GI tests

[Alexi]

I'm seeing my Gastro consultant next Wednesday.
I want to ensure all relevant tests are done. Leakygut, malabsorption, lbs, colitis, diverticular....the works.
What should I be asking for ?

 

[mrquasar]

How do you test for leaky gut? I've read up a bit on it and couldn't find very much concrete information, mostly theoretical.

 

[mrquasar]

Also, do you have GI symptoms? I have a marked brain fog / inflammation reaction to specific foods and would like to get tested for SIBO, etc. but not sure I will be taken seriously as I don't have horrible GI symptoms.

 

[Alexi]

Yes I do have GI problems, but nothing that obvious bloods and exams can pinpoint

 

[arewenearlythereyet]

I'm not sure there is a test for leaky gut. It's mostly a research theory that is quite heavily debated at the moment from what I've read on the subject. Most advocates of this are still saying "more research needed". This normally means

"we have done a few small scale in vitro tests that may or may not prove the theory...now I need some more money"

Be interesting to see what tests they do offer you

 

[kangaSue]

A GI consultant is only going to be interested in specific symptoms and "leaky gut" won't get a look in, that's the domain of alternate or functional medicine practitioners.

I can tell you from having 17 years of chronic GI dysfunction that these things can take years to work through the various possible causes and you are not going to solve much in the first visit.

What specifics are you needing to solve?

 

[Daffodil]

@Alexi there is the sCD14 test which is a little controversial but some believe abnormal values can indicate leaky gut.

I would also get the MSA stool test at Redlabs in Belgium. You can send a stool sample in the mail to them. It is the best one for testing stool bacteria.

US Biotek has good tests for food intolerances.

There is also the hydrogen breath test which can show SIBO. I think the one using QuinTron is supposed to be a good one.

 

[Alexi]

Thank you for your replies.

 

[Alexi]

Hypercontractality of oesophagus.
Any ideas ?

 

[kangaSue]

Hypercontractality of oesophagus.
Any ideas ?

That's a bit of a departure from the original post. More commonly known as Nutcracker esophagus or Jackhammer Esophagus, a hypercontractile esophagus is probably due to an excess of cholinergic activity. Gastro-esophageal reflux is the most frequent cause related to hypermotility esophageal disorders so proton pump inhibitors could provide some benefit.

Medical approaches can include the use of smooth muscle relaxants such as nitrates (nitrolingual spray) or calcium channel blockers (nifedipine), phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (sildenafil) or even low-dose antidepressants. Other options include botulinum toxin injection or the newer surgical process called POEM (peroral endoscopic myo-
tomy).

Just on the subject of GERD, I saw an interesting study into that today which concluded;
"Patients with GERD have distortion of sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system, but impaired parasympathetic function appears more congruent to GERD."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462740/

That can be an involvement of Autonomic Neuropathy so Mestinon may be beneficial for a hypercontractile esophagus too.

 

[Alexi]

Thank you for your reply, you sound very knowledgeable ? Yep he's suggesting nifedipine for a trial and see him again in 5 months.
I do struggle with episodes of complete dysphagia so looking for big improvement !
I've had stool analysis, CT scan and ultrasound, endoscopy with biopsies, bile absorption test, and PH Manometry test (which I'm not keen to repeat !) . It was the Manometry that revealed hypercontractality but no reflux and everything else came back normal.........
Except that it isn't normal is it ? and swallow, bowel pain, diarrhoea and nausea as well as ME is having a major impact and limiting my everyday life.


I need to get back to basics...are there any obvious things I should be doing to kickstart a calming of the gut ? Help !

 

[kangaSue]

Thank you for your reply, you sound very knowledgeable

I've spent too much of my life in GI dysfunction forums searching for my own answers, Nutcracker Esophagus has cropped up along the way on occasion too so have picked up a bit about it even though it doesn't apply to me. That's about the only part of my GI tract that actually works normally.

I've tried all the usual gut calming stuff bandied about on the internet, everything only makes it worse for me so I don't have a lot to offer in the way of successful options, it's often a case of just suck it and see.