Post Diagnosis Followups for Celiac

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Well it has been over two years since my Celiac Diagnosis and that means that I get to go in for a whole battery of follow up tests including the dreaded Endoscopy.  Those that think that the testing is over once Celiac is confirmed are going to be very unhappy with this post.  

At about two years after the initial diagnosis and Endo, the doctors will need to see how well you are doing and how much healing has occurred.  I already know that my IgA numbers are up to 70, this is a significant leap from the 40's that they were prior to being gluten free.  However, I will get to start the whole battery of tests over again.  This is to see if there is a marked improvement not only in how I feel, but how my body really is.  Coming on the 29th, I will be scheduling my second Endoscopy since this all started.  I am not looking forward to this one.  The last time they used the wrong gas and I was bloated and had issues for an extra day.  I am really hoping that doesn't happen again.  

Other then another Endoscopy, I will be undergoing a battery of blood tests and another 24 hour urine test.  Oh Joy!  Now, what follow up tests are going to change depending on the Doctors.  I will also be doing a bone density test to see how far I have to go in the healing process.  

The reasons for each of these tests are to see how well your body is responding to the Gluten Free Diet.  Some people are two years out and only need the occasional check up after that.  Others may not be responding as well as the doctors had hoped.  While the person may be feeling better, they are not healing correctly.  These tests will determine how well you are healing and how far you still have to go.  They also may show that there are more issues than the initial celiac diagnosis.  

If your doctor does not have a follow up schedule for you, then I highly recommend that you talk to them about it.  Follow up testing can start as early as 6 months from the start of the gluten free diet.  The sooner you know if there are more issues, the sooner you can start fixing things.  

IgA Deficiency ranges

After being gluten free for over a year and a half I got some great news.  My IGA numbers are up from the 40s or 50s; my last test had my Serum numbers at 70! OK I am still below the 81 needed, but that is an improvement... As I said in a prior post the ranges can vary by test but here are the ranges by age

Here are the normal ranges by age!

IgA Deficiency and What it Means

I have talked about being IgA D but I don't say what that really means, so I went to many web sites to double check what I knew and have broken it down to almost readable levels.  Immunoglobulin A deficiency is where there is a low level of IgA in the Serum (blood).  This is commonly diagnosed for those between ages 20-40.    For people with this issue, if we ever need blood, we have to have washed blood only.  Full blood or blood that is rich in IgA can cause an anaphylaxis effect (strong allergic reaction). 

Interpreting test results for Celiac

There are four basic tests that are used to diagnose Celiac these tests are IgA, IgG, tTG, and ELISA.  Of these tests the most commonly used are the IgA and the IgG tests.  Many people will get test results without knowing what those test results mean.  I have seen instances where the test results are mailed to the person with Normal, Abnormal, Low or High next to a number and a range.  Well that is completely useless for most of us since we have no baisis of what this means.