Blood Test: What Can I Do To Increase Its Accuracy?

[jwblue]

I have never eaten a gluten free diet except for a slice of bread in the morning that has gluten but is supposed

to me tolerable for people sensitive to gluten.

Are there any foods with gluten I can eat before my blood test in order to increase its accuracy?

For how long before the blood test should I eat this gluten diet in order to increase the accuracy of the blood test?

[beachbirdie]

I've heard you need to be eating a minimum of "3 slices of bread" or the equivalent in other glutenous foods, and over a period of 6 weeks to 3 months. You will get varied advice on this one, based on the different medical establishments/people that each have their own preferences!

[tom]

Are there any foods with gluten I can eat before my blood test in order to increase its accuracy?

Do you mean 'any *other* foods'? Then, no.

For how long before the blood test should I eat this gluten diet in order to increase the accuracy of the blood test?

First off, you'll want to verify that a full celiac panel is being done. It's incredible how often people here tell of their Dr running just one or two celiac tests smh.

Once the full panel is in use, the uncertainty of proper/adequate gluten-challenge duration rears its ugly head.

Some people get DXd w/ 2 wks on gluten, some it'll take 6.5 wks, 9, 12, . . Hmmm realizing I don't recall a study checking in-betw 3mos & 6mos, but some ppl might fall in there & there are some who'll never test positive, despite positive biopsy, celiac symptoms & unequivocally positive response to diet.

Does your question mean that you don't already have an appt for the blood tests & get to decide the gluten-challenge (GC) duration yourself?

Some might go w/ a "for as long as you can handle it" approach, depending on not only one's symptoms, but also family situation (e.g. can't be incapacitated w/ 3 toddlers to care for), work/school timing considerations like "not during finals!" or sick leave policies/# of paid sick-days, general masochism etc.

Sure, longer is generally better, absent other considerations, but it's not like we see ppl doing 6 month challenges.

There aren't enough studies on it, but I found it interesting that companies betting millions on 'celiac pills' are testing their efficacy over 6 wks.

How long have been doing the challenge thus far?

Do you already have a GI that you like/trust?

I'd hate to see you schedule X wks then have the symptoms become truly unbearable less than halfway in & want to reschedule but have no appts avail before the already-sched one. If self-scheduling I'd want to ask the Dr's office about that. It's not like the blood draw itself takes any of the Dr's time.

It's a tough call - so how ya doing so far w/ the glutening?

[tom]

I've heard you need to be eating a minimum of "3 slices of bread" or the equivalent in other glutenous foods, and over a period of 6 weeks to 3 months. You will get varied advice on this one, based on the different medical establishments/people that each have their own preferences!

Those recs would've been much more common 10 yrs ago than today.

In 2004, Stanford was already saying just 1/2 slice for 30 days & UofChi is currently saying a single cracker is enough.

There are studies that explored dosage qty & what I've seen was 2 for 2 on recommending lightest dose, which was ~1/2 slice. IH may again voice displeasure at celiac studies using celiacs for the testing(?) but I've got if you'd like to read the studies.

I think the people insisting that higher dosage is necessarily better aren't taking into account that the studies aren't just looking for 'what leads to *more* antibodies' but rather 'what leads to *enough* antibodies.

Olympic high-jumpers aren't judged by how much *higher* than the bar they went, just whether they cleared it.

[jwblue]

I've heard you need to be eating a minimum of "3 slices of bread" or the equivalent in other glutenous foods, and over a period of 6 weeks to 3 months. You will get varied advice on this one, based on the different medical establishments/people that each have their own preferences!

Is this assuming that I have been on a gluten free diet?

To clarify, I have never in my life stopped eating gluten products.

Doesn't pretty much everything contain gluten? Can I eat a regular diet?

[tom]

Is this assuming that I have been on a gluten free diet?

To clarify, I have never in my life stopped eating gluten products.

Doesn't pretty much everything contain gluten? Can I eat a regular diet?

D'oh!!

My posts would apply to ppl re-introducing gluten.

You can/should test immediately if you've never been gluten-free.

And no, hehe, not everything contains gluten, but it does take effort to be 100% gluten-free, compared to just "no obvious wheat/gluten".

[1desperateladysaved]

Yeah, you should be good. I just did a antibody blood test for several things. They found antibodies to food that is just incidentally in my diet such a cinnamon, garlic, and chives. If you are eating a "normal" diet you can't hardly miss. I would get the test as soon as possible, so that you can go gluten free as soon as necessary. I hope your test will have accurate results.

Diana

[mushroom]

Just a reinforcement, to continue to eat gluten at least until you get your blood test results because you may be referred to a GI for an endoscopy with biopsy, and the same gluten-eating rules apply.

[beachbirdie]

Those recs would've been much more common 10 yrs ago than today.

In 2004, Stanford was already saying just 1/2 slice for 30 days & UofChi is currently saying a single cracker is enough.

I think the people insisting that higher dosage is necessarily better aren't taking into account that the studies aren't just looking for 'what leads to *more* antibodies' but rather 'what leads to *enough* antibodies.

Olympic high-jumpers aren't judged by how much *higher* than the bar they went, just whether they cleared it.

Yeah, makes sense.

I was eating only a slice a day. Raised up some antibodies, not a lot. I've always been puzzled by reports of numbers "through the roof" or "higher than the doctor had ever seen", as if that alone were an indicator of the severity of disease.