People get genetic modification confused with hybridization. Wheat, as has most of our food crops, has been altered through hybridization to make it more disease resistant, more drought resistant and even to increase the gluten content. Hybridization uses selective breeding/cross pollination to enhance certain characteristics. Genetic modification, on the other hand, uses a "gene gun" to knock out certain genes and replace them with unnatural ones. In some cases, plant genes are replaced with animal genes to achieve certain properties. This is what GMO is about. Have you actually been formerly tested for celiac disease, either by blood antibody testing, biopsy or both, to rule out celiac disease?

Thank you for your response. I have had several different antibiotics over the years and none affected my sensitivity to wheat products which I assumed was due to the gluten in them. However I do believe this time it was an antibiotic I’ve never had before so if your explanation is correct it would seem this antibiotic (cefuroxime 500 MG tablet Commonly known as: CEFTIN, 1 tablet by mouth 2 (Two) Times a Day for 10 days.)  could be a cure for my sort of sensitivity. I assume the hospital IV was the same antibiotic. The IV was ordered because my blood culture showed bacteria in my blood. I remember hearing years ago the gmo wheat was found in some products but I guess that was a misnomer. Believe me after over 20 years of putting up with this sensitivity, despite the fact that growing up eating subs, pizza and spaghetti regularly never affected me, I am so relieved to no longer have to avoid wheat.. I hope!

Welcome to the forum, @The Logician! Many antibiotics have anti-inflammatory properties. By the way, GMO wheat is not used in food products: https://www.chefsresource.com/faq/is-wheat-genetically-modified-in-the-united-states/ There is a common misconception that it is.

I do not have celiac disease however for 20 years-plus I have been sensitive to gluten. A slice of bread will give me diarrhea in less than an hour. This started with me around the time I believe GMO wheat was beginning to appear in products on the market. Last week i went into the hospital to get antibiotic IV for three days. While there I was constipated so I figured eating gluten would fix that. I had gluten at every meal and it had no affect on me. I was still constipated until I got home and hen started having normal bowel movements even though I continued eating gluten products and I have never felt better! Not even a hint of diarrhea. I’ve eaten some gluten in bread, cream of wheat, pizza every day now for 7 days and still no reaction. I have read that antibiotics may cause gluten sensitivity but not the opposite.  I’m wondering if my gluten sensitivity was not to gluten but a sensitivity to how gluten reacted to a bacteria (good or bad) in my gut. A bacteria which has been removed by the antibiotics I am taking. I stopped antibiotics today. My doctor had no clue why this occurred and wasn’t interested in finding out so I’d like to know if this information could be helpful to anyone studying gluten sensitivity.

It sounds like your gastroenterologist is becoming increasingly confident that celiac disease is the likely diagnosis based on both your older and newer lab results. Her suggestion to call each Monday for possible cancellations is actually a great strategy—especially given how long the wait is until your August 29th appointment. It’s also a good sign that she’s advocating for you to be seen sooner, which shows she’s taking your case seriously. The fact that some labs might not have been drawn yet due to overlap with your functional health doctor’s upcoming testing adds a layer of confusion, but that’s unfortunately common when multiple providers are involved. Hopefully, the GI’s remaining labs will still get processed, or she can reorder them if needed. As for the colonoscopy prep, it’s totally understandable that you're dreading it—many people rank it among the least pleasant medical experiences. You’re definitely not alone in preferring the pill prep option over the liquid kind, especially if you don’t drink Gatorade and had a rough experience with Miralax in the past. Hopefully, your doctor will approve the pill form, especially since you’ve tolerated other options poorly before. Fortunately, the upper endoscopy doesn’t require any bowel prep—just fasting, usually starting the night before—so that part should be easier to handle. It’s great that you’re already trying to boost your gluten intake, but yes, tracking gluten content can be surprisingly tricky. You’re right that the general rule for wheat-based products is to multiply the protein content by about 0.75 to estimate the gluten content. That means foods like oyster crackers, while convenient, may not pack enough gluten to help reach the recommended daily goal of around 10 grams before biopsy. It’s helpful that you caught that early, and switching to more gluten-dense foods like regular wheat bread, pasta, or wheat cereals might make it easier to hit your target. It’s not easy eating more gluten when you’re trying to manage symptoms or just not used to it, but doing so can make a big difference in ensuring your biopsies are accurate. You’re on the right track—hopefully with a little luck, you’ll get a cancellation and be seen sooner.