Slightly elevated result

[AnneMcM]

Hi all first time in here. Had a call form my GP (I am in the uk) to tell me that my celiac blood test was slightly raised and she is referring to a gastroenterologist (urgently), said my other blood tests (full bloods, thyroid, etc) were satisfactory. I have been bothered with 'irritable bowel' for a quite while, which has worsened. Can anyone advise why the urgency as 'celiac blood test; is only slightly elevated. Didn't know I was being tested for it and don't know the name of the test. Many thanks.

[cristiana]

Hello AnneMcM and welcome to the forum!

Interesting that you say you weren't being tested for coeliac disease - I wasn't aware when I was tested ten years ago, also!  Like you I'd had some gastrological issues in the past, which in my case I'd put down to a nervous stomach.  They got a lot worse, though, prior to my diagnosis, which was what prompted my doctor to look into things. However, sometimes doctors will order a test for other reasons, for example if a patient comes in complaining they are feeling a bit tired and run down, or perhaps has if they are slightly anaemic. 

Although I cannot answer your question "why the urgency?" as that is only a question your GP will be able to answer, it is very good your GP is referring you because if you are a coeliac the sooner you know the sooner you can adopt a gluten-free diet and stop any damage gluten is doing to your system.  

In recent years in the UK there has been quite a lot of effort made to encourage GPS to test for coeliac disease if a patient is complaining of IBS-like symptoms (although it is quite possible to have IBS and coeliac disease, I have both).  I wonder if your GP was just reviewing your files and had seen these checks hadn't been done?

Re: your test results, if you feel able, perhaps you could post your blood test results AND the laboratory normal ranges, which are most important as these can vary from hospital to hospital.  Hopefully these will shed some light - and I have some fellow mods on this forum who understand all these numbers better than me, and should be able to help further.

Cristiana

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by cristiana

[AnneMcM]

Thank you for your reply Christina.  It is interesting that you can have both IBS and coeliac. 

I do not have details of my blood results but will try to get them tomorrow and share here. The GP said all my bloods were satisfactory, except the coeliac blood test which was slightly raised. The blood tests were done because my IBS had got worse and I had some bleeding (bright red). The GP examined my abdomen and back passage and took the blood samples. I am surprised that if she had been concerned, she could have red flagged me last week when she examined me. (My family have a history of bowel cancer for which we are screened.) When she told me my results I said, oh good it's not serious and she said it is serious.

I was wondering if being red flagged could connected to the slightly raised celiac results? I know nothing about coeliac except you cannot eat anything with gluten.  

Many thanks.

Anne

[AnneMcM]

Wondering if anyone here has also had cellulitis? I have it it about 4 times and had it bad last year, ended up in hospital in Spain (reaction to bites). Had started to wonder if there was something going on with my immune system. 

[cristiana]

Hi Anne

Firstly, cellulitis, yes, I had it when I was in my mid-teens.   A nick under my arm turned nasty and I had to have a boil lanced, and the tissue around it was very itchy and painful.  The doctor didn't mention cellulitis at the time, I'm sure, but I was reading some old medical notes recently and saw it.  I do wonder if I had it a few years later, too, but my medical notes for that would be in France where I was having circulatory issues due to phlebitis, but I don't have access to those. 

Re: your other issue, I also have had bleeding when my diarrhea got a lot worse.  It turns out in my case I had fissures which eventually cleared up.  This may be your problem, too.  I was amazed how much blood one can lose this way... scary stuff... (Since then, I have had two clear colonoscopies and one clear sigmoidoscopy.) 

I went through months of concerning symptoms and weird blood test results before and after my diagnosis so I know how very difficult a place it can be, all this waiting.  But in your own case, I would firstly be greatly encouraged that your doctor is on the case.   Also, that you are in a surveillance programme for your family history of bowel cancer, because there is a good chance that if something had been awry with your colon during your last colonoscopy it would have been spotted.  Even if you haven't had a colonoscopy before, you have been fast-tracked because of your family history, that is reassuring because waiting lists can be so long in the UK at the moment.

As for the wording, "it is serious".  Well... coeliac disease is something to be taken very seriously.   If people are diagnosed with it and keep on eating gluten, it can lead to some very nasty complications.  I have heard of cases where individuals lost so much weight and became so weak they were advised by their doctors to get their affairs in order.  And then, thankfully, someone thought to test them for coeliac, and once on the gluten free diet, they made fantastic recoveries! 

