How to get tested?

The test for celiac is quite simple. A blood test for antibodies. Request a blood test from your doctor and if it comes back positive for celiac a biopsy may be required. DO NOT CUT OUT GLUTEN! I made that mistake, you must be eating it for a minimum of 6 weeks before testing and ideally the equivalent of 4 slices of bread a day. Celiac symptoms can be severe, mild, unnoticeable and can range from gut issues (diarrhoea/ constipation, bloating) to depression, fatigue, weight loss. It is also a generic disease so having a family memeber with celiac greatly increases your chances. It can only be diagnosed with a blood test or biopsy so request one from your doctor, better safe than sorry.

While I agree with most of what Amelia has said (don't give up gluten prior to testing - and make sure you're having at least 4 servings daily for at least 6 weeks), however, order the biopsy. You can ask for the blood test but do not take that as the only test. 

If you go back through the coeliac forums in here, and read about false negative blood tests, you'll find that actually a very high percentage of coeliacs have their blood test come back negative. 

I went for a blood test - it came back negative for coeliac disease, but high inflammation and liver levels found in a long-term alcoholic (I don't drink more than a couple of glasses of red a month!) - the GP completely brushed me off and didn't offer to do a biopsy. She made me feel stupid for feeling that the symptoms (and I had most of them before the blood test - fatty liver disease I'm pretty sure has now been added to my coeliac repertoire) were related to coeliac disease. 

I've learned one thing - your GP knows a little bit of everything. They aren't a specialist. They can however order these tests - so demand they organise the bowel biopsy (endoscopy) and if they refuse, clearly they do not have your best interest in mind, move on to another GP. 

Alternatively, nutritionists can also send you for testing, although of course many may not be covered by Medicare (depending where you are in the world), but I'm sure you can ask your GP (or another if they're not accommodating) for a referral to a nutritionist. In Australia we have usually the ability to have ten free visits to a specialist (including psychologists and physio). 

Everyone I have met so far with coeliac (online and personally) have had their blood test come back negative, including myself. From what I've heard it can be a long journey, so don't change your diet - keep eating gluten (I went gluten free for ages and then had to go back on it again - gahhhh it was hell) - and be confident, assertive and persistent with any GP - they're there as a service to you, it's your body, you tell them what you want to find out, because we know our bodies better than someone who scans over them momentarily. If you can't find answers or they refuse, get someone else until you find that person you click with. 

Good luck!

Good luck 

Hi, I agree with Jasmine on this, the blood tests are unreliable, you can get was is known as a false negative result.  I had one myself, but when they did the endoscopy with biopsies, it was positive.  If you contact Coeliac UK they will tell you the same thing, it is actually Coeliac UK that educate the doctors, as some doctors don’t know that much about the condition. Oh and yes, keep eating gluten until after you’ve had the biopsies done, as your body doesn’t produce the antibodies unless you are eating gluten regularly. Good luck! 

That is great information, thank you everyone! It’s such a struggle making an appointment at my GP as they are so busy however the doctor I usually see is brilliant and follows exactly what you think is wrong so I may be able to persuade him. 

You would think that with my extremely extended stomach (which Iv been to the doctors about many times) and all my other symptoms, it would be just as obvious to them as it was to me who didn’t know such a thing even existed until recently!