going GF? test results...

[Lady Henevere]

I don't have much to add to the wisdom that's already here, but I will share my own story in case it helps you decide what to do. I have the same symptom as you (chronic constipation), and I chose not to get tested for gluten because the tests are not that accurate, and I figured excluding wheat from my diet would tell me what I needed to know anyway. So I went gluten free last April, and within about a month I felt completely normal rather than sick for the first time in a LONG time. That lasted for several months, but for the last few months I feel like crap again. I can't figure out what changed, except that I'm eating more non-wheat grains now (corn, rice) than I did at first, so maybe I need to cut those out too? I'm not sure if being tested would have given me a piece to the puzzle I'm missing. (Of course, there could be something bigger going on--like Crohn's disease, which my mom has--but I haven't given up on trying diet-related changes.)

Anyway, I don't know if that adds anything to your thought process, but whatever you choose best of luck to you and I hope you find a solution!

 

[abifae]

Okay, so I think I am gluten sensitive....don't know if it is full blown celiacs cause my symptoms seem to be mild in comparison to others. So, here's my question....do I try to get off gluten on my own or do I go back on gluten for a couple weeks and get officially tested? I already feel like crap so what's a couple more weeks, right?

depends on why you want an official diagnosis. if it is important for paperwork somewhere, stay sick and get tested.

if you just want to feel better, get off it and see what happens

welcome to the ranks LOL

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

What I have learned first hand with sourdough, is its effectonthe gut of a Celiac is much quieter.
It takes longer to appear, and actually can lull you into thinking its ok.
I tried it for two months.
Felt amazing for the firs month, and was so tickled I could have it.
Then I started bruising, and feeling tired. I lost my Hiedi cheeks and got quite pale.

With unfermented gluten, I have the following symptoms.
Inability to think clearly ( guess what? now I know why school was such a struggle!!!!!!!!)
Body aches and tiredness.
After going gluten free, and i got contaminated, the above symtpoms became very extreme.
For 3 days, I was incapcitated. Horrible pain from head to toe, mostly asleep the whole time.

Never once, besides light constipation, did I ever have any noticable gut reaction.
This is called a neurological reaction to gluten.

As too how much to eat and for how long prior to test?
First of all, the tests are notoriously inacurate.
It takes a full year for gluten to clear the body.
Eating it for just a few days prior to the test will be sufficient.

My dad has extreme reactions to gluten in all forms, but he tests negative
Doctors are very split on why

 

[Mackay]

Yes. eat gluten and get tested. you need to know what is going on and get out of the guessing game, bu tlike others said, it it makes you feel bad don't eat it anyway. If you test positive it may give clues on what else you may do to improve your health

 

[lorihadams]

see, I find bruises all the time too...could that be anemia too? Looks like I need to make a list.... :/

Thanks you guys....I may try eating a bit here and there the next few days and try to get in to my GP to start with and see if she can do the tests for everything and refer me to a specialist.

I really recommend Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern...she also has a blog under the same name. I am about half way through it and she is making a lot of sense. She focuses a lot on how going gluten free allowed her to explore so many other types of food that she would never have found otherwise. She says that she eats so much better now that she knows the gluten was making her sick. She also tells you how to eat gluten free at restaurants, has some great tips. I found it at the library.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

see, I find bruises all the time too...could that be anemia too? Looks like I need to make a list.... :/

Thanks you guys....I may try eating a bit here and there the next few days and try to get in to my GP to start with and see if she can do the tests for everything and refer me to a specialist.

I really recommend Gluten Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern...she also has a blog under the same name. I am about half way through it and she is making a lot of sense. She focuses a lot on how going gluten free allowed her to explore so many other types of food that she would never have found otherwise. She says that she eats so much better now that she knows the gluten was making her sick. She also tells you how to eat gluten free at restaurants, has some great tips. I found it at the library.

Yes ma'am! That is very much an anemia issue. ( we need an "I agree" or YES smilie)
As soon as you are fully gluten free, you should see that improving in a matter of weeks.

Shaklee makes a super good iron water that does not cause the upset tummy and constipation that iron pills cause, so that might be a good option for boosting the system once you are fully GF.

Say, do you have either Kombucha or Kefir? Both are fabulous for healing and detoxing.

 

[miss_thenorth]

yes, but also B12 anemia. i wasn't low on iron, but b12. I bruised all the time.

 

[lorihadams]

I am making a new batch of kombucha right now but I just can't stomach the kefir....maybe when I have goats and can do fresh raw milk I'll try again but I can't even get near it now

I'll have to check out Shaklee again....

 

[FarmerDenise]

I hope you find resolution to your health issues. I always check what people write about their health, since mine isn't that great either. I have been paying attention to my nutrition since I was about 14, thanks to my grandma. I wish I could go to a doctor and they would really litsten and then figure out why I am always tired, or don't heal well or bruise easily or any of the other things.

I have managed many of my issues myself. I have learned a lot more since I have joined this forum. I feel so much better, than I did say 10 or fifteen years ago.

Keep looking for answers and hopefully you will find yourself in good health earlier in life than I did.

 

[CJW]

If you want an "official diagnoses from your doctor" you are going to have to suffer. The blood test is hit and miss, and then you will need to have an endoscopy on top of that, if the blood test isn't conclusive (and some docs require it for a diagnosis).

If you want to get a good test, I would go to enterolabs' website and get a stool test. It is the most accurate and most sensitive test out there. Some insurance companies will reimburse you, and you don't have to be eating gluten to have the test.

If it runs in the family, chances are you have Celiac. There are more than 250 different symptoms and even though you may not have severe ones, the hidden damage that it is doing inside your body shouldn't be overlooked. The medical profession estimates in America as little as 1 in 50 (1 in 100-150 is more commonly quoted, but it is based on older information) people have Celiac...not just a sensitivity or an allergy. Those who specialize in Celiac have even lower ratios.

I know you have talked about this for a few weeks, and you have to make a decision for yourself. If you do have Celiac, you are doing more damage to your body by eating it, then if you were to just steer clear. I have a dear friend who is in her 60s, and she wishes that her doctors would have diagnosed her before her eyesight and other problems became as bad as they are now.

Constipation was one of my major symptoms-since I was very young. I won't go into details, but I (to this day-even though I have regular BMs) HATE going to the bathroom. It will cause major issues, and, IMO, taking stool softeners every day is covering up the problem.

I intend on getting the enterolabs test done eventually. Mostly because I am tired of having to explain to my MIL that gluten actually damages me, and how going to a "doctor" to get a test will only prove what I already know. I have explained that I won't go back on a regular diet to get a test, but, IMO, she has put too much trust in the "first do no harm" yet "treat the symptoms with plenty of pills" medical profession.