It is so often misdiagnosed that people suffer needlessly for years. Then they started testing her for some really scary diseases which was terrifying. Danielle's tests were normal. Finally a nurse practitioner was willing to really listen. Even then, determining the right diagnosis proved difficult.
Doctors use routine blood tests to first rule out anemia, and liver and kidney malfunction.
Ament says that several CD-specific blood tests are critical in making the right diagnosis. But Ament cautions that positive results should be confirmed by a small intestine biopsy. Performed endoscopically, eight small samples are usually taken from various areas of the small intestine to determine the extent of the damage. When we finally found out it was Celiac, we were relieved that we could at least do something. But even reading labels can be tricky.