Food Sensitivities Test - How Accurate?

[jethro]

Hi, I recently had a food sensitivities test for the first time. I have periodic 'episodes' of fairly constant, long-term stomach pain. The current episode has been going on for 4 months. But prior to this, I was fairly 'normal' for 5 or 6 years. So it's not constant pain, and it's initially triggered by a severely anxious situation (not a random food thing).

So my food sensitivities test shows a severe reaction to wheat, and a mild reaction to rye. Other grains apparently are fine. I tried to get clarity on if this could mean specifically gluten-intolerance, but apparently that would be another test (or for celiac) which unfortunately I cannot afford now (kind of tapped out with initial tests).

I also showed severe reactions to milk, casein, eggs, mustard, and interestingly almonds. Everything else was pretty normal.

So I'm trying to determine just how 'extreme' I need to go with diet to see what's happening. Like I said, I can go through large periods in my life where I can eat pretty much anything (within reason) without long-term major stomach reactions. It's only when I'm in an 'episode' that I totally change my diet to bland foods, less sauces, no fatty/fried stuff, etc.

- Does anyone have experience with these type of tests and know how much can be gleamed from them (I believe it was a IgG4 test done from blood samples).

- Does this necessarily indicate gluten-sensitivity or celiac? Or would I need a more specific test?

Thanks for any input. I got totally depressed going into Whole Paycheck (I mean Whole Foods) the other day and trying to find food substitutes that did not have any of the combination of things I 'shouldn't' eat in them. It appears it would be a lot of rice stuff, I guess, which also worries me, as I had been doing a lot of almond stuff - almond milk, almond butter sandwiches, etc. It seemed to sit well with me, but here it is the only nut that shows severe. All others are completely normal. Coincidence???

[mftnchn]

From what I understand about your testing, this was for food intolerance or delayed food reactions. This could be more of an acquired type of sensitivity, and can be worsened by more frequent exposure to the food.

How often you can be exposed without symptom, and how severe your symptoms are all very individual.

This is not at all the same as celiac. Celiac is a totally different chemical process in the body than an allergy. However the treatment is the same, don't eat it.

Here's my suggestion: Go first on the assumption these are food sensitivities and no other issues involved. Go a month being strictly free of all the items you tested sensitive to. You might initially feel worse when you do this but should start to notice improvement at least by 10 days or so.

If you do very well, then slowly and carefully test the food items, starting with the ones that you are less sensitive to. You may test as allergic through the blood test but have mild symptoms that really don't bother you when you eat the food. So add one food at a time and watch carefully. If you eat it once and don't have symptoms, eat it again, and then yet again. Notice if you have any delayed symptoms over a 3-4 day period. Then wait until you are clear of symptoms, and add the next food. Keep a good food diary.

This should work pretty well to show you which you can manage. There are some more unique things like being sensitive to two foods only if eaten together, but I wouldn't worry about that initially.

That said, wheat could be an allergy, but it can also be a gluten sensitivity. If you don't clear up and feel better on the above test, you might want to check the gluten problem. Maybe by the time you finish this process you will have a more clear sense, and maybe you'll have the means to do the testing.

Once you go gluten free, you will not be able to use the standard celiac tests (blood test and biopsy) as the results will likely be negative. So keep that in mind.

[jethro]

Thanks for the information. It's a rather confusing issue, as there could be many overlapping things, and I'm not sure what to expect from symptoms. My main thing was to see if any of these 'sensitivities' could have been attributing to prolonging my stomach condition (gastritis is closest diagnosis). As I stated earlier, I can usually handle these things without immediate symptoms (at least nothing major or stomach related).

But in seeing the sensitivity to wheat, I started researching and that led to gluten-sensitivity, which led to celiac, which led here. So I was just trying to understand more about it. I'll keep researching, but if there was a quick description between the differences of: a) a high sensitivity to wheat; gluten-intolerance; c) celiac disease; that could be most helpful.

I'm trying to cut these things out of my diet now. It is very challenging, especially with the combination of things I have to watch for. My heart really goes out to all who must live there lives with such strict dietary limitations!

- Being as there can be trace amounts of certain things buried in ingredients that I may not see as obvious, how crucial is it for testing that there not be a single trace of a substance in my diet?

Thanks again for the help!