Personal Diagnostics home test any good???

[Chancery]

Hi! I've been desperately trying to get an IgG test from my doc for months, (I have IgA deficiency) but labs keep screwing it up. In desperation I've been considering private testing, but money is a problem. Has anyone used this cheap test from Personal Diagnostics? It seems like an ideal option for me because it also tests for IgG, not just IgA.

personaldiagnostics.co.uk/P...

It seems to have very good reviews, but for all I know they wrote them themselves! Anyone ever used it, or the firm, and are they a) reliable and b) any good?

Many thanks for any advice!

[Hidden]

Hi Chancery, Boots sell a coeliac test kit, so heres a link and there are some reviews of the product (Bio card): boots.com/en/Biotech-Biocar...

And Amazon sell the same kit and there's more reviews on there:

amazon.co.uk/Biocard-Celiac...

I think that it's a shame that you've been driven to this and hope that you get the answers you want.

[urbangirl in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this info Jerry - very useful. But should people have been eating gluten before this test as per other tests?

[Chancery in reply to urbangirl]

Yep, Urbangirl. It's still measuring the same thing as a full blood test, as far as I know, so you need to be eating gluten to get a result.

[Chancery in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jerry! Yeah, I had seen the Boots one, but it just does a standard IgA test, as far as I can determine. It only seems to be the PD one that measures IgG too, and that's what I need.

Well, we'll see if the doc has any suggestions come Monday's visit, but I doubt it! I'm considering splashing out for a Cyrex array, but they are all being very cagey about what it costs. No-one has given me a price so far, and I will have to trawl off to Glasgow to have it done. Not fun, and even more expense. That's why I thought this little fellow might just be the answer. Looks like I'll just have to stick my neck out....

[Thurgolady]

Hi Chancery - I havent personally tried these but heard good things about them - Genova Diagnostics and the thyroid group Thyroid Patient Advocacy also have a discount available with them. Gill

[Chancery in reply to Thurgolady]

Hi Thurgolady. Many thanks for that info - I hadn't come across Genova before. Unfortunately I had a look at their coeliac testing and it all seems to be geared up to IgA as usual. I've written to them to ask if they can do IgG testing for me, so we'll see what they say. These tests are an absolue minefield and unless you are a biochemist they don't really mean much, just strings of letters. I could be testing the ph of my saliva for all I know!

Also, do you know offhand how you claim the discount for being a member of TPA? I am a member but couldn't find out how you got the discount, or even if I would be eligible for something that wasn't, per se, thyroid related.

[Thurgolady in reply to Chancery]

hi - I think there is a code on the site somewhere for the discount or it might be that you just quote TPA - if you are going to get the test done I will find out for you if you let me know.

[Chancery in reply to Thurgolady]

Thanks, that's kind of you. Saw the doc again today and he has said he'll talk to his "biochemist" at the labs again and see if we can get the test/s done. But as he has said this before - twice - I am not holding out much hope. So this is the last time I'm going through this - if I have no luck with them this time I am going private, cost be damned. I resent it, but this constant stuffing with wheat and the sheer anxiety and frustration is wearing me out.

I'll get in touch if it all falls through. Expect to hear from me in due course (you can see how much faith I have!)