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Dear Listmates:
My son Jeff, age 17, needs to be tested for celiac disease. He has an
easily upset stomach and I have been suspicious that he is a celiac
spru. His father has the disease and Jeffery takes after his father in
everything. When I took him to our favorite GI specialist, the doctor
behaved strangely. At first he wanted to biopsy him ASAP, when I
stated that I would rather get a blood test first, and if it was
positive then do the biopsy, he acted confused and stated, "What kind
of blood test is there?" I was unprepared for this, I guess I should
have researched before I took him to the doctor. I said it was probably
a gluten antibodies test. He said OK, and he ordered that test. Then
he did a complete turn around, and said that none of these test were
necessary, just put him on a gluten free diet the rest of his life. (He
was very serious.) I told him that it would be unfair to Jeff to do
this without a diagnosis because a gluten free diet is a big commitment,
and a major inconvenience. I don't think this got through to him.
When I got home I got the Biopsies, Serological and other Noninvasive
Screening for Celiac Disease downloaded from the archives. I learned
from this that the test are:
IgG and IgA gliadin Antibodies
IgA Reticulin Antibodies ARA
Iga Endomysial Antibodies EmA
So I called the Lab and asked them if they do these test, they said
sure, but the third test is the same as the second test.
Going to a more qualified doctor is not in the question. We saw quite a
few GI specialist here in Alabama when my husband was sick, and this guy
is the best. Besides letting me ventilate my frustration, I want to know
which test should I ask the doctor to do? He may limit me to one test
"gluten antibodies". Also, I don't really think test #3 and test #2
are the same so I wonder about trusting the Lab.
Thanks,
Susan in Alabama
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