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Kate asks: “I have hugely reduced the amount of gluten in my diet and feel remarkably better off for doing so. However I want to get the blood testing done to officially 'confirm or deny' whether I am in fact intolerant to gluten. How long do I need to re-include gluten in my diet before I can go and get testing done and be confident of an accurate result? Any advice you can give me would be appreciated. Thank You. Kate”.
I Reply: This is one of the most common questions that I get asked. There are several strands to this question. 1 – This hinges on the difference between celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity. Celiac disease is currently the only “official medical diagnosis” for gluten reactions. To formally make this diagnosis, you need to be on gluten, have the tissue damage antibody tests (tTG or EMA) and have a positive small bowel biopsy by endoscopy. About 1 in 100 people have celiac disease – most are still not diagnosed. 2 – The gluten-sensitivity diagnosis can be made by looking at the gluten antibodies and your clinical response to going gluten-free. You feel heaps better off gluten, so you are gluten-sensitive. It would have been best to get blood tests BEFORE going gluten-free. That is what I recommend. 3 – If you are off gluten for over 6 months, then the blood tests will be getting normal and it is a waste of time doing them. You can try back on gluten for a few weeks and then get tested – this stimulates the antibody production again. 4 – The bottom line is that if you feel a lot better off gluten, then it is best for you to stay off gluten and be happy with your new found health. I call the group of symptoms caused by gluten "the gluten syndrome".
I hope that this helps. Cheers, Dr Rodney Ford. |
