Advice Regarding Testing

[Will29]

Hi all, for two weeks I have been attempting to avoid gluten, symptoms improving I believe. However after a bad night last night and asking questions about butter etc I decided today to test myself by eating gluten (millionere shortbread which I don't even like) to see if my body clearly reacts. It has, bloated, crampy, and a few other lovely things (nausea being a new addition). All this leaves me with a problem, I now believe gluten is making me sick, however I have not been tested, should I go back on to get tested -

and if so how bad can the symptoms get?

Can I take only small amounts of gluten or back to previous diet (gluten fest)?

The reason I am considering testing is because I have two young children and worry that if it's celiac that I may pass it along to them, so would want to know for certain, however couldn't I just watch for symptoms and get them tested then?

[tom]

...

All this leaves me with a problem, I now believe gluten is making me sick, however I have not been tested, should I go back on to get tested -

and if so how bad can the symptoms get?

...

It's one of the toughest questions - to gluten challenge or not once already certain it makes you sick.

Imo it can depend a lot on how much your Dr listens / how much you trust him/her to listen. Symptoms accrued during a challenge count highly to some Drs while others barely want to know.

Some Drs will halt a challenge w/ overwhelming symptoms, get blood & biopsy & if both neg they're ready to dx severe intolerance, as opposed to some lesser Drs who see neg tests & say "congrats! You're fine!" Or Rx daily pills for IBS etc. ("Maybe it's all in your head!")

Do you like your Dr?

As far as the extent of symptoms during a challenge, it seems to be not just all over the map but to both horizons. Some silent (so far, imo) celiacs feel nothing to the other extreme of ppl sure that it introduced new symptoms/disorders that remained.

Crossing my fingers that you already like/trust your Dr

[Newbee]

Get tested. If you don't you may regret it later. I have celiac and am having trouble healing from it. I don't know that I would have stuck with being gluten free forever if I didn't have the diagnosis