Think you have a gluten allergy or intolerance? Get this gluten allergy lab test at home. Find out how it works, why it’s so accurate and how to get it. I’ll share my own experience about this gluten allergy lab test and why I love it.
Do you think you might have a gluten allergy or intolerance? This at-home gluten allergy lab test is a great solution to find out. Note that this not a recommendation for health advice. This is my experience and you should consult with your doctor or health care provider for a recommendation.
Why We Got a Gluten Allergy Lab Test at Home
Years ago, my husband was diagnosed as celiac along with food allergies to soy and eggs. In fact, years of an undiagnosed gluten allergy lead to leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune issues. Luckily, we had an integrative rheumatologist who diagnosed him properly and put him on a treatment plan – including a diet free of gluten, soy and eggs as well as supplements to help heal his gut.
Soon after my husband was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, I wanted to get my oldest son tested. He was colicky as a baby and has battled stomach issues since he was a year old. He used to get the stomach flu every other month or so, and always complained that he had a stomach ache.
For many years, we dealt with it. I talked to his pediatrician numerous times and she dismissed his stomach issues. “Some kids are just prone to getting the stomach flu,” she said. I knew something wasn’t right, but I didn’t know how to find out or what to do. I wish I knew the signs of gluten sensitivity, but I didn’t make the connection at the time.
After my husband was tested and diagnosed with celiac, I got my oldest son tested as well. This was the test our integrative doctor recommended because it’s so comprehensive and accurate.
An Easy At-Home Gluten Allergy Lab Test
There are different ways to test for gluten allergies. The most common is a blood test to screen for the IgA and IgT antibodies to detect celiac disease. It’s possible to come out negative for celiac disease (a serious autoimmune disease where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine) but positive for a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
It’s also possible that there could be other factors affecting the GI tract and digestion – including malabsorption, leaky gut syndrome, candida (yeast overgrowth), bacterial overgrowth in the gut, parasites, etc. – that may not come up in a test just for celiac.
That’s why I like this GI Health Panel, an at-home lab test from DiagnosTechs. The GI Health Panel is a non-invasive screen of the gastrointestinal tract, and measures 22 individual, yet related tests utilizing saliva and stool specimens. So it’s not just looking at gluten intolerance, it’s actually looking at overall digestive and gut health. This was the test that our doctor recommend in addition to the celiac blood test.
The GI Health Panel measures:
- Stool culture for yeast
- Screening for ova & parasites
- Bacterial stool pathogens
- Giardia antigen
- Cryptosporidium antigen
- Trichinella Ab
- Anti-Toxoplasma gondii
- Anti-Ameba histolytica
- H. Pylori Ab (saliva)
- Tapeworm
- Clostridium difficile toxin
- Chymotrypsin
- Occult blood
- Fecal pH
- Total intestinal Secretory IgA
- Intestinal Lysozyme
- Alpha Anti-Chymotrypsin
- Gluten intolerance test
- Food intolerance antibody (dairy, soy, egg)
I’ve learned that this test is very accurate and can be more sensitive (e.g. better at picking up gluten sensitivities) than blood tests for gluten allergies.
What Can This Lab Test Detect
This GI Health Panel is so much more than a gluten allergy test. It can find other valuable GI-related problems, like:
- Digestive issues
- Malabsorption
- Bacterial imbalance
- Parasites
- Metabolism
- Yeast (candida) immune function
- Inflammation
This was the test that showed that my husband had leaky gut syndrome, candida, and gluten and soy intolerance. For me, it found an overgrowth of bad bacteria likely from drinking water. For my oldest son, it found inflammation in the colon.
You can also try this Food Allergy Test to get even more specific on types food allergies or intolerances you may have, though this GI test will detect gluten, soy, egg and dairy intolerances. Get the Food Allergy Test here and get a free consultation with an on-staff health care practitioner over at True Health Labs.
How is This Test Done
Stool samples are taken over the course of a few days. YES. STOOL. SAMPLES. I collected two samples for my son over the course of three days, and refrigerated it (first batch must be refrigerated until we can collect the second batch on the third day) until we’re ready to send it off in the mail.
How Long Does it Take to Get the Results
Within three weeks, we got the results back and found that my son had colitis. He had off-the-charts inflammation in his colon, which likely caused some of the stomach flu issues. A gluten-free diet was immensely helpful for my son, along with supplements to help heal immune system and reduce the inflammation in his colon. After 6 months, we had him tested again and the colitis was gone.
We use this GI Health Panel every couple of years to check to make sure everything is healthy with our gut.
Have you tried an at-home gluten allergy lab test yet?
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Did you get a gluten allergy test at home? Don’t forget to comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
Photo credit: Bigstockphotos.com / shcherban
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I cannot locate the GI Health Panel using the link in this article. Is there another name for the test?
It seems they are not offering that kit anymore. You can look for local providers who offer it. This was the kit: http://www.diagnostechs.com/Pages/GIHealthPanels.aspx. I’m going to work on finding a reputable company to do this at home.
I didn’t know that you had to take the kit home for a food allergy test. I thought all the testing was done at the office. Good to know if we ever decide to get our son tested.
Yes, it can be done at home but the three days of samples in my frig nearly drove me over the edge.