Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

It's important to have the tests (the initial blood screen, and if warranted the follow up small intestine biopsy) while you're eating gluten. If you go gluten free for several weeks you can get false negatives from the tests, because your blood will no longer have gluten antibodies in it. So, see if you can get the tests scheduled asap.

Or, if you do go gluten free and it helps you, and the tests then come back negative, you can just stay gluten free anyway because it's worked. A lot of celiacs seem to find themselves in that position. They're tested for everything under the sun, it's all negative, their doctors write them off, and they find out through their own readings about celiac. They go gluten free, get better, then demand the celiac tests from their docs. Which then come back negative, because they've been off gluten for a while at that point. They'd have to go back on gluten, get sick, then take the tests again to get a positive. That's not worth it for many folks. My own aunt had this happen to her. She refused to go back on gluten just to get the tests to come up positive (she's literally bed-ridden if she starts eating gluten). I sure don't blame her!

Best,
Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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