Coeliac blood test, when to eat gluten?

[KarteR26]

I've been on a gluten free diet now for 6 years since I was in my mid 20s as even the slightest amount of cross contamination from crumbs etc. started to set me off with severe bowel issues and I lost 2 stone. It still has the same effect now so I avoid it completely. My old GP put it down to IBS and referred me to a dietician.

My new GP has asked me to do a blood test to check for coeliac disease. The problem is I have to consume gluten to get a result in the test (assuming it's positive). How long before the test would I need to consume gluten? If it's a significant amount of time I'll miss work as it's debilitating and I won't get paid leave so I'd rather just skip the test and carry on as I am.

[bookish]

I don't know the answer to your question, I'm afraid, but I did find some advice about testing when I was in a similar situation - Dr Rodney Ford said "when you have been off gluten for several years, it may take many months of eating gluten again before your gluten and tissue-damage antibodies go high again." He suggested genetic testing instead. (Obviously he was encouraging people to get tested before stopping but acknowledged that that isn't always possible). Best advice I have found was not to go back on gluten for testing "since you run the risk of serious damage or sparking off a worse inflammatory or autoimmune process" - Micki Rose, The Gluten Plan (essential reading in my opinion!). My GP did insist on testing when I had been off for 11 months because she said no-one is strict enough so antibodies would show anyway. I had been very strict and was not going to go back on (to be fair she didn't ask me to, but I think that was because she had written me off as a hypochondriac idiot and was only going through the motions) and was only just within top of range. I know I have a gluten related disorder and will not be re-starting. You know you have an issue, so I would say carry on as you are, although I'm sure others will see it differently. Best wishes

[Penel]

Hi

The recommendation is to eat gluten for at least six weeks before the test, at more than one meal a day. Perhaps try introducing it slowly, it might possibly help to reduce the severity of the reaction?

coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-dise...

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Ell17]

I agree with what Bookish would do, to just carry on as you are. It's not worth the agony and additional damage to your system, especially considering the length of time (3 months without additional exposure -- pubmed) it takes for the immune system to calm down. It's just too much, in my opinion, when the treatment is exactly what you are already doing. A diagnosis isn't going to change anything essentially.

I have Celiac's and Dermatitis Herpetiformis. But, diagnosis or not, I know gluten causes my issues. There is no way on this good Earth that I would willingly eat gluten again....for any reason.

But, that's just my two cents worth. All the best.😁

[Suit]

Some say 2 weeks though.

The reason why one should eat a proper meal of gluten per day for ages is to be sure not to have a false negative test. Meaning that you are coeliacs even though the test doesn't show it.

Perhaps you are lucky enough to be able to make a deal with your doc, and take a blood test before eating gluten.

And then just eat as much as you can before next test, and have the difference evaluated. This is not something they practice, but it should work since they sometimes use it the other way around.. To see how well you respond to a gluten free diet.

Just mind that they claim it takes a couple of days for the autoantibodies to wake up, and that they are supposed to be in their highest number after 2-3 weeks.

Perhaps the best way then is to eat one proper meal 2-3 weeks prior testing, and then feed the autoantibodies as much as you can handle until testing.

If you cannot handle a lot, and get reactions from a crumble, then one crumble ought to be feeding them enough if it is coeliac.

Because if you want to take a blood test, then you need to eat as much as possible. As much as possible is highly individual though.

This is the procedure I'm heading for if they call me for biopsy, and if I can endure it. The doc I had was sceptic towards a biopsy, claiming that what works for me works for me with or without a diagnosis.

I too was only within upper range, 9, after 9 months off of gluten, even additives. And my as much as possible was three bites of a cake spread out in two days. That was way too much to handle.

But I'm pretty clean now, and am getting second thoughts. Again. Life is so much better when clean.

[Hidden]

Standard advice is 6 weeks. Do weigh up if it's worth it though as either which way, you seem to need to avoid gluten, so there will be no different outcome with a test result proving positive for coeliac. Ask yourself the question - if you eat gluten for 6 weeks, and the test comes back negative, will you carry on eating gluten or go back to cutting it out?