Oddly enough I'm in the middle of quite a different health issue at the moment where family history comes into play so like you I'm in the "uncertainty" waiting room again.  It's not a nice place to be, but my consultant radiographer said to me the other day, "Just try to take one step at a time, otherwise it messes with your mind".   Hard, but true!  

I hope everything goes well for you but please come back to us with any questions, or if you have any other concerns. 

 

[AnneMcM]

2 hours ago, cristiana said:

Hi Anne

Firstly, cellulitis, yes, I had it when I was in my mid-teens.   A nick under my arm turned nasty and I had to have a boil lanced, and the tissue around it was very itchy and painful.  The doctor didn't mention cellulitis at the time, I'm sure, but I was reading some old medical notes recently and saw it.  I do wonder if I had it a few years later, too, but my medical notes for that would be in France where I was having circulatory issues due to phlebitis, but I don't have access to those. 

Re: your other issue, I also have had bleeding when my diarrhea got a lot worse.  It turns out in my case I had fissures which eventually cleared up.  This may be your problem, too.  I was amazed how much blood one can lose this way... scary stuff... (Since then, I have had two clear colonoscopies and one clear sigmoidoscopy.) 

I went through months of concerning symptoms and weird blood test results before and after my diagnosis so I know how very difficult a place it can be, all this waiting.  But in your own case, I would firstly be greatly encouraged that your doctor is on the case.   Also, that you are in a surveillance programme for your family history of bowel cancer, because there is a good chance that if something had been awry with your colon during your last colonoscopy it would have been spotted.  Even if you haven't had a colonoscopy before, you have been fast-tracked because of your family history, that is reassuring because waiting lists can be so long in the UK at the moment.

As for the wording, "it is serious".  Well... coeliac disease is something to be taken very seriously.   If people are diagnosed with it and keep on eating gluten, it can lead to some very nasty complications.  I have heard of cases where individuals lost so much weight and became so weak they were advised by their doctors to get their affairs in order.  And then, thankfully, someone thought to test them for coeliac, and once on the gluten free diet, they made fantastic recoveries! 

Oddly enough I'm in the middle of quite a different health issue at the moment where family history comes into play so like you I'm in the "uncertainty" waiting room again.  It's not a nice place to be, but my consultant radiographer said to me the other day, "Just try to take one step at a time, otherwise it messes with your mind".   Hard, but true!  

I hope everything goes well for you but please come back to us with any questions, or if you have any other concerns. 

 

Thank you so much for sharing this with me, it is a strange time. I hope your health improves Christiana. 

I got the ITA blood results 5.6 which is just a small increase (they said normal is 0-4.9) but I am glad it is being checked out. 

I will keep you updated and greatly appreciate having someone to talk to about it while I am waiting. I never knew coeliac disease was serious.

Anne

[AnneMcM]

11 minutes ago, AnneMcM said:

Thank you so much for sharing this with me, it is a strange time. I hope your health improves Christiana. 

I got the ITA blood results 5.6 which is just a small increase (they said normal is 0-4.9) but I am glad it is being checked out. Tried googling ITA (that is what the receptionist said, should it be IGA?

I will keep you updated and greatly appreciate having someone to talk to about it while I am waiting. I never knew coeliac disease was serious.

Anne

 

[cristiana]

"I never knew coeliac disease was serious."

Well... it certainly needs to be taken seriously because, if untreated, it can lead to a lot of issues.  But the good news is that following a strict gluten free diet is the answer, and most people respond well to a gluten free diet.🙂

That said, don't adopt one yet.  You will need to continue eating the equivalent of two slices of normal bread (gluten containing) before your biopsy, to show if your are reacting to the gluten.

Re: your results.  Well, as you above the limit, you do need to be checked.  I have to admit I'm not an expert on the blood tests but I hope someone else will chime in.  

xx

Edited January 24, 2023 by cristiana

[AnneMcM]

22 minutes ago, cristiana said:

"I never knew coeliac disease was serious."

Well... it certainly needs to be taken seriously because, if untreated, it can lead to a lot of issues.  But the good news is that following a strict gluten free diet is the answer, and most people respond well to a gluten free diet.🙂

That said, don't adopt one yet.  You will need to continue eating the equivalent of two slices of normal bread (gluten containing) before your biopsy, to show if your are reacting to the gluten.

Re: your results.  Well, as you above the limit, you do need to be checked.  I have to admit I'm not an expert on the blood tests but I hope someone else will chime in.  

xx

Thanks Christiana. My GP did say to keep eating bread etc. Hopefully I will get the other tests soon.

