Waiting for results……

[Lisa Jo3]

Hi I’m waiting on blood results but have decided to start gluten free anyway as I have the symptoms of a gluten intolerant person. So I have really bad constipation all the time and my stomach is bloated. Always feel uncomfortable after eating bread. Is it usual to have a ‘fuzzy’ head when you first start? 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, Lisa Jo3!

You have only had one phase out of two phases of testing that is typically done to diagnose celiac disease. If your blood test numbers are positive, the physician will likely order an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to check for the damage to the villi typically caused by celiac disease. This is the gold standard of diagnosis. If you start a gluten-free diet before that is complete you will likely sabotage the test as some healing of the small bowel lining would take place. Then you would be in the dilemma of having tests that give conflicting results.

According to Mayo Clinic guidelines, you should be consuming regular amounts of gluten for at least two weeks leading up to the endoscopy/biopsy. Mayo defines regular amounts of gluten as two slices of wheat bread (or the gluten equivalent) daily.

Many experience withdrawal symptoms when quitting gluten. It has additive qualities much like opiates. This could be causing your "fuzzy" head. We call this "brain fog".

You may also have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) which shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease but is 10x more common but for which there are no diagnostic tests. Celiic disease must first be ruled out.

Edited December 4, 2022 by trents

[Lisa Jo3]

Oh right ok. Hopefully this week will get results back so I’ll just carry on as normal x thanks x

[trents]

Some healthcare system guidelines, like those in the UK,  will grant a diagnosis of celaic disease without the endoscopy/biopsy if the tTG-IGA antibody test score is 10x normal or greater. If the tTG-IGA test scores are postive but less than 10x normal, then it can take months to schedule an endoscopy/biopsy. If you live in the UK or another part of the world where the healthcare system is heavily socialized, be prepared for that. The national healthcare system of many European countries is under a great deal of stress.

Edited December 4, 2022 by trents

[Scott Adams]

If you go gluten-free and get relief from your symptoms, then you likely have your answer. If they do schedule an endoscopy due to a positive blood test then you could start eating gluten again 2 weeks before that test, but it's also possible that you may have found your answer after going gluten-free, and you may not decide to do an endoscopy.