<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> <One word gives my reason to get the biopsy: respect. The first thing out of my father-in-law's mouth when I talked about it (he's a retired doctor), was, "Is this your own idea, or did you get a diagnosis?" I realized right away, especially having worked with doctors for over 20 years, that other medical men, including dentists, were not going to respect my opinion or experience unless it had the official seal of approval of a medical professional's announcement.> Bobbi, What you said seems to be true, and I find it very distressing. What I find even more distressing is that other people with cd are more disapproving than the medical profession, and even seem angry that a person would choose not to have a biopsy. They seem to forget about false negative results and risk of bowel perforation, etc. Your GI doctor said other problems could cause your symptoms. Did he mean getting sick from eating wheat and gluten from wheat and other sources can be caused by something other than cd, or other conditions cause bloating, gas, and diahrrea? That is the real question. In other words, if you prove that gluten makes you sick, could it be from something other than cd (or non-tropical sprue or whatever they choose to call it)? Mara Levin (MA, USA)