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PMR and Celiac Disease

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Oct 26 6:29pm | Replies (7)

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@mtr2601

It may be difficult for you to get a clear answer on whether or not you have Celiac. The blood test requires you to be eating the equivalent of 4 slices of gluten bread a day for at least 8 weeks before the test. If you are on immunosuppressive medication this can give a false negative on the test as well.
However the test for the gene HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 can tell you if you have the gene and if it is active. In Australia this test is partially funded under Medicare. The gold standard for diagnosis is gastroscopic biopsy of the small intestine but this can also yield inconclusive results if you have been on a GF diet for a while.

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Replies to "It may be difficult for you to get a clear answer on whether or not you..."

There is another genetic test called HLA-B27 for people with problems with digestion. A positive result is indicative of enteropathic arthritis which can mimic symptoms of PMR. However, symptoms usually start to occur at a younger age compared to PMR.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23166-enteropathic-arthritis
PMR should only be diagnosed after excluding everything else. The problem is that people can still have PMR in addition to everything else.