Celiac Testing

[Guest guest]

Trying to explain Celiac testing.

There are a number of tests that can be performe

IgA antigliadin

anti-endomysial

tTg

IgG anti gliadin

some tests are more specific than others...in other words, if you test

positive there's no discussion of being Celiac or not.

However, a lot of Celiacs are IgA deficient...all tests, other than the

IgG anti gliadin, are based on IgA bloodwork. So, in other words. If you

are IgA deficient, these tests will be negative and your health care

professional will likely not diagnose you (unless you have a positive

Celiac biopsy).

This becomes a problem when you have an inexperienced health care

professional do your biopsy. (most GI docs don't have a clue about

Celiac, and the diagnosis based on biopsies is completely

subjective-it's someone's opinion.). Most GI docs, unless highly

experienced, will take around 5 biopsies from a potential Celiac.

Evidence of Celiac can be very patchy and taking this few amount of

biopsies is not an accurate enough guage of whether a person is Celiac

or not. The minimum recommended amount of biopsies that I have read

about is 15-20. I have seen recommended as many as 30-40 for an accurate

reading....

So, it's possible to go through ALL the Celiac tests, and still not be

considered a Celiac.

Celiac can be very serious. You can develop malnutrition, GI lymphoma

(cancer), any number of neurological problems, any number of auto-immune

diseases...the list is just about endless.

At this point in history though, only the " classic " persons are

accurately diagnosed...and when I say classic, it's the people who

really show damage on their biopsies..or who show classic symptoms,

diarrhea, failure to thrive in kids, etc...

And then there's the rest of us. I had elevated IgG along with all the

classic symptoms (diarrhea, brain fog, etc), excpet that I was

overweight (body was malnourished and stuck in starvation mode)...and I

ended up with a moron for a dr who only took 4 biopsy locations through

my whole GI tract (you're supposed to do the 15-20 in the small

intestine alone). He wouldn't diagnose me...said the diet was too hard!

(is this diet really that hard?)

I live my life as a Celiac.

My son was biopsy and full blood panel diagnosed last year...He was a

classic case..failure to thrive, constant vomiting, diarrhea, etc...it

was obvious (to me and then later to an experienced health care

professional)...

If anyone ever needs Celiac information, please don't hesitate to ask.