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

Had Blood Tests Today

chb

Recommended Posts

chb Rookie
chb
Posted

Hi,

I'm new to the forum. I turned 38 this year and have felt like I've been falling apart. The constant fatigue has been worse and my migraines that started a couple of years ago have turned into this daily bouts of flashing lights and mental dullness or brain fog. Of course the neurologist's solution was to take medicine for it--doesn't help.

I came across some info for celiac's quite accidentaly. I had no knowledge that it was an autoimmune disease. I just thought it had something to do with digestive stuff. I have also suffered in the past from unexplained rashes that last a month or two when they come on. On top of that, my DH and I have been married for 15 yrs and only have one 8 year old little blessing even though we have done our part to have more.

I tried a gluten free trial for a week and a half and felt so much better! I knew I had to start eating it again and get an appointment for a diagnosis, before I really felt so much better that I wouldn't even consider going back for a short time.

I went to see my doctor today. He didn't seem to know a lot about Celiac. Didn't seem to like the fact that I didn't have any digestive symptoms. We go to Kaiser Permanente and I really was just expecting a referral to a GI. He did listen well though and ordered the following blood work. No referral yet.

They drew blood for a celiac diesease antibody panel, CBC, Basic Metabolic Panel, Hepatic Function Panel, Amylase, Lipase, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, and Vitamin b12.

He said he had only ordered one other antibody panel before and didn't know how long it would take to get those results back. Does anybody have a clue as to how long I might anticipate it taking? Thanks !

Christine

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


KristaleeJane Contributor
KristaleeJane
Posted
Hi,

I'm new to the forum. I turned 38 this year and have felt like I've been falling apart. The constant fatigue has been worse and my migraines that started a couple of years ago have turned into this daily bouts of flashing lights and mental dullness or brain fog. Of course the neurologist's solution was to take medicine for it--doesn't help.

I came across some info for celiac's quite accidentaly. I had no knowledge that it was an autoimmune disease. I just thought it had something to do with digestive stuff. I have also suffered in the past from unexplained rashes that last a month or two when they come on. On top of that, my DH and I have been married for 15 yrs and only have one 8 year old little blessing even though we have done our part to have more.

I tried a gluten free trial for a week and a half and felt so much better! I knew I had to start eating it again and get an appointment for a diagnosis, before I really felt so much better that I wouldn't even consider going back for a short time.

I went to see my doctor today. He didn't seem to know a lot about Celiac. Didn't seem to like the fact that I didn't have any digestive symptoms. We go to Kaiser Permanente and I really was just expecting a referral to a GI. He did listen well though and ordered the following blood work. No referral yet.

They drew blood for a celiac diesease antibody panel, CBC, Basic Metabolic Panel, Hepatic Function Panel, Amylase, Lipase, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, and Vitamin b12.

He said he had only ordered one other antibody panel before and didn't know how long it would take to get those results back. Does anybody have a clue as to how long I might anticipate it taking? Thanks !

Christine

Mine only took 2 days, I am in Canada though, not sure if that matters. Normal range for the antibody is 20, and mine was 92. Now waiting to see the doc for the biopsy. Good luck!

healthygirl Contributor
healthygirl
Posted

I am also in Canada and had the TTG IGA only done. It took 3 weeks, reference range being <4 negative, 4 - 10 weak positive, >10 positive. It is obvious we two Canadians had different panels run (various labs will use different panels and will have different reference ranges). You may want to follow up with your doctor or the lab and see what the length of time is expected to be for results. When you get the results, find out what the reference ranges are for each test and your results (a copy of your results is helpful as it usually indicates the reference ranges on it).

Make sure you stay on gluten if anticipating a biopsy as next step. I was off and on and have ended up at the point where I would need to go on gluten for 3 - 6 months (minimum 4 slices of bread a day) before the gi will perform the endoscopy. I decided to forgo the "official diagnosis" and am just off gluten now.

Good luck!

  • 2 weeks later...
KristaleeJane Contributor
KristaleeJane
Posted

I have the biopsy in one week, cannot wait to get that over and go gluten free. My doc never did any vitamin blood work on me, but I am going to ask her to because I have been so tired and a lot of headaches. The test that we had could have been the same but like you said maybe at different labs they run different ranges. I did get a copy of my test and It says:

(NEW) ANTI TISSURE TRANSGLUT AB (CELIAC SCREEN)

92 UNITS- NORMAL RANGE BEING 20 UNITS

PRESENCE OF IgA ANITBODY TO TISSUE TRANSGLUAMINASE SUGGESTS GLUTIN SENSITIVE DISEASE. SENSITIVITY SPECIFICITY FOR GLUTEN ENTEROPATHY ARE APPROXIMATELY 95%.

So that pretty much explains it, but my doc wants to do the biopsy to confirm.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,921
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Leahjs
    Newest Member
    Leahjs
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.8k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Symptoms and trying to figure this out

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Also ask for a test of vitamin D levels. I agree with knitty kitty that cyclical Thiamine deficiency may be the cause of your cycle.  Celiac Disease causes multiple vitamin and mineral deficiencies.   Itchy palms can be a symptom of iodine deficiency.  Low iodine levels can lead to dry, flaky skin on the hands and  body due to the disruption of normal skin cell regeneration caused by a lack of thyroid hormone production, which relies on iodine. Other symptoms are   fatigue, weight gain, sensitivity to cold. I take between 600 and 1200 mcg a day Liquid Iodine. It has improved my healing.  Strong Iodine and Lugols Solution are other options.  Start low and build up over time. Between 1970 and 1988 the dietary intake of Americans dropped by 50%. Perhaps this is why some can tolerate the bread in Europe?
    • Lkg5
      Guidance on next steps after the lab tests

      By Lkg5 · Posted

      Be cautious with vitamin D if you are female and post-menopausal.  I had to decrease my D dosage from 4000 IU/day to 2000 IU because of hormonal acne and unwanted facial hair - likely from an increased testosterone level from the D.  Finally relief!  I hope to keep my D level below 50 nm/l now.
    • knitty kitty
      Coping with celiac

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Do you eat processed gluten free foods?  
    • Scott Adams
      Coping with celiac

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      You may want to wear an N-95 mask to filter out any possible gluten, at least when you handle the flour.
    • Scott Adams
      3 years with Celiac, now I appear fine.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      It sounds like you've been on quite the journey trying to understand your symptoms and diagnosis. It’s great that you’re planning to consult a doctor for allergy testing, as distinguishing between a wheat allergy, celiac disease, or another gluten-related condition is crucial for moving forward. The fact that you’ve tolerated barley and wheat products without recent symptoms might suggest something other than celiac disease, but as you noted, the absence of immediate symptoms doesn’t necessarily rule out potential underlying damage, especially if celiac disease is still a possibility. It’s worth discussing whether you should undergo updated testing, such as genetic testing for celiac markers (HLA-DQ2/DQ8), or even revisiting an endoscopy if appropriate. In the meantime, keep documenting your experiences with food and symptoms—it could provide valuable insights for your healthcare provider. It’s also important to test for other possible causes of your original symptoms, like IBS, food intolerances, or even other autoimmune conditions, to ensure nothing is overlooked. 
×
×
  • Create New...