Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Should I Continue With Gluten Challenge?

Dove314

Recommended Posts

Dove314 Newbie
Dove314
Posted

I started eating gluten-free after I noticed that many of the problems I have been dealing with over the last couple of years started to get better on the diet (mostly, diarrhea, gas, bloating, abdominal pain). After a month of being gluten-free I felt better than I had in almost two years. Now my doctor wants to test me for Celiacs Disease but in order to have accurate test results I have to go back to eating gluten again. Two days in, I felt just an overall sick feeling, sometimes nausea. Now four days in, I have joint pain in my wrists and neck, headache, vertigo, fatigue, and constipation. My endoscopy is scheduled for four weeks from now along with blood tests. My doctor said that if I am really miserable I should just schedule the tests earlier and stop eating it. I know the longer I am exposed to gluten the more accurate the tests will be, but I'm not sure how long I can last. Is it worth it to get to an accurate diagnosis? my reasons for wanting to get tested are: health insurance benefits, for my family (as a genetic condition to watch out for), and because I tend to second guess myself and I think it would help me stick to the diet better. Also want to know if there is anything else that might be going on health wise. I am almost 100% certain I will go back to eating gluten-free after the tests no matter what they say because I know that I feel better. Also, is it common for seemingly new symptoms to appear, such as the joint pain and vertigo, while other symptoms that were more prevalent before the challenge become less common (in my case the diarrhea)?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

check out our current discussion of how long you need to eat gluten for an accurate test.

Dove314 Newbie
Dove314
Posted
  • Author

eesh...three months? I don't think I could handle that if I'm already worried about making it for ONE month. Is it worth it to do the tests even if there is a good chance they might not be accurate?

tom Contributor
tom
Posted

These situations are so tough & all-too-common.

Looking forward to the day testing is a lot easier & highly accurate.

Christine0125 Contributor
Christine0125
Posted

I'm probably going to differ from many of the replies but in my opinion it's worth it to get an accurate diagnosis. My doc recommended 2 weeks of a gluten challenge for the blood tests and that was enough to get positive results. I had also done a 1 month gluten-free trial prior to that. Personally I think I would have frequently second-guessed the diet had I not been 100% sure. I'm now back on gluten temporarily until my endoscopy. I'm easing my body into it. I've only had 1 cracker the last couple days but will increase the amount slowly until my appt on 4/20. Basically the doctor told me he's certain I have celiacs based on the blood test alone but the endoscopy will be able to tell if anything else is going on. Good luck making the best decision for you. I know I read somewhere that the gluten symptoms may subside over the course of the trial as your body readjusts to it so it's possible you're through the worst of it and the next few weeks won't cause as severe a reaction.

I started eating gluten-free after I noticed that many of the problems I have been dealing with over the last couple of years started to get better on the diet (mostly, diarrhea, gas, bloating, abdominal pain). After a month of being gluten-free I felt better than I had in almost two years. Now my doctor wants to test me for Celiacs Disease but in order to have accurate test results I have to go back to eating gluten again. Two days in, I felt just an overall sick feeling, sometimes nausea. Now four days in, I have joint pain in my wrists and neck, headache, vertigo, fatigue, and constipation. My endoscopy is scheduled for four weeks from now along with blood tests. My doctor said that if I am really miserable I should just schedule the tests earlier and stop eating it. I know the longer I am exposed to gluten the more accurate the tests will be, but I'm not sure how long I can last. Is it worth it to get to an accurate diagnosis? my reasons for wanting to get tested are: health insurance benefits, for my family (as a genetic condition to watch out for), and because I tend to second guess myself and I think it would help me stick to the diet better. Also want to know if there is anything else that might be going on health wise. I am almost 100% certain I will go back to eating gluten-free after the tests no matter what they say because I know that I feel better. Also, is it common for seemingly new symptoms to appear, such as the joint pain and vertigo, while other symptoms that were more prevalent before the challenge become less common (in my case the diarrhea)?

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

These situations are so tough & all-too-common.

Looking forward to the day testing is a lot easier & highly accurate.

Good grief yes.

I ate one sandwich and decided challenging was not worth the misery. I was in graduate school and could not afford to get sick again. Thing is, I am now on a celiac-safe diet because I opted not to challenge. It's dangerous to be possibly celiac and lack the conviction to stay on the diet.

The good news is that as Christine points out, after only a month gluten-free you may not have to challenge as long. It takes a few months for antibodies to fall. I haven't seen studies on challenges in people who haven't been gluten-free long enough to have no antibodies and normal histology. I am concerned about your joint pain because we can develop joint autoimmunity.

tom Contributor
tom
Posted

....

Basically the doctor told me he's certain I have celiacs based on the blood test alone but the endoscopy will be able to tell if anything else is going on. ...

