<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Brenda Davis and GFGal  wondered about other doctors confirming celiac
without a blood test or biopsy and doing a second biopsy.  Here is our
situation and my opinion.

Our son was 17 mo's old when we took him to the doctor.  The first thing
the pediatrician suggested was his problem was CD.  He didn't tell us
not to go GF but said he would check with the childrens hospital to see
how he should handle it.  We knew a lady who is celiac so knew a little
bit about the diet and put him GF.  4-6 weeks later we find out they
wanted to do a blood test.  We put him on gluten for a week or so, do
the test and it comes back negative.  We go back to the doctor a couple
more times over 4 months or so and he suggested to us since his weight
is so good now, he is less irritable, his BM's have firmed up, and all
the other changes that occured within just a few months time that we
scrap any idea of furthur tests and challenges until much later.  We
asked him if we could have a written statement saying "Alex needed to be
on a special diet" for tax purposes and he wrote this, "Alex has Celiac
Sprue and needs to be on a gluten free diet."

No biopsy or blood test to confirm it, just common sence.  This doesn't
work for everyone I realize, but for those where it is obvious that the
GF diet has worked it doesn't make sense to me to make them miserable
again just to say "yes, stay on the diet."

Tim Meadows, Warsaw, IN
[log in to unmask]