Has anyone "glutened" themselves to see what their reaction is post gluten-free diet?

[rt-116]

Hi everyone, bit of an odd question from me today. 

I'm almost 5 months gluten free and really starting to feel some benefits health wise. More energy, less stomach pain, less anxiety, less diarrhoea etc, and I am no longer anemic whereas my ferritin levels have increased. 

However, my question is - has anyone ever glutened themselves once, on purpose, in a controlled way (I.e a biscuit) to be aware of how gluten now makes them feel and to know if they have a reaction to gluten? 

I ask this, knowing the risks of not adhering to a gluten free diet and I don't mean to sound stupid with my suggestion. I am adhering strongly to the diet and have an underlying concern about my health (always have) so this is not posed as an excuse to "cheat" on the diet.

My concern is that I don't, or won't, really know whether I ever injest any gluten accidentally, as although I have/had some symptoms of coeliac, I have never had an immediate reaction per se (eg immediate bowel response or vommiting). Therefore I worry that in the future, when eating out /eating food someone else has prepared -** will I know!!?! ** that I have had gluten or not?  I sort of want to know what my reaction may be, after trialing it and knowing for sure  I have ingested gluten, so in the future I will know. 

Basically as a relatively asymptomatic coeliac I just wonder if anyone else has done this or whether this is likely to set me back quite a bit again. Or is it likely that I will remain asymptomatic once on the gluten-free diet anyway - I have heard mixed things about this.

Note - am yet to have a follow up Ttg test since my diagnosis, endoscopy and starting the gluten-free diet (5 months ago). 

Feel free to tell me I'm foolish! I am feeling better now so maybe I just need to be happy with this and do my best to avoid cross contamination. 

Thank you. 

[cyclinglady]

I would wait for your repeat TTG test.  

This is what happened to me.  First gluten exposure (restaurant) developed GI symptoms (had none when diagnosed).  Second exposure (restaurant), severe GI symptoms lasting more than one month.  Third exposure (unknown, suspect an antibiotic, plus tooth infection and bout with the flu), GI symptoms lasted months, developed chronic autoimmune hives which resolved six months later, developed GERD like issues.  Repeat biopsies one year after third exposure found autoimmune gastritis, large polyp removed (not cancer....yet) and a healed small intestine. 

So, because of active celiac disease, I developed additional autoimmune disorders:  Hashimoto’s (1997) celiac (2013)  And Gastritis (2019).  I am working hard not to develop a 4th or cancer (AIGastritis  is a precursor to cancer).  My goal is to never get a gluten exposure again.  It is just too risky.  

Looking back, I most likely had celiac disease when I was a kid.  That is based on being chronically anemic since I was a teen.  I also had GI issues, but those would ebb and flow.  Amazing how the body adapts.  

My Immunoglobulin A is still very elevated which is either due to cancer or autoimmune.  My GI and I think RA could be developing (hopefully not Lupus, but all this stuff runs in my family.  

I still have a teen.  I want to live and live well.  So, cheating is not an option.  I am fortunate that my husband went gluten-free 12 years prior to my diagnosis.  When I was diagnosed, we made our home gluten-free.  It was just easier though I did keep my hubby safe all those years.  

Please reconsider testing on purpose.  Good job on your speedy recovery.