Hi All,
I'm currently GF/DF/SF (since March/April) and am now down to 1 budesonide pill every 5 days and have controlled my symptoms successfully. First, will the Entocort impact my test results? Also, for those who have ordered the testing, have you used it successfully to change your diet and seen a change in your symptoms? Although I am having 1-2 normans daily, I still get a burning sensation after I eat and bloated...sometimes worse than others and can't quite pinpoint what is causing this /-I eat pretty much the same thing every day, lots of lean proteins, ground turkey, chicken breast, lots of cooked veggies, sweet potatoes, g/f rice cakes, and tons of EGG whites, as well as protein powder-I'm thinking I may be sensitive to eggs or the casein that is in the whey protein that I drink. Hubby says just do the testing so that I will know and I'm thinking he's probably right. Anyone have any recommendations for me? Which particular tests did you order, etc?
Enterolab testing worth it???
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Deanna in CO
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Cathy,
I definitely recommend the testing. I only did the "Big 4" and the genetic testing, but I found it very helpful, and if you've got your hubby's support, by all means go ahead. Here's what I found:
a) I had been off dairy for 3 1/2 months, and even though antibodies to dairy go away much faster than antibodies to gluten, I still had more antibodies to dairy than I did to gluten. That told me I have to be just as scrupulous about dairy as I am about gluten - from whey protein and butter (in my case probably even clarified butter) to the bits of dairy left on the mixing stone and the ice cream scoops at our local Cold Stone ice cream place). :'(
b) I had been off gluten for almost 5 months (and mostly low-carb for a year and a half before that), but I still had significant antibodies to gluten. I will never take a chance on gluten again - I react too strongly and it takes too long to get rid of it.
c) My antibodies to egg were 11 - just over the line into positive. That made egg something I was willing to risk testing. With repeated trials, I'm finding I react some when I eat an egg by itself. When I eat eggs baked in something, if it's a small amount, I seem to do OK; if it contains a lot of eggs, I seem to react (though this one I'm still testing).
d) I had a negative result to my soy test. However, I'd been off soy for more than 3 months, and I didn't eat a lot of soy then, so I figured that was also something to test. The night I had chicken marinated in tamari (gluten free soy sauce), I reacted the next day pretty significantly. I've been a bit afraid to try it again, but today I finally took a chance and made a Betty Crocker Gluten-Free cake mix so I could have cake for our 25th anniversary celebration. That mix has quite a bit of soy flour in it, so we'll see.
I also did the genetic test, and discovered I had two genes that predispose to gluten sensitivity, meaning that a) it's unlikely this is just a temporary thing, b) each of my parents has at least one gene - so my mom's arthritis symptoms may be helped by going gf, and c) my 16yo daughter needs to eat gluten only in moderation and be very watchful for symptoms of gluten sensitivity and autoimmune disorders.
Do you see how the results can be useful? Of course if you are still consuming the offending item, your results will be even more obvious, but Enterolabs is very clear that you should not add back things you seem sensitive to, especially gluten. But your dairy results will look like you haven't been off dairy, and so will your egg results.
To me, this kind of help is most valuable and well worth the money, especially because it tells me, specifically, what my body is producing antibodies to.
Hope that's helpful,
Deanna
I definitely recommend the testing. I only did the "Big 4" and the genetic testing, but I found it very helpful, and if you've got your hubby's support, by all means go ahead. Here's what I found:
a) I had been off dairy for 3 1/2 months, and even though antibodies to dairy go away much faster than antibodies to gluten, I still had more antibodies to dairy than I did to gluten. That told me I have to be just as scrupulous about dairy as I am about gluten - from whey protein and butter (in my case probably even clarified butter) to the bits of dairy left on the mixing stone and the ice cream scoops at our local Cold Stone ice cream place). :'(
b) I had been off gluten for almost 5 months (and mostly low-carb for a year and a half before that), but I still had significant antibodies to gluten. I will never take a chance on gluten again - I react too strongly and it takes too long to get rid of it.
c) My antibodies to egg were 11 - just over the line into positive. That made egg something I was willing to risk testing. With repeated trials, I'm finding I react some when I eat an egg by itself. When I eat eggs baked in something, if it's a small amount, I seem to do OK; if it contains a lot of eggs, I seem to react (though this one I'm still testing).
d) I had a negative result to my soy test. However, I'd been off soy for more than 3 months, and I didn't eat a lot of soy then, so I figured that was also something to test. The night I had chicken marinated in tamari (gluten free soy sauce), I reacted the next day pretty significantly. I've been a bit afraid to try it again, but today I finally took a chance and made a Betty Crocker Gluten-Free cake mix so I could have cake for our 25th anniversary celebration. That mix has quite a bit of soy flour in it, so we'll see.
