Coeliac disease

Fiona my reply to you was lost because of these new ads constantly coming up on screen. Will have to find out how to do them.

I heard that I might well be confused when recovering from the anaesthetic. I did hear them saying hiatus hernia but I think I asked about why I had been losing weight and that someone said 'probably coeliac'

I read lots about it when returning home and am now feeling quite frightened. It must be very difficult to live with both conditions

Fiona, how to do them should read how to stop them, in relation to the add.

Hi Lorna, when they test for Coeliac disease, they usually inform you that you need to be consuming gluten on a daily basis for at least 6 weeks prior to the endoscopy. When they test for Coeliac disease they take biopsies from you and you get the test results approximately 2-3 weeks afterwards. Maybe you heard them saying they would test for Coeliac disease while you were having the endoscopy - perhaps?  They don't normally 'knock you out' completely for an endoscopy; were you semiconscious at the time or fully anaesthetised? 

If they have tested for coeliacs, you will get a full report in a few weeks.  Originally I was given an endoscopy to see if there was an underlying cause for GERD, I only had tests done for helicobacter pylori, which causes ulcers and they found the hiatus hernia at that time. That test came back negative for helicobacter and I eventually had another endoscopy for Coeliac disease as I was also dairy intolerant and my doctor thought everything was pointing to Coeliac disease, due to other symptoms. So usually you know beforehand if you are being tested for Coeliac disease. I hope you find this information helpful.  Good luck. 

Thank you again Fiona.

Neither of the two conditions was mentioned before my endoscopy. My GP requested this mainly because of abdominal pain and weight loss. The consultant I saw after this said that the next step would be the endoscopy but didn't say much more about it, except that he didn't think it was cancer!

My GP should get more info soon.

Hope you get some answers soon and that the test results are okay. 

Thank you Fiona.

Hi Fiona. Have seen the doctor today and been cleared of having coeliac. He is certain I will soon be able to handle hiatus successfully.

Thanks everyone for your emails. Stay well.

Hi Lorna, pleased you got on alright at the doctors. I'm sure you will manage your condition once you've read up on it.  Best wishes.

Anthony, you will be able to see from my reply to Fiona why I am confused about what I might have heard when recovering from the scope

It must be horrific to have to live with both conditions.

Thank you both for your replies.

Hey, if you have a featureless duodenum which can be seen during endoscopy then this can lead to coeliac diagnosis - I had this and then the biopsies just confirmed what they saw.

When I had my endoscopy session, during which I had entonox rather than sedation, the comment from the Doctor after the gastroscopy part was that all looked OK.  It was not so good with the colonoscopy bit because it found my bowel cancer.  It was during the subsequent debrief with the surgeon, after a CT scan, when he made a throw away comment that 'by the way, examination of the biopsies from the gastroscopy session show that you also have coeliac disease!'

Living with coeliac is a bit of a pain but not too difficult, the biggest problem is having to read ingredients lists carefully which does rather slow down the shopping activity!  If you are confirmed as having coeliac disease I suggest that you join Coeliac UK.  This organisation has lots of useful information together with a directory of suitable foods - one particular feature of its smart phone app is the ability to scan the barcode of a product and get a response as to its suitability.  Good luck with getting it all sorted out..