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Do I need testing?

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clarejo
clarejo

.0.x

Hello guys! Bit of an odd Q! I've got an endoscopy and colonoscopy booked for Thursday next week mainly they're looking for celiac however I'm unsure I have it as I personally don't feel like i feel as poorly as symptoms suggest you can a brief overview is I have been deficient in iron, b12 and folic acid for three years, I'll have tablets and injections to treat , then a few months later another blood test shows I'm anemic again...I do have some belly problems and do get extra gassy and a bit bloated but not after all food containing Gluten, mainly things like Spaghetti bolognaise, I can still eat some foods containing gluten and feel fine, my bathroom habits differ day to day, I never know if it'll be normal or a bit loose (sorry tmi) and the only other thing I can think of is I think I suffer a bit of reflux as after I eat I get lots of trapped air in my throat and it makes gurgle noises as if the air wants to cone up but I can't physically burp it up so I'll have to put my fingers down my throat to get the air up, unsure if this is reflux or not but is a pain! But basically I was wondering if anyone has only had a few little and mild symptoms like mine and its come back celiac? As I really don't feel I feel poorly enough for it to be! Thanks  xx

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • bettybetter
    bettybetter clarejo

    Posted

    Hi Clarejo

    It seems your doctor thinks it's worthwhile that you get tested! Although you're saying you don't have many symptoms- vitamin definciency and digestive problems are still symptoms and aren't 'normal' in a healthy person. It sounds like your doctor is doing their job and doing it well. 

    I completely understand that going for such intrusive investigations is really scary (I'm getting it done myself in a month or so!) but it's really important to know if you are coeliac or not. Many people can have it without having that many symptoms and it's often things like anemia through malabsorption that gives clues. 

    Although you don't have many symptoms now, if you have coeliacs and you eat gluten the damage is being done ti your body and you will suffer later in life (the damage can cause all sorts or very nasty illnessess and ultimately it can cause cancer- I don't want to frighten you- that's the reality). There are also long term effects of vitamin and mineral definciences so it's really important that you find out what's causing this so you can get it rectified. 

    Also, if you are having a problem with gluten- you might not know how healthy you could feel once off the gluten! 

    My advice 100% is to go for the tests. 

     

  • kristal9
    kristal9 clarejo

    Posted

    I had a biopsy done on my duodenum. I was so anxious going in, but it was a complete snap. Believe it or not, it was over before I even realised that it had started. It was fast and painless. The anticipatory anxiety was the worst part, by far.

    So try to relax as much as you are able, and be glad that you have a thorough and attentive doctor smile Sounds like you're lucky as I had to do the research and point my doc towards possible celiac before the tests were ordered.

    • bettybetter
      bettybetter kristal9

      Posted

      OMG this is so good to hear!! I've been really worried about it. I'm not entirely sure of the procudure other than 'upper endoscopy' so I'm hoping it'll be over before I know it too! smile 
  • kristal9
    kristal9 clarejo

    Posted

    Yea, they give you a sedative by IV then let that take effect as they prepare the instruments. Then they put a plastic thing in your mouth to hold it open open, they position the probe to go straight down without bothering your throat, and then snap, it's done in like a minute or so. I didn't even feel the probe go down my throat at all. I guess it must be very skinny to just slip in like that. I thought they were still waiting to start when they told me they were done, hehe. All that anxiety over nothing. Jeez.
    • clarejo
      clarejo kristal9

      Posted

      Hi everyone , had the tests! Thanks for all the lovely advice on my last post, don't understand the results report which is 

      Colonoscopy 

      Rectum Normal. Procedure: Biopsy 

      Sigmoid Colon Normal 

      Descending Colon Normal 

      Splenic Flexure Normal 

      Trasnverse Colon Normal. Procedure Biopsy 

      Hepatic Flexure Normal 

      Ascending Colon Normal. Procedure Biopsy 

      Caecum Normal 

      Terminal Ileum Not Visualized. Procedure Biopsy 

      Then Endo results are 

      Cricopharyngius Normal 

      Oesophagus Normal 

      Cardio to esophagus junction Normal 

      Stomach Normal Procedure Biopsy 

      Pylorus Normal 

      Duodenum first-part - Duodenitis 

      Duodenum second part Normal Procedure Biopsy 

    • kristal9
      kristal9 clarejo

      Posted

      What has your doctor said with regards to the results?

