Test first Re: Re: What is the best bread?

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I echo Harper's words. Get tested before trying a GF diet. The celiac panel is just a simple blood test, and if you're negative, you are very, very likely not celiac. I'm also in health care and I would be very surprised if your insurance wouldn't cover it. If your test is positive, then you'll see a GI, who will recommend a duodenal biopsy, which is the gold standard for the diagnosis of celiac disease. I also agree that the endoscopy/biopsy is no big deal. Just be sure to do it at a place which is well-versed in taking the right samples and reading the slides for celiac damage, as the damage can be missed, or the slides can be mis-read. Going GF is no simple matter, and for celiacs, it's very important to maintain a strict diet for life, which is not easy at all (gluten hides in many unexpected places). But once you go GF, the blood tests and biopsy will no longer be useful. But if you feel better on the diet, you won't want to re-introduce gluten for the several weeks it takes for those tests to be useful again. Thus you may never know whether you actually have celiac disease. Better to get a diagnosis now before going GF.I hope that helps. Best wishes.On Oct 9, 2010, at 9:56 AM, Harper wrote:

I'd be extremely surprised if your HMO wouldn't pay for tests, both blood and/or biopsy.

Blood tests may give false negatives. Therefore, if one has a negative blood result, it's a good idea to proceed to the biopsy. Although false positives are rare, some doctors believe a biopsy should be done with a positive blood test, too, as eating GF for CD is a life-time, serious undertaking. The biopsy is done by an endoscopy. As a nurse, you probably know that an endoscopic exam isn't difficult for the patient. Occasionally a biopsy gives a false negative. Commonly, GIs do a second endoscopy about six months after the patient goes GF in order to confirm the biopsy and to see whether healing is taking place. Remember that the biopsy examines the esophagus and stomach as well as the upper intestine. People with CD are more prone to certain problems in those areas.

I thought the question about "best bread" was asking for purchased breads. Many people here make GF bread. I always mean to do so -- next month.

H.

-----Original Message-----

From: ginny95129 <ginnymarley@...>

< >

Sent: Sat, Oct 9, 2010 9:16 am

Subject: [ ] Re: What is the best bread?

Thanks to all of you for your ideas about bread. Interesting that only one person talks about making bread at home. I gather the rest of you have either tried it and not liked it, or not tried it. I'm tempted to try homemade bread as I enjoy cooking.

Harper, thanks for the reminder to consider being tested before changing my diet. What tests would be needed? I don't know that I'm up for a biopsy but blood tests would be fine.

I don't know that my HMO will pay for blood tests but I wouldn't mind paying for them if I thought the results could be interpreted correctly and were worth the cost. From the reading I've done it seems that the tests may not be 100% reliable or even close to that.

I am a nurse and I believe that most of medicine is truly "practicing" to see what works. Can be pretty expensive during the process and we are the guinea pigs.

Have a great weekend!!

I've been busy with work plus my computer was on the fritz for a few days so I couldn't get back to you all before now.

Ginny

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> I'm about to embark on a one month gluten free diet to see if it might help my psoriasis. I love sandwiches. I'm willing to bake my own gluten free bread if you think it's superior to anything I can buy.

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> Thanks so much!!

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> Ginny in Cupertino

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