 

Anne

[cristiana]

You are more than welcome, Anne.

Also, bear in mind you will need to give up a few gluten containing treats if you are diagnosed, although increasingly there are good gluten-free substitutions on the market.  In my case, although I kept eating bread, I left space for some McVitie's Penguins! 

 

[AnneMcM]

Hi all

I am wondering if anyone experiences bruises that don't totally fade? It started happening when I got an inhection in Aug, then cellulitis from bites (in Sept), and now from a blood test. The bruises do lighten but do not go away.

Thanks. Anne

[Maria Deal]

What “injection”? I get steroid epidurals, they cause me to bruise. For months! Or oral steroids. Is that what you had? Bruising from this is excessive & takes a long time to go away and appear all over body, places you normally do not have bruises. My body looks beat-up. Steroids thin blood vessels walks.

[AnneMcM]

Thanks for your reply Maria.

It was a Covid booster injection.

 

 

[Wheatwacked]

I would suspect malnutrition, especially if you have Celiac Disease. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals that are affected by malabsorbtion syndrome and many that are just deficient in the SAD diet and more so in the Gluten Free SAD diet. Vitamin D is the mother supreme of our immune system. Low vitamin K will cause bruising. Low iodine and other antioxidents like C, E, A, and zinc will impair the effectiveness of our defenses against infections.

[AnneMcM]

Thank you for this useful information. Appreciate your reply. 

[Russ H]

On 1/24/2023 at 12:28 PM, AnneMcM said:

 

The blood test you likely had was for IgA tTG antibodies. High levels, typically more than 10x the standard range, are specific to coeliac disease. Low levels only just above the standard range can be caused by other conditions as well as coeliac disease such as bowel or liver inflammation.

Under current UK guidelines, a GP may diagnose coeliac disease by blood test alone when the IgA tTG levels are 10x normal range, age < 55 years and the symptoms uncomplicated. Otherwise, typically a referral to a GI specialist for further investigation will be made.

There are other sensitive antibody tests available for coeliac disease, particularly deamidated gliadin, but their use and availability seems to vary between GPs.

[AnneMcM]

4 hours ago, Russ H said:

The blood test you likely had was for IgA tTG antibodies. High levels, typically more than 10x the standard range, are specific to coeliac disease. Low levels only just above the standard range can be caused by other conditions as well as coeliac disease such as bowel or liver inflammation.

Under current UK guidelines, a GP may diagnose coeliac disease by blood test alone when the IgA tTG levels are 10x normal range, age < 55 years and the symptoms uncomplicated. Otherwise, typically a referral to a GI specialist for further investigation will be made.

There are other sensitive antibody tests available for coeliac disease, particularly deamidated gliadin, but their use and availability seems to vary between GPs.

Hi Russ

Many thanks for your reply and very helpful information.

I am over 55 (64) and have a family history of bowel cancer so although my GP mentions slight increase in coeliac disease test she said I needed to be seen by a gastroenterologist urgently; I am wondering if it is more because of my family history? I didn't she her face-to-face, she rang me. The 'not knowing' is challenging and worrying. I have increased right and mid, lower groin pain, gas, nausea and small rash on my elbow. 

Anne

[Wheatwacked]

 

Vitamin D intoxication associated with hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and suppressed parathyroid hormone level is typically seen in patients who are receiving massive doses of vitamin D in the range of 50,000 to 1 million IU/d for several months to years.

Total Vitamin D Intake and Risks of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer and Precursors 

Quote

 

 "We documented 111 incident cases of early-onset CRC during 1,250,560 person-years of follow-up (1991 to 2015). Higher total vitamin D intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of early-onset CRC...  There is growing evidence supporting an association between vitamin D and risk and mortality of CRC... Whether the association is truly stronger in early-onset CRC than in traditional CRC requires further work in a larger sample.

In the present study, total vitamin D intake was inversely associated with CRC precursors,

For example, vitamin D was not associated with a lower distal colorectal adenoma risk when retinol [animal sourced vitamin A] intake was high."

 

Calcium and vitamin D intakes in relation to risk of distal colorectal adenoma in women

Quote

   The combinations of high vitamin D and low retinol intake (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.10) further decreased risk of distal colorectal adenoma when compared with the opposite extreme. Higher total calcium and vitamin D intakes were associated with reduced risk, and the actions of vitamin D may be attenuated by high retinol intake.   

