Immuno Labratories Blood Test?

[Poppy Cat]

Oh hai I'm new. =*.*=

I went to a nutrition counselor this past summer who recommended a gluten-free diet. Going gluten-free has alleviated pretty much every weird symptom I've ever had in the last ten years (I was *so* hoping it would be something else! I love(d) bread.)

Anyway, she also recommended a blood test to find any other food sensitivities. I got this kit that I take to a lab, they draw blood and send it to Immuno Labratories, then *they* send it back to the nutritionist's office and we make an appointment to go over the results. That's all fine, but the test costs $355. So I'd love to get feedback on any of this:

--Should I really pay for that when I already know what my problem is?

--Would the blood test be an official diagnosis? (I don't even know how to begin with doctors...)

--Has anyone else used that particular test, was it accurate, etc?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Right now the holidays have me so annoyed that I'd rather have a broken leg than celiac. The leg would heal.

Grrrrrrrrr.

-poppycat

[Mother of Jibril]

Welcome to the group!

The blood test sounds like an IgG delayed "food allergy" test. Some people find them helpful to point them in the direction of problem foods... but the results can change depending on the health of your immune system, intestines, and what foods you eat the most. In no way can it diagnose celiac disease. Since you've been off gluten for several months you won't be able to do a blood test for celiac antibodies (anti-gliaden, ttG, and EMA). The best you could do is get a genetic test to see if you have one of the "celiac genes." Just keep in mind that the genetic test doesn't diagnose celiac either! You can have the genes without getting the disease.

Unless you feel like other foods might be bothering you... dairy, soy, corn, legumes, citrus, nightshades, etc... I don't any reason to do the test your nutrition counselor recommended.

If you feel like you really need an official diagnosis of celiac disease, you could always find a GI and do a gluten "challenge," eating LOTS of gluten for about three months. The problem is that you could have severe symptoms, but still not do enough damage to be detected by the blood test and/or endoscopy. So... it's really up to you. Plenty of people on this forum are self-diagnosed and are just grateful to be feeling healthy on the gluten-free diet.

[Poppy Cat]

Thanks for the info. I really am glad to have found this forum. A lot of what I've read here describes what I've been going through for several years. w00t!

I guess the reason I want an official sort of diagnosis is so that I can get on with life without being questioned-- I dread going to see a doc someday and being told that without some official evidence, they won't acknowledge what I know to be true. I've had overwhelmingly negative experiences with most medical professionals and throwing gluten intolerance into the mix just seems like its going to be a lifelong hassle when it comes to medical treatment.

I mean the big tip off for gluten was when my hair started falling out and suddenly I had a hypothyroid issue at 27. Thyroid problems are not really common in my family and while I credit my doc for knowing what was up right away with the hair loss, it kinda bugs me that no one but me questioned where this thyroid issue came from.

[Piccolo]

Poppy Cat,

It was the very same tests that led me to be gluten free. I tested positive to 21 different foods. Some of them I went back to eating as long as I rotate them in my diet. The two that I haven't gone back to is gluten and wheat. It has taken two years for my system to get normal and figure out what else was bothering me.

Welcome to the board. You will find a wealth of information here.

Susan