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Hello Listmates,
I want to thank all of you who took the time to respond to my question.
It was a big help to me in making up my mind on whether to continue the
gluten challenge just to have a blood test. I received 22 responses to
my question. The majority(20) were not in favor of eating wheat to
have a gluten blood test. I will summarize those responses.
1.Why make yourself sick if you already know what makes you sick.
2.One could go into shock from eating wheat if allergic to it and
doctors should not recommend this.
3.Putting a Celiac on gluten to see if they get sick is cruel and
inhuman.
4.We've been sick long enough. We don't need to challenge.
5.I would eat gluten only if testing would cure me.
6.If you feel better GF, then no testing is needed to confirm the
diagnosis.
7.Listen to your body.
8.My 16 year old stopped gluten and refused to go on it again.
9.I did a challenge to get scientific proof for my family. Unless there
is a good reason for a diagnosis, then don't do it. If it hurts, it
hurts.
10.Testing can be wrong. Go with what your body says.
11.I did the challenge, but no biopsy. Not accurate
12.If the rash is DH, little blisters, then no test is needed, if not,
then it could be an allergy.
13. I agree. no test.
14.2-3 weeks is not enough time, 3 months more like it. Not worth it.
15.No sense to ask a celiac to do further damage to villi.
16.If you feel better, don't test.I tested negative and still get sick
with gluten.
17.I was GF, then ate some and tested negative.
18.There is such a thing as gluten intolerance, similar to CD, but not
CD. We lose enzymes as we age and doctors should not do this challenge
just to prove a diagnosis.
19. There is no common sense to a challenge.
The two responders that thought that a challenge should be done gave
the following reasons.
1.There are tax benefits from CD diagnosis and a new doctor many need
it.
2.Worth a try to get an accurate diagnosis.
I appreciate all of the interest and support that I was given. I am one
week into the challenge and not feeling too well, now strange itching
all over my body with headaches along with everything else. What I have
decided is that this challenge may not work for me. I will never be able
to get back to the level of ingestion that I was at last year, what with
going for fast food sandwiches everyday, McDonald's breakfast buns twice
a week, pizza every weekend and a smattering of tortillas and burritos
a few times a week.That will never happen as those have been eliminated
forever (unless those fast food places come up with wheat free/gluten
free buns and tortillas). I am not at all sure what my condition is,
whether, CD, gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, gluten allergy, etc, and
I'm not too sure it matters as long as I stop eating the offending
agent. If I feel better, then I have been successful. Given that, and
with all of those responses, I have decided to cut this challenge short
and do the blood test Monday. It may show negative, but I will not
return to old wheat eating habits, I will go back to the old way that
was working for me where I was starting to feel good again for the first
time in years. Thanks again for your support and I will celebrate the
end of this tomorrow but trying some Ener-g brown english muffins that I
just found at Whole Foods with organic butter, sugar free jam, free
range turkey sausages, organic apple cider and then finish it off with
some goat milk ice cream. No, I don't mind this new diet at all!
Howie, AZ
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