Any calprotectin collection advice ? For undiag

[VictorViega]

I just need some suggestions for the calprotectin test, collection specifically. I’m undiagnosed. At $150-250 a pop, need to make sure I do it right. Will help me find reassurance

first test was at 6 mcg/g, but keep in mind I’m questioning collection. I was in water diarrhea phase and gave a first morning mucous-jelly poop. I didn’t care much about collection so just scooped the jelly with a popsicle sticks. I know, nsfw but what do you do

anyways after the result I just started to question things and did learn that mucous samples are a no go as they may interfere with testing.

I know so far, don’t use NSAID’s for some time before collection, don’t scoop out of the water. Trigger foods can increase calp to the thousands, different type of testing methodology. Try to use the spoon to collect different areas of the stool. Don’t collect stool if it’s in water or urine. Calp levels are highest in the morning.

I know it can’t directly diagnose, it can help distinguish ibs from ibd.. but can also miss diagnose in those rare forms of CD.


Uhhhh is there anything I’m missing from the list ?

 

[crohnsinct]

If you are in the US, labs generally will give you a “hat” that you place in the toilet and it catches the stool making collection a lot easier. If your lab doesn’t give them, they are sold at medical supply stores and on Amazon.

This is the first I am hearing about mucus interfering. My daughter was in a flare for years and had nothing but bloody, mucus and diarrhea and her calpro’s always came back into the thousand’s. Same with certain foods interfering. This is the first I am hearing this. Calpro measures inflammation in the tract. I highly doubt a certain food will change your inflammation level that much. It might aggravate you if you are in a flare but it doesn’t directly cause inflammation overnight like that.

You are correct that high dose and longer term use if NSAIDs may increase calpro so it is smart to stay away from them for the two weeks prior to testing.

If you are in the US and your insurance is not covering the test it could be a coding issue. My daughters’ tests used to not be covered when their GI coded it as Crohn’s but when he used the generic coding of “diarrhea” the insurance suddenly started covering it. I have a post here somewhere with the actual code that got it covered. It seems they will cover it for diagnosis but not disease surveillance. That has since changed for us and they cover surveillance tests thank goodness because my girls do the test monthly.

I think you are smart to repeat the test but if it returns low again and you still have diarrhea with a lot of mucus one thing you might want to ask about is SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). It presents very similar to IBD but the increased mucus is a hallmark symptom. There is a very easy breath test for it and while it is a bear to wrestle, there are proven treatments for it. You could also look at celiac testing.

Goidbluck! The road to diagnosis in GI land is sometimes long but be persistent and patient and you will find your answers.