Diagnosis & Blood Work

[KathMac]

I had a biopsy of my small intestine.  The lab called and said it was positive for Celiac Disease.  I had blood work done, but the results were in the normal ranges.  My specialist said he didn't think it was Celiac since my blood work was normal.  He said the biopsy showed just a few of the villi bent over.  I was originally tested because of unexplained bloating and an inability to lose weight.  He thinks it's IBS.  Can I develop Celiac later on?  I'm 50 years old.  Thank you.

[BethRN2008]

Celiac can be "dormant" and triggered at any point in life.  The intestinal biopsy is the ONLY definitive diagnosis for Celiac.  The blood work may show a false negative, and even if it is positive, still is not considered a true diagnosis.  It is possible you may be gluten intolerant and not in full blown Celiac as well.  Unfortunately the doctors that really know this disease well are few and far between.  I would suggest strict gluten free living (very challenging but do-able) for a few months, and see if you notice a difference in the way you feel.  It can't hurt!  (It takes your body time to heal.)  Good luck!  Beth

[carin3]

I am in the same situation you are. I had a endoscopy and colonoscopy done due to chronic iron deficiency anemia that does not respond well to iron pills. My duodenum biopsy came back suggestive of type 2 celiac disease. The GI doctor then did blood work and that came back negative for celiac disease. He also said it probably wasnt celiac. I told him I wanted to know one way or the other so he sent my biopsy off to Yale for another doctor to look at. Still waiting to hear back. Meanwhile i did some research on celiac and realized I have a lot of the non-GI symptoms of celiac. I am tired a lot, get headaches, have tingling in my hands, joint pain, slight generalized abdominal pain. It's frustrating b/c I want a definitive answer so I know where you are coming from. Good luck and let me know if you find any answers

[CalGal]

Yes, you can manifest celiac disease later in life - my husband did. Go gluten-free, you'll be glad you did. MANY people turn up with negative blood results and only further testing like the gene test actually shows that they carry the celiac genes. Katti, PLEASE trust the biopsy. Docs don't know a heck of a lot abut celiac and many go on to develop complication and further disorders because the doc didn't do his background reading.

If 'you guys' want to double check to see if you're carrying the genes, go to enterolab.com and get the allele (gene) test. It runs about $150 and it's well worth it. If you're carrying the genes and you've got symptoms or a single test that says yes - you're celiac no matter what your doc believes.

If you're celiac it's very, very important to go GF.