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Almost gluten free for 6 weeks but still had a blood test this morning, will result be inaccurate?

lzz3

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lzz3 Newbie
lzz3
Posted

About 6 weeks ago I stopped eating gluten and my symptoms (mainly bloating and tummy troubles, fatigue, brain fog) disappeared. At first i thought that I didn't need to go through with testing and didn't need an official diagnosis since i was feeling so much better, so didn't bother with the dr's until this morning.  (I think it would be best for my long term health to know what is really going on) I had my blood tested for a number of things including celiac disease. I mentioned to the nurse that I haven't (knowingly) eaten gluten for 6 weeks apart one occasion 2 weeks ago. I asked if this would affect the results since you have to be eating gluten to have the antibodies in your blood but she said she hadn't heard of that being a problem before. I've read that it can take months of eating gluten before enough of the antibodies build up in your blood to get a positive result, but does anyone know how quickly do they go back down again? How long will I have to eat gluten for again before the test would be accurate? 

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

This article interviewing Dr. Murray says that as in as little as two weeks, the tests for celiac disease might not be accurate:

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The problem is no one really knows because we all respond differently to ramping up antibodies.  So, if you are negative, you might consider a 12 week challenge under a doctor’s supervision and understand that taking medical advice from a nurse can be risky.  Do not get me wrong, I come from a long line of nurses, but even medical doctors are commonly ignorant of celiac disease.  If insurance balks at retesting, complain that you stated you had been gluten free and were advised to take the test anyway.  

This article makes an excellent point (slightly off topic).  If you suspect diabetes, would you go on insulin before testing?  

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I have to add this story as I probably came off a bit harsh.    My niece was on her 4th GI.  Celiac disease had been ruled out for the time being.  Finally, they ordered a pill camera.  I went with her and her and her mother.  We asked the nurse (we were not going to see the doctor) about the risks of the procedure.  We were concerned because in a few days we were all going on a huge family trip.  The nurse said complications were rare.  We asked her how long she had been with the practice.  Only six months!  Not much time to see or notice a trend!  We decided to postpone the pill camera until after our trip.  Guess what?  The GI said the camera almost got stuck because my niece had severe Crohn’s damage at the very end of her small intestine.  She would have missed a trip of a lifetime, along with her parents (mind you, her symptoms were sporadic and she was NOT in pain for a few weeks).  Glad we did not listen to the nurse!  We did listen to nurses when my Grandmother was dying.  They were awesome and experienced.  

I wish you well!  Keep researching and never give up advocating for your health.  

lzz3 Newbie
lzz3
Posted
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thankyou for your response, i'm beginning to learn just how complex this all is. I think I will just have to be patient and wait for my blood test results and figure out the next step from there. I've read a lot of posts about people still having elevated antibodies in their blood months and even years after going gluten free, but then there's so much saying that you have to be eating gluten at the time of the test for it to be accurate so it all feels a bit contradictory and confusing. Don't worry I don't think you sounded harsh at all- glad you went on your own intuition and could all enjoy the family trip. Seems like making sure you have done a bit research is always very helpful. 
Thankyou!

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