The danger in self-diagnosis and treating symptoms with a gluten-free diet is possibly missing the diagnosis of a different and potentially dangerous disease. Being misdiagnosed and having a disease go untreated can cause more problems down the road, even if the diet itself is safe. 

Bottom Line: See Your Doctor! 

Once you know what to look for, it is easier to spot gluten intolerance symptoms, but there is no real test that exists to determine if you have gluten intolerance, and there is no prescription drug available to treat it. Whether or not the condition is legitimate is still up for debate. 

But if you have concerns, go with your gut. Make sure your doctor rules out celiac disease before declaring you have gluten intolerance; some experts suggest a 60-day period without gluten, then slowly reintroducing these foods to test how they make you feel, eliminating the ones that cause painful symptoms.