Looking For A Food Test Plan

[rtsmith21]

Hello everyone

I am brand new to the site and am happy for all the info. I have been having stomach problems for about seven years now have taken a lot of tests over the years. I have had multiple doctors tell me it is in my head almost lost it when they tell me that but I new it was not true. I finally made my last doctor test me for food allergies because my sister and mother have food allergies and have been doing alot of research found out they are way more commen than doctors want to admit. So turns out I am allergic to everything well alot of foods. But I also found out that the longer you are allergic to gluten the more foods you become allergic to. So I am looking for a food plan I have heard of them. I am looking for a plan to get all sensitive food out of my system then test foods back if anyone knows where I could find a plan that would be a huge help. Thankyou very much

[ravenwoodglass]

Have you had celiac testing done? If not and you will need a diagnosis for any reason get the tests done before starting the diet. If you don't you will have to do a lengthy gluten challenge before testing. Do keep in mind that even on gluten some of us will have negative testing.

Simply start out with whole unprocessed foods. Meat, veggies, fruits, rice, potatoes etc. Since you had allergy testing go with items that you did not test positive for. To help you get the most nutrition you can make your plate colorful. A meal with a chicken breast, sweet potatoes and peas is going to be better than a meal with chicken, rice and corn for example. Get yourself a new dedicated toaster when you get to the point where you are ready to add in gluten-free bread and a new colander and if you have wooden cutting boards or scratched pans replace them.

Make sure you check all meds and supplements to be sure they are gluten free.

[missy'smom]

"elimination diet" are the magic words to search for

I highly recommend the book "Food Intolerances and Food Allergies" by Jonathan Brostoff, M.D. and Linda Gamlin.

The book includes protocol for some elimination diets.

We followed our allergist's protocol and that was very helpful. After extensive food allergy testing, we eliminated all foods that we tested positive to for 4 weeks. Then we re-introduced one food at a time, consuming it in regular portions once or twice a day for a week. If no symptoms, then we could keep it in. If we experienced symptoms, back out it went. We are re-tested for the foods evry year to help us keep track of our progress. Now that I've become acquainted with the process and how we react, I can do other experiments on my own. We are ones who clearly become allergic to things we eat a lot of or often.

This all is for food allergies, not for gluten issues, that's a whole differnt animal.

[rtsmith21]

Thankyou for your input it is very helpful.

I think I was tested for gluten sensitivity but not sure I did a blood test and a skin prick test both of them said I was allergic to wheat amongst other things. Is that the same thing as gluten or is there a specific test to take for gluten allergy. Also I had some conflicting results from my blood work and the skin test. That is why I am thinking about going on the elimination diet. I figure if I go off most everything that usually cause reaction and everything I came up positive for maybe my stomach will stop hurting. I have had stomach pain cramping and bloating everyday for seven or eight years it is pretty miserable. Also do you all know if when you clear your body of the allergies will my stomach be able to relax from its cramped state. I am worried that my body will have muscle memory or something like that and I will have to learn how to relax my stomach muscles.

[mushroom]

You really need to ask your doctor to run a celiac disease blood panel on you. Celiac disease is not an allergy to gluten, it is an autoimmune response which causes the body to attack itself. It cannot be found by allergy testing. While your can be both allergic to wheat AND sensitive to gluten, they are not the same thing. The celiac panel consists of the following tests:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

There is also a newer test, called Deamidated Gliadin Peptide or DGP, which seems to be more accurate for more people.

The total serum IgA is a test a lot of doctors do not run, but it is important, because if your results are below the normal range it means you are a low antibody producer and the results of the other IgA tests will not be valid.

Most doctors will refer you to a GI for an endoscopy with biopsy if the blood tests are positive for confirmation of the diagnosis.

So you should check with your doctor to find out if any of these tests have been performed, and if not, ask them to please run them. And in the meantime, keep eating gluten until all testing is finished. This will give you the best chance of a positive result. However, even if all testing is negative you should try the diet anyway, because there is a 20% chance of false negatives on the testing.

[rtsmith21]

  On 1/8/2011 at 12:22 AM, mushroom said:

You really need to ask your doctor to run a celiac disease blood panel on you. Celiac disease is not an allergy to gluten, it is an autoimmune response which causes the body to attack itself. It cannot be found by allergy testing. While your can be both allergic to wheat AND sensitive to gluten, they are not the same thing. The celiac panel consists of the following tests:

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgA

Anti-Gliadin (AGA) IgG

Anti-Endomysial (EMA) IgA

Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA

Total Serum IgA

There is also a newer test, called Deamidated Gliadin Peptide or DGP, which seems to be more accurate for more people.

The total serum IgA is a test a lot of doctors do not run, but it is important, because if your results are below the normal range it means you are a low antibody producer and the results of the other IgA tests will not be valid.

Most doctors will refer you to a GI for an endoscopy with biopsy if the blood tests are positive for confirmation of the diagnosis.

