Help!

[mkp]

I suspected that I had celiac due to multiple bowel and malabsorption issues, but after a negative blood test and endoscope, I thought it would still be worth a try to go gluten free to see if it made any difference in the way I felt. Now, two months in, I feel MUCH better and everyone around me notices the changes. I also find myself getting glutened, if that's even possible. My biggest question is, could I just have a wheat allergy and not a gluten allergy or undetected celiac? I have read a lot about wheat allergy vs. gluten intolerance, but I haven't been able to find anything that talks about someone suddenly developing all of these reactions to the cause after they have eliminated it from their diet. My doctor still thinks that I could possibly have celiac, but who knows! Any help/advice would be great! Thanks!

[mushroom]

One possible test would be to make an otherwise gluten-free soup and add barley to it. See what happens. If you react to barley you know it's not just the wheat. Just a thought.

[GottaSki]

I am newly diagnosed...my blood tests were very low positive for celiac and my biopsy was obvious celiac confirmed by biopsy in three spots. I asked my doc why my tTG IgA would be only slightly elevated since it is clear that I indeed have celiac. He is a celiac specialist and says they just don't know. Celiacs can have high blood numbers and nothing determined in biopsy, low or no blood numbers and heavy celiac damage to the small intestine. Celiacs can have symptoms or be symptom free -- it seems that research is ramping up in these areas and can only prove helpful to everyone -- whether wheat intolerant or celiac.

Hang in there...I like the idea of adding barley to something to test if it is just wheat.

[Gfresh404]

I know they sell wheat free bars at Whole Foods that contain other high gluten grains, you could also try that.

I was the same way, started thinking it was just wheat but then realized how much better I felt after not having any gluten whatsoever. I have a feeling you'll come to the same conclusion.. but you never know.

[mkp]

Thanks so much, everyone! I am going to try eating barley to see what kind of reaction I have and continue to be gluten free until I get this figured out!