Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Testing For Food Intolerance/sensitivities

33Diane

Recommended Posts

33Diane Newbie
33Diane
Posted

I'm new to all this and awaiting my cp results. I've been reading these forums and have a few questions about getting diagnosed/tested. I notice some people label themselves with different allergies or sensitivities to gluten, soy, yeast, dairy, etc. I am curious how do you find this out? Do you see an allergist? Do you get a pin prick test or blood work? Does your gp help you figure this out? If my cp is neg for celiac, can it still show intolerance, or is that another test?

I personally don't think I will be positive for celiac, but I think I have an intolerance or sensitivity (is that the same thing?) to something. My symptoms are more constipation, bloating, mental fog, tiredness, and difficulty keeping my weight down, despite intense exercise. I always though my problem was just "carbs" and only could distinguish that I ate some carb (bread, pasta, etc), which is why I felt bad. I have tried to be low carb for years. Now I do think it is more specifically related to wheat, but wonder about yeast and soy as I see others mentioning them. I have a large amount of environmental allergies and food allergies to nuts and egg whites. However the last I was tested for food allergies was 30 years ago. If it is not celiac, how do you find out what it is?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

Basically, the only difference i've heard between celiac and an intolerence is that celaic does damage due to being an AI disease.

People often times do elimination diets. Removing everything that could potentially be problematic and then slowly (once a week or so) adding an item back in.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

I have never been tested for celiac and AFAIK, I do not have any gluten issues. My daughter did (doesn't currently) but that's what brought me here.

Long story short with her, she was thought to have ADHD by her teachers. But I didn't believe this. After taking her to a variety of Drs., my mom's Naturopath finally said he could test her for food allergies. He did and said that she had quite a few. We changed her diet and it was like we got a new girl! Lots of things cleared up.

What he did was a blood test for IgG allerigies which most medical Drs. will say are not allergies at all but sensitivities or intolerances. We were told to have her restested in three years. But... We did not like this Dr. He charged many thousands of dollars for the test and insisted that we buy supplements from him that I thought we did not need.

So we went to an allergist who didn't believe in the IgG allergies but said that if the foods caused us problems, to avoid them. She tested us both and we were found not to have allergies to those foods. Technically, allergies cause a histamine response. And this can be life threatening. I was found to have OAS (oral allergy syndrome) to pistachios and almonds. But... The allergist only tested us for the specific foods that we were told we were allergic to. No others. Daughter is currently having stomach issues and the GP that she saw suspects food allergies or intolerances that we have yet to ferret out. The food allergies were tested for via a skin prick test.

We found another Naturopathy (now deceased) who tested my daughter twice (I think) and me once. Each time we were tested, we changed out diet.

Then we needed to be retested again but I couldn't find a Dr. to do it. So I did a hair test online. I know some people think this test isn't valid but it did seem to work for us.

I also have some other issues with foods that I do not test as having a problem with. But if they bother me in any way, I just avoid them. Like garlic in more than a tiny amount and melons.

33Diane Newbie
33Diane
Posted
  • Author

Basically, the only difference i've heard between celiac and an intolerence is that celaic does damage due to being an AI disease.

People often times do elimination diets. Removing everything that could potentially be problematic and then slowly (once a week or so) adding an item back in.

So the cp test should show "intolerance", even if there is no damage?

The elimination test is difficult for me as I don't have great will power to resist the large amount of things I would test for, such as most carbs, starches and sugars. Also, other than edema and constipation, my symptoms are so subjective, such as a general overall feeling of being unwell and brain fog. It is just Not scientific enough for me and feels like self diagnosing. I know I feel great on just meat and vegetables, but at this point in my life I want to know if this is just a diet issue, or if there is an internal autoimmune response that can compound into further issues down the road.

33Diane Newbie
33Diane
Posted
  • Author

I have never been tested for celiac and AFAIK, I do not have any gluten issues. My daughter did (doesn't currently) but that's what brought me here.

Long story short with her, she was thought to have ADHD by her teachers. But I didn't believe this. After taking her to a variety of Drs., my mom's Naturopath finally said he could test her for food allergies. He did and said that she had quite a few. We changed her diet and it was like we got a new girl! Lots of things cleared up.

What he did was a blood test for IgG allerigies which most medical Drs. will say are not allergies at all but sensitivities or intolerances. We were told to have her restested in three years. But... We did not like this Dr. He charged many thousands of dollars for the test and insisted that we buy supplements from him that I thought we did not need.

