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Confused About Enterolab Test And Need For "gluten Challenge"

terin514

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terin514 Newbie
terin514
Posted

Hi Everyone -

First of all, SO happy to have found this site. I am proceeding with Enterolab testing after years of "IBS" diagnoses and living with all of the symptoms of Celiac... and growing up in a family of people with "weak stomachs".

I have been gluten-free for about 2 - 3 weeks now and feel SO much better that I know I'll be gluten-free even if the Enterolab results do not come back positive (although I suspect they will). I guess, like many others, I'd just like the validation of the results.

But, on to my question:

The Enterolab instructions say to NOT change your way of eating (i.e. do not do a gluten challenge) before you take the test... However, I see many posts on this site recommending a gluten challenge before a test. Can someone clear this up for me? Is there something different about the Enterolab tests?

I am excited to do the test, but wondering if I should order up a couple pizzas this week (although I hate to even think of doing that - the thought of the bloating, C/D, pain, irritability and fatigue make me want to just go forth without the challenge).

Your help is VERY much appreciated!

:D

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ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

For an endoscopy or blood panel you need to eat gluten because one tests for antibodies and you need to eat the gluten for there to be antibodies. The other is a look at your small intestine where biopsies are taken. Again for the damage to be present you need to be producing antibodies and you must be eating gluten for that to happen.

I believe Enterolab is the gene testing which doesn't change no matter what you eat. Someone correct me if there is more to it than that.

terin514 Newbie
terin514
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for the reply and the info. I thought that Enterolab did test for the antibodies... I'm doing the full panel PLUS the gene test.

Can someone let me know if there is a difference between the antibody tests, and why Enterolab would recommend NOT changing your diet or doing a gluten challenge prior to the full test?

Thanks again!

luciddream928 Explorer
luciddream928
Posted
Thanks for the reply and the info. I thought that Enterolab did test for the antibodies... I'm doing the full panel PLUS the gene test.

Can someone let me know if there is a difference between the antibody tests, and why Enterolab would recommend NOT changing your diet or doing a gluten challenge prior to the full test?

Thanks again!

Hi Terin! Welcome to the forum, glad you found us : ) This is a wonderful community and really supportive...

I went through Enterolab about a year ago and found them to be super helpful every time I called with questions. I did the stool panel and the genetic cheek swab. You can just call their main number and ask them what they recommend. I don't think you need to do a gluten challenge before the test, but it's been a while since I've taken it. From what I've read and heard, it doesn't matter whether you eat gluten or not because the things that they test for stay in the body for a long time. Something about the stool test being sensitive to gluten intolerance. It says it on their website in the FAQ section.

I'd call though, maybe their protocol has changed. Their number is 972.686.6869. Good luck with your test!

terin514 Newbie
terin514
Posted
  • Author

Thanks again! I will call to make sure - I really appreciate everyone's help!

:D

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    • rei.b
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      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
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      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
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