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Accurate Food Allergy Tests?

laura4669

By laura4669
in Food Intolerance & Leaky Gut

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laura4669 Apprentice
laura4669
Posted

Hi everyone,

I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease, as well as other food allergies. I am new to this board, and I am thrilled with all of the information and support out there! I suspect that both of my children have issues with food allergies, and one specifically with gluten, and I am not sure which tests to request for them.

What is the most accurate gluten sensitivity test? blood/stool? (I was diagnosed originally with a stool analysis)

What is the most accurate food allergy test? One ped said blood tests were not accurate, and suggested a skin prick test, but another ped said the skin prick test was not accurate. I don't want to put my kids through unnecessary tests.

Thank you so much!

Laura

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Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

None of the food allergy tests are that accurate. You have to use the tests to guide an elimination diet. Blood is somewhat better than skin prick.

As far as gluten, it's best for them to get a celiac blood test to start. If your child is not celiac, you can look to stool or simply try eliminating gluten. Eliminating gluten from the diet and seeing a good response is actually considerably more accurate than the stool testing.

laura4669 Apprentice
laura4669
Posted
  • Author

Thanks Skylark! I will try eliminating gluten to start and see what happens.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Thanks Skylark! I will try eliminating gluten to start and see what happens.

Do remember that celiac tests don't work gluten free. You'll probably want to get the celiac panel run on the child you suspect has gluten issues just to be sure it's not celiac.

Good luck and I hope you figure out the allergies/intolerances!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

I have to agree with Skylark. I don't believe food allergy testing results are worth the paper they're printed on. :unsure:

Once you have eliminated gluten as the source of problems, then you should look to the other top eight allergens, which for those with gluten problems probably lead off with dairy, soy and corn. And the best way to do this is with elimination and a food and symptom diary. Much more reliable than any medical testing.

Lisa79 Enthusiast
Lisa79
Posted

I wish it was as simple as a test, I am still battling to find what foods bother myself and my daughter. I have celiac disease and also intolerant to quite a few things. I also found they have improved slightly over time I think when you first begin the gluten-free diet you are so sensitive to anything and it takes a long time for the gut to heal.

If you are having your child tested for celiac disease, make sure your child is eating lots of gluten when testing.

You can also have the FM testing which is Hydrogen Breath Testing if you suspect Fructose is a problem.

Lactose is blood testing.

Apart from those, I think its trial and elimination.

Good luck!

laura4669 Apprentice
laura4669
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for all of your responses! I will try the elimination diet, but it is tough to do with 4-year olds! I thought I could do a blood test, and find out quickly what the problems were, so as not to needlessly remove common food from their diet, but it really seems like the elimination diet is the way to go.

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Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Thank you for all of your responses! I will try the elimination diet, but it is tough to do with 4-year olds! I thought I could do a blood test, and find out quickly what the problems were, so as not to needlessly remove common food from their diet, but it really seems like the elimination diet is the way to go.

If your insurance covers it, you can guide the elimination test with allergy tests. Either skin or blood will pick up possible food allergies depending on what your doctor prefers. What you don't want to do is assume things that are positive in the allergy tests are actually a problem. Not all foods that show up in blood and skin tests are actually a problem.

This is an LA Times article that talks about the issue. Open Original Shared Link

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    • knitty kitty
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @McKinleyWY, For a genetic test, you don't have to eat gluten, but this will only show if you have the genes necessary for the development of Celiac disease.  It will not show if you have active Celiac disease.   Eating gluten stimulates the production of antibodies against gluten which mistakenly attack our own bodies.  The antibodies are produced in the small intestines.  Three grams of gluten are enough to make you feel sick and ramp up anti-gluten antibody production and inflammation for two years afterwards.  However, TEN grams of gluten or more per day for two weeks is required to stimulate anti-gluten antibodies' production enough so that the anti-gluten antibodies move out of the intestines and into the bloodstream where they can be measured in blood tests.  This level of anti-gluten antibodies also causes measurable damage to the lining of the intestines as seen on biopsy samples taken during an endoscopy (the "gold standard" of Celiac diagnosis).   Since you have been experimenting with whole wheat bread in the past year or so, possibly getting cross contaminated in a mixed household, and your immune system is still so sensitized to gluten consumption, you may want to go ahead with the gluten challenge.   It can take two years absolutely gluten free for the immune system to quit reacting to gluten exposure.   Avoiding gluten most if the time, but then experimenting with whole wheat bread is a great way to keep your body in a state of inflammation and illness.  A diagnosis would help you stop playing Russian roulette with your and your children's health.      
    • trents
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @McKinleyWY! There currently is no testing for celiac disease that does not require you to have been consuming generous amounts of gluten (at least 10g daily, about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks and, to be certain of accurate testing, longer than that. This applies to both phases of testing, the blood antibody tests and the endoscopy with biopsy.  There is the option of genetic testing to see if you have one or both of the two genes known to provide the potential to develop celiac disease. It is not really a diagnostic measure, however, as 30-40% of the general population has one or both of these genes whereas only about 1% of the general population actually develops celiac disease. But genetic testing is valuable as a rule out measure. If you don't have either of the genes, it is highly unlikely that you can have celiac disease. Having said all that, even if you don't have celiac disease you can have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) which shares many of the same symptoms as celiac disease but does not involve and autoimmune reaction that damages the lining of the small bowel as does celiac disease. Both conditions call for the complete elimination of gluten from the diet. I hope this brings some clarity to your questions.
    • McKinleyWY
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By McKinleyWY · Posted

      Hello all, I was diagnosed at the age of 2 as being allergic to yeast.  All my life I have avoided bread and most products containing enriched flour as they  contain yeast (when making the man made vitamins to add back in to the flour).  Within the last year or so, we discovered that even whole wheat products bother me but strangely enough I can eat gluten free bread with yeast and have no reactions.  Obviously, we have come to believe the issue is gluten not yeast.  Times continues to reinforce this as we are transitioning to a gluten free home and family.  I become quite ill when I consume even the smallest amount of gluten. How will my not having consumed breads/yeast/gluten for the better part of decades impact a biopsy or blood work?  I would love to know if it is a gluten intolerance or a genetic issue for family members but unsure of the results given my history of limited gluten intake.   I appreciate the input from those who have gone before me in experience and knowledge. Thank you all!
    • trents
      A little about me and my celiac disease

      By trents · Posted

      I know what you mean. When I get glutened I have severe gut cramps and throw up for 2-3 hr. and then have diarrhea for another several hours. Avoid eating out if at all possible. It is the number one source of gluten contamination for us celiacs. When you are forced to eat out at a new restaurant that you are not sure is safe, try to order things that you can be sure will not get cross contaminated like a boiled egg, baked potatos, steamed vegies, fresh fruit. Yes, I know that doesn't sound as appetizing as pizza or a burger and fries but your health is at stake. I also realize that as a 14 year old you don't have a lot of control over where you eat out because you are tagging along with others or adults are paying for it. Do you have support from your parents concerning your need to eat gluten free? Do you believe they have a good understanding of the many places gluten can show up in the food supply?
    • Peace lily
      Gluten Free Coffee

      By Peace lily · Posted

      Okay went online to check green mountain k cups .It was said that the regular coffees are fine but they couldn’t guarantee cross contamination.with the flavors. im trying to figure out since I eliminated the suyrup so far so good. I’m hoping. thanks it feels good to listen to other people there views.
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