Endoscopy does it detect coeliacs?

[wonderoushope]

Just wondering if anyone knows, if you have an endoscopy for stomach issues, would celiacs be automatically be detectable if you have it?

I have the gene and it looks like I am wheat or gluten intolerant (based on elimination diet). I also have had a coeliacs test in the past which always came back negative, but I also wondered if my previous endoscopes would have detected celiacs if I had it? Would my gastroenterologist automatically checked for this, when she was doing the endoscopy?

Last time I had an endoscopy (about a year ago) my diagnosis was chemical gastritis, but just wondered if celiacs was somehow tested as well while doing the procedure. It just would be good to know it was triple checked via a different means (other than a blood test).

 

[unicorn7]

No, they need to get from the stomach into the duodenum (first part of the small bowel) and take a biopsy there. You have to check that sample under a microscope to see if you have celiac disease. It's not standard with a stomach endoscopy.

 

[wonderoushope]

Thanks! Actually I just re-read my notes and read biopsies were taken for celiacs disease. I had somehow missed that. So that's good, as only mild chemical gastritis came back with biopsy and esophagitis. I had a Upper GI endescopy.

 

[unicorn7]

That's good to know! I have almost the same thing. I have had a lot of stomach/bowel problems, long before I had ME/CFS symptoms (when I was 16). I also had anemia that didn't clear up at the time. I had a blood test, endoscopy and biopsy at the time. Negative for celiac.

When my ME/CFS symptoms started, I found out (with elimination diet) that I was extremely sensitive for wheat. They tested me on the gene and that was negative, so I'm pretty sure I can't have celiac.

I do eat gluten free (loosely) now, just because my bowel is a lot happier with it.

 

[Learner1]

I've seen studies of celiacs having as many as 10 biopsies before the diagnosis was finally made.

And you do not need the genes to have a problem. Start at slide 35, which explains it.

http://www.glutensensitivity.net/Vojdani_Roles_Mucosal_031208.ppt

Its best to just avoid gluten...

 

[Dechi]

I had an endoscopy / gastric biopsy done a few months ago and they checked for celiac disease and h. Pilori. Both were negative in my case.

 

[Tammy]

I don't understand how a biopsy would identify celiacs disease? @Learner1 [USER=24202

 

[Dechi]

I don't understand how a biopsy would identify celiacs disease?

Not the biopsy, the endoscopy. I had a gastric biopy done to detect enterovirus infection, which it did.

The doctor that did the biopsy used an endoscope to get to my stomach and checked for celiac disease and general health of the stomach before doing the biopsy.

 

[Tammy]

Not the biopsy, the endoscopy. I had a gastric biopy done to detect enterovirus infection, which it did.

How does endoscopy identify celiac?

 

[Tammy]

No, they need to get from the stomach into the duodenum (first part of the small bowel) and take a biopsy there. You have to check that sample under a microscope to see if you have celiac disease. It's not standard with a stomach endoscopy.

I'm really trying to understand what yu guys are referring to when it comes to diagnosing Celiac. What are they checking for under the microscope that would identify Celiac?

 

[unicorn7]

There is a flattening of the microvilli on the wall of the small bowel, when you have celiac disease. They can see that only under a microscope, so you need to take a biopsy from the small bowel.

 

[Tammy]

There is a flattening of the microvilli on the wall of the small bowel, when you have celiac disease. They can see that only under a microscope, so you need to take a biopsy from the small bowel.

Thank you for the reply. Seems they see that same thing (flattening of the microvilli) with other illnesses also .........from virus and bacteria. I just wondered if something new had been discovered.

 

[Dechi]

How does endoscopy identify celiac?

https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/Testing-and-Diagnosis/Diagnostic-Endoscopy/1511/

 

[Tammy]

https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/Testing-and-Diagnosis/Diagnostic-Endoscopy/1511/

I think we got our communication lines crossed.............but thank you for the reply!

 

[Learner1]

https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/Testing-and-Diagnosis/Diagnostic-Endoscopy/1511/

This explains some of the pitfalls of endoscopy.

http://www.gastroenterologyandhepat...endoscopy-in-the-diagnosis-of-celiac-disease/

Blood tests can be helpful also.

https://celiac.org/blog/2014/02/blood-tests-being-underutilized-in-diagnosing-celiac-disease/

There are risks to endoscopies and biopsies...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205752.php

The Cyrex tests are quite useful... Here's the one for wheat, but they have some others that are useful, too...

https://www.joincyrex.com/the-cyrex-system/array-3-wheat-gluten-proteome-reactivity-and-autoimmunity

 

[wonderoushope]

@unicorn7 Can I ask what were your symtoms with gluten?

