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Can I Have A Gluten Intolerance Even If My Blood Work Is Negative For It?
Question: Can you have a gluten intolerance even if your blood work for it is negative? I have had severe ongoing health issues for almost a year and have not been diagnosed. GI symptoms as well as symptoms that mimic reactive hypoglycemia (but my blood sugar is always normal). I stopped eating gluten for a while and felt a little better, now I have been eating it again and feel worse than I have in a long time. I haven't eaten it today but I ate some yesterday, today I feel extremely faint and tense/jittery, my eyes are having trouble focusing,I'm a little nauseous (but not as bad as yesterday), and I just feel so sick all over.
Hi,
Thanks for writing to health care magic.
Q1. Can you have a gluten intolerance even if your blood work for it is negative?
Yes. There is a rare possibility that one can have gluten intolerance even if the blood work up for it is negative. Endoscopy and biopsy is recommended even if the blood test is negative. (if there is a high suspicion of celiac disease clinically)
If a individual has improvement in his symptoms after stopping gluten diet, he should be worked up for celiac disease. But symptoms described by you also occur in other illnesses like anxiety associated psychiatric illnesses. So your doctor will suggest further investigations depending on clinical examination findings. Endoscopy and biopsy will confirm a diagnosis of gluten intolerance.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have other concerns.
Take care.
Thanks for writing to health care magic.
Q1. Can you have a gluten intolerance even if your blood work for it is negative?
Yes. There is a rare possibility that one can have gluten intolerance even if the blood work up for it is negative. Endoscopy and biopsy is recommended even if the blood test is negative. (if there is a high suspicion of celiac disease clinically)
If a individual has improvement in his symptoms after stopping gluten diet, he should be worked up for celiac disease. But symptoms described by you also occur in other illnesses like anxiety associated psychiatric illnesses. So your doctor will suggest further investigations depending on clinical examination findings. Endoscopy and biopsy will confirm a diagnosis of gluten intolerance.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have other concerns.
Take care.
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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