What Can I Expect?

[Kat L]

I have my first visit to a gastroenterologist in 3 weeks and I'm wondering what to expect?

I saw my GP a little over a week ago and (without boring you with all of my symptoms and history) she said it sure sounded like gluten sensitivity and ran the bloodwork for celiac. The bloodwork came back negative (results below) but she said she still thinks it could be gluten sensitivity and wants me to see a gastroenterologist.

TTG Ab,IgA - 1.3 U/mL

Gliadin DGP Ab IgA - 2.5 U/mL

IgA - 367 mg/dL

With negative bloodwork is she likely to want to do the biopsy? Are there other blood tests they could/should do? If the only treatment for celiac is eating a gluten-free diet what's the point of going through the invasive/expensive/at least somewhat risky biopsy? For those of you who've been diagnosed with celiac, do they do any cancer-screenings or really anything that needs some kind of confirmation?

Sorry, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and going nutty having to wait another 3 weeks to see the specialist. I'm really frustrated having to keep eating gluten and feeling pretty miserable after having taken a short (~1.5 week) gluten-vacation and having had most of my symptoms go away. Even though I've been feeling terrible for years, it makes it 100 times harder to tolerate my usual malaise.

[Skysmom03]

Don't start the diet yet! It can sku the results! Blood test can be unreliable. It is best to see what your GI dr says.

My son and husband both had endoscopes done to confirm diagnosis. The point of having the exams to make sure that you do have it. There is no point in you going gluten free if you don't have to. It is not an easy diet. With that being said, if you have it, you should be fine after you start the diet. Life will go on- you will just have to work a little harder at the grocery store and eating establishments.

Did your dr say why he was sending you to the specialist if he doesn't believe it is celiac?