Food Allergy Testing?

[WinterSong]

I'm considering getting a food allergy test done. I'm two months gluten-free. I know everyone heals at different rates, but I continue feel sick after I eat quite often, so I'm worried that I may have other intolerances.

What kind of test is it (ie blood test)? How accurate are they? Is casein one of the things tested or is there a separate test for that?

I'm actually kind of scared to do it. I'm adjusting really well to not having gluten, but I worried that the results will say I'm allergic to everything else I love to eat.

[calcium kid]

I'm considering getting a food allergy test done. I'm two months gluten-free. I know everyone heals at different rates, but I continue feel sick after I eat quite often, so I'm worried that I may have other intolerances.

What kind of test is it (ie blood test)? How accurate are they? Is casein one of the things tested or is there a separate test for that?

I'm actually kind of scared to do it. I'm adjusting really well to not having gluten, but I worried that the results will say I'm allergic to everything else I love to eat.

Hey JessicaNYC, was just about to write something really similar to your message, 2months gluten free, adjustment reasonably well but NO improvement, i am considering an allergy test, did you get one and if so how did it go??

[GlutenFreeManna]

It sounds like what your are describing is more like intolerances than allergies. There are not really accurate tests for food intolerances. I think the only intolerance tests they can do are for lactose and fructous. Those are breath tests I believe, but I'm not sure on the accuracy of those tests. I had allergy tests done because i was having anaphylactic reactions and hives. I had a skin prick test--they prick your arm or back with a ton of little needles taht have the suspected allergens in them. And I had a blood test to check for IgE food allergies. My allergist told me the skin prick tests are not very accurate for food allergies and so he always does the blood test even if the skin test show nothing. My skin tests showed nothing (but I did itch for the next 24 hours and had to take benedryl). My blood tests showed a mild allergy to wheat which explains why I get hives in reaction to lotions with wheat germ oil. The main reason I did the testing was because I suspected a dairy allergy--yogurt and butter were making my tongue puff up, my throat close and my lips tingled just touching them. I was negative on the tests for dairy. My dr then told me if I wanted to get an "official" milk allergy diagnosis I could come into the office for an appointment and consume some dairy and see what happens--they would administer benedyl or an epipen as needed and diagnose me. I passed on that option since I had already tested myself with the dairy three tiems since my first bad reaction. I decided I didn't want to pay for an appointment to just get that marked down in my record. The dr will still continue to give me an epipen prescription without seeing the "proof" of the allergy and he advised me to avoid all milk products based on my reactions.

Anyway, sorry to rattle on about my allergy issues. What I think you need to do instead of testing for food intolerances is an elimination diet. If your insurance will cover a consult with a nutritionist you could try to find one that will walk you through the diet. Or you can just do it on your own. Most people start with just 3-4 foods, eat those for a week or two to make sure they are okay with those foods, then if they feel good, add one new food per week until they find problem foods. the people on this board can give you tips for conducting your own elimination diet if you want to go that route.

[WinterSong]

Thanks so much for sharing about your experience. I think I'll have to try the elimination diet at some point. I just feel like I don't know what is an intolerance and what is my body feeling icky because of its still poor ability to digest food in general. It's a process, so I'll work on it.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Thanks so much for sharing about your experience. I think I'll have to try the elimination diet at some point. I just feel like I don't know what is an intolerance and what is my body feeling icky because of its still poor ability to digest food in general. It's a process, so I'll work on it.

You are still somewhat new to the gluten-free diet, correct? Give it some more time but also read as much as you can on the forums here. You may learn of some things that could be still cross contaminating you no matter how careful you think you are being.

[WinterSong]

Yeah, I'm a little over two months into the diet. I'm pretty sure that there is very little opportunity for me to be CCed (I live alone, raided my kitchen, and am a personal trainer so I know a lot about nutrition). But you're right, you never know! I've heard of some people getting CCed from a dirty doorknob. Anyway, thanks so much for the advice. I'll definitely keep reading