Tests

Hi everybod. I wanted to ask now most of you were diagnosed with coeliac and lactose intolerance? What tests were done?

[Bazmack]

Hubby had the normal blood test done first but this did not come back for ages if at all. He was very ill so hospital did endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and SeCHAT. The biopsies came back showing CD and lymphocytic colitis he is now on gluten free diet and is slowly gaining weight but still weak. GPs do not know enough about CD as hubby was first very poorly last October! If you think you have it push for tests. We were told NICE won’t allow hospitals to test only one patients blood at a time as one specimen costs the same as fifty to test. However, he ended up being barrier nursed for 3 weeks plus all the tests so far more money spent in long run and he wouldn’t have got so ill.

[Cooper27]

OH had a blood test before Christmas. Was initially told that it was fine. Visited his GP in February about something else, and the doctor brought up his test results, which had actually come back off the scale. He was referred for an endoscopy, which took 6 months, and he then went GF.

He's never been tested for lactose though.

[Hidden in reply to Cooper27]

I was tested for lactose intolerance quite a while after being told i was gluten intolerant

[benmaise in reply to Hidden]

I have been told to avoid Lactose but doctor said there was no test for Lactose intolerance.I have Coeliac but started losing weight and told to avoid dairy and Lactose

[Hidden in reply to benmaise]

Hi benmaise yes same happened to me a while after being told to avoid gluten I was told to avoid lactose - which really is hard. Having my own milk and margarine and ice cream and butter and all other items with lactose...my family say u have your own kitchen!

[Rmichelle]

Hi there im celiac and was diagnosed with 2 blood tests both confirming celiac disease, i was then put on referral list to see GI and once attended that they booked me in for a endoscopy with biopsy- celiac confirmed. Most gp's are happy to confirm with a blood test now as i heard that the endoscopy is going to be phased out a little? Good luck.x

[Hidden in reply to Rmichelle]

I was wondering if gps could just confirm with blood results and you Rmichelle have said that could be true?

[Rmichelle in reply to Hidden]

2 gps at my surgery said on different occassions they were happy to confirm it on a positive blood test, however some gps would insist on endoscopy too, i had the endo done as at the time you had gf on prescription and you could only get this if you had the procedure done but sadly it is no longer available in most parts of the uk.

[Cooper27 in reply to Hidden]

If your level comes back over 100, the endoscopy isn't necessary. If the number is barely over the normal range, they would probably do the endoscopy.

[Hidden]

Thanks Cooper and everyone else who replied - it's made me realise my gp did the right thing and wasn't useless!I just read so many times about endoscopys etc having to be done first that's why I asked the question. 👍🏼

[liver-bird]

Hello. I live in London and found that if I cut gluten my pain and diarrhoea went away. So my GP did blood test which showed antibodies indicating coeliac and referred me to GI Consultant. I was told to eat gluten again and had cameras and biopsies both ends which confirmed coeliac disease and from then on I am gluten free and feeling well.

Because I have firm diagnosis backed by biopsies, I receive annual checks by a GI Consultant and used to get prescriptions for bread and cereal but the prescriptions no longer funded in my area.

Hope this helps 😃

[Hidden in reply to liver-bird]

Thanks for your reply liver-bird.

Yes u mentioned the prescriptions. They stopped in my area just as I was diagnosed with coeliac. I think it's ridiculous. When family members see how much my total comes to they're shocked when out food shopping.

[benmaise]

I'm lucky. I still get my bread on prescription. We can still get flour here too i think. I still have to buy bread as there is never enough to last the month. I can't complain.

Just grateful i get some.

[CATRYNA49]

Eleven years ago I was diagnosed, through blood tests, with Hashimotos, IBS and Gluten Intolerant. It was only recently that I was diagnosed with Dermatitis Herpetiformis and so my diagnoses has been changed to Celiac. I am off all grains, changed all of my hair products to GF and am growing and using certain strains of cannabis to heal my gut and further control my auto immune situation.

[Hidden in reply to CATRYNA49]

Hi CATRYNAA49

U have been through alot of problems I can see. So after all that you were diagnosed with coeliac? Ur growing certain strains of cannabis to heal your gut sounds interesting..can you tell me more about it?

Friends and family have mentioned this to me too

[CATRYNA49]

My problems pretty much started at 13, when I had a devastating reaction to the oral polio vaccine. Some of my hair fell out and my skin turned to sandpaper. Sure signs of Hypothyroidism. At ages 14 and 15 I had two bouts of Mononucleosis (auto immune issue). By 19, I was having serious environmental allergies and was allergic to antihistamines. After 4 children, I developed CFS, which I was able to correct, but then fell into Fibromyalgia for 8 years. I was able to kick butt on that one, too. And, then 9 years later the Hashis and Gluten Intolerance/Celiac diagnoses and most recently (this year) a Celiac skin disorder; Dermatitis Herpetiformis. It has been a long road and sometimes so frustrating, but then I think with most of us we don't know much different, our whole lives, and so we just keep fighting and researching and finding ways that work for us. Other than that, I have always been pretty powerful (mighty mite) and can run circles around most people. Go figure. ha

The two strains I use, specifically, for autoimmune issues are Kryptonite and Harle-Tsu. Kryptonite is very difficult to find, so I was fortunate to receive some seeds and able to grow my own. I combine the two strains and make tinctures to control my autoimmune issues. I eat the Harle-Tsu raw or in smoothies to control my IBS and other gut problems. Harle-Tsu is very low in THC and very high In CBD, much like Hemp. Kryptonite, on the other hand, has been known to be as high as 25%-28% THC, so care has to be taken when ingested. I do not smoke or vape because I don't want to activate the THC, but my own biology requires me to drink copious amounts of cold fluids to counteract my stomach acids which would heat up the Kryptonite and create "head" problems I want to avoid. I am hoping to expand my "medicine garden" next year and grow Hemp along with a couple of other strains of Cannabis. If you have any questions, ask away.

BTW, where do you live? And, more important is cannabis legal where you are and can you grow it?

[Hidden in reply to CATRYNA49]

Gosh you really do have so many problems...I feel like I shouldn't be complaing at all!it was very interesting what you told me about your cannabis etc...where do I live? In the UK and so it's not legal here which is so disappointing so many people say.

[Hidden in reply to CATRYNA49]

Where are you from?because I do know plenty of countries where it is legal