Re: Should I get an upper endoscopy?

What you could do first before trying a biopsy is get the genetic testing done, and/or the blood tests. If it shows you have inherited any of the genes or the blood tests show you are gluten intolerant, then you know it is quite possible you are celiac and then do need proceed with the biopsy. Do NOT stop eating gluten until after you get any blood testing and the biopsy done.

If you really don't care if you have an official diagnosis for celiac, then you can skip the testing and just stop eating gluten to see how you feel after a time of being gluten free. If your health improves, then you are probably gluten intolerant.

From what you say your symptoms are, it really does sound like you are celiac, so if it were me I would go ahead and do the testing. If you had recently stopped or cut back on gluten because you suspected celiac, put it back in your diet (eat maybe 1 slice of bread a day) for about 3 months and then have the biopsy ... this would be a gluten challenge, which your doctor might recommend anyway before doing the biopsy or blood test. The genetic test is saliva, and can be done any time, even once you are gluten free.

Regardless of whether you are gluten intolerant only, or have progressed to celiac disease, the solution to either is the same ... no more gluten for the rest of your life (you don't want to cheat and eat gluten if just gluten intolerant because your intolerance could at any time progress into celiac disease or any of the other associated autoimmune diseases). Tweet