Symptoms with Negative antibody test?

[Joshh]

Hi, 

I've had symptoms that seems to fall in line with Coeliac disease. 

These include sickness, dihorreah, constipation, foul smelling stool, dizziness, fatigue. I get at least one (usually more) of these symptoms on a daily basis. 

I have had an antibody blood test that came back negative, but have read these do not pick up all cases? 

Anyway, I've instead decided to try going gluten free for some time to see if it helps. Can anyone give me advice as to how long going gluten free took before symptoms began to improve? I need to know how long I should do this for before I will see results. 

I'm 19/male as I know symptoms can vary by age/sex. 

Thanks in advance. 😁

[Scott Adams]

Were you eating gluten daily until the tests were done? If not, you could have gotten a false negative result. You need to keep eating gluten daily during the weeks leading up to a blood test or biopsy.

For me there was immediate relief after going gluten-free, but since I has fairly severe intestinal lesions caused by celiac disease it took me around 2-3 years to fully recover. The time it takes to recover can vary greatly from person to person, but I suspect that being younger helps. I was ~25 when I got diagnosed.

[cyclinglady]

Celiac.  You spelled it differently.  I assume you are not from the US.  Ask which tests were given.  You might have just had the screening TTG which is good, but does not catch all celiacs.  Know that about 10% of celiacs are seronegative.  You might want to ask for more testing or for a GI consult, but you know your own circumstances.  
 

The diet has a steep learning curve.  It is one reason recovery can take months to years.  But I would imagine, if you are very careful (research, research, research) you could determine if the diet is working within a month or two.  Most people feel pretty good on a gluten free diet free of processed foods.