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Go Back To Eating Gluten For 5 Days Before Getting Tested? (Newb)

reardenstone

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reardenstone Newbie
reardenstone
Posted

I am scheduled to see an allergist next Wednesday, but I don't know what to expect on the first visit.

I have toyed with being gluten free before, but finally started doing it two months ago. I think I definitely have had less of an allergy look on my face, cognition is better, and maybe less bloating and gas production. However, I'm not certain of the extent of my sensitivity so I am getting a test done.

Predicting that they would test right away, I decided to slowly get back on gluten for the next 5.5 days. I had a chicken nugget type meal at lunch and am now having some oatmeal granola with yogurt. Same results as before when I went off the wagon - about 10-15 minutes after ingestion I feel like I have taken a mild drug. Slight mix of sedative with chill like tingles, and caffeine type jitteriness. Can't explain it too well, but I feel foggy in the head and a little anxious at the same time.

Did I need to go off my diet for the test?

Will they begin the tests on the first visit? (I hope so)

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beebs Enthusiast
beebs
Posted

Hi there,

Some of us test negative on the test even eating gluten ever day of our lives. I'm not really sure that 5.5 days is enough - I wouldn't be surprised if you tested negative even if you are celiac. When people do a gluten challenge after being gluten free to get tested they do 2 months of eating at least 4 slices of bread a day. It might be worth getting the test postponed and doing a proper challenge if you want a diagnosis.

reardenstone Newbie
reardenstone
Posted
  • Author

Hi there,

Some of us test negative on the test even eating gluten ever day of our lives. I'm not really sure that 5.5 days is enough - I wouldn't be surprised if you tested negative even if you are celiac. When people do a gluten challenge after being gluten free to get tested they do 2 months of eating at least 4 slices of bread a day. It might be worth getting the test postponed and doing a proper challenge if you want a diagnosis.

Can I go to I-Hop the night before for all-you-can-eat pancakes and then eating some toast and cereal in the morning? And eat nothing but gluten to up my gluten intake this weekend.

Honestly, I fell off the wagon a couple of times. I had a beer each night the last few nights, and real pizza around June 20. I had a "bite" of a biscuit last weekend (biscuits are hard to ignore if I see them and and smell them and see fresh steam rising). Considering these mess-ups and having a carnation mix (oops... didn't know it had hidden gluten) and period beers and whiskey, I may be okay to test. I still alleviated some symptoms returning to my diet, but I only qualify as 95-98% or so gluten free.

I got to where I don't miss it that much UNLESS a birthday cake comes along and maybe oatmeal and pizza (though the pizza place across the street can make personal/small pizzas gluten free for an extra $3)

As for the feeling, I can already see my scalp getting a little redder and more inflamed and I'm worried about losing more than I already have. It's interesting because the diet helped improve things.

So, I honestly don't want to delay the test and eat bread for two months. I might even just be a "sensitive" type or simply have a wheat allergy. But something is up and I would like to get to it sooner rather than later.

If the blood test is a wash, what other tests exist?

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

I am scheduled to see an allergist next Wednesday, but I don't know what to expect on the first visit.

I have toyed with being gluten free before, but finally started doing it two months ago. I think I definitely have had less of an allergy look on my face, cognition is better, and maybe less bloating and gas production. However, I'm not certain of the extent of my sensitivity so I am getting a test done.

Predicting that they would test right away, I decided to slowly get back on gluten for the next 5.5 days. I had a chicken nugget type meal at lunch and am now having some oatmeal granola with yogurt. Same results as before when I went off the wagon - about 10-15 minutes after ingestion I feel like I have taken a mild drug. Slight mix of sedative with chill like tingles, and caffeine type jitteriness. Can't explain it too well, but I feel foggy in the head and a little anxious at the same time.

Did I need to go off my diet for the test?

Will they begin the tests on the first visit? (I hope so)

Are you only being tested for allergies or are you being tested for celiac disease? Celiac is not an allergy and typically allergists don't run the celiac panel. You need to see a gastroenerologist for that or in some cases your regular dr can order the test (may depend on your insurance). If you are being tested for allergy to wheat only then you don't need to be eating it to show up positive (at least for IgE). I showed up with a slightly positive wheat allergy after over a year of being gluten-free.

However, if you want to be tested for celiac disease you will have to go back to eating it for about 3 months in the amount of 3-4 slices of bread per day. Eating it for 5 days likely will not make a difference in testing. You need to be a ona full gluten diet for a long time for the antibodies to show up in your blood.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

If your celiac test comes back negative you will wonder whether it was because it's really negative, or becasue you were mostly gluten-free for a couple months before the test.

reardenstone Newbie
reardenstone
Posted
  • Author

To all:

I don't think I had full blown celiac. I never had severe problems like that. I'm more like the two adults profiled here:

Open Original Shared Link

I had/have bloating, more gas, more circles under eyes, and the brain fog thing. I think some inflammation cause other issues with histine effects and scalp and hair health degradation that I didn't really know was adding up over time and three and a half decades or so.

So I guess my abandonment to gluten was for naught if I am only doing the blood test.

GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

To all:

I don't think I had full blown celiac. I never had severe problems like that. I'm more like the two adults profiled here:

Open Original Shared Link

I had/have bloating, more gas, more circles under eyes, and the brain fog thing. I think some inflammation cause other issues with histine effects and scalp and hair health degradation that I didn't really know was adding up over time and three and a half decades or so.

So I guess my abandonment to gluten was for naught if I am only doing the blood test.

There are no blood tests for gluten sensitivity. There are only tests for celiac disease and those tests have a high rate of false negatives. Therefore the adults profiled there (as well as you) could possibilly have celiac and still test negative. The only test for gluten sensitivity is the test you have already done. You eliminated gluten and your symptoms went away. You get the symptoms back when you eat gluten. If going gluten free has helped you then you have your answer already. Whether you call yourself celiac or gluten intolerant/gluten sensitive is totally up to you. The requirements are the same no mater what you call it--a strict gluten-free diet for life. Both groups of people have to be just as careful and both conditions are serious.

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beebs Enthusiast
beebs
Posted

And there lies the real pain with celiac. Some people have loads of symptoms, some have none. some have weird ones you'd never connect with food. Ahh the joys of gluten!

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