Benefit of prometheus ibd sgi test for a previous Crohn's diagnosis

[Careybostwick]

Hello,
I am a 43 year old that was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2010. At the time, my symptoms were diarrhea and heartburn. It was diagnosed via capsular endoscopy since the lesions were located in the mid small intestines. Prior to the capsular endoscopy, I had a regular endoscopy and colonscopy that showed gastritis and a couple of colon polyps.

I occasionally have flares but my symptoms are usually just heartburn and some diarrhea. A change in my diet helped alot and I have less flares. In the past year, I have been treated for SIBO, small intestinal overgrowth, several times by my Functional medicine doctor. In the past, the treatment have helped with the symptoms. However I am having symptoms now, mostly heartburn but some diarrhea and the regular treatments of Xifaxan and herbal antimicrobials have not helped.

I saw my gastroenterologist today and they wanted to run a prometheus ibd sgi test. I did not get a very good answer about why since I was already diagnosed with Crohn's disease.
My insurance company will not cover this so the whole amount will come out my pocket. I am willing to spend the money if the test with tell us something new and useful but I am concerned it won't. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Jimmy Lee]

Hi,
I'm Jimmy from South Carolina. I've got Crohn's and UC and was taking Humira shots every other week. My diarrhea has been present off and on since I was diagnosed almost two years ago. My gastro did a Prometheus study on me and I was shocked when I received a "financial aid" packet for the test! I had no idea. Fortunately I qualify for the aid and will only need to pay $75.

The test showed I had no antibodies present to the Humira, and he increased it to every week. The level in my bloodstream was not where he wanted it. In addition, I've gotten worse in the last two to three weeks. I went back to my gastro the other day and he wanted to put me on Azathioprine. What I learned was he used the Prometheus study to check for a certain enzyme before giving me the new drug. I thought the test was just to test for the Humira. Now I believe that the test must for all types of things. I'd ask my provider what he's looking for. I wish I had, but I'm glad (I guess, lol) I had it done.

 

[Careybostwick]

Thanks for the reply. I am very reluctant to start humira and we did not even discuss that as a treatment option. Do you know which prometheus test was ordered? They have several. From my understanding, the ibd sgi test including serology, genetic and inflammation markers for Crohn's versus Ulcerative colitis. .

Unfortunately, my family income is too to get much financial assistance from Prometheus.

 

[Jimmy Lee]

I'm going to check to see exactly what was ordered. I do know that I told my doctor 'maybe I don't really have Crohn's after all' and he chuckled at me and said most definitively, "Jimmy, as much as I wish you didn't, you do have Crohn's and UC." I was thinking that the study tested for both. I'll let you know.

 

[Scipio]

You are discussing two different Prometheus tests here. The sgi test measures a panel of genes, inflammatory biomarkers, and antibodies to bacteria that taken together can add up to a likelihood of having CD or UC. I'm not sure why your doc wants to order it even though you already have a firm diagnosis. Perhaps he wants to see the levels of the individual markers as a way to monitor the course of the disease, or perhaps to confirm that markers for both CD and UC are present. I don't know.

The Prometheus ANSER test is a different test used to monitor the level of either Remicade or Humira in your blood and whether or not you have developed antibodies against the drug. It is often measured multiple times over the course of treatment with either of those two drugs.

 

[Careybostwick]

Thanks for the clarification. Now that I done some research, I am asking my doctor about the benefits of the test.