Blood tests when gluten free

[AuroraBee]

How important is eating gluten before a blood test for celiac? And can I get away with eating it for just a week or so before? I’ve eaten gluten free for about a year now. I notice when I eat gluten I get mouth ulcers and large painful canker sores, and more recently welts and an itchy rash - the first time this was on my finger, and the second time I hadn’t even realised I’d eaten gluten but woke up with welts coming up around my ankle, which was extremely itchy. It was only upon looking at a baked beans can that my daughter had cooked for me the night before that I realised it had gluten. Also, since becoming more strict about not eating gluten in the past several weeks the soft stools I’d learned to expect as normal have - at least half of the time - firmed up. I stopped eating meat years ago due to chronic diarrhoea but now it seems I can eat meat again, also. I’ve always put my low iron down to my vegetarian diet (even though it went up when I stopped eating meat!). 
 

My doctor told me not to worry about eating gluten before a blood test and to treat it as celiac regardless, as I could get a false negative. But I’d rather have a formal diagnosis if that’s what it is, as I feel like an idiot saying I’m celiac when I’m not officially diagnosed (because people don’t take NCGS seriously, and I’m tired of explaining myself and what happens when I do eat gluten). I also have this perpetual doubt and think that each incident where this has happened was a coincidence. 
 

 

[Scott Adams]

Eating a lot of gluten daily for 6-8 weeks before a blood test is critical, and the results of the test won't be accurate if you do not do this.

Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy:

Quote

"...in order to properly diagnose celiac disease based on serology and duodenal histology, doctors need patients to be on gluten-containing diets, even if they are causing symptoms, and this is called a "gluten challenge."

• Eat gluten prior to celiac disease blood tests: The amount and length of time can vary, but is somewhere between 2 slices of wheat bread daily for 6-8 weeks and 1/2 slice of wheat bread or 1 wheat cracker for 12 weeks 12 weeks;
• Eat gluten prior to the endoscopic biopsy procedure: 2 slices of wheat bread daily for at least 2 weeks;

and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day:

 

 

[Wheatwacked]

7 hours ago, AuroraBee said:

My doctor told me not to worry about eating gluten before a blood test and to treat it as celiac regardless, as I could get a false negative.

That seems to be an official diagnosis.

 

7 hours ago, AuroraBee said:

I feel like an idiot saying I’m celiac when I’m not officially diagnosed (because people don’t take NCGS seriously, and I’m tired of explaining myself

It really comes down to do you want to become unsick ? 

Tell them your doctor said it is Celiac so you are following his orders and eating gluten free.  Then challenge them to give up gluten for one month, just to prove they are not addicted to gluten.  if they are not addicted, it should be no problem.  Usually they will get mad.

Diagnosing Celiac is an art.  Some people are seronegative and biopsy positive, some seropositive and biopsy negative, some seronegative and biopsy negative but positive for Dermatitis Herpetiformis.  Follow your doctors advice.

Eventually your freinds will be getting sicker and you won't. Then, it may take years, but then you can say: 'Told ya!".

Edited July 30, 2024 by Wheatwacked