Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Enterolab Or Alcat Or ?


cathzozo

Recommended Posts

cathzozo Apprentice

Hello! I am new to this board. I started eating gluten-free on April 1st and felt much better within a few days (no chronic diarrhea). In late April, I tested with one meal and felt horrible. Been gluten-free since. I'm hoping that maybe this will help my fatigue, hypothyroid and depression as well. And I'm wondering if the cavities I've gotten in the last few years may be due to Celiac as well (no cavities at all - ever - until age 25).

I told my doctor about this, and she agreed that I should continue eating gluten-free. Offered to test for Celiac, but I'm not sure I want to eat all the gluten for the test. So, I was thinking of getting a test on my own. I was thinking getting the Enterolab test would be good because it would show whether I had been reacting to gluten and give me a baseline to work off of. Alternately, I was thinking I would like the Lame Advertisement test because it would list any other food sensitivities - which seems very important now that I've been researching all of this. There is NO WAY I can pay for both of these now. Which should I do first? Or do you all have another option? Or should I go back to the doc? Or.....

TIA!

Catherine


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Nantzie Collaborator

I vote for Enterolab. I just got the genetic test from them, and it answered so many questions for me. I've got DQ1 which isn't recognized as a celiac gene in the classic sense, but if you look at my signature, you can see how much gluten effects me. If you get the whole panel, you've got a lot of questions answered.

I'm not sure about the Lame Advertisement specifically, but I have heard on this board that allergy testing doesn't really do much as far as detecting celiac. It can tell you if you have a wheat allergy , but a wheat allergy is a completely different thing from celiac, which isn't an allergy, but an autoimmune disorder. There are a couple people on this board who have a wheat allergy in addition to celiac. So if it's allergy testing, I don't think it would give you as many answers as Enterolab.

Hopefully someone who has had the Lame Advertisement will chime in with some experiences.

Nancy

cathzozo Apprentice

Nancy - Thanks so much for replying! I am leaning towards the Enterolab right now, too, because it seems that it would be more useful now when I've only been gluten-free for less than 2 months. I think the Lame Advertisement isn't a traditional allergy test, though. I think it measures the slow response - IgG I think. I don't really know what that means, though... :) I'll try to decide and do one of the tests near the first of the month.

Catherine

AndreaB Contributor

I would also vote for Enterolab. I would recommend to Total Gluten Panel (I forget what it's called $369) and if you can swing it the soy/yeast/egg panel ($199). The $369 also included a free milk panel for a short time. We just sent tests out even though we don't have any known symptoms. I had the family tested since I am allergic and my infant son is sensitive to soy/wheat/gluten and who know what else. I have to try and figure things out as he breaks out with a new case of eczema.

tiffjake Enthusiast

Lame Advertisement Lame Advertisement Lame Advertisement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have had both and Enterolab tests for levels if you have been EATING gluten, and Lame Advertisement checks your BLOOD for a REACTION to the GLUTEN in a TEST TUBE, so you don't have to be eating any! And the test checks for gluten, gliadin, and wheat (and lots of other stuff depending on which panel you get). I showed an allergy to gluten and gliadin. That is how I found out about the celiac stuff, and then went on to the enterolab test (I wasn't checking for gluten, but for tomatoes, because of bad acid reflux). I REALLY recomend the Lame Advertisement test. They check for SO MUCH foods and enterolab only check for a couple of things. (Have I stressed it enough? LOL!) Lame Advertisement!!!!!!! :D

Nancy - Thanks so much for replying! I am leaning towards the Enterolab right now, too, because it seems that it would be more useful now when I've only been gluten-free for less than 2 months. I think the Lame Advertisement isn't a traditional allergy test, though. I think it measures the slow response - IgG I think.

