What Now?

[hellopixies90]

I think I might have celiac's. I've gone about up to five days before without gluten... it helped my gut problems a lot.

I just got blood taken for a celiac test, but my doctor says he wants to refer me to a surgeon to check my intestines. Do I need to continue consuming gluten until then?!

Can I eliminate gluten from my diet from now? Or do I have to wait until after my guts get checked out?

Cheers

xo

[mushroom]

No, for accurate results you must continue to consume gluten until all testing is finished. Once you have had the biopsy you can go gluten free.

[rosetapper23]

You should wait until you get the results of your bloodwork. If you test positive for celiac, you almost definitely DO have celiac. If the biopsy is scheduled for some future date that is unacceptable to you, it's a personal decision as to whether or not you wish to continue eating gluten in order to have the biopsy. Remember, the gluten will continue to damage your small intestine, it'll take longer to heal, and sometimes certain damage can never be repaired. Oftentimes the biopsy is negative even though a person has celiac (the surgeon or pathologist is inexperienced or incompetent, the biopsy tool can't reach the damaged section, or the surgeon doesn't sample the affected areas). If you're really suffering and you test positive on your bloodwork, no one here would blame you for giving up gluten and canceling the biopsy....because what's the point? If you have positive bloodwork and your symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet, you obviously have celiac. However, again, that is your personal choice to make. Unless you need a diagnosis through biopsy for a reason (want to go to college, want to join the Armed Forces, or your insurance requires it), many of us here on the forum feel that the biopsy is unnecessary.

[hellopixies90]

All right! I'm glad I asked this beforehand. Well, my doctor wants to wait for my blood test results before trying a surgeon I think. I'm not quite sure. He said he wanted to send me to a surgeon but never gave me a referral.

I'm not sure I have the willpower to go gluten-free anyway. My family isn't really supportive of this kind of stuff... So unless I get real results, and even then, it would be hard to go gluten-free. And even then, it's not like I'd have access to a gluten-free kitchen.

I get high when I eat pasta, bread, etc. It feels IMPOSSIBLE for me to go without very wheaty foods for longer than 2/3 days (the five day trial was a long time ago, I can't seem to last that long anymore). When I eat a large portion of pasta or bread, my muscles feel weak and I feel high as I said. It's a weird feeling, and as embarrassing as it sounds, I like it. I even study better in this state because I don't have as many distracting thoughts, I'm just sort of numbed out.

I honestly doubt I have celiacs though because I read some people's symptoms and I;m not like that. I run about 10 miles easy and I'm very active.

Thanks for the help though!! I really appreciate it. I didn't know I had to keep wheat in my diet to get the "true" results from a biopsy.

[mushroom]

The fact that you get high when eating gluten is indicative that you have an addiction to it, which many of us do. And the interesting part about addictions is that we are often addicted to those things that are harming us. When we go gluten free many of us go through withdrawal from gluten, just as we do from nicotine and other substances, a process that takes two or three weeks. Your getting "high" on it may well be a sign that you should not be eating it.. While the withdrawal from it is not fun, it doesn't last and it is worth suffering through for the long-lasting benefits. Wait for your blood test results before you make any decisions about how you are going to proceed.

[rosetapper23]

I SO agree with Mushroom! Grains contain exorphins, which have addictive qualities. Food manufacturers in the U.S. know this, and it is one of the main reasons that so many processed foods contain gluten-containing grains. I completely understand your addiction, because I had no digestive complaints for the first 35 years after my celiac was triggered at age 11, and I LOVED wheat products...and felt comforted and happy after eating them. However, in my mid-40's, I developed diarrhea, stomach pain, gas, etc., and began to suffer from nutritional deficiencies. That really motivated me to go gluten free once I found out that it was causing my health problems. If your bloodwork is positive, I hope you will STRONGLY consider going gluten free. Over time, you'll no longer crave wheat products, and you won't suffer increasing damage to your small intestine. I wish I'd known about celiac at your age. Some of my symptoms have not resolved even after following a gluten-free diet for eight years (night blindness, inability to clot, neuropathy, muscle and tendon problems, to name a few). Do you want to develop health problems like these? If you have celiac, count yourself lucky that you've been given an opportunity to live a healthy life. If not, expect arthritis, migraines, depression, auto-immune diseases, muscle and tendon problems, etc., down the road. The decisions you make now will affect you for the rest of your life--choose wisely.

[GFinDC]

Maybe read this thread, it might help. Or search on gluten withdrawal and opiod.

What Is Gluten Withdrawal?

You also might want to search on gluten ataxia and read some of the affects of it. Gluten can certainly affect the brain and cause damage.

Eating gluten-free seems hard at first but after a while you get used to eating different foods and it becomes normal. And you feel better and have more energy and clearer thinking etc etc etc.. Try it for a few months and see how you do. Stick to a whole foods diet and cook your meals from scratch. Also gt some vit B-12 and vit D. Maybe some cal/mag/zinc too. Celiac can cause you to be low in some vitamins and minerals, and that can cause cravings also.