Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Chris
Re Coeliac disease - I've copied this paragraph from Coeliac.co.uk website - says you must have been eating gluten for 6 weeks for an accurate test. Not sure why your GP didn't agree?!

How is the condition diagnosed?

Testing for CD is usually instigated at GP level by having blood tests to confirm the presence of antibodies. There are 3 tests currently available, a blood test for endomysial antibodies (EmA), another testing IgA gliadin antibodies (AGA) and a newer test for antibodies to tissue transglutimase (tTg). The blood tests are not 100% accurate therefore confirmation of diagnosis is usually determined with a biopsy. The biopsy involves a small snip of tissue being taken from the lining of the small bowel using an endoscope. The biopsy is carried out on an outpatient basis by a gastroenterologist. Coeliac UK recommends that a normal gluten containing diet needs to followed for six weeks prior to blood testing or biopsy to ensure an accurate result is obtained.

If you want to check out the site yourself, the link is:
http://www.coeliac.co.uk/index_flash.html

Personally (I'm no medic or expert, but given your very limited bland diet for such a long time, I wouldn't have thought you had coeliac, as NORMALLY (although not always) patients recover fairly quickly on a gluten free diet. Of course, you may be the exception and you want it ruling out conclusively, so I'd still get tested.

I think classical allergy tests are different in that they are based on an immune response rather than the body's response to the physical damage that coeliac causes. I have heard that people have been tested and found to be allergic to substances they have rarely ever come into contact with. I don't think you need to worry so much with the standard allergy tests, but I'm not as sure on this one. Do a web search on allergy tests for more info, but you are looking for IgE allergy tests and not any other type.

Hope this is helpful
Shells

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