Gluten Challenge
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello,
I wanted some advice about the gluten challenge. The doctor at my local NHS hospital in the Gastroenterology department has put me on it for 4 weeks before getting blood tests to check for coeliac as well as getting a gastroscopy and colonoscopy (he is checking for Inflammatory bowel disease as well as coeliac) . I didn't eat gluten before because it caused me so many problems....
I've since looked and seen I should really be on the gluten challenge for 6 weeks for it to be reliable...though my doctor said 4 weeks. Was wondering what you thought. I suppose am getting the gastroscopy and colonoscopy regardless of blood test results. Also any thoughts on how much gluten I should eat..am aiming for at least 2 slices of bread a day though sometime a bit hard!
Thanks...
0 likes, 5 replies
ryty1250 Jules1977
Posted
jules, take it from me, eat as much gluten as you can muster.
i went through the whole process and got told to eat gluten for 6 weeks.. (i think its quite a few slices of toast a day - or equivalent).
i had 2 slices of toast and 4 biscuits in the last week, went through the not too nice event of the endoscopy (without any sedation) and thought it would show on the scope even if I didnt eat much gluten at all.. guess what? It doesnt.
i wasted my time, and theirs, and £££.
PLEASE eat as much as you can so it gives them and you a CLEAR diagnosis so you can move forward
Jules1977 ryty1250
Posted
As an update I have now got diarrhea for the last couple of days really badly and can't eat anything, everything is now going straight through me. . My stomach gurgling away...
Gonna have to go back to just two slices of toast a day, once I can eat again and hope that is sufficient.
Might phone the coeliac charity and see what they would recommend.
sam18386 Jules1977
Posted
hi Julie, if you are having these tests try to eat as much gluten as possible otherwise the hospital won't be able to get a true record of how severe your bowel is reacting. i wish you luck, it worth it to find out the truth.
jean39702 Jules1977
Posted
As others have said, eat as much gluten as you can. Have some nice gluten treats if you can stomach them better than bread.
I went through the endoscopy after only 3 weeks back on gluten on the recommendation of the Gastroenterologist. I had read it should be 6 weeks and wish I had insisted on doing it for six weeks. My test result were "indicative" of celiac, but not conclusive. They might have been more definitive if I had been on gluten for the 6 weeks.
Jules1977
Posted
Thanks for the advice, have upped my gluten intake for the last 4 weeks. Feeling quite nauseous and oscillating from constipation to diarrhoea but am perceiving!
I have previously had a wheat free diet (not a gluten free) but before giving up wheat at one point my stomach/bowel etc got so inflamed I developed an internal abscess the size of an orange! And was too sick to get any investigations. But that was over a year ago and have been generally well since then...so let see. It's only 6 weeks and would be good to get things ruled out or not!