Wondering If I Have Celiac?

[ssMarilyn]

I've studied up on this alot and know that the tests done at the clinic aren't always 100% and you can get a false positive. I stopped all gluten, but am still experiencing the discomfort in my abdomen area. Sometimes bloat, gas and I also have fatigue, which is no doubt part of my hypothyroidism, which my MD/DO and I are working on. Can one part of the intestinal area feel worse than another? On occasion I get an aching sensation in my lower right abdomen. It goes away for awhile, then comes back. Feels like the way I used to get before I would get my period. I had a partial-hyst years ago, so no longer have that to deal with. I would think that if this was a appendix issue it would not go away?

I've also read that if you do have celiac, it can take some people years to get better after they have stopped all gluten? Any insight?

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[cyclinglady]

Yes, it can take one to here years depending on the severity of intestinal damage and damage to other parts of your body (e.g. Bone loss). It is shame that you have not been tested. Any doctor can order a celiac blood panel. Out-of-pocket costs are $450 which may be a small price to pay compared to giving up gluten and finding out that gluten was not the issue. I should know, I was formally diagnosed and my husband was not. He has been gluten-free for thirteen years. In retrospect, he wishes he had a diagnosis.

In any case, I wish you well.

[mommy2emma2003]

Ty cyclinglady my dr thinks its all in my head ....I have thought about buying the test that you can do over the

Counter and if it comes up positive tell now you need to do a full celiac disease test

[cyclinglady]

It is NOT in your head!

How long have you been gluten free? You have to have been eating it for a few months to get an accurate result on the antibody tests for celiac disease.

[ssMarilyn]

Thank you so much! I just called and have an appt with my MD on Tues to get tested!

[nvsmom]

You need to start eating gluten again immediately or it could affect your test results.  An accurate blood test requires around 8-12 weeks of gluten consumption, if you were previously gluten-free for quite a while, in the weeks prior to testing.  If you were only gluten-free a week or so you might be fine, but if it was longer, I would not test immediately.

 

And yes, stomach pain  can come back even if you are eating safely.  I've been sick this week and had too many cough drops, and then I made the mistake of having some coffee before eating anything - I've been almost doubled over for a good 20 minutes now.   We can still have other foods bother us, or just an "off" week.

 

Best wishes.

[ssMarilyn]

I knew I would have to start eating gluten again. I figured I'd have a slice of toast every day. That just leaves me 4 days to eat gluten. My stomach is okay, it's my abdomen/intestines that scream at me!! If the test result comes back negative, I'll just wait a few weeks and do it again... also with eating toast every day.

[kareng]

I knew I would have to start eating gluten again. I figured I'd have a slice of toast every day. That just leaves me 4 days to eat gluten. My stomach is okay, it's my abdomen/intestines that scream at me!! If the test result comes back negative, I'll just wait a few weeks and do it again... also with eating toast every day.

Just an FYI - your insurance probably won't pay for the same test twice in a couple of months. You might want to wait a while for the blood test.

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[cyclinglady]

How long have you been gluten free exactly?