Should I Get Tested?

[Guest adamssa]

hi everyone,

thanks a lot to everybody who replies to stuff i post, it's been very helpful.

i am wondering whether i need to get tested for celiac. I went gluten free on my own in March because I was having so many problems and the docs just said I had IBS and needed to learn to live with it. I had the the whole gamut of digestive problems and headaches, brain fog, and sinus problems. Since going gluten-free then I have been feeling better in many of these areas, not completely recovered by any means but a definite difference. However, this could be from other things as well, because I have been also treating for candida and taking a whole range of supplements some alt. people advised me to do, and cut out dairy too and just trying to eat much healthier.

I know that when I eat gluten I don't get a huge reaction because twice since March I ate gluten. I did get fogged from it and regurgitation though, and I never have had the regurgitation problem since going gluten-free. What do you guys think? I want to stay gluten-free no matter what just because even if I don't have celiac it's just easier on me. But, my family is not really supportive of it and in some ways think I am just being kind of difficult. can you have it w/out getting huge reactions from it?

thanks,

Sara

[Nancym]

You can be gluten sensitive but have "silent" symptoms. I got tested (by Enterolab) because I was curious and I figured knowing for sure would make my resolve to stick to the diet greater. I also thought it would convince my family that perhaps they should too. But the whole family aspect didn't work out.

I didn't want to go through a regular GI specialist for testing because I realized there's a lot of false negatives out there and I had been gluten free for months, which messes up the testing.

[tarnalberry]

you can't be tested while you're gluten free - not by regular doctors, for the most part. the dietary test is the most important one, and everyone has different reactions, not all of them extreme.