So far for me it's terrible stomach cramping, headaches and on day 3 of elimination I notice stiff joints.

 

[AndyPandy]

I had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago. Blood tests showed I have the genes for coeliac disease, but the gastroscopy and biopsies did not find any evidence of it.

The six weeks of gluten loading prior to the procedure was horrid. Bloating (I looked pregnant), rash, nausea, skin peeling in mouth, joint pain, constipation, headache, brain fog, high BGLs and just feeling generally unwell on top of ME. Once I stopped the gluten after the procedure, all of the related symptoms went away.

I'm about to go and see the Gastroenterologist to discuss the results, but regardless of her opinion I've decided it is just not worth it for me to eat gluten in future.

 

[wonderoushope]

I had a gastroscopy and colonoscopy about three weeks ago. Blood tests showed I have the genes for coeliac disease, but the gastroscopy and biopsies did not find any evidence of it.

The six weeks of gluten loading prior to the procedure was horrid. Bloating (I looked pregnant), rash, nausea, skin peeling in mouth, joint pain, constipation, headache, brain fog, high BGLs and just feeling generally unwell on top of ME. Once I stopped the gluten after the procedure, all of the related symptoms went away.

I'm about to go and see the Gastroenterologist to discuss the results, but regardless of her opinion I've decided it is just not worth it for me to eat gluten in future.

Sounds like you did an elimination diet and found your answer!

I have similar symptoms. I am only on day 3 of introducing wheat, just plain flour and plain pasta and so far I seem to be reacting. I have been wheat free for about 2.5 months prior to the wheat challenge and I had noticed in that time no bloating or upper tightness and was not constipated and was wondering what was the culprit and think I have found my answer. I have tested a number of things, salicylates, amines and lactose free milk and all seemed to pass, but wheat...not so much.

Just from the pattern, I now realise I could probably have a sandwich every few days without getting symptoms, but if I had a day of say toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner, well that's when the symptoms really show up. No wonder I couldn't quite pinpoint what the culprit was. I was never a big wheat eater, but on occasions I would have more wheat throughout the day and so makes sense why I wasn't always reacting.

 

[Mithriel]

It is possible to be intolerant to wheat without actually having coeliac disease which is a more complicated autoimmune disease that shows itself as a problem with gluten. Even if you cut out gluten completely you can have secondary complications.

In coeliac disease, the gut becomes inflamed so the surface area to absorb minerals is much less. This means that a common presenting symptom is a low level anaemia and the high heart rate that causes. Calcium levels can be low as well leading to bone density problems.

Basically, if you feel better not eating gluten there is no harm to it but doctors do the testing because it is such a difficult diet to stick with. (I have a friend who went "gluten free" after an alternate medicine practitioner recommended it for her MS. She thinks it is working well so I don't have the heart to tell her about the hidden sources of gluten she is taking in.)

 

[Learner1]

It is possible to be intolerant to wheat without actually having coeliac disease which is a more complicated autoimmune disease that shows itself as a problem with gluten. Even if you cut out gluten completely you can have secondary complications.

This article provides a good overview of non celiac gluten related problems.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561414002180

In light of findings that many of us may have issues with pyruvate dehydrogenase, the recommendation to try ketogenic/low carb diets to get around this, and the current thinking that ME/CFS is an autoimmune disease, and that stressing one's taxed immune system could lead to initiation of or proliferation of further autoimmunity, a gluten-free diet is not a bad thing to consider, even if one is not celiac, especially when considering the many related illnesses.

There is also the issue that RoundUp is heavily used in the cultivation of and harvesting of wheat and other grains, which could negatively impact mitochondrial function.

I remember saying to my daughter 8 years ago "Oh, it would be awful if you had to go on a gluten free/dairy free diet....it would be so difficult!"

Turns out our entire family has milk and gluten allergies/intolerance, and we've found lots of nutrient dense good food to eat without gluten.

We had anti-gliadin antibodies show up on tests. It doesn't make sense to have an expensive, invasive, potentially risky medical procedure just to see if there are flattened villi, when lab tests can give you a good idea that it's something to avoid.