Blood Test - Advice Needed

[peasoup]

Hi, I don't really know if this is the right place to come but I really need some advice. For a few months I was having real problems with bloating and constipation, my Grandfather has an intermittent wheat/gluten problem so my Mum suggested I try going without wheat for a bit, I did and my symptoms cleared up very quickly, I have been wheat free (and gluten free except oats) for around 3 months. Now if I have only the tiniest scrap of wheat (like in a sauce or gravy) then my stomach goes insane. I went to the dr for something else yesterday and mentioned it to him, he said he would like me to get a blood test done for gluten intolerance but in order for it to show anything I would need to eat wheat for at least a week first. What benefits would a diagnosis give me? I don't really fancy a week with a terrible stomach, not being able to eat much and not sleeping properly, I know that eating wheat free I feel good so why do I need a professional diagnosis? I'm going to tell him I want to delay it anyway because I'm at uni at the moment and I can't go through that while I'm supposed to be going to lectures and working, if I do it it'll be when I'm at home and have support around me (and I don't have to do anything else). Do you think it is worth it?

Thanks

Katherine

[Jo.R]

Hi, I'm new to this too, I just had a blood test come back positive, and now I'm waiting for a biopsy. My Dr. gave me a prescription for Bentyl (for IBS). This take cares of all my symptoms while I wait for the Biopsy. The first day I was a little light headed, but by the second day there were no side affects. Good luck.

[mommida]

Katherine,

It is not worth it! My daughter ended up being hospitalized with dehydration from trying the gluten challenge for testing. Granted she was a lot younger, but at your age - going to uni and just starting out in life; it is very risky to do the challenge. You would have to eat gluten for more than one week. (After eating gluten for two weeks, ending up hospitalized, my daughters test results were only slightly elevated.)

This is just my opinion, but I do have my views from experience.

L.

[IrishKelly]

Hi, I don't really know if this is the right place to come but I really need some advice. For a few months I was having real problems with bloating and constipation, my Grandfather has an intermittent wheat/gluten problem so my Mum suggested I try going without wheat for a bit, I did and my symptoms cleared up very quickly, I have been wheat free (and gluten free except oats) for around 3 months. Now if I have only the tiniest scrap of wheat (like in a sauce or gravy) then my stomach goes insane. I went to the dr for something else yesterday and mentioned it to him, he said he would like me to get a blood test done for gluten intolerance but in order for it to show anything I would need to eat wheat for at least a week first. What benefits would a diagnosis give me? I don't really fancy a week with a terrible stomach, not being able to eat much and not sleeping properly, I know that eating wheat free I feel good so why do I need a professional diagnosis? I'm going to tell him I want to delay it anyway because I'm at uni at the moment and I can't go through that while I'm supposed to be going to lectures and working, if I do it it'll be when I'm at home and have support around me (and I don't have to do anything else). Do you think it is worth it?

Thanks

Katherine

Look, the only reason anyone needs a blood test (which i among others on here ate tons of gluten and our blood tests still came back negative) would be for insurance purposes!! So, if you aren't worried about any kind of healthcare coverage expenses you are SO waisting your time, health, pain, etc...

[breann6]

i agree with the others but wanted to add- that your feeling better off gluten- and thats all that counts.

[Ursa Major]

Hi Katherine, and welcome to this board. Your doctor is wrong in saying it will only take a week on gluten to get valid bloodwork. Since you have been gluten-free for three months, it would take from six months to a year of eating at least four slices of wheat bread a day for a test to be (possibly, not necessarily) positive, even if you have celiac disease.

Don't do it! You know that you feel fine off gluten, just leave it at that.

When you say your grandfather has an intermittent problem with wheat/gluten, does that mean that every time he feels better, he eats it again, until he gets sick again?

The problem with that is, that if you have celiac disease, you need to be gluten-free for life. Of course, when you don't eat gluten, you will heal. Everything will look great, and you feel fine. That does NOT mean that the celiac disease is gone. Your grandfather should never eat gluten again, unless he wants to die of intestinal cancer earlier than he would die otherwise. I wonder why doctors are too clueless to tell patients the truth, it is very frustrating.

[peasoup]

Thanks, I don't feel I need the official 'label', I'm happy eating gluten-free knowing that I feel good - I get an immediate reaction (almost before I've finished eating a meal containing wheat) so that's enough incentive not to do it.

Yes, my Grandfather goes gluten-free until he feels better then goes back on it, then off, then on... He's in his 80's though and loves his bread so I think he's not going to change.

Do you find an 'official' diagnosis helps with anything like when you visit the drs?

Katherine

[aikiducky]

Katherine, I hope you realize that you also have to watch out for barley and rye, and oats, besides wheat, in order to be really gluten free? Just thought I better mention it just in case.

I don't have an official diagnosis for a similar reason to yours, I was gluten free for six weeks before my bloodtests, they came back negative but I didn't feel like going back on gluten for testing anymore. I feel sooo much better.

So far not having a diagnosis hasn't been a problem, though sometimes I wonder what would happen if i ever need to stay in a hospital for instance. But at this point I just can't imagine ever eating gluten again (I've been gluten free for two years).

Pauliina