I Love You Guys!

[Megan]

I just wanted to say thanks and how much you guys hlped me. I ate my first gluten free meal yesterday and spent the rest of my night enjoying being able to cuddle with my boyfriend since I wasn't the size of a blimp. It's the first time in a long time I've been able to eat without feeling miserable afterwards.

quick question tho...

Now that I know I feel much better when I don't eat gluten, do I need to get ahold of my doctor (considering he ever returns my phone calls) to be tested for celiacs, because as I've read if I'm gluten free it will mess up the results of some of the testing??

-- Megan and THANKS AGAIN!!!

[nikki-uk]

It kind of depends how much you want an 'official' diagnosis.

If you continue to eat gluten-free then there's no point in contacting the doc because any tests would come up negative.

To gain a positive blood test (or biopsy for that matter) you need to be eating a full (i.e 6 slices of bread a day)gluten diet.Anything less than that would affect results.

So, the balls in your court!-You seem to be having a positive response to the diet-and there are plenty of people on this board who are 'self diagnosed' through positive dietary response,and couldn't face going back to eating gluten again.

Good luck in your decision!

[VydorScope]

I just wanted to say thanks and how much you guys hlped me. I ate my first gluten free meal yesterday and spent the rest of my night enjoying being able to cuddle with my boyfriend since I wasn't the size of a blimp. It's the first time in a long time I've been able to eat without feeling miserable afterwards.

quick question tho...

Now that I know I feel much better when I don't eat gluten, do I need to get ahold of my doctor (considering he ever returns my phone calls) to be tested for celiacs, because as I've read if I'm gluten free it will mess up the results of some of the testing??

-- Megan and THANKS AGAIN!!!

Since your only one non-gluten meal in to the diet, I woudl say continue to eat gluten and go get tested ASAP. The only reason I say this is future testing for stuff like vitman screenings, ostosprosis checks, and so on WILL NOT be covered by most insurance companies with out the DX (well post-menopause osto screenings are different of course).

How ever the call is yours. Remember you could go through all the testing, have celiac disease, yet still get negative results.

[jenvan]

I agree with Vincent. Going gluten-free will definitely skew your results, as can being gluten-free, then doing a 'gluten challenge.' If you want a conventional med diagnosis, wait on diet and get in for tests. Glad your first meal was sucessful and that you felt good--Good news then for what's to come!

[Guest nini]

it's totally up to you. you do not need a medical Dr.s permission to go on this diet, and you can be gluten-free for strictly personal reasons, BUT, like it has been said, if you want an official dx, you will need to continue to eat lots of gluten, but keep in mind that there is still a high rate of false negatives with the tests, and many Dr.s are reluctant to dx based on any borderline results. (Just an FYI)

[Carriefaith]

If you want a blood test and/or a biopsy, you must be consuming gluten or you may get false negative results. You don't need to be eating gluten to get a gene test done though.

[CMCM]

If you have to be eating the equivalent of 6 slices of bread a day to show up positive on a gluten blood test, I probably would have been negative for a couple of years, because I NEVER had that much ona daily basis. I'd suggest at the very least getting the gene test from Enterolab ($149), or if you want a more definitive answer, do the full gluten sensitivity panel for $369, which also includes the gene test, a casein test, test for malabsorption, and antibody test that will pick up positive reactions even if you eat minimal or no gluten for awhile. It's much more sensitive. The results come right to you, you don't have to waste money with a doctor who won't know anything anyway (but you'll be paying him/her to tell you he/she doesn't know...). I don't believe there is a cheaper or easier way to get the information than Enterolab's tests. Go to their website at www.enterolab.com and read all the info there.