I Need Advice-no Memory Of Symptoms

[Deanna]

My parents and pediatrician self-diagnosed me when I was 18 months old after I had digestive problems but I never had any formal testing done such as a biopsy or blood test. Now I'm about to be 23 and have been on the gluten-free diet for as long as I can remember but throughout my teenage years and even until recently I've been eating more and more foods that contain gluten. My problem is that I can't remember ever having symptoms of gluten intolerance/celiac disease. I'm a perfectly healthy person even when I don't eat a strict gluten-free diet. I've never went all out on a full gluten diet but I'd figure I'd have at least some symptoms that I can remember?

Should I get formally diagnosed by a GI? Should I try a full-gluten diet for a while to see how I feel? I don't want to harm myself but testing is very expensive.

Thanks for any advice...

[kathy1]

You can have celiac disease with no symptoms. My husband does. The only way to know is a test. Since you have been eating some gluten items,I am guessing testing should be accurate. I don't know the cost though. At least that way you will know for sure.

[nikki-uk]

Just remember that to get a positive blood test you have to have been eating a full gluten diet for at least 6 weeks.It takes that long to produce the antibodies

[Guest Viola]

Also .. Celiac symptoms tends to go dormant during the teen years into the early 20s. My doctor thinks it has something to do with hormones, however damage to the intestine is still found.

But if you want to get tested, go on the gluten diet I believe for at least 6 to 8 weeks. And I think it has to be a fairly heavy gluten diet.