gluten issues, you will likely find there are some foods you need to avoid because of the shorter bowel but you may also find that your system may make adjustments over time and that symptoms may improve.
    2. Ello
      - Ello replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
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      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      I wish Dr’s would have these discussions with their patients. So frustrating but will continue to do research. Absolutely love this website. I will post any updates on my testing and results. Thank you
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      - trents replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
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      Losing 12" of your small bowel is going to present challenges for you in nutritional uptake because you are losing a significant amount of nutritional absorption surface area. You will need to focus on consuming foods that are nutritionally dense and also probably look at some good supplements. If indeed you are having issues with gluten you will need to...
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      Yes this information helps. I will continue to be pro active with this issues I am having. More testing to be done. Thank you so much for your response.
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    • trents
      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      By trents · Posted

      You might consider asking for a referral to a RD (Registered Dietician) to help with food choices and planning a diet. Even apart from any gluten issues, you will likely find there are some foods you need to avoid because of the shorter bowel but you may also find that your system may make adjustments over time and that symptoms may improve.
    • Ello
      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      By Ello · Posted

      I wish Dr’s would have these discussions with their patients. So frustrating but will continue to do research. Absolutely love this website. I will post any updates on my testing and results.  Thank you
    • trents
      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      By trents · Posted

      Losing 12" of your small bowel is going to present challenges for you in nutritional uptake because you are losing a significant amount of nutritional absorption surface area. You will need to focus on consuming foods that are nutritionally dense and also probably look at some good supplements. If indeed you are having issues with gluten you will need to educate yourself as to how gluten is hidden in the food supply. There's more to it than just avoiding the major sources of gluten like bread and pasta. It is hidden in so many things you would never expect to find it in like canned tomato soup and soy sauce just to name a few. It can be in pills and medications.  Also, your "yellow diarrhea, constipation and bloating" though these are classic signs of a gluten disorder, could also be related to the post surgical shorter length of your small bowel causing incomplete processing/digestion of food.
    • Ello
      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      By Ello · Posted

      Yes this information helps. I will continue to be pro active with this issues I am having. More testing to be done. Thank you so much for your response. 
    • trents
      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

      By trents · Posted

      There are two gluten-related disorders that share many of the same symptoms but differ in nature from each other. One is known as celiac disease or "gluten intolerance". By nature, it is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the ingestion of gluten triggers the body to attack it's own tissues, specifically the lining of the small bowel. This attack causes inflammation and produces antibodies that can be detected in the blood by specific tests like the TTG-IGA test you had. Over time, if gluten is not withheld, this inflammation can cause severe damage to the lining of the small bowel and even result in nutrient deficiency related health issues since the small bowel lining is organ where all the nutrition found in our food is absorbed.  The other is NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just "gluten sensitivity") which we know less about and are unsure of the exact mechanism of action. It is not an autoimmune disorder and unlike celiac disease it does not damage the lining of the small bowel, though, like celiac disease, it can cause GI distress and it can also do other kinds of damage to the body. It is thought to be more common than celiac disease. Currently, we cannot test for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out to arrive at a diagnosis of NCGS. Both disorders require elimination of gluten from the diet.  Either of these disorders can find their onset at any stage of life. We know that celiac disease has a genetic component but the genes are inactive until awakened by some stress event. About 40% of the general population has the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% develop active celiac disease. The incidence of NCGS is thought to be considerably higher. I hope this helps.
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