Eliminating Gluten For The Non-Sensitive

[Cara in Boston]

We are STILL in the middle of testing. Both my son (5) and I had positive blood tests months ago. I am now on a three month gluten challenge and son has MD apt. tomorrow where we will hopefully get some more information.

Whatever happens, when the testing is over, we will be trying out the gluten free diet.

This board has been so helpful so far, I hope I can get a few more questions answered.

I've learned that if you are sensitive to gluten (celiac or intolerance) and you remove it from your diet, you can become MORE sensitive to it in the future (smaller amounts will make you sick, symptoms could be much worse than what you were feeling when you had gluten every day, etc.)

If someone is NOT sensitive to gluten and removes it from their diet, can they "become" sensitive? If the (healthy? normal?) members of the family adopt a gluten free lifestyle, do they have to worry about being "glutened" ??

I imagine that it wouldn't make a difference for them at all and they have nothing to worry about. If they DID experience a change, then they were probably sensitive to begin with and just didn't know it.

Does this question even make sense?

Cara

[Jestgar]

I imagine that it wouldn't make a difference for them at all and they have nothing to worry about. If they DID experience a change, then they were probably sensitive to begin with and just didn't know it.

You have this exactly right. They should be fine, and if they aren't then you've done them a favor by letting them find out that some food was damaging them.

[Cara in Boston]

Thanks -

I just thought of another (somewhat related) question.

When I went (briefly) gluten free I felt horrible. My symptoms were worse and I had a headache. I'm guessing that was withdrawal. I only went 10 days then doctor wanted me to go back on gluten for testing. I never felt better, but a week later, had no symptoms at all. Then, they were back. Also, my blood and biopsy were negative after having a very positive test before going gluten-free.

Anyway, will the other family members get the headache? They may not be sensitive to gluten, but wouldn't they still notice its sudden absence?

And another question. My mother-in-law has had symptoms her whole life. Her MD thinks she has celiac. Her blood and biopsy came back negative. She "tried" a gluten free diet (but I know she only avoided the obvious things: bread, pasta, etc. and was probably still ingesting gluten) for about two weeks and then quit because she was now getting constipated and didn't really feel better. I think she is sensitive and didn't feel better because she 1. Wasn

[Jestgar]

Everyone's responses are so different that it's really hard to predict how any one individual will feel.

It does seem that if your MIL had no issues with gluten , she would have no issues without gluten, but without an in depth analysis of her not quite so gluten-free diet it's really hard to say. And as you said, she is 80, she's satisfied with her choices and it's unlikely you'll get her to change anything.

[AndyS]

FYI: I don't eat gluten in the home or in front of my son because he is sensitive to it. It is not a problem at all. Plus, I can always eat a slice of bread, etc. when I am not around him.

Best wishes.