How To Determine Other Allergies Besides Elimination Diet?

[Familytradition]

So I know it is generally recommended to do an elimination diet and food journal to determine other foods that may be causing problems BUT I was wondering if anyone has used EnteroLab for their new antigen food panel OR gotten an IgG blood test? (runon sentence anyone?)

I have my hands full with 3 small children with various other issues of their own and I just wish there was a quick answer to figure out my further food intolerances.

Does anyone have any input???

[PeachBlossoms]

I used www.NowLEAP.com for $500. I was very skeptical but I was so sick I was willing to take the chance. They drop food particles into tiny containers of your blood and count the number of white blood cells released by your blood in the presence of various foods. I did the test with a friend.

My friend (who was not sick but curious) was sensitive to about 9 foods. The test DID catch two of her already-known sensitivities.

As for myself, I had 22 food sensitivities and when I stopped eating those foods I did feel immediately better within days. However, I have since learned that first you need to eliminate INTOLERANCES before you eliminate SENSITIVITIES because the food intolerances will keep causing new sensitivities. Intolerances can include all grain, all legume, dairy, nuts & seeds, eggs (due to corn and soy being in the egg from the chicken's feed --which has been proven by a soy company) and nightshades. Use Enterolab's test and eliminate your food intolerances and in 6 months take the NowLEAP test. EnteroLab is pretty darn accurate and reputable.

That is the best way to handle food sensitivities and intolerances.

[Marilyn R]

I went strictly gluten-free, then soy free, dairy free, corn free (all due to reactions) and still felt like crap. I went to an allergist and none of the aforementioned showed up as true allergies, (except wheat and barley) but I scored big time on turkey, pecans and egg yolks. Pecans where something I thought was safe, as were eggs. I was starting to suspect eggs, but thought it was the white vs. the yolk that was giving me problems (because more people are allergic to whites than yolks.) How's that for a run on sentence?

I'm fairly sure my allergy profile would be different today, 18 months later. But when you've tried everything, it might pay a visit to the allergist. I felt alot better after eliminating pecans (ingredient in a gluten-free/SF bar I was consuming that was fairly spendy) and of course the egg yolk.

My GP has a daughter with multiple allergies. She said she tests her every two years. Her daughter can withstand anything with a 3 or less, but they try to space it out over time, like having something she scores a "3" on once a week vs. more often.

Not everybody believes in skin prick testing, but it helped me immensely.

Hope this helps.

[Familytradition]

Thank you for the replies. When I got my results from Enterolab, they only had 5 foods (gluten, dairy, egg, soy & yeast) to test for. I am positive for all. Now they can test for 11 more foods so I may have to just go with that first. It is funny that you mention that about the chicken's feed affecting it's egg. I suspect the same is true for chicken meat & beef. I have stopped eating beef & chicken for the last week and it has made a huge impact on me & my son with autism. He is sleeping so much better and actually talking TO US instead of just echoing everything we would say. I suspect it may be CORN that the animals are eating, that is causing us so much trouble.

I have only been to an allergist one time (before children) and didn't test positive to any foods at all. I am curious if that would be different now after having children (which I believe was the trigger for my gluten/celiac issues to go into full swing)?

[Marilyn R]

I'm so glad to hear your son is doing so much better.

If you have insurance, I'd recommend the allergist visit. You'll have three co-pays though, one for the initial visit, one for the skin prick testing, and one for the visit with the dr. giving you the results. To avoid the last co-pay, be really nice to the nurse that administers the skin prick test and she might give you the results on the spot. I had my unofficial results the day I had the skin prick testing, and was curious to see what the doctor would say. It was dead on the same.

Good luck.

[Michelle1234]

I don't know how accurate it is but I just had a blood test with Meridian Valley Labs because of an extreme skin allergic reaction where I had little white pustules all over my body that itched like crazy. They test for 95 common foods for $140. My results showed strong allergies to cow dairy, casein, egg yolk, egg white, beef, lamb, pineapple, green pepper, kidney bean, almonds and peanuts. I just about keeled over to see all these things on the list. I also have moderate allergies to goats milk, rice, malt, gluten, avocado, blueberry, red grape, asparagus, green bean and mushrooms. The test is not for celiac, they have a different test for that, just for food allergies. So if you really want to know then this may be an easy way. I'm supposed to go off the strong allergy things for three months and then try them one by one to see if I react. The moderates they suggest a 4 day rotation where I get them no more often than once very 4 days. I already know I react strongly to gluten so that isn't on the rotation schedule.

They have an extended food panel test but I didn't take that one. If you look them up on the web you can see what they test for. I think one of the options is to test for both food panels at once. I probably should have done that.

Good luck,

Michelle