Should I Try Eating Gluten Again?

[kellysensei]

I haven't been diagnosed with Celiac. I started a gluten-free diet a month ago out of desperation to get rid of my chronic cough (caused by acid reflux). The cough went away - yay! - but I'm not 100% sure it's from the diet, since it has randomly gone away for 2-4 weeks at a time before. So I feel like I should try gluten again at some point, since I obviously don't want to stay gluten-free my whole life if I don't have to. But I'm also uneasy about the risk of bringing back my cough, which was horrible. Should I wait a little bit longer to see if my bloating/gas get better with the probiotics I just started? Or should I just go ahead and have a bakery treat on Thanksgiving?

[w8in4dave]

Hmmm Well thats a hard one! With Thanksgiving coming up you want to be able to eat goodies, but you also want to get rid of your cough. I'd try  eating some Gluten, and if you have one tiny bit of trouble cut it off. 

I get gas and bloating from Corn products. You may want to try an elimination diet if for some reason your cough comes back. You know they can do a sputum test. If your coughing up sputum. 

[nvsmom]

I would give it another couple of months. It is usually reccommended that you give the gluten-free diet a  minimum of 3 months, 6 is much better. I personally took a downturn after 3 months gluten-free so I usually suggest 6 months gluten-free before judging the diet's effectiveness.

 

Also, because you have already been gluten-free for a month, and you said that it has randomly gone away for 2-4 weeks at a time in the past, so why not stay gluten-free and see if it stays gone rather than consuming gluten again and waiting for it to come back. You know it goes way randomly comes and goes while consuming gluten. So far your cough has gone while eating gluten-free so I would stay gluten-free and see what happens in the next few weeks.

 

Make a gluten-free pie for yourself for thanksgiving. My lazy pumpkin pie uses crumbled gluten-free gingersnaps or gingerbread with melted butter as a crust - it's as good as any normal pie. Make yourself a small amount of gluten-free stuffing and you aregood to go. 

[kellysensei]

As much as I want to eat gluten again, you're probably right - I should wait at least another few weeks before trying. I don't think my cough has disappeared for more than about six weeks at a time, so the longer it stays away, the more likely it's the diet that's helping. I will definitely try gluten again at some point, though, since I haven't officially been diagnosed.

 

I plan on making gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake bars and maybe a gluten-free version of Japanese Milk Bread for Thanksgiving. :-)

[nvsmom]

Sounds yummy! 

[JustCricket]

I've done the checks, too, and I noticed a HUGE difference between eating gluten and not. Of course, I don't just have heartburn, either. Heartburn is one of my symptoms, and it's horrid. 

 

I like the advice of sticking with it, longer, if you really want to know if you will continue to improve. If it helps, maybe look at doing the checks as: two steps forward, one step back. 

[NoGlutenCooties]

I have to disagree with some of the advice (sorry guys).  If you want to know for sure whether you have Celiac or not, you have to get tested.  And you can't get tested if you're already gluten-free.  And if you go gluten-free for an extended period of time it can be very difficult, and painful, to then do the gluten challenge just so you can get tested. If it were me, I'd go back to eating gluten and then get the bloodtest and take it from there.

[kareng]

I think you should go back on gluten and get a Celiac test. You sound like you will always doubt if gluten is an issue - and maybe it's not!

( I know - I'm a rebel! :0 )

[kellysensei]

Hmmm, now I don't know what to do! I suppose I should get tested...but what if I start eating gluten again, and five days later, I'm miserable with heartburn and a horrible cough? Does it even matter at that point if I have Celiac or not? It'll be obvious that either wheat or gluten affect me...

 

I've heard a lot about the book "Wheat Belly" (and have flipped through parts of it); it's possible that, like a lot of people, I'm not Celiac but just feel better without wheat.