      By the way, even if you don't have celiac you can still be gluten intolerant. The only way to know if you have an intolerance is to remove gluten from your diet for at least a month and see what effect it has on your symptoms. Ask your doctor about that since, as you say, there seems to be some relationship between the symptoms and eating pasta made from wheat flour.

    • clarejo
      clarejo kristal9

      Posted

      Havent said anything as i was still on painkillers so left none the wiser and need to wait 4 weeks for biopsy results
  • anthony10484
    anthony10484 clarejo

    Posted

    I have also had a gastroscopy plus colonoscopy, in my case it was looking for a source of intrnal bleeding, which turned out to be bowel cancer (from which I have recovered, I'm happy to say!).  As a side issue, the gastroscopy examination found that I was suffering from coeliac disease, which came as a surprise since I was not suffering any of the usual symptoms.  The point is, that coeliac can be suffered without having any of the usual symptoms.

    Don't worry about the endoscopy sessions, they are not as bad as you might think.  I opted not to take the sedative approach and had a local anaesthetic for the gastroscopy part and entonox gas for the colonoscopy, although I did not really need to use it.  Actually, the worst part of the whole procedure was the need to take a remarkably potent laxative the day before the test in order to facilitate the colonoscopy!

    The advantages of not taking the sedative approach were that I was able to drive myself home less than an hour after the examination and that I was able to watch the progress of the colonoscopy on the monitor as it was taking place.  The latter advantage may not be to everyone's taste, of course!

    • clarejo
      clarejo anthony10484

      Posted

      Hi everyone , had the tests! Thanks for all the lovely advice on my last post, don't understand the results report which is 

      Colonoscopy 

      Rectum Normal. Procedure: Biopsy 

      Sigmoid Colon Normal 

      Descending Colon Normal 

      Splenic Flexure Normal 

      Trasnverse Colon Normal. Procedure Biopsy 

      Hepatic Flexure Normal 

      Ascending Colon Normal. Procedure Biopsy 

      Caecum Normal 

      Terminal Ileum Not Visualized. Procedure Biopsy 

      Then Endo results are 

      Cricopharyngius Normal 

      Oesophagus Normal 

      Cardio to esophagus junction Normal 

      Stomach Normal Procedure Biopsy 

      Pylorus Normal 

      Duodenum first-part - Duodenitis 

      Duodenum second part Normal Procedure Biopsy 

      Not a clue what it means! Haha

    • aveline
      aveline clarejo

      Posted

      Hi Clarejo,

      What the results mean are pretty good (so far)! You don't have visible issues in the large intestines/colon/rectum.  You also don't have damage to your oesophagus/throat from your reflux, which is also good.

      The duodenum is where a doctor can expect to find evidence of Coeliac Disease and yours is infected (Duodenitis means inflammation/infection in the area where the small intestine meets the stomach). That doesn't mean you have CD, but the biopsy will be the factor to go by - either with damage to the villi or not (stomach biopsies will count, too, I think).

      Not to alarm you, but my son didn't have digestive issues before his CD was discovered. He did have stomach pain, but he also had pain in his joints, head, etc. A paediatric rheumatologist found his problem when testing him for cause/s of his pain, since I thought it was juvenile arthritis or something...or just a whiny kid. I thought we were wasting her time. A GI doctor did the procedure you just had and said he looked good ("peachy") but the biopsies are what tells the real tale.

      When the biopsy results come back, you'll know. If you don't have CD but have an infection and occasional issues, then foods with probiotic qualities (good yoghurt, kimchi, sourkraut, fermented foods, etc.) should help your gut clear and stay well if you keep them in your diet, I should think. Your dr may even recommend antibiotics, but then all the more reason to keep boosting your system with probiotics (from food if possible - most have some amounts of gluten whether they should or not, I'm afraid).

      Good luck!!

    • clarejo
      clarejo aveline

      Posted

      Thank you for the advice! After reading you saying about the Duodenitis and Celiac link, what with the IBS symptoms and iron b12 and folate deficiencies I'm sort of leaning towards that, fingers crossed for all clear though! Just hate the wait, live on the Isle of Wight so its 4 weeks for results ahh! Haha just want some treatment for the inflammation now as sick of looking 5 months pregnant and since having procedure done symptoms have actually weirdly gotten worse! Glad your Sons okay and they got to the bottom of it for you!x
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