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

Do Most People Challenge The gluten-free Diet?

zus888

Recommended Posts

zus888 Contributor
zus888
Posted

I'm wondering if I should do this, and if I do, how do I go about doing it? I mean, should I just take a little bite of wheat bread and continue on with my gluten-free diet to challenge it? It would give me some idea as to my sensitivity if I only have a little bit. Or should I go whole hog and eat gads of gluten-filled foods? I don't want to choose foods high in fat or sugar because I don't want to confuse what might be causing any GI issues, should I have any. I want to be sure I know that it's gluten I'm reacting to, and not an overdose of fats and sugars. My gluten-free diet will likely consist of more natural foods, as opposed to processed ones.

And, how long should I wait to do the challenge? 3 months? 6 months?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

If you have been gluten free long enough to heal a bit and see some resolution in your symptoms the best way to challenge is with a single ingredient item. My doctor had me challenge by eating the food 3 times a day for a week or until symptoms reappear whichever comes sooner. I used cream of wheat, plain.

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

We challenged my son. Did it after 1 year gluten free, for a little under 2 weeks only, because he started having symptoms pretty quickly.

Yeah, I'd say go with a single food if you do challenge - a single food that has nothing you haven't been eating before the challenge.

But my son was the only one we had diagnosed by symptoms, too. The rest of us had tests that were positive, and we didn't challenge.

eatmeat4good Enthusiast
eatmeat4good
Posted

I didn't have to challenge gluten because gluten "challenged" me. I knew I got sick from cross contamination and every time I accidentally ate something with gluten (think of newbie mistakes) I got very ill.

If you are like me one bite of anything with wheat will do it.

Let us know how it goes.

Emilushka Contributor
Emilushka
Posted

I have no desire to challenge with gluten because I had a positive antibody test and a great response to the gluten-free diet. Plus, I had an unofficial challenge by accidentally eating wheat pasta at a restaurant, so I can verify that symptoms come back if I eat gluten. I don't think everyone challenges with gluten.

sa1937 Community Regular
sa1937
Posted

I went gluten-free the day of my biopsy. You couldn't pay me enough to challenge it!

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

I confess to being thrilled with the challenge! ;) I have had no symptoms that I have noticed (which may change, of course, as I am off gluten longer) so I was pleased to eat tons of gluten for three months although I knew at the same time that internal damage was being done, whether I could feel it or not. I had lots of gluten and did not feel any worse whatsoever so I was saddened to find post biopsy that celiac disease was indeed confirmed. (I had been gluten-free for five months prior to this and was incredibly stringent, avoiding going out to eat for the most part, calling and emailing companies, changing toothpaste and lipstick, and so on. Our house was gluten-free to avoid CC as well.) What a shock it was feeling so good on gluten, pigging out on lovely breads and such, to go off gluten and feeling no different. Yet. But I still know that I am preventing future problems. It still could be saving my life! :D

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


zus888 Contributor
zus888
Posted
  • Author

I confess to being thrilled with the challenge! ;) I have had no symptoms that I have noticed (which may change, of course, as I am off gluten longer) so I was pleased to eat tons of gluten for three months although I knew at the same time that internal damage was being done, whether I could feel it or not. I had lots of gluten and did not feel any worse whatsoever so I was saddened to find post biopsy that celiac disease was indeed confirmed. (I had been gluten-free for five months prior to this and was incredibly stringent, avoiding going out to eat for the most part, calling and emailing companies, changing toothpaste and lipstick, and so on. Our house was gluten-free to avoid CC as well.) What a shock it was feeling so good on gluten, pigging out on lovely breads and such, to go off gluten and feeling no different. Yet. But I still know that I am preventing future problems. It still could be saving my life! :D

I actually fear not being able to tell the difference. I want to notice a huge difference in energy at the very least. On the other hand, it is nice to not have such harsh reactions if cross-contaminated or otherwise glutened. I am not so sure I would be able to be so stringent without some physical reason for doing so. If I don't notice a difference, I can't imagine not just having one little sweet roll. Unfortunately, it's a VERY slippery slope. If I give in to one little sweet roll, it'll turn into a gluten-filled diet in no time.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

I actually fear not being able to tell the difference. I want to notice a huge difference in energy at the very least. On the other hand, it is nice to not have such harsh reactions if cross-contaminated or otherwise glutened. I am not so sure I would be able to be so stringent without some physical reason for doing so. If I don't notice a difference, I can't imagine not just having one little sweet roll. Unfortunately, it's a VERY slippery slope. If I give in to one little sweet roll, it'll turn into a gluten-filled diet in no time.

