Blood Testing Question

[MKC]

So I made the classic mistake and went off gluten for about a month, for various reasons. Realized that was dumb and that I needed to get accurate results on testing either way and went back to a normal diet, except that I'm now careful to have gluten every day. I've been back on my regular diet for a while, symptoms are worse than before the 1-month break.

I'm scheduled for a GI appointment but it's not til the Fall. My PCP could order the blood screen before then if I push on that a little. I have upcoming blood work anyway to re-check iron and Vitamin D (anemia and Vitamin D deficiency on the last round of that, seeing if supplements help). I don't have an endoscopy scheduled but anticipate needing one regardless of blood screen results because I have very longstanding GERD that's way worse recently and my PCP is concerned.

I know nobody here is a doctor, but my question is: I was only gluten-free for a month. Do I need to wait the full 8 weeks of eating gluten before going in for the screen or is it worth going in earlier than that? I won't be able to cut off gluten either way since the endoscopy is still pending but I'd really like to know and to at least get wheels in motion since everything takes so long to schedule.

[trents]

You have discovered, as many of us have, that once you get off gluten, the symptoms are worse if you go back on. We lose whatever tolerance to it we had. Do you need an official diagnosis for some reason? Seems to me your experience tells you what you need to know.

[Scott Adams]

Welcome to the forum! The range before doing a blood test for celiac disease is to eat gluten, around 2 slices of wheat breads worth per day, for 6-8 weeks, so 6 weeks may be enough, depending on how much gluten you've been eating.

Keep in mind that not everyone ends up with a positive biopsy, or blood test, and that any positive test whether blood or biopsy could indicate that you have celiac disease. At the very least, it sounds like you may be in the non-celiac gluten sensitivity category, and unfortunately there are not tests for this.

[knitty kitty]

@MKC,

Welcome to the forum! 

How long have you been including gluten in your diet after the one month off? 

Some doctors will diagnose Celiac Disease based on positive blood tests and positive genetic testing.  Be sure your doctor includes the whole Celiac panel when testing for antibodies.  

https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/