Faecal calprotectin Test

[yp390]

Hi,

I have had a bunch of tests so far. CT scan, colonscopy, and endoscopy. A bunch of blood tests. Hydrogen breath test also.

Only results were swollen lypmh nodes in small intestine and low b12.

My doctor has prescribed rifaximin, which could be helpful for bacterial overgrowth, even though my breath test came back negative. If that is ineffective, he wants to do the pill cam.

I want to get things moving and I've read about the Faecal calprotectin test, which might be able to pick up crohns in the small intestine. My doctor didn't even know about the test. Apparently it's pretty cheap and I was wondering if I can get the test done at a lab and just pay for it myself. Is that possible? Does anyone know of a lab that I can order this test from?

Thanks

 

[ronroush7]

I don't know the answer but I'm would think you would have to have a doctor's order. My understanding is that the fecal calprotectin can measure the inflammation in your system. I hope you can get a diagnosis soon. Let us know.

 

[Clash]

Fecal calprotectin does not detect CD. It detects inflammation in the bowels (not necessarily the small bowel, in fact a few studies have shown it less effective with detecting inflammation in the small bowel but other studies have shown that it's effective in both large and small bowel).

It's generally a test that is run before scopes or CT scans because it is a non invasive stool test. If the results for inflammation are high then more testing is warranted to determine the cause of inflammation, ie CD, NSAID overdue, infection, bowel cancer etc.

Also, it can be used once diagnosed with CD as an monitoring test to determine if new meds are bringing the fecal calprotectin levels down or to check if you are flaring.

A pill cam could possibly tell you more than a fecal calprotectin stool tests since the FC test is only determining whether you possibly have inflammation you'd then need the further testing like a pill cam to determine what the inflammation is from.

I think the test runs about 250.00? Your GI can order it and you can have it done at a lab. It does have to be sent off so it can take a week or two to return.

 

[yp390]

Fecal calprotectin does not detect CD. It detects inflammation in the bowels (not necessarily the small bowel, in fact a few studies have shown it less effective with detecting inflammation in the small bowel but other studies have shown that it's effective in both large and small bowel).

It's generally a test that is run before scopes or CT scans because it is a non invasive stool test. If the results for inflammation are high then more testing is warranted to determine the cause of inflammation, ie CD, NSAID overdue, infection, bowel cancer etc.

Also, it can be used once diagnosed with CD as an monitoring test to determine if new meds are bringing the fecal calprotectin levels down or to check if you are flaring.

A pill cam could possibly tell you more than a fecal calprotectin stool tests since the FC test is only determining whether you possibly have inflammation you'd then need the further testing like a pill cam to determine what the inflammation is from.

I think the test runs about 250.00? Your GI can order it and you can have it done at a lab. It does have to be sent off so it can take a week or two to return.

I have read many articles online, that is as effective in picking up on inflammation in the small intestines, as the large intestines. I have had both colonoscopy and endoscopy and both came back negative. The last place to test is the small intestines that's not reached by both of those tests. My doctor just gave me a prescription to rifaximin. If that doesn't work, he wants to do a pill cam test. I am just asking about the faecal test, because the pill cam test cannot take biopsies. That's an advantage of the faecal test, that it could also possible pick up on microscopic inflammation.

I thought it was a cheap test, but apparently it is not so cheap. A couple hundred dollars like you said.

 

[aypues]

It definitely works for the small intestine. My upper endoscopy and colonoscopy weren't too bad but my MR enterography was terrible. My fecal calprotectin was 806.