Don't go gluten free if a diagnosis matters to you

If you suspect you have Celiac disease and a proper diagnosis is important to you, then it is important to keep eating gluten. This may seem counter-intuitive at first, but the reason is simple: going gluten free will interfere with your test results. Talk to your doctor and get tested before going gluten free.

Currently there are two ways to test positive for Celiac. Your blood can be tested for the presence of the relevant antibodies or your small intestine can be biopsied to directly observe damage to your villi. Often both methods are used together in order to confirm a diagnosis.

The problem with going gluten free before you have been tested for Celiac is that your body will begin to heal. The antibodies in your blood will diminish or disappear, depending upon how long you have been gluten free. Your villi will begin to heal almost immediately. While this will provide you with relief from the symptoms of Celiac, it will make it harder to receive a correct diagnosis. The reliability of the tests will diminish in proportion to the length of time you have been eating gluten free.

If you have been eating gluten free and you want a diagnosis, you will need to go back on gluten for a period of time. This could be several weeks to several months, depending on how long you have been off gluten. Going back on gluten is called a "gluten challenge". You are re-introducing gluten into your body to see what happens. In order to get a positive diagnosis you need will need to "un-heal".

Many people who have undiagnosed Celiac and have been eating gluten free are simply not willing to conduct a gluten challenge. In many cases, the longer you have been gluten free, the more difficult it is for your body to handle it. For many people gluten intolerance increases after being gluten free. This means that the symptoms will be much worse. And for those who have been off gluten for several weeks or months, the idea of going back on gluten for several weeks or months in order to get a proper diagnosis is inconceivable.

This is why it is better to keep eating gluten if you suspect you have Celiac. It will give you the best chance for a correct diagnosis. Eating gluten means you will not have to delay testing or conduct a gluten challenge. It will let you begin the healing process sooner. See your doctor, get tested and scoped. Then you will know. Then you can stop eating gluten permanently.

Note: False positives and false negatives exist. Genetic testing can help to clarify your situation if blood work and biopsies do not result in a clear diagnosis. Genetic testing can tell you if you have the mutations necessary for Celiac to develop, but it will not tell you if you actually have Celiac.