The Lame Advertisement isn't a traditional test. It is a slow response test, as you suggested. They check for intolerances. For example, some foods may not give you D, but will make you tired the next day if you eat too much of it. They check for cellular changes in the blood when exposed to certian foods (as many as you want to pay for!) and report the foods that cause changes in your blood. My results included sweet potato, strawberry, stringed bean, cantaloupe, gluten, gliadin, casien, halibut, almond, and a couple of others. After cutting out all of these things, I am feeling sooooo much better. Now that I know about my celiac disease, I know that cutting out the gluten made the biggest difference, but I also avoid the other foods on my list. I can't recomend the Lame Advertisement test enough! It will give you the same answers as the EnteroLab test (egg, milk, casien, gluten, etc) and many more foods if you have a reaction to them.

cathzozo Apprentice

Thanks so much Tiff and Andrea. I'm getting really confused, but I think it's clearer now too. So, here's what I'm thinking. If I do the Enterolab now, I can find out how much damage I have to my intestines - which is useful if I want to check again at some point in the future. I will also have my suspicions of gluten confirmed. If I do the Lame Advertisement, I'll find out about all my sensitivities, but I won't know anything about how much damage has already been done.

I guess the big question for me is - Will I ever do the Enterolab in another year or two to see improvement? Or will I just know I feel better?

Any other opinions welcome still....

AndreaB Contributor

Just a note. When I had my blood drawn for my allergy test, I tested allergic to dairy which I hadn't eaten for 3 years with the exception of a handful of times. If it is an IgG reaction it will stay in the blood for awhile. The doctor who did my allergy test said it can go back 10 years.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



tiffjake Enthusiast
Thanks so much Tiff and Andrea. I'm getting really confused, but I think it's clearer now too. So, here's what I'm thinking. If I do the Enterolab now, I can find out how much damage I have to my intestines - which is useful if I want to check again at some point in the future. I will also have my suspicions of gluten confirmed. If I do the Lame Advertisement, I'll find out about all my sensitivities, but I won't know anything about how much damage has already been done.

I guess the big question for me is - Will I ever do the Enterolab in another year or two to see improvement? Or will I just know I feel better?

Any other opinions welcome still....

EnteroLab will NOT show the damage in your intestines. Just your antibody levels. For example, if you are wondering if you are not completely gluten free, then do the enterolab test, because it will tell you if you are eating enough to still cause your body to make antibodies. Just wanted to let you know that. Also, it is a fecal test (and if you are going to do the mouth swab for the gene testing, then that is a mouth swab with a Q-tip). I didn't see if anyone told you the difference in HOW the tests are done. Enterolab has you poop in a bowl, freeze it (if you have time), and mail it to them over night (they supply the mailer, through DHL, and you need to contact them to pick it up). Lame Advertisement is a blood draw, that you will have to go to a dr.'s office to have them draw the tube or you can pay an extra 35 dollars and they will send a home nurse to draw it at your house (or for me, I have a friend who is a BSN so I had her do it for free!) and you mail that back to them in their prepared Fed EX stuff (over night also).

So, your options are 1-EnteroLab will show your LEVELS of ANTIBODIES which might be low after 2 months of gluten free, and if you are being really good with it, then it might not tell you anything (unless you get the gene testing! That is a plus! I got that it is was neat!) And if you want to pay for it, you can get your antibody levels for soy, milk, and a couple of others.

2-Lame Advertisement will test your bloods reaction to as many foods as you want (50, 100, 150) and will let you know what foods (and additives, like high fructose corn syrup for me) you have a reaction to. It will spesify gluten, but it will not show the level of the reaction. Just that your blood had a change/reaction to the item.

I have had both, and my first was Lame Advertisement and that is what I recomend (emphatically!) but it depends on what you want this test to do for you! When I had the EnteroLab test, I WANTED my levels to show my doctor so he would take me seriously about Celiac testing in his office. I ate a whole pizza the night before the test so it would show up in my system, and it did!!!! And he took that info in to account when ordering his own tests. But if you are already gluten free, you might not show high levels. But if you want to do the genetic testing also, then it might be what you are looking for. Either way, I wish you luck!!!! And I hope you are feeling much better now!!

cathzozo Apprentice

Tiffany - Thanks! I had read about how the tests are done. Although I don't like the idea of a stool sample, I'll do it if I need to. For the Enterolab tests, there is one that is for intestinal malabsorption which would show the damage - or at least show the outcomes of it (malabsorption). I guess I'm wondering if there is an advantage of knowing my baseline. Because since I've only been gluten-free for 2 months, it should still show in the stool test according to Enterolab. Will I need to compare to this baseline at some point in the future?

