Enterolab Or Alcat Or ?

[cathzozo]

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

[Nantzie]

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]

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]

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]

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!!!!!!!

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]

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]

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.

[tiffjake]

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]

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.

-Catherine

[tiffjake]

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!

[emcmaster]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.