So we went to an allergist who didn't believe in the IgG allergies but said that if the foods caused us problems, to avoid them. She tested us both and we were found not to have allergies to those foods. Technically, allergies cause a histamine response. And this can be life threatening. I was found to have OAS (oral allergy syndrome) to pistachios and almonds. But... The allergist only tested us for the specific foods that we were told we were allergic to. No others. Daughter is currently having stomach issues and the GP that she saw suspects food allergies or intolerances that we have yet to ferret out. The food allergies were tested for via a skin prick test.

We found another Naturopathy (now deceased) who tested my daughter twice (I think) and me once. Each time we were tested, we changed out diet.

Then we needed to be retested again but I couldn't find a Dr. to do it. So I did a hair test online. I know some people think this test isn't valid but it did seem to work for us.

I also have some other issues with foods that I do not test as having a problem with. But if they bother me in any way, I just avoid them. Like garlic in more than a tiny amount and melons.

Thank you for your story! Did your allergist do any blood testing or was it just pin pricks?

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

So the cp test should show "intolerance", even if there is no damage?

The elimination test is difficult for me as I don't have great will power to resist the large amount of things I would test for, such as most carbs, starches and sugars. Also, other than edema and constipation, my symptoms are so subjective, such as a general overall feeling of being unwell and brain fog. It is just Not scientific enough for me and feels like self diagnosing. I know I feel great on just meat and vegetables, but at this point in my life I want to know if this is just a diet issue, or if there is an internal autoimmune response that can compound into further issues down the road.

If by cp you mean Celiac blood tests, no, it doesn't show intolerance. It measures if you are making antibodies. Intolerance means you don't make antibodies but have problems when you eat gluten. The only way to know about intolerance is, once you have had all the Celiac testing, stop eating the food you think you are intolerant to. See if it helps.

You will find many fringe medical sites willing to sell you tests for gluten intolerance, so be careful.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

This article discusses some research done on non-celiac wheat sensitivity. It is not the same condition as celiac disease but can cause similar symptoms.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/23033/1/Non-Celiac-Wheat-Sensitivity-It-Exists/Page1.html

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

This article discusses some research done on non-celiac wheat sensitivity. It is not the same condition as celiac disease but can cause similar symptoms.

http://Non-celiacwh...ists/Page1.html

This link didn't work for me.

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

You may wish to read this article as well.

Open Original Shared Link

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

This link didn't work for me.

Thanks Karen, for breaking my link! :) Just kidding. I fixed it in the post above. It didn't work for me either.

http://www.celiac.co...ists/Page1.html

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

Thank you for your story! Did your allergist do any blood testing or was it just pin pricks?

She did a blood test for bees because she said if I were really allergic like I was told that I was, this could cause a deadly reaction. That test came up negative so I had to take a series of stings with needles. I was injected with the venom from various stinging insects. It really hurt! But I wasn't allergic.

shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

She did a blood test for bees because she said if I were really allergic like I was told that I was, this could cause a deadly reaction. That test came up negative so I had to take a series of stings with needles. I was injected with the venom from various stinging insects. It really hurt! But I wasn't allergic.

Funny, i found out i was allergic through the plain old fasion way. Mine aren't life threatening, but the area swells up so bad that benadryl is needed (once got stung on my hand, I couldn't move two of my fingers for a couple of days).

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,354
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Gracieruizzz
    Newest Member
    Gracieruizzz
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @catnapt, Wheat germ has very little gluten in it.  Gluten is  the carbohydrate storage protein, what the flour is made from, the fluffy part.  Just like with beans, there's the baby plant that will germinate  ("germ"-inate) if sprouted, and the bean part is the carbohydrate storage protein.   Wheat germ is the baby plant inside a kernel of wheat, and bran is the protective covering of the kernel.   Little to no gluten there.   Large amounts of lectins are in wheat germ and can cause digestive upsets, but not enough Gluten to provoke antibody production in the small intestines. Luckily you still have time to do a proper gluten challenge (10 grams of gluten per day for a minimum of two weeks) before your next appointment when you can be retested.  
    • knitty kitty
      Supplements for those Diagnosed with Celiac Disease

