Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverlady
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and the information. You have given me some really useful info. I thought I had asked about everything but Cara, I didn't know that I needed to be eating gluten now. I'll start eating everything I've wanted for a long time. It seems almost a sin to do it tho after being gluten free for a year.
Billye
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Billye,
Well, this is a VERY DEBATABLE point, and I should have expanded my answer!!!! Many people DO REFUSE a gluten challenge especially if they feel they have seen any progress at all. Some people have also reported 'autoimmune flares' with a gluten challenge, but these sort of reports are anecdotal.
The thing you need to know is that you must be consuming gluten for any of the antibody tests to show accurate, and generally a gluten challenge is longer...so as mentioned, even if the antibody tests were negative after three weeks of challenge... the length of the challenge should be extended. The other part of the picture... is that you can be adversely affected by gluten WITHOUT EVER TESTING positive for celiac disease, and there are plenty of people who feel they do so much better without gluten who had negative bloodwork. SO, you could do the challenge, test negative,
but still be better off without gluten in your diet.
Lmb3 recently made that tough decision to gluten challenge her son for a diagnosis. His ataxia worsened while back on gluten, and the lab tests and biopsy still did not show any clear evidence of Celiac Disease. However, they still arrived at the diagnosis...perhaps based on the fact that he worsened while on gluten, and they couldn't find any other cause, and the mom has biopsy proven celiac disease, and he carries the genetic predisposition. But..his lab results didn't prove it.
Do you think you've had
any improvements from a gluten free diet after a year? If Yes, then I'd really question doing the challenge, and perhaps accept your improvements on face value. Just know that your blood antibody tests are expected to be negative if you are on a gluten free diet (and if by chance they would be positive, it would indicate some hidden gluten is still sneaking past). [Any genetic (HLA) testing they might do is independent of diet.]
If after a year you aren't sure you've seen any benefit from a gluten free diet, maybe a challenge is in order, especially if the blood tests weren't done the first time around. Sometimes people have such obvious symptoms in the first days/week of a challenge that they stop it. Tough call!
Cara