Not Sure If I Have Celiacs

[Linzee]

I am 24 now and about a year and a half ago I started getting hives when I would exercise, if something was rubbing my skin, and from certain lotions. The hives would mostly appear on my legs, after benedryl or zyrtec they would go away. I have always had bad gas and a bad stomach, usually constipated, but sometimes had the runs, but almost always bloated. I was told I had IBS when I was 12, which I later realized IBS means they really don't know what you have. In college my thyroid tested out of normal level but the following test was fine. Also in college a blood test made my GI suspect I might have celiac but an endoscopy and colonoscopy proved I didn't have it.

So when the hives and bloating got really bad about 9 months ago I was so frustrated. And GI's didn't help. I went to an allergist who ran several blood tests. The gluten blood test came up as weakly positive and the Doc thought I was in early stages of celiac. Since cutting out wheat the hives aren't as bad, but stomach is still bloated from time to time, although to be hoest I cheat from time to time, but when I do cheat with some pasta here or a cookie, I don't really seem to be bothered by it, there are no immediate effects. And I have no symptoms when I eat breaded chicken. Can anyone offer any advice, because I'm beginning to think I don't have a wheat allergy. Are there different levels? Do you suffer from wheat right away? And if docs didn't find anything from endoscopy and colonoscopy about 4 years ago, could I still have Celiac's? Thanks!

[mamaw]

You have no way of telling what is going on inside your intestinal tract, many people show or present with NO symptoms. Plus just because you do not have celiac does not mean you also are not gluten intolerant. If you cheat you will never find out for sure.

It can take up to ten years for a doctor to get a correct dx's....

To clarify celiac disease also states no wheat, rye or barley. Just because a product states no wheat does not mean it doesn't contain gluten , you need to look for products with no gluten. If you are going to take this seriously.

You could do the gene testing to see if you had one or more genes too.

Many have had an IBS dx's before finding out what their true health issue.......