Please Tell Me What You Think

[Mabc]

After suffering for many years with various health problems, I finally found out a lot of my symptoms matched possibly celiac. So in May I went gluten free and for 6 weeks I had lots of improvement. Then I decided to go back on gluten to see what happened. Within one day all my symptoms came back, especially brain fog and an achey feeling in my brain (hard to explain).

I don't think I can convince my doc to test for celiac at this time so I'm thinking that symptom improvement is reason enough. Is there any other reason my symptoms would have improved so much on the diet or is it common for people to feel better going off of gluten?

Thanks for any advice.

Melodi

[JenAnderson]

If you go on the diet and your symptoms dissapate then there's obviously a problem. Usually when you go on the diet and then you get off it again, the symptoms come back and then there's other things that show up that you didn't realize were there before you got on the diet. The military doctors and not very willing to diagnose celiac or test for it. I was really sick for a long time before I got the dx. The best thing I can say is to find a doctor that will work with you and is willing to test for it.

[kbtoyssni]

The problem with testing at this point is that since you haven't been eating gluten, blood tests or scopes won't give you a positive diagnosis. You have to be eating about three servings of gluten for three months prior to testing if you hope to get a positive dx. Which you may not want to do. I was in a similar situation. I figured out it was gluten, and I didn't want to go back to eating it just to get the diagnosis.

The one way to get tested without eating gluten again is enterolab. You send them a stool sample and they do the testing. I haven't had it done, so maybe someone else here can give you more details.

[CarlaB]

The one way to get tested without eating gluten again is enterolab. You send them a stool sample and they do the testing. I haven't had it done, so maybe someone else here can give you more details.

I did it and was happy with them. www.enterolab.com

[jenvan]

If your doctor refuses to test you, then I would go to a different doctor, or go through enterolab or another.

[tiffjake]

After suffering for many years with various health problems, I finally found out a lot of my symptoms matched possibly celiac. So in May I went gluten free and for 6 weeks I had lots of improvement. Then I decided to go back on gluten to see what happened. Within one day all my symptoms came back, especially brain fog and an achey feeling in my brain (hard to explain).

I don't think I can convince my doc to test for celiac at this time so I'm thinking that symptom improvement is reason enough. Is there any other reason my symptoms would have improved so much on the diet or is it common for people to feel better going off of gluten?

Thanks for any advice.

Melodi

I did the same thing. Then it was weird talking to my doc about it, because I knew what was wrong, and I had to convince HIM! (And later, a HER doc...). If you want the tests, then get back on the gluten so they can "test" you. For me, the longer I am gluten-free, the harder it is on me to have it. I got glutened tonight, and if I thought there was anything they could do for me, I would have gone to the ER!!!!

If you don't care about the tests, then good deal! You are feeling better! That is awesome!

(And you do have to be eating gluten to get the EnteroLab test. You have to have had it within the last 29 days at the minimum.)

[taz sharratt]

After suffering for many years with various health problems, I finally found out a lot of my symptoms matched possibly celiac. So in May I went gluten free and for 6 weeks I had lots of improvement. Then I decided to go back on gluten to see what happened. Within one day all my symptoms came back, especially brain fog and an achey feeling in my brain (hard to explain).

I don't think I can convince my doc to test for celiac at this time so I'm thinking that symptom improvement is reason enough. Is there any other reason my symptoms would have improved so much on the diet or is it common for people to feel better going off of gluten?

Thanks for any advice.

Melodi

if your symptoms have improved i would lead with that diagnoses.