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Hi All,

I would like to know if two weeks on a gluten free diet is enough to
significantly increase the chance of a false negative biopsy.

I have had stomach problems for the last 3 years following food
poisoning.  I had been to see yet another GP because of my ongoing
stomach problems.  Due to my generally poor condition he put me on an
elimination diet, which also happens to be GF.  He then sent me to (yet
another) gastroenterologist who thought I might have celiac disease and
ordered the biopsies.  By the time the biopsies were taken I had been on
the elimination/GF diet for two weeks.  The biopsies were negative,
however I seemed to have a classic set of symptoms - lactose
intolerance, weight loss (10kg in a month), sugar intolerance, fat/oil
intolerance - and have improved so much that I still suspect celiac
disease.  I also had blood tests which came out negative.

An article I found in the archives from a couple of years ago suggested
that villi may recover in as little as 6 days.  Does anyone have any
more recent information, in particular does anyone know of any formal
studies into the recovery rates of villi?

P.S. As a long time user of Usenet and mailing list (about 14 years)
this is one of the best run lists I have ever seen, congratulations to
all involved.


Many Thanks,

Alistair Grant
Melbourne, Australia
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