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How Much Gluten Should I Be Eating Before Testing?

koolsharkz

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koolsharkz Newbie
koolsharkz
Posted

Hello! After years of stomach problems, I decided to try and solve them by changing my diet. I lessened my gluten intake for a while, avoiding those foods because I felt lousy after eating them. About three or four weeks ago, I decided to go gluten-free (more or less... I didn't use exclusively certified gluten-free products, so I must have gotten some). I felt a lot better, but the problems weren't completely solved. Another super neat thing that happened was I felt significantly less depressed than I have in a long time... years, even! Now I'm finally seeking testing for gluten intolerance (so that I can prove to my college that the food they provide is damaging). I started eating gluteny products about four days ago, and feel a little bit worse but it's not awful yet.

My question is, to have an increased chance of an accurate blood test result (which I understand is sort of unlikely anyway), how much gluten do I need to be eating? I've been eating about one serving a day of wheat crackers. Which is not much. How much gluten should I be eating, and is it likely that I need to continue eating it for 3 months? My diet has been low on gluten (but not devoid of it) for a few months.

Another question I suppose... If I were gluten intolerant in some way, should I expect to feel dramatically worse after reintroducing gluten? Because I don't, at least not most of the time. It's just a slightly lousier feeling. Less energy, more gas, more discomfort, you know... all the fun things!! Sometimes I think that going gluten-free was just a placebo for me... I expected to get better, and so I did. And now that it's back, I expected to feel a little worse, and I do. I know you all know how it is, sick of guessing and waiting and feeling lousy, and just wanting a solid answer... that's where I'm at.

Thank you all so much for your help, reading all of these posts from people who are just as confused as I am is incredibly helpful for keeping hope alive :)

-Emily

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

To have the best chance of an accurate test you need to be eating at least 4 to 6 slices of bread a day for about 3 months. You may still have a false negative. Once testing is done then go strictly gluten free for a couple of months. Since gluten intolerance and celiac are autoimmune reactions you really need to totally eliminate it to stop the antibodies.

MsCurious Enthusiast
MsCurious
Posted

From Mayo Clinic: Open Original Shared Link

"Gluten-challenge testing requires adequate gluten intake for long enough to develop gut lesions. Four slices of whole wheat bread daily for 4 weeks usually suffices. However, it will make patients ill and they can become quite symptomatic. There are some patients who are delayed responders and if a patient has had no symptoms develop by 4 weeks, I will usually perform serology. If it becomes positive at that point, we

koolsharkz Newbie
koolsharkz
Posted
  • Author

Thank you both for your help!

love2travel Mentor
love2travel
Posted

My question is, to have an increased chance of an accurate blood test result (which I understand is sort of unlikely anyway), how much gluten do I need to be eating? I've been eating about one serving a day of wheat crackers. Which is not much. How much gluten should I be eating, and is it likely that I need to continue eating it for 3 months? My diet has been low on gluten (but not devoid of it) for a few months.

Another question I suppose... If I were gluten intolerant in some way, should I expect to feel dramatically worse after reintroducing gluten? Because I don't, at least not most of the time. It's just a slightly lousier feeling. Less energy, more gas, more discomfort, you know... all the fun things!! Sometimes I think that going gluten-free was just a placebo for me... I expected to get better, and so I did. And now that it's back, I expected to feel a little worse, and I do. I know you all know how it is, sick of guessing and waiting and feeling lousy, and just wanting a solid answer... that's where I'm at.

Thank you all so much for your help, reading all of these posts from people who are just as confused as I am is incredibly helpful for keeping hope alive :)

-Emily

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      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

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    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thanks so much! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      I have osteopenia and have cracked three vertebrae.  Niacin is connected to osteoporosis! Do talk to your nutritionist and doctor about supplementing with B vitamins.  Blood tests don't reveal the amount of vitamins stored inside cells.  The blood is a transportation system and can reflect vitamins absorbed from food eaten in the previous twenty-four to forty-eight hours.  Those "normal limits" are based on minimum amounts required to prevent disease, not levels for optimal health.   Keep us posted on your progress.   B Vitamins: Functions and Uses in Medicine https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9662251/ Association of dietary niacin intake with osteoporosis in the postmenopausal women in the US: NHANES 2007–2018 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11835798/ Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/   Nutritional Imbalances in Adult Celiac Patients Following a Gluten-Free Diet https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8398893/ Nutritional Consequences of Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Diet https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7422/15/4/61 Simplifying the B Complex: How Vitamins B6 and B9 Modulate One Carbon Metabolism in Cancer and Beyond https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9609401/
    • JudyLou
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By JudyLou · Posted

      Thank you so much for the clarification! Yes to these questions: Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, or vitamins? I’m within healthy range for nutritional tests, thyroid and am not anemic. I do have osteopenia. I don’t take any medications, and the dietician was actually a nutritionist (not sure if that is the same thing) recommended by my physician at the time to better understand gluten free eating.    I almost wish the gluten exposure had triggered something, so at least I’d know what’s going on. So confusing!    Many thanks! 
    • knitty kitty
      Seeking advice on potential gluten challenge

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @JudyLou,  I have dermatitis herpetiformis, too!  And...big drum roll... Niacin improves dermatitis herpetiformis!   Niacin is very important to skin health and intestinal health.   You're correct.  dermatitis herpetiformis usually occurs on extensor muscles, but dermatitis herpetiformis is also pressure sensitive, so blisters can form where clothing puts pressure on the skin. Elastic waist bands, bulky seams on clothing, watch bands, hats.  Rolled up sleeves or my purse hanging on my arm would make me break out on the insides of my elbows.  I have had a blister on my finger where my pen rested as I write.  Foods high in Iodine can cause an outbreak and exacerbate dermatitis herpetiformis. You've been on the gluten free diet for a long time.  Our gluten free diet can be low in vitamins and minerals, especially if processed gluten free foods are consumed.  Those aren't fortified with vitamins like gluten containing products are.  Have you consulted dietician?  Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Osteoporosis? Thyroid? Anemia?  Do you take any supplements, medicine, or vitamins? Niacin deficiency is connected to anemia.  Anemia can cause false negatives on tTg IgA tests.  A person can be on that borderline where symptoms wax and wane for years, surviving, but not thriving.  We have a higher metabolic need for more nutrients when we're sick or emotionally stressed which can deplete the small amount of vitamins we can store in our bodies and symptoms reappear.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards. The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.    Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.   However, another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.   I recommend getting checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  More than just Vitamin D and B12.  A gluten challenge would definitely be a stressor capable of precipitating further vitamin deficiencies and health consequences.   Best wishes!    
    • trents
      Have I got coeliac disease

      By trents · Posted

      And I agree with Wheatwacked. When a physician tells you that you can't have celiac disease because you're not losing weight, you can be certain that doctor is operating on a dated understanding of celiac disease. I assume you are in the UK by the way you spelled "coeliac". So, I'm not sure what your options are when it comes to healthcare, but I might suggest you look for another physician who is more up to date in this area and is willing to work with you to get an accurate diagnosis. If, in fact, you do not have celiac disease but you know that gluten causes you problems, you might have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity). There is no test available yet for NCGS. Celiac must first be ruled out. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small bowel. NCGS we is not autoimmune and we know less about it's true nature. But we do know it is considerably more common than celiac disease.
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