Andrea - That is amazing that the reaction in your blood can go back so far!

Well, I'm definitely ordering one of these tests at the first of the month. Right now, I guess I'm leaning toward the Lame Advertisement because I'm not sure if I would actually test again in a year or two to compare to my baseline. But I'm still very much up in the air. I'm also thinking that if I showed the intestinal malabsorption, my family might be more likely to test themselves. I figure I'll probably change my mind ten times before the 1st. :lol:

-Catherine

tiffjake Enthusiast
Tiffany - Thanks! I had read about how the tests are done. Although I don't like the idea of a stool sample, I'll do it if I need to. For the Enterolab tests, there is one that is for intestinal malabsorption which would show the damage - or at least show the outcomes of it (malabsorption). I guess I'm wondering if there is an advantage of knowing my baseline. Because since I've only been gluten-free for 2 months, it should still show in the stool test according to Enterolab. Will I need to compare to this baseline at some point in the future?

Thats true, I forgot about that, the fat part that shows malabsorption. Mine didn't show that (my levels were 300 and 1000 was the marker for malabsorption) so I didn't really pay attention to that part. But my gluten antibodies were in the 40's, so thats what I showed my doc. Hm, guess it really depends on what you want it to do for you. If you want to be able to compare test for test at a later time, you might want to think about the endoscopy. I am not sure how the EnteroLab test will change because what you want to look for is a change in the vili. Anyway, I am babling. I hope you pick one that you are comfortable with and that meets your needs! Good Luck to you!

  • 8 months later...
emcmaster Collaborator

Hey everyone - I'm bumping this because I'm strongly, strongly considering doing the A.L.C.A.T. test. My food sensitivities seem to be ever changing, so I'd like to get a reading on what I'm really intolerant to and what is actually making me feel miserable for the past 2 months.

I hate to do it, but I'm thinking about shelling out over $400 for the A.L.C.A.T. 150 foods test. My husband explained that at the very least, even if I don't show any reactions to any of the foods it tests for, at least I'll know that I have 149 safe foods (because I'm expecting either gluten or wheat to show up) to eat that aren't making me sick, and I can at least rule out sensitivities to those foods.

I'm going to call A.L.C.A.T. now and inquire about whether my insurance would pick some of it up.

tiffjake Enthusiast
Hey everyone - I'm bumping this because I'm strongly, strongly considering doing the Lame Advertisement test. My food sensitivities seem to be ever changing, so I'd like to get a reading on what I'm really intolerant to and what is actually making me feel miserable for the past 2 months.

I hate to do it, but I'm thinking about shelling out over $400 for the Lame Advertisement 150 foods test. My husband explained that at the very least, even if I don't show any reactions to any of the foods it tests for, at least I'll know that I have 149 safe foods (because I'm expecting either gluten or wheat to show up) to eat that aren't making me sick, and I can at least rule out sensitivities to those foods.

I'm going to call Lame Advertisement now and inquire about whether my insurance would pick some of it up.

Good deal! My A.L.C.A.T. test was what lead me to Celiac in the first place, and helped me find out about other food intolerances. I hope you are able to work out the payments! :)

jayhawkmom Enthusiast
Lame Advertisement checks your BLOOD for a REACTION to the GLUTEN in a TEST TUBE, so you don't have to be eating any!

If you have been gluten free - you're blood tests will be negative. That's how the typical Celiac panel is run.... and the blood tests are only reliable when you are consuming gluten. If you are gluten free, your body will not be creating what the blood tests are looking for.

tiffjake Enthusiast
If you have been gluten free - you're blood tests will be negative. That's how the typical Celiac panel is run.... and the blood tests are only reliable when you are consuming gluten. If you are gluten free, your body will not be creating what the blood tests are looking for.

Except that the A.L.C.A.T. test is not an antibody test. They showed an intolerance to sardines for me, and I have never eaten sardines. When I doubted the test results, and ate sardines, I got a terrible headache and bad stomach cramping. There were several things on my test that I have never eaten that showed up as intolerances.

