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Celiac Blood Test Negative, But Can Still Be Gluten Intolerant?

dizzygrinch

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dizzygrinch Enthusiast
dizzygrinch
Posted

If the celiac blood panel comes out negative, can a person still be gluten intolerant? I think I already know the answer, but just want to make sure, this is all so confusing!! Im doing better off the gluten, but the blood panel did come back neg, (I was gluten free for several weeks though)

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ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Not only can they be gluten intolerant they can be full blown celiac. Of more importance in your case is that you had already been gluten free for a while. That will effect the tests. Did you get your hands on the actual test results? Sometimes just a point or two into positive will prompt a doctor to say the results were negative even though they are not.

ang1e0251 Contributor
ang1e0251
Posted

If you were gluten-free, that could cause a negative blood test or you could have had a false negative. If you feel better on the diet, maybe you should just choose to remain on it and feel better. I did. I won't eat gluten again just for a test to tell me what I already know.

If you feel it's necesary to have certain test results, you must eat gluten every day (I've read for 3 months) to get accurate results. Even then, you could have a false neg on blood tests. The gold standard is endoscopy of the small intestine. The intestinal damage can be spotty so it's necesary to have biopsies taken from various portions of the organ.

Either way you decide to go, we will support you. Good luck!

dizzygrinch Enthusiast
dizzygrinch
Posted
  • Author

thanks everyone! good idea, I will get those tests results,, then I can post them here. I am wondering what the numbers are, I should have asked!! I really do feel better being gluten free, so I dont think Im going to eat gluten just for tests....

Amyleigh0007 Enthusiast
Amyleigh0007
Posted

Yes, totally! That is my situation. My Celiac testing came back negative (falsely I believe - I had been gluten free for about 6 weeks) but I feel 100% better eating gluten free. My allergist agrees with that reasoning too and she is the one who dx me with gluten intolerance.

MollyBeth Contributor
MollyBeth
Posted

I had a negative blood test and then had a positive biopsy! If you fell better on the diet I would just stick with it!

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