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Enterolab Vs Gi Test

christtheking

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christtheking Contributor
christtheking
Posted

Hello again,

I'm going to see to a GI on Friday, actually it's a pretty well known clinic with 29 GIs on staff, so I'm excited about their expertise. Their motto is "Excellence in Digestive Health", let's hope they are good. Anyway, I have read a few post online that rave about the thoroughness of the Enterolab tests. The nurse I spoke with at the 29 MD clinic says they can do the stool test too but I wonder if it will be as extensive. Should I do the test with Enterolab before I go in? How fast are they and are the results ever balked at by MDs out there. Further I have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, which says they will cover most of these types of test, but since it is done out of state and online is there ever a problem in getting this covered?

Thanks,

David

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gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

Hi David,

I hope the doctor you are seeing is knowledgable about Celiac Disease. I would have to say that most GI doctor are not open to accepting the Enterolab results. Every other doctor we see in my family has accepted them, only my GI refused to accept the results outright, and my kids pediGI was at least willing to monitor their progress on the diet, but would not give them a diagnosis.

As for insurance, I have Blue Shield (California) and they will not pay for any test unless it is ordered by the doctor. So they probably wouldn't cover Enterolab. I didn't fight it out with them, since they have spent over $100,000 on my husband's care alone over the last two years due to a long term illness (with medication he will have to take for life that casts $1200 a month!), not to mention all of the GI related tests I've had, and one of my children has to have a lot of expensive tests for his care as well. It just wasn't worth fighting them over a few hundred dollars.

If the doctors offer a stool test, try that first. Enterolab takes about a month from ordering the test to getting the results. I would hold off until you see how it goes on Friday. Keep us posted on how it goes.

God bless,

Mariann

christtheking Contributor
christtheking
Posted
  • Author

Thank you very much Mariann, one more quick question if you don

christtheking Contributor
christtheking
Posted
  • Author

UPDATE: OK I've been on gluten-free for 3 days now, should I continue the week out gluten-free prior to test?

Thanks

PS the Borland Groover Clinic that I'm going to has a link to this website! good sign...

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted
PS the Borland Groover Clinic that I'm going to has a link to this website! good sign...

David, That is a good sign. :)

I'm not sure if it is a good idea to be gluten-free before the testing. The doctors will probably want to run the blood tests and it might affect them. Everyone's body handles gluten differently. If you have had lots of intestinal damage and there are lots of antibodies in your blood then a week probably woundn't hurt the testing. But if you only have borderline positive level antibodies, even a week could cause them to drop to negative levels.

And whether if affects the stool test or not depends on what kind of stool test they are doing. Some GI clinics do a fat malabsorbtion stool test, but do not test the stool for antibodies (like Enterolab does). The fat malabsorbtion test would indicate whether there was noticable damage in the intestines or not.

God bless,

Mariann

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