@Scott Adams No one said anything about eating gluten consistently until testing, the appointment was scheduled and an address was given. I don't even have access to the results as it stands. I was just told "everything looks fine, but slight irritation." I don't know if they took a biopsy because I have no access to the results. I don't know how many samples they took (I recently learned they're supposed to take more than one), I don't know what things looked like internally, it was just word of mouth and I didn't know any better to pry and get copies of everything. And I know! I also have chronic Anemia, never truly resolved UNTIL I went gluten free, and low vitamin D (fairly normal in black community), and low creatine (also resolved with gluten free diet). I plan to request a new dermatologist! As well as a referral to Gastro. Food/symptom diary is a great idea though. I have no way of cooking as it stands, so even just the basics wouldn't work for me.

@NoriTori, "gluten intolerance" is a general term that can refer to either celiac disease or NCGS. NCGS is often referred to as "gluten sensitivity" for short. Though, admittedly, there is still a great deal of inconsistency in the use of terms by the general public.

@trents A gluten intolerance is a real possibility! I never ruled it out, but am keen on finding out the EXACT cause. I'd want testing done again to be sure it's not celiac, or SIBO (which I've considered) or other digestive disorder. Celiac seems the most pertinent considering its implications.

Thanks so much Scott. I would be incredibly grateful to the gluten gods if eliminating oats was the magic cure. In the meantime, it's nice to have moral support! 

Understood. And don't beat yourself up about this. Many are in the same boat as you, having experimented with the gluten-free diet before getting formerly tested. It is a logical, common sense approach when you don't have the knowledge about how testing works or you don't have the healthcare resources to afford testing. And some experience such severe reactions to gluten that it is impossible to get through the gluten challenge in order to get tested. So, they must live with the ambiguity of not knowing for sure if they suffer from celiac disease or NCGS. But at the end of the day, the antidote is the same for both. Namely, life-ling abstinence from gluten. Recently there was an article on posted on this forum about the develop of a new testing method for diagnosing celiac disease that do not require a gluten challenge. It is still in the developmental stage and probably years away from becoming main streams even if it pans out. But there is hope at least.