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Should I Take Another Test?

isabel86d

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isabel86d Newbie
isabel86d
Posted

For the last few years I've noticed that I've been having digestion and stomach issues. It seems to have gotten worse in the past few months. When someone suggested it might be a gluten allergy, I decided to go to my doctor for a blood test. Prior to the test, I started trying to eat more gluten free foods. I wasn't completely off gluten, but I was trying to switch some foods, like bread and cereal, for gluten free brands. After about 5 days of this diet, I got in for an appointment and a blood test. I just found out the results of the blood test: apparently I was just in the "normal range" for not having an allergy to gluten. My doctor thinks I should eat regular foods (with gluten in them) and come back in 4 weeks to get the test again. I'm pretty sure I have some kind of sensitivity to gluten just from how much better I feel when I'm not eating gluten foods, and don't want to have to suffer through another 4 weeks of eating gluten just to see if this test will come up positive. Do you think I should try the test again (and feel sick from eating the gluten for 4 weeks?) or should I ask for a referral to a GI doctor instead? Thanks for your help!

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Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Are you saying you were only off most gluten for 5 days? If so, that's not long enough to change test results so your test was valid. You could still be gluten intolerant. There is no test other than trying the diet.

I'm also confused about what test you got. Did you get celiac testing or wheat allergy testing? They are not the same. Be sure it was celiac testing and that you got the full celiac panel before you went off gluten. Read this from the University of Chicago Celiac Center that explains the tests.

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chrissyinnj Apprentice
chrissyinnj
Posted

I agree. 5 days wasn't long enough to make an impact especially since you said you weren't even totally gluten free. The AGA is a good test for gluten intolerance.

isabel86d Newbie
isabel86d
Posted
  • Author

It was an Anti-gliadin test, and the nurse said my number was 11 (Can anyone explain this?). Unfortunately, she didn't explain what that meant, but said that I tested negative. I told her that I just wanted a referral to a GI specialist, so that is the route I think I will go. Thanks for your help.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

It was an Anti-gliadin test, and the nurse said my number was 11 (Can anyone explain this?). Unfortunately, she didn't explain what that meant, but said that I tested negative. I told her that I just wanted a referral to a GI specialist, so that is the route I think I will go. Thanks for your help.

We can't tell you what the number means without the "normal" range from that laboratory.

Anti-gliadin is NOT a full celiac panel and it's the least reliable of the celiac tests. Keep eating gluten until you get to a GI or get your GP to run the full celiac panel. There are other tests that need to be run, a test for your total IgA, anti-TTG, and anti-DGP.

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