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Has Anyone Ever Done A Gluten Challenge...

stephk

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stephk Newbie
stephk
Posted

Hi,

my name is Stephanie and I'm 27 years old. About 2 years ago I was told that I probably had Celiac Disease and started a gluten free diet (not realizing how stupid that was at the time). I am still having problems to this day and am considering doing the gluten challenge under the care of my doctor, so that I can have the biopsy and blood test done and know forsureif I have celiac disease. I was wondreing if anyone has done this and how bad it is.

I have also been reading about this enterolab test and was wondering how/where I would get it. It sounds like it would be helpful as well. I really would like to get some answers either way so that I don't have to guess anymore.

If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

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Megan Rookie
Megan
Posted

I only did the gluten free diet for a weekish before they decided to do testing and now I need to eat gluten. Just be prepared. Don't do it the big week of ANYTHING! pick a calm week...

other than that I think it depends on which symptoms you have when you are glutened!?! and how well you can handle them and go on with daily life!

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted

I did a gluten challenge last summer and got violently ill. It took me almost two months until I was starting to feel somewhat normal again. Of course, they had me do the gluten challenge for over a month, so that may have played a part in it. I don't think you need to be eating gluten for quite that long. If you're still having problems and they can't figure out what else it could be, I'd say go for it. You'll probably want to make sure that you can take vacation from work on short notice if it gets too bad though. Good luck! I hope you get some answers soon.

par18 Apprentice
par18
Posted
Hi,

my name is Stephanie and I'm 27 years old. About 2 years ago I was told that I probably had Celiac Disease and started a gluten free diet (not realizing how stupid that was at the time). I am still having problems to this day and am considering doing the gluten challenge under the care of my doctor, so that I can have the biopsy and blood test done and know forsureif I have celiac disease. I was wondreing if anyone has done this and how bad it is.

I have also been reading about this enterolab test and was wondering how/where I would get it. It sounds like it would be helpful as well. I really would like to get some answers either way so that I don't have to guess anymore.

If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Stephanie

Who told you to go on gluten-free diet?

Tom

plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted

If you decide to do the challenge, choose a time when you have a couple of weeks free to be sick. If your problem is not gluten, then you might not get sick. However, for some, being without gluten for a couple of years then eating it again leads to severe illness. I believe that if you become ill after eating gluten, since you have been off of it for so long, is a positive reaction. Are you sure that you cut out all sources of gluten, including malt flavoring and cross contamination? You could also be intolerant to something else that you are eating. Good luck with your testing!

par18 Apprentice
par18
Posted
Hi,

my name is Stephanie and I'm 27 years old. About 2 years ago I was told that I probably had Celiac Disease and started a gluten free diet (not realizing how stupid that was at the time). I am still having problems to this day and am considering doing the gluten challenge under the care of my doctor, so that I can have the biopsy and blood test done and know forsureif I have celiac disease. I was wondreing if anyone has done this and how bad it is.

I have also been reading about this enterolab test and was wondering how/where I would get it. It sounds like it would be helpful as well. I really would like to get some answers either way so that I don't have to guess anymore.

If anyone has any advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Stephanie,

Did you respond to the gluten-free diet in a positive way? Are you saying you have been gluten free for the past 2 years and still have problems?

Tom

Felidae Enthusiast
Felidae
Posted

I know what you mean about wanting it on paper. I went gluten-free because I was sick of being sick. My doctor saw me about three months after being gluten-free and she said it was not worth it to do a gluten challenge because of how sick I would be again. And what if the results came back negative anyways, then what. The gluten-free diet itself has told me what I need to know in the way that my body has responded.

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flagbabyds Collaborator
flagbabyds
Posted

If you really need an official diagnosis of celiac, then I would say go for it. But if you think that maybe other foods might be bothering you, then you might want to try the elimination diet and slowly add foods back in one at a time, and then if they don't make you sick, then you know that you can have that food, but if it makes you sick, then you know to aviod it. My mom would never put me on gluten when I was a baby, and they wanted to do the challenge, now they don't do that anymore because it makes people so sick.

Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

Stephanie, if you have been gluten free for two years, it could possibly be at least a year of eating gluten for enough damage to show up again for a positive test result. It is very likely you would get a false negative unless you eat gluten for a long time. Is it really worth it?

Did you initially feel better when you went gluten free? If yes, once your intestines healed and absorbed nutrients again, they would also have absorbed other things again that you are intolerant to. That is what happened to me. When I started feeling worse again after three months, I had to figure out my other food intolerances. So now, being gluten-free and having eliminated the million other things I am intolerant to, I feel much better again.

I agree with the elimination diet idea. That would be much better than going back on gluten. Or try having some and see if it makes you sick. If it does, you know that gluten is a problem, no testing needed there, just a need to hunt down the other problems.

Try cutting out all dairy for starters. And as somebody else said, have you eliminated ALL gluten? Did you buy a new toaster, new cutting board, replaced wooden cooking utensils, non-stick cookware, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, lipstick, lip balm? Did you avoid everything that says 'malt flavouring', natural flavours, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy sauce?

Its a jungle out there for us, you have to be vigilant and on your guard at all times! :ph34r:

I hope you figure it out, all the best.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

yes, but it was after about three weeks gluten free, was for a dietary result, and not of the magnitude that you would need to do. you can try it if you want to, but I would encourage you to play close attention to your body, and consider stopping the experiment short if it becomes apparent that your body is telling you the answer sooner than the tests need you to consume gluten for.

jenvan Collaborator
jenvan
Posted

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=1281

Read the article above--helpful info on the pros and cons of doing a gluten challenge...isn't always accurate or effective unfortunately.

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