How long after being off gluten can you still get an accurate diagnosis for celiac or gluten sensitivity?
Cyn

It depends on the method being used. For Enterolab, I think it is up to a year. Blood tests change very quickly after going gluten free, biopsy results do too, but not as fast as blood tests. I was just reading about it on the gluten file, but I can't find the link I was reading now.

What method of testing are you pondering? And how long have you been GF?

I'll see if I can find it. I know just the study you are talking about, Nancy. I'm sure it is somewhere in the diagnostic thread. I'll post back. Nancy, I think I also went back and edited into that infamous thread when I ran across the study about dropping antibody levels. Whatever is faster to find....lol!

I think one or two weeks would be ok, but any longer and you'd be left questioning results.

I think the study showed significant drops by the third month. But, my memory is foggy.

Cara

I don't know that this was the study I was thinking of, but it does mention some being seronegative at three months.

If you ran the test and got a positive, you could rely on that. However, if you get a negative there would always be the chance it was a false negative if your antibodies had dropped.

I think I have heard a couple of weeks off gluten would not affect test results. But, more than that... the test would be compromised.

How long have you been off gluten? And yes, even if celiac blood tests are negative, you might still benefit from a diet. I think it is worth doing the blood tests to see if an official diagnosis is possible.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=10710062

Only thing I remember was it was a web site at the U. of Arkansas at Little Rock. Dr. Allen? He had a lot of "thoughts" all summarized and one section was about how quickly the blood results fall off.

Dr. Nelson?
http://www.uams.edu/celiac/FAQs/FAQframe.htm

Quote:

Strict GF diet should result in decreases in antibody titers over time. EMA (tTG) will go down first, usually negative by 4-6 months. IgA gliadin next then IgG gliadin which may persist for a year.

Another study has shown that patients (who were ultimately diagnosed with CD) with equivocal biopsies when given large "doses" of gluten containing protein over 2 month period will develop the typical changes of villous flattening. This is also known as a "Gluten Challenge".

I was asking for my dd who has been gluten free for 1 week. She had an ELISA (IgG) food sensitivity test done and came back allergic to gluten, wheat, rye, barley, corn, oats, and rice (for grains) and a whole bunch of other stuff. It has been suggested to me on an allergy site, that she be tested for Celiac/gluten sensitivity...of which we know basically nothing about. She cut out all of her known allergens 1 week ago and feels 100 times better all ready. I am also considering being tested myself since I have many food issues. I am still eating gluten.
She has excellent health insurance, which Celiac tests are covered by insurance and what type of dr will do them? She really doesn't want to start eating gluten again (to get accurate results) because for the first time in a very, very long time she feels "great". She has a dr appt with her primary care on the 31st and we didn't know if she should wait that long to ask about being tested.
Thank you all for your help! Cyn