Blood test negative but gluten intolerance real!

[sylviesinc]

My 77 year old husband has had digestive problems all his life and has been on stomach medicine like Metoclopramide and Ranitidene for years but several months ago he began to lose a lot of weight and felt nauseous most of the time. He had all the tests available plus a gastroscopy but nothing was shown apart from an obviously irritated interior. He tried cutting out dairy, alcohol, sugar but nothing improved. Then he stopped eating gluten a couple of months ago and his nausea stopped, his appetite returned and he has stopped losing weight. He is OBVIOUSLY gluten intolerant so why didn't the blood tests show it?

[Dr Chris Rutkowski]

There are reliable tests for wheat allergy and coeliac disease. There are no (blood) tests for gluten intolerance other. One can diagnose it when symptoms clear on gluten exclusion diet and return when gluten is eaten liberally. If it good to know your husband has improved. However he might tolerate small quantity of gluten/wheat (a slice of toast a day etc) with no adverse reactions and his gluten avoidance might not need to be complete.

[sylviesinc]

This morning, before he had eaten or drunk anything, he felt slightly nauseous. He had a cup of black coffee with sugar and a small glass of full fat milk in order to take his regular medication. This is a regular morning ritual. He then had a boiled egg with gluten free toast and butter but could not eat very much due to feeling nauseous. This is how he used to feel. We both feel as though he is back to square one and that it's not the gluten to blame at all! I don't know what else to try!

[Dr Chris Rutkowski]

he should see a GP or a gastroenterologist as gluten-intolerance does not explain his symptoms