When I asked how they did this, the lady said that in simple terms, they put a drop of blood on a slide, and a drop of the food (smashed in juice I assume) and watch for changes in the blood cells. If there is a change then that is a reaction.

Another food on my test was strawberries. I avoided them for a while (like they suggest) and then tried to reintroduce them later. Now they give me a headache. They probably always did, but I was on so many meds for the Celiac reactions that I didn't even know it!

Anyway, my point is that with EnteroLab, you need to have consumed gluten atleast recently for it to show up. Not for A.L.C.A.T.

emcmaster Collaborator

tiffjake, I'm so happy to read that you had positive results after getting the test. I ended up getting the Comprehensive V package, and after the $35 lab fee, it was $505 even. A LOT to shell out for a medical test, but my insurance CLAIMS they will cover 80% of whatever is left after my deductible. Sadly, the billing lady at A.L.C.A.T. said that my insurance (united health care) almost never picks up more than $8 or $9 of the total cost. If that's true, at least I'll have knocked out the rest of my deductible...

How long after you mailed back the test did you get your results? I'm so curious. I wonder what will show up!

jayhawkmom Enthusiast

Oh, ok. I see.

It seems that this type of test could give a whole lot of misinformation, however. If you have a lot of allergies to begin with....and your overall IgE is high due to increased sensitivity - it seems that you could potentially have blood reactions to a ton of things you aren't truly bothered by.

Just my thoughts. I don't know a lot about these tests, so I'm not talking from any type of experience. I'm just always a bit leary of labs that do testing like this.

tiffjake Enthusiast
tiffjake, I'm so happy to read that you had positive results after getting the test. I ended up getting the Comprehensive V package, and after the $35 lab fee, it was $505 even. A LOT to shell out for a medical test, but my insurance CLAIMS they will cover 80% of whatever is left after my deductible. Sadly, the billing lady at A.L.C.A.T. said that my insurance (united health care) almost never picks up more than $8 or $9 of the total cost. If that's true, at least I'll have knocked out the rest of my deductible...

How long after you mailed back the test did you get your results? I'm so curious. I wonder what will show up!

My insurance didn't cover any of it because it is Tricare, and you have to go through the miltary, and A.L.C.A.T. is not military, but whatever, I got the information, so I was happy!

I am glad that your insurance looks like they will pick some of it up!!!! Wonderful!!! I think mine was 495 ish.....and I don't remember paying a lab fee, are you going somewhere to have your blood drawn by a lab? My best friend is a nurse, so she did mine for me :)

And if I remember (b/c is was 2 years ago) I think it took 2 weeks to get my results. I was soooo excited!! Be patient. And if you remember, will you PM me with your results? I would love to compare!!!!

tiffjake Enthusiast
Oh, ok. I see.

It seems that this type of test could give a whole lot of misinformation, however. If you have a lot of allergies to begin with....and your overall IgE is high due to increased sensitivity - it seems that you could potentially have blood reactions to a ton of things you aren't truly bothered by.

Just my thoughts. I don't know a lot about these tests, so I'm not talking from any type of experience. I'm just always a bit leary of labs that do testing like this.

I understand being skeptical. I would be too if it wasn't for the fact that the A.L.C.A.T. test was the first test I had, because of GERD, and I expected to show reactions to tomatoes, peppers, stuff like they. But the test showed gluten, gliadin, casien, whey, and several other foods, but those foods lead me here, to this website, where I found out about gluten intolerance and Celiac Disease.

I then ordered the Enterolab tests, and then took all of that information to my doctor (because after reading about so many bad experiences with doctors on this website, I did want to go straight to him without some other proof. I kept a food journal, and recorded reactions, so I could show him that this is something to look into).

So.....my point is that if you go to Enterolab, then you are looking for a + or - on gluten intolerance. But with A.L.C.A.T. you are not getting a biased test result. They are not "looking" for one problem. You know?? Just my opinion.

I would be skeptical also, if I had not had the experiences that I did. :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.