Testing Question

[Yellow Rose]

My uncle has been talking with my mother who after my urging went off gluten. He had the same D symptoms and has had wonderful improvement. Now he told my mom that he is going to be tested. I told her he has to go back on the gluten for the tests to come out right. She wants to know how long should he go back on the gluten before testing.

Thanks,

Yellow Rose

[Ursa Major]

Why would your uncle not just be happy to have found the problem and leave it at that? I don't know how long he has been gluten-free. But his villi will have healed a great deal, and he is planning on destroying them again, for the sake of testing. In some people that will cause such a shock to the system that it results in severe, permanent damage and could trigger other autoimmune diseases.

It would take at least three to six months back on gluten (the equivalent of four slices of bread a day) to even have a chance of testing positive. And even then he may get a false negative.

If the tests are negative, would he just continue eating gluten again, or go back to being gluten-free anyway?

[Yellow Rose]

Why would your uncle not just be happy to have found the problem and leave it at that? I don't know how long he has been gluten-free. But his villi will have healed a great deal, and he is planning on destroying them again, for the sake of testing. In some people that will cause such a shock to the system that it results in severe, permanent damage and could trigger other autoimmune diseases.

It would take at least three to six months back on gluten (the equivalent of four slices of bread a day) to even have a chance of testing positive. And even then he may get a false negative.

If the tests are negative, would he just continue eating gluten again, or go back to being gluten-free anyway?

Just talked with my mom and he has been off about a month, the D has gone away. He has real bad health problems probably due to Celiac's. I read her your reply and she didn't think he would be willing to go through 6 months of D again. My mom went off before testing and her Dr. told her that she was sensitive to wheat but not Celiac however, she did have the antibodies. I told her he was an idiot and didn't know what he was talking about that if she had the antibodies she had Celiac just like I did. She is going to talk with my uncle and recommend that he just to do the no gluten thing and be done with it. Thanks for the fast reply.

Yellow Rose

[ravenwoodglass]

If he really needs something on paper to be totally compliant he could think about doing antibody testing with Enterolab. He would not need to eat gluten for the testing and they can also test for casien, soy, egg and yeast antibodies if there is felt to be a need.

[gfp]

I told her he was an idiot and didn't know what he was talking about that if she had the antibodies she had Celiac just like I did.

Really what else counts?

I look at it this way...

If I get a chest biopsy and its negative for cancer does that mean i keep on smoking until its positive?

The whole basis of the biopsy is you damage a important organ so someone can see it's damaged... if you are reacting to the protein and producing antibodies this seems as stupid as keeping smoking until you have lung cancer IMHO...

Non celiacs do not produce antibodies... regardless of if the damage is visible you are causing harm. I think you are 100% correct.

[Yellow Rose]

Well I just got off the phone with my Uncle and convinced him not to test. He is happy to not have the D problem and will just stay off gluten. Thanks everyone.

Yellow Rose