Pre Diagnosis - Eating Gluten For The Test Is Killing Me

[terrymarie]

I am having an endoscopy on Monday and I had a celiac panel done this week. They are sending it to promethius labs. I've had to eat gluten for the past 8 weeks for the test. Every time I eat it, I have heartburn, overwhelming sleepiness, congestion, spaciness, and my left lower back is killing me. The heartburn has made me feel like my throat is closing 'cause its raw from the acid. My doc is convinced I may have celiac or at least gluten intolerance from my reactions and since some stomach cancers and thyroid disease run in my family. I have Hashimotos. Is back pain a possible side effect? I feel pretty bad, but should I continue to eat gluten until my May 11 results appointment or can I stop after the endoscopy?

[ravenwoodglass]

IMHO you should stop now. The challenge has already shown that you have a problem with gluten. You body has clearly shown you. Please even if the biopsy is a false negative do not keep eating afterwards. Your body, believe it or not, has better diagnostic powers than the Doctors.

[terrymarie]

Thank you. At first, I thought of this as the farewell tour to gluten and ate stuff I thought I missed. Well, after my challenge reactions my memory has been jogged and I am back to looking at gluten products with fear and anxiety. My friends see delicious soft whole grain bread and wonderous desserts, but I see intense misery and can't wait to go back to my world of no bread. A leaf for a sandwhich isn't so bad and I like my rice pasta. Glutenous pizza is vastly over rated from my prospective:) Really, by Saturday I have to stop eating so as prep for the colonscopy they are doing too so I guess it won't make a difference.

[gfp]

IMHO you should stop now. The challenge has already shown that you have a problem with gluten. You body has clearly shown you. Please even if the biopsy is a false negative do not keep eating afterwards. Your body, believe it or not, has better diagnostic powers than the Doctors.

I'd agree if she wasn't 7 1/2 weeks through 8....

20/20 hindsight is great

@terrymarie:

Regardless of the biopsy INSIST on a full celiac blood panel...

Feel pretty bad, but should I continue to eat gluten until my May 11 results appointment or can I stop after the endoscopy?

I see no reason to continue... honestly if you'd asked 7 weeks ago I would have said get blood tests... stop as soon as they are +ve...

Make sure you get them now though.... if the biopsy is by some chance -ve... or even debatable you don;t want to go through this again....