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @asaT, I'm curious to know whether you are taking other B vitamins like Thiamine B1 and Niacin B3.  Malabsorption in Celiac disease affects all the water soluble B vitamins and Vitamin C.  Thiamine and Niacin are required to produce energy for all the homocysteine lowering reactions provided by Folate, Cobalamine and Pyridoxine.   Weight gain with a voracious appetite is something I experienced while malnourished.  It's symptomatic of Thiamine B1 deficiency.   Conversely, some people with thiamine deficiency lose their appetite altogether, and suffer from anorexia.  At different periods on my lifelong journey, I suffered this, too.   When the body doesn't have sufficient thiamine to turn food, especially carbohydrates, into energy (for growth and repair), the body rations what little thiamine it has available, and turns the carbs into fat, and stores it mostly in the abdomen.  Consuming a high carbohydrate diet requires additional thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  Simple carbohydrates (sugar, white rice, etc.) don't contain thiamine, so the body easily depletes its stores of Thiamine processing the carbs into fat.  The digestive system communicates with the brain to keep eating in order to consume more thiamine and other nutrients it's not absorbing.   One can have a subclinical thiamine insufficiency for years.  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so the symptoms can wax and wane mysteriously.  Symptoms of Thiamine insufficiency include stunted growth, chronic fatigue, and Gastrointestinal Beriberi (diarrhea, abdominal pain), heart attack, Alzheimer's, stroke, and cancer.   Thiamine improves bone turnover.  Thiamine insufficiency can also affect the thyroid.  The thyroid is important in bone metabolism.  The thyroid also influences hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, and menopause.  Vitamin D, at optimal levels, can act as a hormone and can influence the thyroid, as well as being important to bone health, and regulating the immune system.  Vitamin A is important to bone health, too, and is necessary for intestinal health, as well.   I don't do dairy because I react to Casein, the protein in dairy that resembles gluten and causes a reaction the same as if I'd been exposed to gluten, including high tTg IgA.  I found adding mineral water containing calcium and other minerals helpful in increasing my calcium intake.   Malabsorption of Celiac affects all the vitamins and minerals.  I do hope you'll talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing all eight B vitamins and the four fat soluble vitamins because they all work together interconnectedly.  
    • Florence Lillian
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Florence Lillian · Posted

      Hi Jane: You may want to try the D3 I now take. I have reactions to fillers and many additives. Sports Research, it is based in the USA and I have had no bad reactions with this brand. The D3 does have coconut oil but it is non GMO, it is Gluten free, Soy free, Soybean free and Safflower oil free.  I have a cupboard full of supplements that did not agree with me -  I just keep trying and have finally settled on Sports Research. I take NAKA Women's Multi full spectrum, and have not felt sick after taking 2 capsules per day -  it is a Canadian company. I buy both from Amazon. I wish you well in your searching, I know how discouraging it all is. Florence.  
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      highly unlikely  NOTHING and I mean NOTHING else has ever caused me these kinds of symptoms I have no problem with dates, they are a large part of my diet In fact, I eat a very high fiber, very high vegetable and bean diet and have for many years now. It's considered a whole foods plant based or plant forward diet (I do now eat some lean ground turkey but not much) I was off dairy for years but recently had to add back plain yogurt to meet calcium needs that I am not allowed to get from supplements (I have not had any problem with the yogurt)   I eat almost no processed foods. I don't eat out. almost everything I eat, I cook myself I am going to keep a food diary but to be honest, I already know that it's wheat products and also barley that are the problem, which is why I gradually stopped eating and buying them. When I was eating them, like back in early 2024, when I was in the middle of moving and ate out (always had bread or toast or rolls or a sub or pizza) I felt terrible but at that time was so busy and exhausted that I never stopped to think it was the food. Once I was in my new place, I continued to have bread from time to time and had such horrible joint pain that I was preparing for 2 total knee replacements as well as one hip! The surgery could not go forward as I was (and still am) actively losing calcium from my bones. That problem has yet to be properly diagnosed and treated   anyway over time I realized that I felt better when I stopped eating bread. Back at least 3 yrs ago I noticed that regular pasta made me sick so I switched to brown rice pasta and even though it costs a lot more, I really like it.   so gradually I just stopped buying and eating foods with gluten. I stopped getting raisin bran when I was constipated because it made me bloated and it didn't help the constipation any more (used to be a sure bet that it would in the past)   I made cookies and brownies using beans and rolled oats and dates and tahini and I LOVE them and have zero issues eating those I eat 1 or more cans of beans per day easily can eat a pound of broccoli - no problem! Brussels sprouts the same thing.   so yeh it's bread and related foods that are clearly the problem  there is zero doubt in my mind    
    • cristiana
      Insomnia help

      By cristiana · Posted

      Thank you for your post, @nanny marley It is interesting what you say about 'It's OK not to sleep'. Worrying about sleeping only makes it much harder to sleep.  One of my relatives is an insomniac and I am sure that is part of the problem.  Whereas I once had a neighbour who, if she couldn't sleep, would simply get up again, make a cup of tea, read, do a sudoku or some other small task, and then go back to bed when she felt sleepy again.  I can't think it did her any harm - she lived  well into her nineties. Last week I decided to try a Floradix Magnesium supplement which seems to be helping me to sleep better.  It is a liquid magnesium supplement, so easy to take.  It is gluten free (unlike the Floradix iron supplement).  Might be worth a try.        
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.