York Allergy Testing

[debmidge]

Anyone use this for food sensitivity testing? If yes, what was your opinion of it?

[debmidge]

Sorry to be a pest, but I recall some board "members" mentioned that they are going to use York Allergy Test Lab for sensitivity testing. How was your experience? We'd like to use them, but wanted to "talk" to someone who has used them.

Thanks,

Debbie

[debmidge]

Anyone use York? What's your experience been? Do you recommend it?

[booksrfun]

Yes, I had great results w/ York. Numerous doctors could not figure out what was making my children sick. A nutritionist told me to get them tested for food allergies through York. I found out they were allergic to about 6 very common foods that they had been eating almost everyday (eggs, wheat, dairy, corn, gluten) Results: no more sickness once we give up the offending foods. I highly recommend them because regular allergy doctors do not usually test your blood for IgG reactions like York. They just do scratch tests on your skin. The people who work at York are very helpful if you have questions. Test results take about 3- 4 weeks because the sample is sent to England.

Best wishes

[debmidge]

Thanks Booksrfun, I ordered a kit and am anxious to get it going. I didn't want to waste my money on something that isn't worthwhile. Did your doctor accept the results as valid?

[debmidge]

Well my husband sent his blood sample to York on 8/16 so we now have to wait for the test results.

[debmidge]

RE: York Lab

Well, we are going into the 3rd week since we mailed in the blood test sample. They say it takes 3 weeks and that means that we should know the results any day now.

It wasn't hard to take the sample - about 10 minutes between start to finish.

[jenad]

how do i find out about york labs

thanks

[GEF]

Here is their website: Open Original Shared Link

Some insurance companies will actually allow reimbursements (see their FAQ page for the diagnostic codes, etc). My insurance company won't reimburse since the tests are not performed in a medical setting... however, not having to go to a doctor's office to get blood drawn in my opinion is a good thing! I do believe that a doctor can order these tests for you... if you really want to pursue a medical reimbursement.

They seem great... I would really like to get it done.

Gretchen

[debmidge]

We are waiting longer than normal for the test results due to the recent hurricanes in Florida. Their USA office is in Hollywood Florida, near Miami. The actual test is done in Yorkshire England. We should have the official report any day now. Yorkshire sends the report to Florida and then to the customer (us).

[debmidge]

Received the test results. Now my husband is sensitive/allergic/intolerant to: cows milk, yeast, egg yolk, soy, cashews, lentils, almonds, chili peppers, wheat, corn, hazelnut, brazil nut and garlic. This is in addition to gluten-free diet and in addition to not being able to digest fruits and vegetables. What's left?

According to their information, the stuff he's allergic too should be avoided completely for 3-6 mos then reintroduced one at a time to find out if the allergy still exists.

Q: I heard from some source that canned milk can be tolerated as the high temperatures that they heat it at to can it destroys the part of the milk that people are sensitive/allergic/intlolerant to. Can anyone confirm this?

[Guest Nukapai]

I would definitely recommend this service - just had my results (IgG reaction/foods to be totally eliminated: gliadin, wheat, cow's milk, egg white and sunflower seeds).

I have had a REAL struggle with my health over the last few years and it is such a relief to have a starting point.

[kabowman]

OK, so you have the results - did you learn anything new or was it more of a confirmation...

I ask this because I am also considering ordering the test. I have discovered a LOT of my own intolerances but I think I may still be missing some things. My allergist and PCP will NOT because they say they only point to broad spectrum and are not specific or reliable enough yet.

My current list is: lactose, casien, gluten, peanuts, almonds, MSG, vinegar (all kinds), soy beans, garbonzo beans, and corn .

Thanks...Kate

[bmorrow]

I had the York Allergy test, after going gluten free for six months. They indicated that I also had an allergy to yeast, milk and white fish. I have been very pleased with their response to my questions. The test was easy. They emailed my results to me, as well as sending all of the additional material. I asked them about testing for Celiac, and they told me that I would have to eat one slice of bread for at least two weeks, but advised me not to do this, if I have had a problem with gluten.

I have had a negative Iga test and negative biopsy by my Gastro. doctor, but a postive results from Enterolab. Any one else use Enterolab, if so what's your opinion?

[Guest Nukapai]

OK, so you have the results - did you learn anything new or was it more of a confirmation...

I ask this because I am also considering ordering the test. I have discovered a LOT of my own intolerances but I think I may still be missing some things. My allergist and PCP will NOT because they say they only point to broad spectrum and are not specific or reliable enough yet.

