Please help!

[nicnicnic]

I had blood taken the Monday before last to see if I am intolerant to wheat and gluten. I know that usually blood tests usually take 5 working days to get results, but I still havn't had any (I've been ringing every day). Today the receptionist told me that this test is done in batches, so it could be a while before they come back. Does anyone know anything about this? How long do these tests usually take?
thanks

[mimififi]

mine took 8 weeks to come back as the receptionist is dead right, they are done in batches as the test is quite expensive to do.

However, what you can do now as you have already had the blood taken and will not be affecting the results in anyway, you can cut wheat and gluten from you diet and see if it makes a difference to your health. The test you had done is probably not for an allergy as such, rather a condition called coeliac disease. This is a very specific condition with specific symptons and causes. However, if you are suffereing stomach/digestion/gastro ill health, it could be that you are intolerent to wheat and/or gluten and this is less easy to pick up in a blood test. The only way to know for sure if you are intolerent to these things is to cut them out completely for 1 month say, and see if you notice a change or improvement. If you are coeliac, it can take up to a year for full health to return, however, you should notice an instant improvement ad things will just get better and better.
If you are intolerent, it might be you can tolerate wheat, but not gluten, or you can only tolerate small amounts once or twice a week. It will be trial and error to find out the cause and the effects. I would ask to speak to a dietician, or go and see a nutritionist.

I clearly suffer cruelly when I eat these things, and yet my coeliac test came back negative. However, the doctor recommended I stay on the diet. I don't get prescription food, but my doc is working on it. You can still join the coeliac association though.

Don't forget, that it is not just wheat that has gluten in it, but oats, barley and rye.
good luck