Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

blood test issues

Agrippina
 Share

Recommended Posts

Agrippina Rookie
Agrippina
Posted

So I did it - I did the gluten challenge for 7.5 weeks, and I hated every second of it. I got the Imaware at-home test, did the finger stick, and shipped the blood sample through UPS as instructed. UPS shipped to the lab via 2nd-day air. It was supposed to arrive yesterday (Fri 2/25), but I refreshed the tracking page this morning and it's been delayed (till Mon 2/28 ... if they even manage to deliver it correctly this time). Ugh!

My question is - does anyone know how long the blood sample will stay viable? Is my test ruined because of the 3-day delay in the mail?

And if it is and I need a new test, does the 3-day gap in gluten intake mean that I have to start the challenge all over? I had a couple bites of bread this morning out of sheer panic. Don't know what I should be doing right now. Assume the test will be fine? Overload myself with gluten to make up for the 3 days I missed just in case I have to re-take the test? Start from scratch?

Have contacted Imaware (via email, they don't have a phone number) and have yet to hear back.

P.S. Sorry, I'm freaking out - massive anxiety problem, and the gluten is not helping.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted

@Agrippina, 

I would be wary of that test sample, too.  

Stay on gluten, but don't go overboard to catch up.  Hopefully you will hear from the company soon. 

Maybe @RMJ has more advice about this.    

RMJ Mentor
RMJ
Posted

The company should have data saying how long the sample can be stored.  Too bad they don’t have a phone number.  I hope they email you back early Monday morning with an answer!

RMJ Mentor
RMJ
Posted

Hopefully Imaware will say the sample is fine, but if not, redo it when you can ship on a Monday or Tuesday.  Then if there is a delay it still won’t sit somewhere over a weekend.  This is an old trick used for shipping samples during clinical trials!

Agrippina Rookie
Agrippina
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the responses! Helped with the anxiety, at least.

Imaware received the sample today, and they say it should be fine. In case anyone else runs into this kind of snag in the future, here's the response I received:

"The good news is we have designed multilayer packaging and our collection devices help the sample remain stable at ambient temperatures for up to 14 days."

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      128,925
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Diablo
    Newest Member
    Diablo
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      71.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Awaiting diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      I would ask for a total IGA test (aka, Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and other names as well) to check for IGA deficiency. That test should always be ordered along with the TTG IGA. If someone is IGA deficient, their individual celiac IGA test scores will be artificially low which can result in false negatives. Make sure you are eating generous amounts of gluten leading up to any testing or diagnostic procedure for celiac disease to ensure validity of the results. 10g of gluten daily for a period of at least 2 weeks is what current guidelines are recommending. That's the amount of gluten found in about 4-6 slices of wheat bread.
    • jlp1999
      Awaiting diagnosis

      By jlp1999 · Posted

      There was not a total IGA test done, those were the only two ordered. I would say I was consuming a normal amount of gluten, I am not a huge bread or baked goods eater
    • trents
      Awaiting diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Were you consuming generous amounts of gluten in the weeks leading up to the blood draw for the antibody testing? And was there a Total IGA test done to test for IGA deficiency?
    • jlp1999
      Awaiting diagnosis

      By jlp1999 · Posted

      Thank you for the reply. It was the TTG IGA that was within normal limits
    • trents
      Awaiting diagnosis

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @jlp1999! Which IGA test do you refer to as being normal? TTG-IGA? Total IGA? DGP-IGA? Yes, any positive on an IGA or an IGG test can be due to something other than celiac disease and this is especially true of weak positives. Villous atrophy can also be cause by other things besides celiac disease such as some medications, parasitic infections and even some foods (especially dairy from an intolerance to the dairy protein casein). But the likelihood of that being the case is much less than it being caused by celiac disease.
×
×
  • Create New...