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

This is in response to Adele who stuck to a GF diet and then decided to go
for a biopsy, which turned out negative.

I went to a gastroenterologist in Jan. 1997, complaining of constantly
burning, acidic stomach, occasional diarrhea/constipation, foul-smelling
stools, and terrible bloating--none of which responded to OTC drugs.  He
treated me with some prescription meds, which didn't help, and finally
ordered an EGD (putting a lighted scope down the throat and looking into
the stomach).

All the EGD showed were some "red streaks" in my stomach.  He didn't look
any further to see what the red streaks were and, probably because I was
overweight, never even mentioned CD.  He gave me more prescriptions and
sent me on my way.

I was the one who finally noticed the wheat connection.  My favorite food
in the whole world is pizza, and after indulging one night, along with a
couple of bread sticks, I thought I was going to DIE!  I was horribly
bloated and constipated for days.  The gastro was not available so I went
to my internist, and he's the one who first said it was "gluten-sensitive
enteropathy."  He sent me to a dietitian at the hospital (a bit of a joke)
and got me on a GF diet, and I improved quickly.

I decided to follow up with the gastro--to make sure I was doing everything
I could--and he acted a bit "put out" because someone else had seemingly
found out what was wrong with me.  In an attempt to prove me and my other
doctor wrong, he ordered a blood test, which turned out negative,
naturally, since I'd been GF for a couple of months.  He then dismissed me
as no longer needing his care.  (He was right about that...I didn't!  I've
gotten more help from this list than he ever gave!!!)

So, to wrap up my story, I've never been medically diagnosed with CD.  I
could go through the agony of having a formal test, like poor Adele did,
but despite any test results, the GF diet makes me feel better and I'm
confident that the diagnosis is correct.  Until my body tells me something
different, I'll stick to the GF diet.