ALCAT food sensitivity test accurate?

[Jen1104]

Hi everybody,

I'm just curious if anyone has had the ALCAT food sensitivity test done, and if you feel it was accurate--or not?

I'm undiagnosed, but have an extremely bad reaction to gluten: stomach issues, severe neuropathy, exhaustion, etc.  So, I have been off gluten (very strictly) for about 10 months now.  Stomach and related issues are a lot better but all other issues are not.  I'd like to know if I have any other food sensitivities.  I am gluten, grain and dairy free (95% with dairy).  I feel like eggs and tomatoes cause more nerve pain/muscle pain, so I avoid those too.

I did try an elimination diet last year for three weeks: I eliminated gluten, grains, dairy, soy, nuts, eggs (most of the major allergens) and really didn't feel any better.  And when I added back in some of these foods, I felt the same.  Maybe I didn't do the diet long enough, not sure!  I also saw on celiac.com that if you pay for an ALCAT test, you get a free celiac genetic test--another reason why I'd like to do the ALCAT.

Would appreciate anyone's experience with this, thanks!

[1desperateladysaved]

I have had another test that it is similar.  I am positive that it helped me.  I suggest you try to avoid any foods you have any antibodies too.  IF you don't know what to eat, I would go to the grocery store and look for foods you have never eaten.  I would point you to Teri Cochrane's book, The Wildetarian Diet.  She has an online symptom survey to help you decide which of her four levels of diets that you need.  From there you may see that some vegetables, beef or chicken must be replaced with other nutrient-dense meats. Don't despair for there are many foods in this world.  Possibly some foods that you have cut out were not the culprits.

The trouble is with elimination diets; as I have found is that IF you don't get everything out that causes troubles, you may not improve your symptoms.  That makes it confusing to know what is at the root of the issue.  My roots were complicated in that when I have difficulty breaking down fats, pesticides, my own hormones, and sulfur foods.  The healthier I tried to eat, the more sulfur foods I would take in.  Life is intensly complicated and it is difficult to tell just what is going on.  I did a 23andme and had it interpreted by Teri Cochrane and have begun a dramatic recovery.

I wish you the best for your recovery and am trying to follow your post to be of further support IF I can.

 

DEE

[cyclinglady]

Just keep in mind that more than 30% of the population carries the genes that could develop to celiac disease.  Only a very few actually do.  The genetic test helps exclude celiac disease.  If you do not have the genes you can stop worrying that you will develop celiac disease.  

It sounds like it is too late to test for antibodies for celiac disease since you have been gluten free for so long.  Consider a gluten challenge if you want a firm diagnosis.  Have other illnesses like Crohn’s been ruled out?  Once you have one autoimmune it is common to develop others.  

[Jen1104]

On ‎4‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 10:46 PM, 1desperateladysaved said:

I have had another test that it is similar.  I am positive that it helped me.  I suggest you try to avoid any foods you have any antibodies too.  IF you don't know what to eat, I would go to the grocery store and look for foods you have never eaten.  I would point you to Teri Cochrane's book, The Wildetarian Diet.  She has an online symptom survey to help you decide which of her four levels of diets that you need.  From there you may see that some vegetables, beef or chicken must be replaced with other nutrient-dense meats. Don't despair for there are many foods in this world.  Possibly some foods that you have cut out were not the culprits.

The trouble is with elimination diets; as I have found is that IF you don't get everything out that causes troubles, you may not improve your symptoms.  That makes it confusing to know what is at the root of the issue.  My roots were complicated in that when I have difficulty breaking down fats, pesticides, my own hormones, and sulfur foods.  The healthier I tried to eat, the more sulfur foods I would take in.  Life is intensly complicated and it is difficult to tell just what is going on.  I did a 23andme and had it interpreted by Teri Cochrane and have begun a dramatic recovery.

I wish you the best for your recovery and am trying to follow your post to be of further support IF I can.

 

DEE

Thanks for your reply, Dee.  I checked out the book you mentioned on amazon.  Seems interesting, may have to purchase that one.  I've changed my diet completely over last year or two. I used to eat fast food every day, sometimes twice a day--sooo BAD I know!  I eat almost completely unprocessed now - meat, veg, fruit, nuts, some pbutter & dark chocolate. That's about it!

I suspect that I either have Celiac (but was already Gluten-Free for 6 mo before endoscopy/colonoscopy, which showed some flattened villi but biopsies were negative) Or....Leaky gut from taking many years of antibiotics for acne.  I've had really bad health for 25 years so I suspect symptoms aren't  going away overnight, even if gluten is the culprit.

Thank again

[Jen1104]

Cyclinglady,

Thanks for your response too.

I have read (on this lovely site probably) what you were saying about the genetics test.  I would at least be able to rule celiac out, I realize I can't exactly rule it in if I have the genes.

Not able to do a gluten test, seems like I get craaaazy sick off of a crumb!  I wouldn't last a day!  The last time I ate a piece of bread (when still trying to figure out IF gluten was my problem), I had severe burning pulsating stomach pains and D for 2 months!  Never ever again!

I had a colonoscopy a few months ago, all was fine there, so I would think Crohn's would not be an issue.

Appreciate your input.

[1desperateladysaved]

Flattened villi is Celiac, IS IT NOT?