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The other week I posted on my Instagram account about how I had been invited by my doctors for an ‘annual check up’ because of my coeliac disease.
My coeliac disease, I might add, which I have was diagnosed with some 18 years ago and never heard from my doctors on it since.
So it’s no surprise that after this out-of-the-blue letter, loads of people were getting in touch and asking if they needed one too.
The letter from my GP came just before my birthday, informing me that I would need to book in for a blood test, as well as to check my height, weight and BMI.
This forms part of an annual check up for people with coeliac disease – something I’d never been invited to before.
It was really interesting to see the response on Instagram to this.
Loads of people asked if they should have one too, but equally quite a few people responded to say they had always had a regular check in with their GP.
There seems to be some discrepancy across the UK, with different GPs doing different things.
What is a coeliac check up?
Basically, a coeliac check up is a blood test. I asked what I was being tested for and the nurse reeled off a whole list.
This included checking the antibodies which highlight coeliac disease, as well as iron levels, B12, thyroid function, liver function, vitamin D and more.
Basically it seems like a full MOT. And I can understand this, as so many conditions are linked to coeliac disease, and it’s important to make sure nothing untoward is going on.
My bloods all came back fine (minus my thyroid one, but that’s a whole other story!).
So for me, it was nice to know I’m still on the right track. However, is this something I necessarily need each year? I did some digging to find out.
Do I need a coeliac check up?
According to Coeliac UK, anyone diagnosed with coeliac disease should have a regular check up – recommended annually – with a GP, nurse or gastroenterologist.
They recommend bloods are taken for the following:
- full blood count
- calcium
- ferritin
- folate
- vitamin B12
- coeliac disease antibodies
- thyroid function tests
- liver function tests
Coeliac UK also recommends your height and weight are reviewed, as well as your symptoms.
A chat about your diet is also helpful to ensure you don’t need any extra help from a dietician.
What if my GP hasn’t asked to see me?
If you haven’t had a coeliac check up and you’re concerned about it, you should speak to your GP.
The NHS website does state under the treatment of coeliac disease that after diagnosis: “Your GP will offer you an annual review during which your height and weight will be measured and your symptoms reviewed.
“They’ll also ask you about your diet and assess whether you need any further help or specialist nutritional advice.”
It might be that different NHS Trusts operate differently (that certainly seems to be the case) and your GP might be able to explain why you haven’t had one.
It’s also super important that if you ever have any problems, recurring symptoms, or further worries, it goes without saying you should contact your GP anyway.
Personally, I’m glad I had my coeliac check up, because it helped me discover my thyroid was going a bit bandy again.
It’s also a nice reassurance that I’m doing things right with my gluten free diet and that there are no further health complications.
It took literally two minutes of my day and I’ll definitely be booking back in when I get a reminder next year.
Do you have regular coeliac check ups?
I’d love to know if this is something you’ve been offered.
Have you always had an annual check up? Only been offered one recently? Or never had one at all?
Let me know in the comments – I’d be really interested to hear how different it is across the country!
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My OH is the coeliac about 4 years now. Never been asked for a specific coeliac one but has his bloods tested regularly as. had severe iron deficiency which eventually led to his diagnosis from the cameras etc.
I got diagnosed in March 2018 after endoscopy. Had blood tests checking levels, B12 jabs and qualified for free flu and pneumonia jab. Hit normal bloods after about 4 months and had an appointment with the same gastroenterologist in February this year. He said I’d get an annual invitation for a check up as long as there were no other issues in between. Think it must vary by area (as many things do in the NHS). Probably a good idea to request an annual ‘MOT’ anyway for any health condition.
I have been coeliac and type 1 diabetic for 17 years. I go to the hospital for my diabetes but have never been asked by my GP for a coeliac check up. I live in the borough of Bromley
I attend a Dietetic Clinic at the Hospital which I was told was basically a Coeliac Clinic, there I see 2 people the first is a gastric nurse who checks how all is going and asks a zillion questions and other info then they sent me across to there own blood area where various bloods were done then to the dietician who checks how you are doing and checks if there is Anything you Are having issue with diet wise – mine is weight as since being strictly GF I’ve gained weight despite being extraordinarily careful and strict it may not be a lot in terms of weight but my other issues are happier with lower weight, I have just discovered that the dietician Has referred me to her other clinic so she can spend more time with me and see if she can help! So on the coeliac monitoring side that’s good my only issue is with the gastro team not being willing to accept that there is more going on but that’s another story.
Love the blog!
I used to have regular check ups from the age of 2-18 once I’d hit adulthood I was no longer under a dietitian. I have checkups but I wouldn’t say as often as annually- even with an underactive thyroid
I have annual bloods and a five yearly dexa bone scan, all arranged by my gp. I’ve lived in 4 parts of the country since diagnosis 16 years ago and this is the first place that has done this. Really helpful and reassuring.
When I was diagnosed [Wiltshire based hospital] I was told I would have an annual check through my GP. For the early years I was contacted. I have instigated some checks but nothing for over five years. I had a dexa scan about 10 years ago.
I’ve always had a checkup since I was diagnosed in 2011 BUT that may be because (at the time) I was asymptomatic so my body wasn’t telling me that something was wrong until I ened up in the hospital with severe pneumonia and they realised I was severely anemic too. It was 12 very long days in the hospital until I was diagnosed with coeliac disease.
I work as a nurse in a local GP surgery and all our patients with coeliac disease get offered an annual review, however my daughter with coeliac disease is registered at a different local surgery and does not get regular checks- confusing !
I live in Southern Ireland and was diagnosed 2 years ago via blood tests and then a gastroscopy. The hospital had me back once for confirmation of the diagnosis, and that’s it! On hearing this my gp now does blood tests every 6 months and B12 injections every 3 months, with a Dexa scan annually. And I’m not a private patient!!!