Hey everyone, I am 38 years old and have had a long term history of unexplained gastric issues including cramps, intermittent diarrhoea that causes very yellow stools, bloating, gas and so on. Endoscopy with biopsy 2 years ago was clear but colonoscopy revealed 15 polyps that were unrelated to my gastric issues?? Since that time my symptoms have only gotten worse despite cutting out dairy and introducing FODMAP. Severe upper abdominal pain 2 weeks ago (new symptom) sent me to the GP who ran a number of tests and scans and then finally sent me for another endoscopy which revealed: regenerative gastric mucosa with moderate chronic inflammation. Mild to moderate chronic duodentitis Villi are swollen, congested, and shorter. Moderate number of lymphocytes present in the mucosa. Moderate chronic duodenitis with loss of villi. Prominent small capillary-like blood vessels seen in the lamina propria. Inflamed mucosa of gastric type. Findings suggest moderate reflux oesophagitis. Moderate chronic erosive duodenitis. Despite all of the findings the conclusion report is inconclusive and suggests further serology, however my Dr believes there is enough significant evidence for him to diagnose me with coeliac disease. Obviously this is life changing news and I am unsure if I should be requesting further testing before changing my diet for the rest of my life. If anyone could shed some light on my results and tell me what you think I would really appreciate it. Maybe I’m just in denial lol                      

Yes, I did read about the bloodwork diagnosis option and was given the choice for further bloodwork or proceeding with endoscopy. At this point we would like a definitive answer as it will be a lifelong diagnosis and we realize we would have to go back on gluten if we ever wanted endoscopy in the future. I was reading an article from a GI specialist that was of the same opinion, but yes, difficult decision when it comes to your children.

In the Europe the new protocol for making a celiac disease diagnosis in children is if their tTg-IgA (tissue transglutaminase IgA) levels are 10 times or above the positive level for celiac disease. According to the latest research, if the blood test results are at certain high levels that range between 5-10 times the reference range for a positive celiac disease diagnosis, it may not be necessary to confirm the results using an endoscopy/biopsy: Blood Test Alone Can Diagnose Celiac Disease in Most Children and Adults TGA-IgA at or Above Five Times Normal Limit in Kids Indicates Celiac Disease in Nearly All Cases No More Biopsies to Diagnose Celiac Disease in Children!  

The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal, although this may not be the case for everyone. This article may be helpful:    

For people with celiac disease hidden gluten in their diets is the main cause of elevated Tissue Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies (tTG-IgA), but there are other conditions, including cow's milk/casein intolerance, that can also cause this, and here is an article about the other possible causes: