My Enterolab Results

[bklynceliac]

Hey all, got my enterolab results in. Thought I would post for other people wondering if it's worth it. FYI, I received them in 13 days - much quicker than expected....

Antigliadin IgA 164 (Normal Range <10 Units)

Antitissue Transglutaminase IgA 75 Units (Normal Range <10 Units)

Quantitative Microscopic Fat Score 874 Units (Normal Range <300 Units)

anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA antibody 73 Units (Normal Range <10 Units)

Wow, that fat score was a lot higher than I was expecting. Actually, the whole thing was sort of a surprise. I had been off gluten for a few a months and not feeling much better, so I figured maybe it was just stupid IBS. But I was still on dairy, so maybe that was the problem.

Questions

1) Did anyone get their results and not believe? I know, it's more or less idiotic, but my whole family is doctors and they keep telling me enterolab is nonsense. I told myself I would believe whatever Dr. Fine said, but now I'm having trouble. stupid, I know.

2)For others who are off casein: do you have a reaction immediately after you eat? I thought that's how casein intolerance usually worked, and that definitely does not happen with me. I could eat a pint of ice cream and not notice anything especially bad for hours after. Maybe the next day I wouldn't feel so good, but not in such a way that I could tie it directly to the ice cream. What up with that?

[CarlaB]

I think all of us go into denial ... probably even if there was a positive biopsy! Yes, I had denial. But, the gluten-free diet proved everything.

I felt like you about the casein, "Oh, they're crazy, I eat dairy all the time, I have a latte every day, it can't be a problem." But I wasn't getting better, and it was a problem. Sometimes I'd react, sometimes I wouldn't. I always blamed it on gluten, but then realized every time I was "glutened", dairy was involved.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news ... but you already know and are just having trouble accepting ... you have to get off the dairy, too.

Try Vance's Dari-Free .... I love it. I've promised Patti I'll see if almond milk froths, now there's a project for me to do today!! Vance's does not. Maybe you can have soy ... I avoid it because I'm avoiding all major allergens till I get my leaky gut healed and start feeling better.

[ravenwoodglass]

Questions

1) Did anyone get their results and not believe? I know, it's more or less idiotic, but my whole family is doctors and they keep telling me enterolab is nonsense. I told myself I would believe whatever Dr. Fine said, but now I'm having trouble. stupid, I know.

2)For others who are off casein: do you have a reaction immediately after you eat? I thought that's how casein intolerance usually worked, and that definitely does not happen with me. I could eat a pint of ice cream and not notice anything especially bad for hours after. Maybe the next day I wouldn't feel so good, but not in such a way that I could tie it directly to the ice cream. What up with that?

If you are still doubtful let your bodies reaction be your validation. Many times one challenge is enough for us to know for sure. You would need to eliminate the casein totally for a 2 to 4 week period first though.

In answer to your second question the casein reaction they are testing for is an intolerance. Intolerances tend to be a delayed reaction with the most noticeable symptoms showing up a day to 3 days after the food is injested. This is why when an allergist guides someone in a complete elimination diet they tell you to add the suspect food (in pure form) in for a full week before adding anything else.

I hope things get better for you soon. Hopefully your return to good health will open your families eyes eventually.

[bklynceliac]

hey carla -- thnks for the vance's dairy free suggestion. looks intriguing. i've tried both soy and rice milk and they both taste like erasers to me. does vance's taste like milk or just a generally acceptable flavor? do you buy online?

[Ursa Major]

Ouch, those scores sure are high! And apparently, you aren't absorbing things well at all.

Carla and Ravenwoodglass are right about the casein. Delayed reactions are to be expected and are more common than an immediate one. Your casein score speaks for itself, you know you have to stop having dairy! And I mean, completely, not even a trace, just like with the gluten.

[AndreaB]

I agree with everyone else about the intolerance. It can take up to 2-3 days for more noticable reactions to manifest.

I thought Vance's tasted ok, but it gave me a headache. Maybe it was something else, but I suspect that. I actually preferred rice milk. If it's mixed into something it would probably be ok.

[Clark Bent as Stupor-Man]

your results are pretty similar to mine... I was about 150 for the antigliadin and also 73 for the casein... though if you read the explanation from the website, the value of the numbers is irrelevant (except for the malabsorbtion one) in terms of severity, they are just positive or negative so a 15 and 200 for antigliadin are essentially the same... though I was still pleased I was way above the normal numbers so I didn't question the results too much

as for your questions:

1.) I was the same way.. most of us are probably skeptical (at least until we feel better) to some degree if we haven't been diagnosed the traditional way via biopsy.. posts always pop up about this (has anyone had negative results from Enterolab, etc.) and I'm fairly confident that my Enterolab results are accurate and indicative of what is going on with my body...

2.) I don't know how I react to dairy because I haven't knowingly had it for months though I had a bad reaction from something (that was delayed until the next day) that may have been dairy a few months back... either way, you can get a delayed reaction from dairy, it doesn't have to be immediate... I'd recommend cutting out dairy entirely for a while and see if it helps you feel better... then you can give it a try again if you want and test to see if you have a reaction within the following day or two... I plan on trying to reintroduce all my intolerances except gluten at one point just to gage how I feel..