[NoGlutenCooties]

Hmmm, now I don't know what to do! I suppose I should get tested...but what if I start eating gluten again, and five days later, I'm miserable with heartburn and a horrible cough? Does it even matter at that point if I have Celiac or not? It'll be obvious that either wheat or gluten affect me...

 

I've heard a lot about the book "Wheat Belly" (and have flipped through parts of it); it's possible that, like a lot of people, I'm not Celiac but just feel better without wheat.

 

That's certainly true, and it's a personal decision as to whether you get tested or not.  For me, I wanted the official diagnosis for two reasons.  1 - so that I could get the biopsy and know there wasn't something else going on too... like cancer, and 2 - so that I have the official diagnosis in the event I end up in the hospital or something - I don't want them giving me glutened medications and without an official diagnosis they are more likely to think it isn't a big deal, I don't know what I'm talking about, and I'm just some crazy person who decided to go gluten-free because it was the cool thing to do at the time.

But that's just me.

The bottom line is that you have to decide what's right for you.

I'm just pointing out that if you do decide later on down the road to get tested, it could be much more painful for you than it would be to do now.

[kellysensei]

How long do I need to be back on gluten? Two weeks? And then is it just a blood test?

[nvsmom]

For blood tests, a gluten challenge of 8-12 weeks (longer being better) is required, eating the equivalent of two slices of bread per day.  The gluten challenge for the endoscopic biopsy is shorter, usually 2-4 weeks.

 

I'll back pedal and say it is a good idea to get tested if that will help you stay gluten-free. I know that I personally would have had a hard time going gluten-free without being "forced" to by a celiac diagnosis.

 

If you decide to do the gluten challenge, sch.edule your tests ahead of time (if possible so you aren't making yourself sick longer than needed... Actually, You could even try a blood test immediately as some autoantibodies can linger for weeks or months; if it's positive after being gluten-free for a few weeks, then that sayd something right there.

 

Good luck.

[kareng]

How long do I need to be back on gluten? Two weeks? And then is it just a blood test?

You haven't been gluten-free for very long so , maybe you wouldn't need the whole 12 weeks. My guess would be at least a month.

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[kellysensei]

8-12 weeks?? Wow, I probably won't bother, then. I might as well just try eating gluten for 1-2 weeks and see how I feel. If I feel okay, I'll just keep eating it. If I feel worse, I'll stop, possibly forever. I don't think I need a diagnosis to help me keep eating gluten-free, if I know it makes me feel better.

 

I had blood drawn on Friday to test for Celiac (and vitamin deficiencies), but the doctor and I both agree it won't necessarily be accurate if it comes back negative. Probably won't get those results until Friday this week.

 

Sigh...all this mess just because of a horrible cough. I just wish I knew what is (still) giving me heartburn. I feel like I need to choose between gluten and a cough or gluten-free and heartburn.

[kareng]

8-12 weeks?? Wow, I probably won't bother, then. I might as well just try eating gluten for 1-2 weeks and see how I feel. If I feel okay, I'll just keep eating it. If I feel worse, I'll stop, possibly forever. I don't think I need a diagnosis to help me keep eating gluten-free, if I know it makes me feel better.

 

I had blood drawn on Friday to test for Celiac (and vitamin deficiencies), but the doctor and I both agree it won't necessarily be accurate if it comes back negative. Probably won't get those results until Friday this week.

 

Sigh...all this mess just because of a horrible cough. I just wish I knew what is (still) giving me heartburn. I feel like I need to choose between gluten and a cough or gluten-free and heartburn.

My antibodies took a year to come down to 0. Maybe you will be so " lucky"?

[w8in4dave]

After I was Dx'd I quit eating Gluten , I went to the Doc and my liver enzymes were up, this is something you have to be careful of! My doc has to keep an eye on my liver enzymes , This is why I worry about people who don't want to get tested or are afraid of doing the challenge. If need be wait till after the holidays and do what you need to do. I do suggest doing the challenge and having the test done. Really I do. jmo .. find out why your having your problem! Process of elimination ?