Celiac Panel

[MyMississippi]

I am allergic to wheat---- so I cannot do a gluten challenge for the celiac panel or endoscopy.

However, I have a doctor appt in 2 days and would like to have the celiac panel done since I have SO MANY celiac symptoms.

But I started the gluten free diet in Sept. 2006.

Has any celiac on this forum tested POSITIVE on celiac panel even though they had been gluten free for a long period of time?? (yes, I know one should NOT be on gluten free diet BEFORE testing )

Thanks for the input !

[pwalasik]

Hi-

Could you possibly get the bloodwork order and for about 6-8 weeks eat barley and rye every day with the hopes of getting enough gluten in your system to triger a response? Then you could go to a lab for the blood work.

Take Care

[MyMississippi]

I am also very allergic to rye----

I'll just have to see what the doctor says, I guess.

[Ursa Major]

The answer is no, if you have been gluten-free for two years, and have truly not had anything with gluten all that time, you can absolutely NOT get a positive blood panel for celiac disease, even if that is what you have. Therefore, it is useless to go for the blood test.

In order to get a positive, you would need to eat lots and lots of gluten products for several months to even have a chance of positive tests.

Since you have true allergies to wheat and rye, you obviously need to be gluten-free anyway, so what really is the point? Why would you want a celiac disease diagnosis as well? I don't understand.

[aikiducky]

Wasn't there recently a thread by someone who had been gluten free for a couple years already and who still had an elevated ttg?

It's a long shot though, I think usually you'd expect numbers to have dropped in two years.

What I'm wondering is - do you mean you have lots of celiac symptoms now, despite being gluten free for two years? In that case I would 1. check that you truly are completely gluten free and not making little mistakes here and there with cross contamination and such, and 2. if that is the case (you're really truly gluten free) I'd start looking for other explanations, because you shouldn't keep having lots of symptoms while on the diet.

Pauliina

[home-based-mom]

Wasn't there recently a thread by someone who had been gluten free for a couple years already and who still had an elevated ttg?

It's a long shot though, I think usually you'd expect numbers to have dropped in two years.

What I'm wondering is - do you mean you have lots of celiac symptoms now, despite being gluten free for two years? In that case I would 1. check that you truly are completely gluten free and not making little mistakes here and there with cross contamination and such, and 2. if that is the case (you're really truly gluten free) I'd start looking for other explanations, because you shouldn't keep having lots of symptoms while on the diet.

Pauliina

This is exactly what I was thinking! If you are consuming no gluten (found only in wheat, rye, and barley) whatsoever, then you are following by default the only treatment available for celiac.

Therefore either you are not as gluten free as you think you are, or your symptoms are caused by something else.

Otherwise, as you say you cannot consume wheat or rye, that leaves barley. Do you drink beer frequently or consume malted products? If so, that could be gluten exposure that may be causing your symptoms.

[MyMississippi]

The reason I would like to have the Celiac panel blood work done, is for the sake of my sister, who has anemia and some G.I. symptoms, and my son who also has some symptoms. My sister has agreed to get tested, but my son refuses to even think about it. If I were diagnosed by doctor as Celiac, this would carry more weight with him.

And NO ! I DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE GUT PROBLEMS since going gluten free !-----All have resolved.

I do however have neuropathy and symptoms of fibro--- which I am seeing a doctor for soon.

[aikiducky]

It's a bit of a risk... if you get the tests done now, and they turn out negative, as they probably will, that might give your son more reason NOT to get tested, right? Glad your sister is considering it at least. .) And glad you don't have gut problems any more.

Pauliina