If you’re experiencing the symptoms of coeliac disease, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and stomach pains, then you may well suspect that those symptoms are gluten related. After all, it’s estimated that around one in every hundred people have coeliac disease, and many more are gluten sensitive, so you would think that it makes sense to try following a gluten free diet to see if it helps. 

The problem is that while this may help with your symptoms in the short term, following a gluten free diet before you get tested for coeliac disease will not help with your diagnosis. In fact, it could well mean that you are not diagnosed as having coeliac disease when you actually do.

How is coeliac disease tested for?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. That means that your body attacks its own tissues. In the case of coeliac disease, the body responds to the presence of gluten by releasing antibodies that harm the lining of the small intestine. 

If you suspect that you have coeliac disease, then you should talk to your GP. They’ll arrange for blood tests to be done to look for these antibodies. The results will be passed on to a specialist gastroenterologist, who may conduct further blood tests or arrange for a biopsy of the lining of your intestine to confirm the diagnosis.

Why is eating a gluten free diet a problem?

If you start eating a gluten free diet before you’re tested for coeliac disease, then your body will stop releasing antibodies in response, and your gut lining will start to heal. This may sound like a good thing, but it means that the tests could produce a ‘false negative’, and your coeliac disease will go undiagnosed.

Without a formal diagnosis, you’ll also miss out on expert nutritional advice designed to ensure you get all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need from your gluten free diet. You need a formal diagnosis of coeliac disease to get access to Glutafin’s tasty range of gluten free foods, including our delicious new fresh breads. They’re only available on prescription, and they’re exclusively for people who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease, not fad diet fans or online influencers. 

How much gluten should you eat before testing?

Official guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends including gluten in more than one meal a day for at least six weeks before testing. It’s important that you continue to regularly eat gluten throughout the diagnosis process to ensure that you receive an accurate result.

Even if your blood test comes back positive for coeliac disease, you should still continue to eat gluten until you’ve seen the gastroenterologist, in case they need to do any further tests.

Now you can start eating a gluten free diet

Deliberately eating something that you know will make you feel bad may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s well worth it in the end. Once your diagnosis has been confirmed, your patience will be rewarded, and you can start to enjoy welcome relief from your symptoms by following a gluten free diet. 

You should see a dietitian when you are first diagnosed who will give you all the advice and guidance that you need to help you move to a healthy gluten free diet. They’ll explain what gluten free foods are available on prescription in your area, how to make smart substitutions for some of your old favourite foods, and how to avoid cross contamination if you share a kitchen with family or housemates.

Getting tested for coeliac disease takes time and patience. It may be extremely challenging to continue eating gluten when you know that it might be making you unwell.  However, it’s vital to persevere with a gluten-containing diet during this time in order to get the right diagnosis and treatment, allowing you to live symptom free for the rest of your life.

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