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Is it possible to have normal biopsy after years of gluten free diet?

SanFranGirl

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SanFranGirl Rookie
SanFranGirl
Posted

My question: is it possible for someone with celiac disease to have a totally normal biopsy after not eating gluten for years?

For those who are interested here is my story: a specialist in immunology diagnosed me with celiac disease in 2013 (I was 24 yr old) after I took a blood test and had very high levels of IGG, IGA and IgA antibodies (ok I'm not a doctor so I may have not written those right), and I was also anemic, and I also had one of the genes for celiac disease. I was extremely sick at the time...She said with all that, if I felt better on a gluten free diet, no need to have an edoscopy. Since then I have been very serious about eating gluten free, very careful about traces and all that. She ordered the blood test every 6 months - 6 months after the first one the antibodies were the same, then they started going down and after a few years on a gluten free diet the blood tests were normal. I also started feeling a lot better. 

Now 2019 I am living in Europe. I'm no longer sick like before, however I decided to get an endoscopy because it's free here. The results were totally normal. The doctor says she has no way of knowing if this is because I don't actually have celiac disease or because my intestines have healed. She says I should start eating gluten again and then have another edoscopy. And yes I imagine many of you will tell me to do that (thanks in advance). 

But before I start eating gluten again, and get another tube down my throat, I am honestly just really curious because I haven't found this answer anywhere...is it at all possible or likely to have celiac disease, then eat gluten-free for 6 years and heal enough to have a totally normal biopsy with no signs of celiac disase? 

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Yes it is possible to have a normal endo and biopsy after being gluten free. You don't need to put yourself through a challenge and rebiopsy. The fact that you have healed your intestine and your antibodies have gone down show that you are doing a good job of being gluten free.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Yes!  A repeat biopsy/endoscopy for me revealed a completely healed small intestine.  That was after five years of being gluten free.  

I have faithfully kept copies of all my medical records for the last 20 years or so.  I also asked my diagnosing GI to give me a letter stating that I have celiac disease and must be gluten free.  I keep a copy of this letter on my phone (handy to have when I trying to get into the high school football stadium with my food).  I gave these records to my new GI.  So, even though he saw a healthy villi, he also saw my old records.  No doubt. 

No way I would do a challenge.   Can you get records or a letter from your old GI?  If you wait any longer, they might not be available.  

Congratulations on doing a good job of avoiding gluten!  

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