Symptoms Aren't Lining Up Perfectly, Does That Mean I Don't Have Celiac Disease?

[carolynlouise]

I have been having stomach problems for years, but only recently did it get worse. Over the past two months I have been recording what I eat to see if that is the cause for my stomach and intestinal issues. I notice that I have more issues when I eat an abundance of gluten and dairy products.

I have set up an appointment with my doctor to be tested, however I am nervous it will either negative or inconclusive because I do not have all the same symptoms of Celiac Disease.

I guess my final concern is that if it's not celiac disease, then what could it be? I don't want to be running around trying to figure out what the issue is. And I know that isn't as easy as it should be, but should I just go completely gluten and dairy free even if my doctor says I'm negative?

[Jestgar]

.... but should I just go completely gluten and dairy free even if my doctor says I'm negative?

Yes. At least for a couple months. If you aren't convinced by then, add gluten back in, see if your symptoms change, then add dairy back in.

[Sarah Alli]

Elimination diets tend to be more accurate than testing, as long as you are strict and stick with them long enough to reasonably see results (or no results, as the case may be).

Another reason to not put too much faith in the tests is that other conditions can cause you to feel nasty when you consume gluteny/dairy things. While celiac disease, which is a specific autoimmune disease, is the most known there are others- a wheat allergy could have similar symptoms for example. Lactose intolerance. My doctor sent me some studies about irritable bowel which showed that a gluten free diet can be effective in managing that for some people (like me!)- which may be the same thing as non-celiac gluten intolerance.

Get the tests done for sure, because if you do have actual Celiac disease you'll want to take additional precautions, like getting your family members (especially parents and children) tested. But after the test is done, go gluten/dairy free, before you get the test results back. You may just find that you have your answer before the doctor does.

Good luck!

[krystynycole]

I have been having stomach problems for years, but only recently did it get worse. Over the past two months I have been recording what I eat to see if that is the cause for my stomach and intestinal issues. I notice that I have more issues when I eat an abundance of gluten and dairy products.

I have set up an appointment with my doctor to be tested, however I am nervous it will either negative or inconclusive because I do not have all the same symptoms of Celiac Disease.

I guess my final concern is that if it's not celiac disease, then what could it be? I don't want to be running around trying to figure out what the issue is. And I know that isn't as easy as it should be, but should I just go completely gluten and dairy free even if my doctor says I'm negative?

My tests were all negative. However I still went gluten free. I don't need a test to tell me to be gluten free or not. I feel a million times better without gluten so I never turned back. Not everyone looks the same or reacts exactly the same. While a lot of our symptoms are the same, there is a lot that varies from person to person. Make sure to eat a lot of gluten the month or so before your tested and do not stop eating it! You need to have gluten in your system when tested for it to be positive.