# Celiac Disease home test



## CatUK (Dec 15, 2006)

Has anyone ever used one of these home tests you can get for celiac disease? They are the ones where you prick your finger and wait 5 minutes to see if you have a gluten intolerance. I've suspected for a while maybe I have a gluten intolerance and after a bad week of eating nothing but rubbish because of new meds I am having an awful time. I feel on the verge of throwing up all the time (only think I haven't because of my anti nausea meds), I have stomach ache all across my lower abdomen, I've been to the toilet once everyday for the last 4 days (I'm usually one of these people that go once every 4 days or so) and my stools are very loose (not diarrhea but very slimy, sorry for the info). I'm thinking of trying one of the home tests then at least I can rule it out and if it shows anything go to my Dr for further tests. I just want to know if they are reliable before spending £20 on one. The one I'm looking at is the BioCard one.Thanks for any help.


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## Ashers86 (Dec 31, 2007)

I've honestly never heard of it...I know that blood tests do show if there's a problem though... but from my own experience, and from the experience of a friend of mine who has Celiac, they'll still do the endoscopy and take tissue from the stomach for biopsy to confirm Celiac.


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## CatUK (Dec 15, 2006)

Thanks for the reply Asher. Apparantly looking around they seem to be quite reliable (seen a lot about them being used in Canada).If it showed I had something in my blood I would pop to the Dr's to get the proper blood test. If that shows something up looks like I'm off wheat and gluten.I just went ahead and bought one, only cost £12 and it's buy one get one free, not sure what to do with the free one lol. Thanks again for the reply. Just don't think all my problems are down to IBS and trying to find out what it could be, seen 3 drs and all useless.My home test should be here by the weekend so will let you know what it says (at least it's just a simple finger prick test rather than anything else which I was expecting like the bowel cancer test)


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## Ashers86 (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi CatUK,It is worth a try... I mean, that's not expensive!Since it is by blood, I think it could possibly be reliable enough. However, don't stop gluten if it reads positive - I believe you need to have gluten in your system when the Doc tests you in order to see the reaction.But it's a quick and easy way to know SOMETHING!







Best of luck!


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## CatUK (Dec 15, 2006)

Thanks Asher, it's just another thing I can eliminate for my own piece of mind as always have in the back of it that my IBS gets a lot worse after eating gluten and wheat.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Wheat and other grains can be a problem because of the indigestible (by any human) strarches in them.Starch intolerant people usually don't need to be as careful as people with gluten intolerance.With a gluten intolerance you can't have any food that touched a serving spoon that touched something with wheat in it. Most starch intolerant people can handle things like the minimal amount of wheat in some soy sauces and a lot of assorted food additives as it takes several grams of starch to cause a reaction but just a few molecules of the gluten protein.There are some blood tests for celiac and it would be good to check if this is one of those standard medical lab tests and which one. There are a fair number of alternative medical tests that I don't trust as I don't know anyone that takes those that doesn't pretty much get the same exact list of foods they shouldn't eat. We can't all be the same. The PCR test looks at the DNA to see if you have the genes for celiac. Those are the same gluten or not. The antibody tests aren't as accurate if you don't eat gluten.


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## *Amz* (Apr 28, 2009)

If you think you may have celiac i would advice you go to your hospital, as youl have to have tests done at the hospital.my friends mam has celiac, and for years shes was loosing weight but still eating etc and they gave her numerous blood tests and said shes okay, so finalyl she went for more internal tests and it was found out she has celiac, and now shes absolutly fine!


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## poorlyem (Apr 22, 2009)

Hey Catuk,I used to work in Boots and I asked our pharmacist how good these tests are, she said they are good but that they can sometimes miss it, so even if it says you don't I still wouldn't rule it out altogether.


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## CatUK (Dec 15, 2006)

Thanks for the replies. The test did say I was not Celiac which is good. I've not got the losing weight part of it anyway just the pain and discomfort after eating wheat etc which is what made me think I had it (can't eat pasta without feeling sick and bloating)


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi CatI had a celiacs disease test done, they took blood for the test also when i had the camera up my bottom they took biopsies and that was tested for celiacs, as i have lost two and a half stone since january, the results came back, i dont have it.Have you had blood tests and biopsies, ive been told they can miss it with just blood tests, dont know how true that was mind.How did it go at the doctors, with your list of ailments. did you ask bout beating the blues on computor.


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