Need Your Advice About Celiac Testing

[newbie2009]

Hi,

I'm brand new to the site and to the 'gluten free' way of life. I've had chronic stomach aches all of my life and I finally tried a gluten free diet on my own since doctors could never give me any answers growing up. It's been over a month since I started this diet and for the first time in my life, I feel "normal'. I'm not constantly aware of my stomach like I used to be, don't have the cramping stomach aches anymore and have more energy. I wasn't sure if it was psycho-somatic or the real deal, so I went to my doctor recently. He took blood and said he was going to test for celiac. I told him I haven't knowingly eaten gluten in over a month, but he said that was not an issue with the blood work. I've been reading on all the celiac sites today that it is absolutely necessary to have gluten in your diet before the bloodwork. I don't want to tell him he's wrong, but if it comes back negative, I want to tell him that I'd like him to retest me after I've consumed some delicious gluten products.

Any advice about this? Anyone have a definitive answer?

-newbie2009

[70SS396]

Hi,

I'm brand new to the site and to the 'gluten free' way of life. I've had chronic stomach aches all of my life and I finally tried a gluten free diet on my own since doctors could never give me any answers growing up. It's been over a month since I started this diet and for the first time in my life, I feel "normal'. I'm not constantly aware of my stomach like I used to be, don't have the cramping stomach aches anymore and have more energy. I wasn't sure if it was psycho-somatic or the real deal, so I went to my doctor recently. He took blood and said he was going to test for celiac. I told him I haven't knowingly eaten gluten in over a month, but he said that was not an issue with the blood work. I've been reading on all the celiac sites today that it is absolutely necessary to have gluten in your diet before the bloodwork. I don't want to tell him he's wrong, but if it comes back negative, I want to tell him that I'd like him to retest me after I've consumed some delicious gluten products.

Any advice about this? Anyone have a definitive answer?

-newbie2009

How long before you felt a considerable difference?

[leadmeastray88]

You're right - you have very high risk of having false negative bloodwork! Even people who eat a normal gluten diet can have false negatives though, you have to know.

If you want to re-test you should eat gluten again for atleast a month and see what happens.

Either way though, you feel better gluten free so even if the tests are negative go back on the diet!