Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Blood Test Came Back Normal...so Is That It?

lissm

Recommended Posts

lissm Newbie
lissm
Posted

My blood test came back normal so 'it is unlikely I have celiacs' - is that right? I don't want to get too happy about being able to eat normal food again unless I'm sure it isn't just a false negative. I was gluten free at the time of the blood test, that wouldn't matter right?

I guess the bad news is now I don't know what's wrong with me.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

How long had you been gluten-free prior to the test? The blood tests look for antibodies produced in reaction to gluten. I have heard various things, but the consensus here seems to be that you need to be eating the equivalent of two slices of "normal" bread a day for two to three months leading up to the test.

michelley65 Rookie
michelley65
Posted

I'll be getting my results next week,and I have a feeling they will come back negative.My doctor said it doesnt matter if I ate gluten or not before the test.I dont know if I have celiac but I am sure that I am atleast sensitive to gluten,therefore I am going gluten free..I feel so much better without it.If your body feels better on a gluten-free diet,who needs the test to tell you anything else.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

False negatives are not uncommon. Doctors thinking the blood tests were always right cost me many years. After all testing is done do give the diet a good strict try for a couple of months and see if it helps.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

The antibodie tests are not perfect. If you have GI symptoms then it makes sense to try the diet for a few months to see if it helps.

Linda 60609 Newbie
Linda 60609
Posted

My blood test came back normal so 'it is unlikely I have celiacs' - is that right? I don't want to get too happy about being able to eat normal food again unless I'm sure it isn't just a false negative. I was gluten free at the time of the blood test, that wouldn't matter right?

I guess the bad news is now I don't know what's wrong with me.

How long were you gluten free when you took the test? That happened to me, I had gone gluten free for over 2 months (because that's how long it took me to get an appt. at the Celiac Disease Center at UofC), and consequently my blood test showed no antibodies. I am still convinced I have it because I had an EXTREMELY itchy rash (DH, I think) that defied treatment (saw a dermatologist and an allergist to no avail), and the only thing that made it go away was a gluten free diet. Gradually, I started eating gluten again and it took awhile to develop symptoms again. Now, because I NEED to know, I scheduled the biopsy so I can get some answers, once and for all. The gastroenterologist thinks I do have it, and said it's good that I kept pressing, because continuing to eat gluten when you are intolerant can eventually develop into a malignancy. He also said don't go gluten free before the testing.

lissm Newbie
lissm
Posted
  • Author

I was very strictly gluten free for about 8 months before the test. The reason I got the test is that in the last month or so I've been getting progressively sicker. Despite still being sick I refuse to start eating gluten again until the doctor tells me what's wrong.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


reeetz Rookie
reeetz
Posted

Everything I have read says that you have to be eating gluten before you do the blood test. What I am wondering though is how long on the gluten free diet for it to come up negative?

I was on the diet for 6 weeks before I took the blood test. The test came back normal. So..I decided to try my own test by eating gluten and guess what happened? The next day I started feeling horribly sick with fatigue and the stomach cramping. My stomach cramping seems different then if I were to have the stomach flu. A couple days later I was vomiting and had D. It took the whole week being off gluten again to finally clear up. I think that I am finally starting to realize that I don't care about the tests anymore...I know what makes me sick. Maybe give gluten a try and see what happens. It may be the only test you need.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I was very strictly gluten free for about 8 months before the test. The reason I got the test is that in the last month or so I've been getting progressively sicker. Despite still being sick I refuse to start eating gluten again until the doctor tells me what's wrong.

If you are sure you are gluten free, then the next thing to consider is possible additional food intolerances. If you don't mind a suggestion, try ditching any soy and dairy in your diet for a month and see if it helps.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,203
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Sarahmegan
    Newest Member
    Sarahmegan
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By trents · Posted

      NCGS does not cause damage to the small bowel villi so, if indeed you were not skimping on gluten when you had the antibody blood testing done, it is likely you have celiac disease.
    • Scott Adams
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I will assume you did the gluten challenge properly and were eating a lot of gluten daily for 6-8 weeks before your test, but if not, that could be the issue. You can still have celiac disease with negative blood test results, although it's not as common:  Clinical and genetic profile of patients with seronegative coeliac disease: the natural history and response to gluten-free diet: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5606118/  Seronegative Celiac Disease - A Challenging Case: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9441776/  Enteropathies with villous atrophy but negative coeliac serology in adults: current issues: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34764141/  Approximately 10x more people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity than have celiac disease, but there isn’t yet a test for NCGS. If your symptoms go away on a gluten-free diet it would likely signal NCGS.
    • Xravith
      Taking Probiotics but Still Getting Sick After Gluten – Advice?

      By Xravith · Posted

      I'm very confused... My blood test came out negative, I checked all antibodies. I suppose my Total IgA levels are normal (132 mg/dl), so the test should be reliable. Still, I'm not relieved as I can't tolerate even a single biscuit. I need to talk to my doctor about whether a duodenal biopsy is necessary. But it is really possible to have intestinal damage despite having a seronegative results? I have really strong symptoms, and I don't want to keep skipping university lectures or being bedridden at home.
    • Scott Adams
      CT with contrast.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      They may want to also eliminate other possible causes for your symptoms/issues and are doing additional tests.  Here is info about blood tests for celiac disease--if positive an endoscopy where biopsies of your intestinal villi are taken to confirm is the typical follow up.    
    • Scott Adams
      New labs are now very elevated

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      In the Europe the new protocol for making a celiac disease diagnosis in children is if their tTg-IgA (tissue transglutaminase IgA) levels are 10 times or above the positive level for celiac disease--and you are above that level. According to the latest research, if the blood test results are at certain high levels that range between 5-10 times the reference range for a positive celiac disease diagnosis, it may not be necessary to confirm the results using an endoscopy/biopsy: Blood Test Alone Can Diagnose Celiac Disease in Most Children and Adults TGA-IgA at or Above Five Times Normal Limit in Kids Indicates Celiac Disease in Nearly All Cases No More Biopsies to Diagnose Celiac Disease in Children! May I ask why you've had so many past tTg-IgA tests done, and many of them seem to have been done 3 times during short time intervals?    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.