Wait, what? If the endoscopy's to check for other things (besides baselining possible existing damage from a "certain" dx), there'd be no reason to keep eating gluten.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Christine0125 Contributor
Christine0125
Posted

Wait, what? If the endoscopy's to check for other things (besides baselining possible existing damage from a "certain" dx), there'd be no reason to keep eating gluten.

I believe for me they are looking for a possible ulcer since my biggest symptom is nausea. It can also tell if reflux is an issue.

my guess is my symptoms are all related to celiac but I am moving forward ith all the tests the doc ordered for my own piece of mind. The gluten challenge may not be worth it for you but because I can function normally although somewhat uncomfortably it's worth it to me.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,112
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Donna J G
    Newest Member
    Donna J G
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • jenniber
      Celiac support is hard to find

      By jenniber · Posted

      same! how amazing you have a friend who has celiac disease. i find myself wishing i had someone to talk about it with other than my partner (who has been so supportive regardless)
    • RMJ
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By RMJ · Posted

      They don’t give a sample size (serving size is different from sample size) so it is hard to tell just what the result means.  However, the way the result is presented  does look like it is below the limit of what their test can measure, so that is good.
    • knitty kitty
      Insomnia help

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @cristiana,  I react the same way.  Dairy consumption flushes out my digestive system within an hour, too! As casein is digested, it forms casomorphins that bind to opioid receptors in our bodies.  This is similar to digested gluten peptides being able to attach to opioid receptors in our bodies.   We have opioid receptors throughout our bodies including lots in the digestive tract. Casein raises tTg IgA antibodies just like gluten consumption does, which leads to further intestinal damage and continuing inflammation.  No wonder our bodies react to it by pushing the "emergency evacuation" ejection seat button! The mother of my childhood friend was British and introduced me to drinking tea properly with milk or cream.  I miss it so much.  And chocolate ice cream.  Not worth the after effects, though.  I've found taking Omega Three supplements (flaxseed oil, sunflower seed oil, evening primrose oil) helps shake those dairy cravings.   Green leafy veggies like broccoli, kale, and greens (mustard, turnip, collards) are great sources of calcium.  Avoid spinach as it is high in oxalates that block calcium absorption and may cause kidney stones.  Yes, more leafy greens are needed to reach the same amount of calcium in a glass of milk, but the greens have other benefits, like increased dietary fiber and polyphenols that act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and promote health.   Exposure to gluten (and casein in those sensitive to it) can cause an increased immune response and inflammation for months afterwards.  The immune cells that make tTg IgA antibodies which are triggered today are going to live for about two years. During that time, inflammation is heightened.  Those immune cells only replicate when triggered.  If those immune cells don't get triggered again for about two years, they die without leaving any descendents programmed to trigger on gluten and casein.  The immune system forgets gluten and casein need to be attacked.  The Celiac genes turn off.  This is remission.   Some people in remission report being able to consume gluten again without consequence.  Another triggering event can turn the Celiac genes on again.   Celiac genes are turned on by a triggering event (physical or emotional stress).  There's some evidence that thiamine insufficiency contributes to the turning on of autoimmune genes.  There is an increased biological need for thiamine when we are physically or emotionally stressed.  Thiamine cannot be stored for more than twenty-one days and may be depleted in as little as three during physical and emotional stresses. Mitochondria without sufficient thiamine become damaged and don't function properly.  This gets relayed to the genes and autoimmune disease genes turn on.  Thiamine and other B vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are needed to replace the dysfunctional mitochondria and repair the damage to the body.  
    • TheDHhurts
      need help understanding testing result for Naked Nutrition Creatine please

      By TheDHhurts · Posted

      Hi, I bought Naked Nutrition Creatine. It lists itself as gluten free but is not certified. (It used to be, but they dropped it in the past year or two apparently.) I wrote the company and asked them what testing results they had for creatine and they sent me the attached, which says the test result for gluten is <0.025MCG. I'm used to seeing test results as ppm, so I'm not sure what <0.025MCG means. Can it be converted to ppm easily? I want to confirm that it is safe to use.
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      When I was still recovering my gastroenterologist suggested I bought lactofree product as I was very bloated.  So I bought some from the supermarket and from memory, I drank a nice big glass of milk - and it went right through me literally within an hour or so, if my memory serves correctly.  I came off dairy completely next and it worked like a charm, but started to reintroduce quite gradually it as I missed it! To this day, if I overdo dairy products, they work like a mild laxative.  I've never wanted to give up milk completely as I like it so much, and my mum had osteoporosis and it's an easy way of getting calcium.  But it doesn't really 'sit' well with me.   You may need to experiment a bit as when I was healing certain dairy products were worse than others - I could cope with one brand of Greek yoghurt, but I got extremely and painfully bloated with another brand of live British yoghurt.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.