How Do I Know if I Have Celiac?
“I’m not Celiac, however, gluten has had an increasingly negative effect on me over the last five or six years.”
A reader sent me this email and I wanted to share that she’s not alone. So many people out there are suffering from gluten-intolerance and have questions.
- Do I need to get tested?
- How do I get tested?
- When should I get tested?
- Do I have to eat gluten to get an accurate test result?
Being tested for Celiac Disease is a personal choice. Studies have shown that individuals with an immediate family member, who has CD, are more likely to develop Celiac themselves.
A blood test can show a positive or a negative. All it takes is one positive and with that positive result the option to ingest gluten, without serious health consequences, is gone, and a lifetime without gluten begins.
While that sounds like a life sentence void of tasty foods, that does not have to be the case. It simply means that once a person is diagnosed with Celiac Disease they have the condition for life.
On the other hand, a negative test result can become a positive for Celiac five, ten, twenty, even fifty years later. Or next month.
If you are already gluten-free, it’s important to know that in order to have the test results work, gluten must be present in the diet.
Getting tested is a personal choice and can be beneficial for both children and adults. More and more children are being diagnosed with Celiac each year. And even more are showing signs of gluten-intolerance like the reader mentioned above.
So what to do?
It’s always best to speak to your family doctor, work with a specialist and possibly see a nutritionist.
There is a wealth of resources online and offline to help support those who experience gluten-intolerance or live with Celiac.
One of the best tips any person with a new diagnosis or intolerance can receive is to get creative with food and have fun.
Removing gluten from one’s diet can have amazing health benefits and doesn’t have to mean an end to eating great food.
In fact, we at Jen’s just got done filming a Gluten-Free Baking Secrets DVD that we will unveil soon.
The food made was delicious and gluten-free. From breads, cookies, chocolate cake and pizza, being Celiac does not equal a life without the crunch from bread and tasty treats.
Share with us your stories about gluten, gluten-intolerance, living gluten-free or living with Celiac. Post your comments below…
We want to hear from you.
5 Responsesto “How Do I Know if I Have Celiac?”
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I just found this wonderful site and want to say– Thank you so much! I look forward to reading everything you have on your site here.
Blessings,
Here’s my story!
When I was about 15, I started noticing some strange things. First of all I started having problems with my skin. Aside from the usual acne, I would get these strange painful lumps on my face. They where painful to the touch, and I would get them all along my jawline, temples, chest, and back.
At first my mom thought it was hormonal related, due to my age and all the changes taking place in my body.
But as time went on other issues arose. I started having digestive problems and would feel very tired a lot. I started taking iron supplements but that didn’t help much, and I didn’t go to a doctor because my family couldn’t afford it.
About a year ago a friend suggested it could be a food allergy.
So I started doing some research and decided to go off all gluten.
Within 3 weeks the skin problems had cleared up, and within 2 months my digestive issues improved considerably.
I can’t even tell you how excited I was!
I’ve been off gluten for a year now, and feel so much better. My skin is very clear, and as long as I eat a well balanced diet I feel great!
I still haven’t been tested, so I don’t know if I have celiac disease or if I’m just gluten intolerant. No one in my family has had celiac disease that I know of, but I know the disease often lies dormant for a very long time.
I also heard from a doctor that often children with asthma would turn out to have celiac, but the disease would often lie dormant until the teen years.
I also know that the disease will often activate during stressful times.
Fact: I had asthma when I was little, and I went through some stressful things in my early teens!
So the pieces have really been falling together for me.
My symptoms have actually gotten worse…whenever I accidentally eat traces of gluten I start itching all over, and break out with hives within a couple of hours…the itching is new, I didn’t used to get that.
Learning to cook gluten free has been challenging but quite fun too.
Thank you for letting me share my story!
I forgot to mention I would also get sick with really bad colds about 4 times a year. My throat would become so swollen I could barely talk.
So far it has been a year since going gluten free, and I haven’t been sick even ONCE!
Just found your blog! My dad was just diagnosed with Celiac and I am trying to get the blood tests…I say trying because my PCP is making it very difficult; he is insisting my dad’s dr order the test (though I’ve never seen my dad’s PCP and am not his patient) before he can send me for it, yada yada. So if I start a gluten-free diet now (I have had symptoms for years), if I get tests done next week, I should throw in some gluten for a more accurate result?
thanks!
Hi Jaime, I think I understand. While I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice, it’s true that there is a great change for a family member to be Celiac – say if the father is, in your case. Does that mean you are? No, just the chances a bit higher. I am not clear on PCP and don’t want to assume what this refers to, so all I can say is a) find a doctor who will issue the test for Celiac if it will ease your mind to know or b) if you notice gluten bothers you, slowly remove it. This is what I did. I am not Celiac – well, I’ve not been tested. For me, I don’t need a test. I simply listen to my body. And my body reacts poorly when I consume gluten. Now if you do start gluten-free and then need to take the test at some point down the road, yes, you’d need to introduce gluten into your diet to get a more accurate test. However, there is no telling how accurate that test will be. Celiac has been misdiagnosed for on aver 11 years – meaning people have symptoms yet their doctor doesn’t recommend the test or they come back as a negative. So, my two-cents… listen to how your body feels. You know best. Your body will tell you everything you need to know when you consume gluten and when you don’t. But remember it’s always best to consult a medical professional when changing your diet. ~J.