I also did the genetic test, and discovered I had two genes that predispose to gluten sensitivity, meaning that a) it's unlikely this is just a temporary thing, b) each of my parents has at least one gene - so my mom's arthritis symptoms may be helped by going gf, and c) my 16yo daughter needs to eat gluten only in moderation and be very watchful for symptoms of gluten sensitivity and autoimmune disorders.
Do you see how the results can be useful? Of course if you are still consuming the offending item, your results will be even more obvious, but Enterolabs is very clear that you should not add back things you seem sensitive to, especially gluten. But your dairy results will look like you haven't been off dairy, and so will your egg results.
To me, this kind of help is most valuable and well worth the money, especially because it tells me, specifically, what my body is producing antibodies to.
Hope that's helpful,
Deanna
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Cathy,
I found the Enterolab testing very worthwhile too. I thought I had been gluten and soy free for at least several months ( actually for the better part of several years but not scrupulous with my avoidance) when I had the test done but I still tested positive for both of those as well as dairy and eggs, both of which I had stopped eating only several weeks before the test. Eggs I had long been suspicious of but I thought I was ok with dairy. After getting my results from the big four I decided I wanted to extend the testing so soon after I ordered the test of 11 food antigens. I found that test helpful too. It confirmed that I was reactive to chicken which I had suspected plus rice and even beef plus a few other things, so I removed all those foods and only ate from the foods where I tested least reactive. I also reacted to potatoes, which I hadn't been eating, so I removed all nightshades. It is theoretically possible to figure all this out with an elimination diet but I found that having the positive results right in front of me is a big motivator to keep my diet simple and free of all possible offenders. I might eventually do the MRT testing but for right now I am ok with eating a very limited diet and I thought I would give my wallet a rest.
I am definitely much better eating my simple diet but not 100%. I figure that I have been damaging my gut for many years (a lifetime of symptoms really) so I am trying to be patient and let healing happen over time, especially since I have lost the incessant WD which made life outside the house nearly impossible. If I were you I would remove the whey and the egg white powder. When people are reactive to eggs it is the protein in the egg whites that are the offender and whey powder is definitely dairy. I tend to be of the better safe than sorry school.
All that to say, yes, I found the Enterolab testing very worthwhile.
Jean
I found the Enterolab testing very worthwhile too. I thought I had been gluten and soy free for at least several months ( actually for the better part of several years but not scrupulous with my avoidance) when I had the test done but I still tested positive for both of those as well as dairy and eggs, both of which I had stopped eating only several weeks before the test. Eggs I had long been suspicious of but I thought I was ok with dairy. After getting my results from the big four I decided I wanted to extend the testing so soon after I ordered the test of 11 food antigens. I found that test helpful too. It confirmed that I was reactive to chicken which I had suspected plus rice and even beef plus a few other things, so I removed all those foods and only ate from the foods where I tested least reactive. I also reacted to potatoes, which I hadn't been eating, so I removed all nightshades. It is theoretically possible to figure all this out with an elimination diet but I found that having the positive results right in front of me is a big motivator to keep my diet simple and free of all possible offenders. I might eventually do the MRT testing but for right now I am ok with eating a very limited diet and I thought I would give my wallet a rest.
I am definitely much better eating my simple diet but not 100%. I figure that I have been damaging my gut for many years (a lifetime of symptoms really) so I am trying to be patient and let healing happen over time, especially since I have lost the incessant WD which made life outside the house nearly impossible. If I were you I would remove the whey and the egg white powder. When people are reactive to eggs it is the protein in the egg whites that are the offender and whey powder is definitely dairy. I tend to be of the better safe than sorry school.
All that to say, yes, I found the Enterolab testing very worthwhile.
Jean
/thanks Deanna and Jean. My gut is tellig me to have all of the testing done@ once and then I will know for sure what to stay away from. I'm glad that it has worked out for both of you. I think it would be a huge motivator to remove the food if it is in black and white. I'm going to order the tests after my next paycheck. Thanks again for your experiences!
Hi Cathy,
Yes Leah is right, eliminate whey and you should see some improvement.
Yes I found Enterolab testing helpful but not mandatory. I did it fairly late in the game. I think I would have suffered less and healed faster if I had done it sooner. Depending on finances recommend the GDSE one first--if you can swing financially recommend the protein - nut- grain one. I think this is A and C but I've not looked at the site recently. Brandy
Yes Leah is right, eliminate whey and you should see some improvement.
Yes I found Enterolab testing helpful but not mandatory. I did it fairly late in the game. I think I would have suffered less and healed faster if I had done it sooner. Depending on finances recommend the GDSE one first--if you can swing financially recommend the protein - nut- grain one. I think this is A and C but I've not looked at the site recently. Brandy