[Russ H]

5 hours ago, AnneMcM said:

Hi Russ

Many thanks for your reply and very helpful information.

I am over 55 (64) and have a family history of bowel cancer so although my GP mentions slight increase in coeliac disease test she said I needed to be seen by a gastroenterologist urgently; I am wondering if it is more because of my family history? I didn't she her face-to-face, she rang me. The 'not knowing' is challenging and worrying. I have increased right and mid, lower groin pain, gas, nausea and small rash on my elbow. 

Anne

I think that you should be reassured that you have a GP who is concerned about you. I understand that it is a worrying time for you - I have had a similar experience. It may well be that you have coeliac disease, indeed IBS is sometimes mistaken for coeliac disease, or people can have both at the same time. Coeliac disease is quite a mysterious illness and can cause all manner of strange symptoms varying from scurvy to heart arrhythmias to calcification of the brain arteries. Your GI symptoms do sound like IBS. As to the rash on your elbow - can you describe it? How long have you had it, is it very itchy?

[AnneMcM]

28 minutes ago, Russ H said:

I think that you should be reassured that you have a GP who is concerned about you. I understand that it is a worrying time for you - I have had a similar experience. It may well be that you have coeliac disease, indeed IBS is sometimes mistaken for coeliac disease, or people can have both at the same time. Coeliac disease is quite a mysterious illness and can cause all manner of strange symptoms varying from scurvy to heart arrhythmias to calcification of the brain arteries. Your GI symptoms do sound like IBS. As to the rash on your elbow - can you describe it? How long have you had it, is it very itchy?

Hi Russ,

Yes, it is good that she is pushing that I see a GI specialist asap. I have had IBS symptoms on and off for  years. It then got so much worse when I got Covid just after Christmas (third time). This past couple of years I was wondering if there was something up with my immune system as I got a lot of chest infections, reactions to bites, etc. The spots, I have had a couple of times a year for about 3/4 year. Start of feeling very itchy almost like crawling under my skin, then I scratch them (they feel like they have a tiny bump under the skin) and they end up with small scabs in the middle. They take ages to go away. Can be just 2 spots or at the most about 6.  Always on the same elbow.

Appreciate your replies.

Anne 

[Russ H]

Just now, AnneMcM said:

Hi Russ,

Yes, it is good that she is pushing that I see a GI specialist asap. I have had IBS symptoms on and off for  years. It then got so much worse when I got Covid just after Christmas (third time). This past couple of years I was wondering if there was something up with my immune system as I got a lot of chest infections, reactions to bites, etc. The spots, I have had a couple of times a year for about 3/4 year. Start of feeling very itchy almost like crawling under my skin, then I scratch them (they feel like they have a tiny bump under the skin) and they end up with small scabs in the middle. They take ages to go away. Can be just 2 spots or at the most about 6.  Always on the same elbow.

Appreciate your replies.

Anne 

Well, there is a condition called dermatitis herpetiformis that is related to coeliac disease. Classically, it produces an extremely itchy, blistering rash that takes some time to resolve following a strict gluten free diet. It commonly affects the elbows, knees and buttocks but can affect other parts of the body such as the hairline. I used to get extremely itchy bumps that resembled small insect bites around my knees, hips, shoulders and scalp although I never developed a full rash. They would blister and crust over, taking a long time to heal. I also had thickened, red skin in my knees and elbows. These symptoms resolved following my diagnosis and strict gluten-free diet.

 

[AnneMcM]

7 minutes ago, Russ H said:

Well, there is a condition called dermatitis herpetiformis that is related to coeliac disease. Classically, it produces an extremely itchy, blistering rash that takes some time to resolve following a strict gluten free diet. It commonly affects the elbows, knees and buttocks but can affect other parts of the body such as the hairline. I used to get extremely itchy bumps that resembled small insect bites around my knees, hips, shoulders and scalp although I never developed a full rash. They would blister and crust over, taking a long time to heal. I also had thickened, red skin in my knees and elbows. These symptoms resolved following my diagnosis and strict gluten-free diet.

 

Thanks for this, they are like insect bites. I must look closely at them when I get new ones to see if they blister. The current ones are just healing.

[Russ H]

Mine were intensely itchy. In fact for a while I was convinced I had bed bugs or something similar.

[AnneMcM]

Thanks Russ, I only get a few on one elbow but felt the same. Come and go the last few years. I even hoovered and sprayed my bed with essential oils as thought I was getting bitten. They take quite a while to go away.