How long to eat gluten before blood test

[ChanDaMan]

Hello, I have been eating gluten for 24 years with no diagnosis of celiac. I have always had stomach problems but never got checked out. Recently, I tried a gluten free diet and I feel a lot better with symptoms improving. My PCP just gave me a blood test order and he told me to go back to eating gluten for 1 week before I get tested. I've been gluten free for just over a month. Is 1 week long enough to get a valid result?

[trents]

18 minutes ago, ChanDaMan said:

Hello, I have been eating gluten for 24 years with no diagnosis of celiac. I have always had stomach problems but never got checked out. Recently, I tried a gluten free diet and I feel a lot better with symptoms improving. My PCP just gave me a blood test order and he told me to go back to eating gluten for 1 week before I get tested. I've been gluten free for just over a month. Is 1 week long enough to get a valid result?

No. The mayo clinic official recommendation for the gluten challenge leading up to the serum antibody test is to consume an amount of gluten equivalent to 2 slices of wheat bread daily for 6-8 weeks.

[Scott Adams]

The Mayo clinic recommends eating at least 2 slices of bread for 6-8 weeks before a blood screening for celiac disease, and 2 weeks for an endoscope:

 

[ChanDaMan]

1 hour ago, Scott Adams said:

The Mayo clinic recommends eating at least 2 slices of bread for 6-8 weeks before a blood screening for celiac disease, and 2 weeks for an endoscope:

 

Can I get the biopsy without the blood test?

[Scott Adams]

The normal protocol would be to get the blood panel done first:

and if you have positive results, possibly get a biopsy after.

[ChanDaMan]

10 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

The normal protocol would be to get the blood panel done first:

and if you have positive results, possibly get a biopsy after.

I know that's the norm but is it possible to just ask for a biopsy if I can't eat gluten for 6-8 weeks 

[trents]

50 minutes ago, ChanDaMan said:

I know that's the norm but is it possible to just ask for a biopsy if I can't eat gluten for 6-8 weeks 

Certainly! That is if your physician is willing to go that route. Actually, the biopsy is considered the gold standard of celiac diagnosis. Physicians may be bound by insurance guidelines, however, that demand they do the much less expensive serum antibody testing first.

[Sahamies]

I don’t think you should put yourself through torture to see if you are gluten intolerant.   If gluten makes you sick, then you are gluten intolerant.  You don’t need to have a gene for it.  It can happen to anyone at any time.  If other grains like rice make you sick too, then you can give them up too.  You don’t need any grains at all.  Also, if the test comes back negative, are you going to eat gluten again?  Of course not because gluten makes you sick.  The test is just a waste of time and money.  Also you might make yourself severely sick.