So you should check with your doctor to find out if any of these tests have been performed, and if not, ask them to please run them. And in the meantime, keep eating gluten until all testing is finished. This will give you the best chance of a positive result. However, even if all testing is negative you should try the diet anyway, because there is a 20% chance of false negatives on the testing.

Thankyou Mushroom for your post,

I was tested a long time ago for gluten I think but not sure what test it was everything has always come back negative. Until the food allergy testing. But I have been reading alot about this and it is hard to get the test right. So I am going to ask my doctor mon. for the tests you just told me about. Are those the names of the tests or is that what they are looking for. And also I was hospitalized two months ago for a bad anafalaxes (sorry dont know how to spell it) reaction to some kind of food I believe it was trader joes wheat pizza doe. This was the second reaction that I had but this one was bad enough to put me in the hospital. So I will continue to eat gluten a bit but I find it makes me itchy at night. Thankyou so much for your time and knowledge I want to feel normal so bad .

[missy'smom]

My son gets eczema from wheat/gluten and other food allergies trigger it as well-very itchy, happens to be on his calves. See my signature at the bottom for details. He doesn't have an official celiac disease DX. Celiac Disease can cause an itchy rash called DH, dermatitis herpetiformus, if I spelled it right. My son's eczema seems worse at night. He scratches in his sleep and isn't even aware of it beacuse he is such a good sleeper. Poor kid but avoiding his food allergies keeps his eczema away. Hope you have an epi pen on hand and hope you figure out what the trigger is. You clearly have a food allergy independent of what problems you may have with gluten.

[rtsmith21]

  On 1/8/2011 at 2:55 AM, missy said:

My son gets eczema from wheat/gluten and other food allergies trigger it as well-very itchy, happens to be on his calves. See my signature at the bottom for details. He doesn't have an official celiac disease DX. Celiac Disease can cause an itchy rash called DH, dermatitis herpetiformus, if I spelled it right. My son's eczema seems worse at night. He scratches in his sleep and isn't even aware of it beacuse he is such a good sleeper. Poor kid but avoiding his food allergies keeps his eczema away. Hope you have an epi pen on hand and hope you figure out what the trigger is. You clearly have a food allergy independent of what problems you may have with gluten.

Wow I am so glad you posted that my son is a little over two years old and he has a very similar rash. When we found out about my food allergies we suspected he had allergies too. My wife and I just talked to our pediatrician this week about getting him tested for food allergies my wife is pretty sure that is what it is. Thank you for the info I appreciate it.

[missy'smom]

Make sure you get yourself an allergist who belives in eliminating foods even if they don't cause anaphylaxis and one who runs large food panels. The first one we went to was run of the mill and didn't believe in their own tests and dismissed my son's pos. results and generally didn't belive in eliminating foods. We ended up going to a second allergist who has been very helpful in giving us direction and support with the foods.

[ravenwoodglass]

  On 1/8/2011 at 1:32 PM, missy said:

Make sure you get yourself an allergist who belives in eliminating foods even if they don't cause anaphylaxis and one who runs large food panels. The first one we went to was run of the mill and didn't believe in their own tests and dismissed my son's pos. results and generally didn't belive in eliminating foods. We ended up going to a second allergist who has been very helpful in giving us direction and support with the foods.

This can not be stressed enough. It took me awhile and many phone calls to find an allergist who would deal with food intolerances as well as true allergies. I am very thankful to that doctor as he literally saved my life with the elimination diet. My GI wouldn't even endo with negative blood work. The GI did finally diagnose but not until after he demanded a second challenge that had very dire results on my body.

[rtsmith21]

  On 1/8/2011 at 1:49 PM, ravenwoodglass said:

This can not be stressed enough. It took me awhile and many phone calls to find an allergist who would deal with food intolerances as well as true allergies. I am very thankful to that doctor as he literally saved my life with the elimination diet. My GI wouldn't even endo with negative blood work. The GI did finally diagnose but not until after he demanded a second challenge that had very dire results on my body.

I

I am going to a new allergist this next week the last one I went to was very odd. He did not put me on an elimination diet. But I think that would be the best thing to do. I am going to try this week to get celiac testing done again because I am not sure they did the right tests the last couple of times. I have had to upper and lower GI in the last 7 years but I think they were looking for big problems instead of celiac. I am going to try the blood test hopefully that will work, I do not want another GI but if I have to I will do it again. I have gotten a lot of info from you all thank you so much wish I would have found this site years ago.

[T.H.]

Under the kids with celiac section here, I was just responding to a gal whose little one is sick and they don't know everything thing that is affecting her. I listed a lot of things that can be an issue when you are tracking down foods that might be of use during any elimination diet you might do. :-)

Uh, it was a bit long, so I think I'll just link to it, LOL. Not all would apply, but it might help, anyway. :-)