My current list is: lactose, casien, gluten, peanuts, almonds, MSG, vinegar (all kinds), soy beans, garbonzo beans, and corn .

Thanks...Kate

A bit of both actually. I knew I was Lactose intolerant from birth (well, it took my mom and the doctors a little while to figure out why I was such a sick baby...) - but the reaction to gliadin and wheat have been new discoveries after someone I know suggested that maybe many of my health problems could be the result of Celiac disease.

My doctor ordered a blood test to check for Celiac and it came back clear. Initially, I left it at that, but after having gone through several more blood tests and progressively getting worse and worse, I decided to try York and see if they could at least provide some enlightenment about wheter I was barking up the wrong tree.

Now as it happens, my suspicions were RIGHT - which is definitely a double-edged sword, but a huge relief. I wasn't going mad!

My next challenge is seeing if my doctor will be up for exploring further tests to rule out Celiac (I could just have an intolerance to the aforementioned substances, not Celiac). I wouldn't have had the confidence to press this issue with my doctor without the York lab results. Definitely worth the money.

[GEF]

Nukapai,

It was really important for me to have a definitive answer to whether or not I would develop celiac and I must say that the HLA (gene typing for DQ2 & DQ8) gave me that answer. I was negative, by the way. With all of my inconclusive celiac tests, I didn't feel comfortable just not knowing.

My doctor has been very open to exploring the benefits of ELISA testing from York, especially after a recent study on the benefits for those with IBS (see the site index)... I haven't yet done the York ELISA testing, but I'm seriously looking into it.

Gretchen

[Guest barbara3675]

You asked if anyone had used Enterolab.....I have and was really happy with them. They sent me the kit, I did exactly as they asked, sent it back to them and got the results in less than two weeks. Results were that I was intolerant to gluten and casein. My doctor had done a blood test for gluten or something and it came back negative and he had his nurse call and tell me!!!! The sent the results via email. Any other questions about them, I will be happy to answer.

Barbara

[snipe12]

I used to know York Labs well, very good company so I imagine not much has changed in the last couple of years.

One thing a lot of people do not know is that you need to consume a wide range of foods including the ones you have been avoiding because you believe you are intolerant to them to get the most accurate results.

Often people find that they are not intolerant to things they believed they were but in fact something they always have at the same time.

[cdevane]

Does anyone know if you have to be consuming possible allergens in your diet at the time you take the York tests? I want the test to be accurate, but I have already eliminated several things that I know make me sick.

[kvogt]

cdevane,

They told me it is unnecessary to consume foods for which they test.

[snipe12]

You need to have consumed them within the last 6 months though otherwise it will not show in the blood test.

[Guest Nukapai]

I guess the food consumption depends on whether you know that something is making you sick and are thus avoiding it anyway - in which case what's the point of re-introducing it for the test? If you are unsure about a particular food and want to know for sure, I'd re-introduce it before the test. This is just an opinion, not a medical recommendation, by the way!

My story continues - although I am now due for an endoscopy, I've gone ahead and ordered a gene test from Enterolab anyway because I just want to know for SURE and having the food intolerance come back positive is one thing, but I would like to know whether my new gluten-free/wheat-free lifestyle is for good, or whether I will be able to re-introduce these foods in small amounts in the future.

[debmidge]

My problem with it is that my husband tested positive for foods he has not consumed in 30 years. For example: chili pepper, lentils, brazil nuts, cashew, almond, hazelnut (all nuts for that matter).

York explained that perhaps he is getting these foods inadvertently. That's not possible. He doesn't go near nuts and eats plain, bland food.

With all due respect to our forum's host, there's a non profit organization I consulted after I purchased the test, that claims that this type of testing is bogus/fraud.

I want answers but not at the expense of my purse or my ignorance of the topic. I am not really certain if I believe York or not....

[Guest Nukapai]

A *lot* of this type of testing IS bogus and fraudulent, yes. It is definitely worth shopping around.

I can confirm that York is the ONLY food intolerance testing service that (I know of) to be clinically proven and validated.

Doesn't mean they get every single case 100% right. Could have been some totally stupid mix-up with test results or samples (although I hope not!). Or maybe your husband has been sneaking off for secret takeaways behind your back.

[debmidge]

The article was about the tests being bogus, not the lab. That the tests don't prove anything....that they are not scientific....

it is Quackwatch.org

I guess I am still confused....