I can totally relate. I fear it, too, especially when eating out. It is one reason I avoid eating out much (thankfully I LOVE cooking!) because I just do not know. Because I generally feel so well it almost seems silly to avoid gluten in one tiny corner of my brain but of course I imagine my scope pictures the surgeon showed to me with all the flat villi. It is difficult psychologically for me. :(

shopgirl Contributor
shopgirl
Posted

No. Symptoms or no. I have a disease that requires me to not eat gluten for the rest of my life. In my eyes, it's really just that simple. Cheating isn't an option.

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

The doctor that we saw for a second opinion when my daughter was first diagnosed wanted us to challenge her after she had been gluten free for 6 months. He wanted us to challenge her for two months (with a repeat blood test) or until symptoms came back, which ever was shortest. I was planning on challenging because I was in major denial about the whole diagnosis. I was going to wait longer than the 6 months though.

Like some of the others above, we had an accidental challenge. At school she use to be able to get their (corn) tortilla chips but the vendor changed and they were no longer just corn. Both wheat and oat flour were in the ingredient list which I found out by visiting the school after she got off the bus looking like something the cat dragged in. Challenge over. It took one item at one meal.

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

No. Symptoms or no. I have a disease that requires me to not eat gluten for the rest of my life. In my eyes, it's really just that simple. Cheating isn't an option.

Although as I mentioned above I have no symptoms I will never, ever cheat. Ever. Even though I like what I see out and about. I am absolutely adamant on that point. :D

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      0

      Celiac Disease Beyond the Western World: Hidden Populations, Changing Diets, and Growing Awareness

    2. Wheatwacked
      - Wheatwacked replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      50

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      Raising you vitamin D will increase absorption of calcium automatically without supplementation of calcium. A high PTH can be caused by low D causing poor calcium absorption; not insuffient calcium intake. With low D your body is not absorbing calcium from your food so it steals it from your bones. Heart has priority over bone. I've been taking 1...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to catnapt's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it. Gluten is the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part. Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein. Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat...
    4. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Scott Adams's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      50

      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3. Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C. Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine. Weight...
    5. Florence Lillian
      - Florence Lillian replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      11

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free. I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,356
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    JAGAPG
    Newest Member
    JAGAPG
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Raising you vitamin D will increase absorption of calcium automatically without supplementation of calcium.  A high PTH can be caused by low D causing poor calcium absorption; not insuffient calcium intake.  With low D your body is not absorbing calcium from your food so it steals it from your bones.  Heart has priority over bone. I've been taking 10,000 IU D3 a day since 2015.  My doctor says to continue. To fix my lactose intolerance, lots of lactobacillus from yogurts, and brine fermented pickles and saurkraut and olives.  We lose much of our ability to make lactase endogenosly with maturity but a healthy colony of lactobacillus in our gut excretes lactase in exchange for room and board. The milk protein in grass fed milk does not bother me. It tastes like the milk I grew up on.  If I drink commercial milk I get heartburn at night. Some experts estimate that 90% of us do not eat Adequite Intake of choline.  Beef and eggs are the principle source. Iodine deficiency is a growing concern.  I take 600 mcg a day of Liquid Iodine.  It and NAC have accelerated my healing all over.  Virtually blind in my right eye after starting antihypertensive medication and vision is slowly coming back.  I had to cut out starches because they drove my glucose up into the 200+ range.  I replaced them with Red Bull for the glucose intake with the vitamins, minerals and Taurine needed to process through the mitochodria Krebs Cycle to create ATP.  Went from A1c 13 down to 7.9.  Work in progress. Also take B1,B2,B3,B5,B6. Liquid Iodine, Phosphatidyl Choline, Q10, Selenium, D and DHEA.     Choline supplemented as phosphatidylcholine decreases fasting and postmethionine-loading plasma homocysteine concentrations in healthy men +    
    • knitty kitty
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it.  Gluten is  the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part.  Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate  ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein.   Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat, and bran is the protective covering of the kernel.   Little to no gluten there.   Large amounts of lectins are in wheat germ and can cause digestive upsets, but not enough Gluten to provoke antibody production in the small intestines. Luckily you still have time to do a proper gluten challenge (10 grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks) before your next appointment when you can be retested.    
    • knitty kitty
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
×
×
  • 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.