So, after dealing with increasingly frequent digestive issues for the past 6 or 7 years, and after being diagnosed with IBS and subsequently told to: 1. eat more fiber, 2. eat probiotic yogurt, 3. take Florastor, 4. cut out dairy and artificial sweeteners (though I was never tested for any kind of intolerance or allergy), and 5. go home and take Immodium, and after taking matters into my own hands by getting tested at Enterolab and going GF/DF/SF based on the results, as well as weaning myself off my antidepressant, I was still sick. My diet got progressively more restricted as I eliminated anything that seemed to cause me problems, but eventually it seemed like EVERYTHING was causing me problems. Then last week my wonderful PA thought to run a food-allergy panel at my annual checkup and discovered I'm allergic to eggs! Turns out I probably wasn't reacting to most of the things I eliminated, because I assumed that if I didn't have an intolerance to eggs according to Enterolab, they couldn't be a problem for me. I have been slowly reintroducing a few of these foods to my diet, with no problems. As a matter of fact, I feel better than I have in months! Wow, I can eat GF cereal again, I can eat corn, I can eat rice pasta...amazing.
What I can't understand is why neither my former GP nor my GI ever thought to check for food allergies. I mean, if someone is complaining of chronic stomach pain, cramping, and diarrhea, wouldn't you want to rule that out?
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving! Last year the holidays were pretty tough, but this year I should be able to eat the majority of what's on the table.
Just maybe, I think I might be getting better!
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draperygoddess
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Just maybe, I think I might be getting better!
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Hi Cynthia,
Good for you, and kudos to your PA. You must be sensitive to egg yolks. Most of us are sensitive to egg whites, and antibodies to egg whites are what the EnteroLab test looks for. I've always wondered if some of us might be sensitive to egg yolks. I reckon some of us are, apparently.
Your former GP and your GI doc know better than to waste time testing for food sensitivities, because they know that diet has nothing to do with digestive system issues. LOL. Shame on them.
Wow! Lucky you — just in time for Thanksgiving, too.
Tex
Good for you, and kudos to your PA. You must be sensitive to egg yolks. Most of us are sensitive to egg whites, and antibodies to egg whites are what the EnteroLab test looks for. I've always wondered if some of us might be sensitive to egg yolks. I reckon some of us are, apparently.
Your former GP and your GI doc know better than to waste time testing for food sensitivities, because they know that diet has nothing to do with digestive system issues. LOL. Shame on them.
Wow! Lucky you — just in time for Thanksgiving, too.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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humbird753
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Hi Cynthia - Congratulations on finding out that you have an allergy to eggs. It definitely sounds like you are getting better. It's great that you are able to add some foods back in. I was like you in that I was beginning to think I was reacting to everything I was eating. It will be a "happy" Thanksgiving.
Wishing you continued healing.
Paula
Wishing you continued healing.
Paula
Paula
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's learning to dance in the rain."
Re: Just maybe, I think I might be getting better!
That's terrific news Cynthia. May I ask what specific tests your PA ran? So glad that you've figured it out!draperygoddess wrote:last week my wonderful PA thought to run a food-allergy panel at my annual checkup and discovered I'm allergic to eggs! Turns out I probably wasn't reacting to most of the things I eliminated, because I assumed that if I didn't have an intolerance to eggs according to Enterolab, they couldn't be a problem for me. I have been slowly reintroducing a few of these foods to my diet, with no problems. As a matter of fact, I feel better than I have in months! Wow, I can eat GF cereal again, I can eat corn, I can eat rice pasta...amazing.
What I can't understand is why neither my former GP nor my GI ever thought to check for food allergies. I mean, if someone is complaining of chronic stomach pain, cramping, and diarrhea, wouldn't you want to rule that out?
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving! Last year the holidays were pretty tough, but this year I should be able to eat the majority of what's on the table.
Wow, what a relief!! Did they run a RAST blood test? Will they follow up with a skin prick test? They are testing for IgE allergy to egg, which would explain why Enetrolab didn't pick it up?
From Wikipedia:
From Wikipedia:
Are you tolerating poultry OK?Most people who are allergic to hen's eggs have antibodies which react to one of four proteins in the egg white:[5] ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, and lysozyme; ovomucoid, also called Gal d 1, is the most common target of immune system attack.[5] The egg yolk contains several potential antigens: livetin, apovitillin, and vosvetin.
A person who reacts only to a protein in the egg yolk may be able to easily tolerate egg whites, and vice versa. Some people will be allergic to proteins in both the egg white and the egg yolk. Egg yolk allergies may be somewhat more common in adults.[5] A small number of people who are allergic to eggs will develop an allergy to chicken or other poultry meats.[5]
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draperygoddess
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Cathy--I'm not sure what test exactly my PA ran--I just know it was a food allergy panel blood test. I have a follow-up visit next Monday and have several questions about this. I am curious as to what other foods were on the panel. If I can concoct a list of what I've been tested for between Enterolab and the PA, maybe I can better identify future reactions.
Zizzle--she didn't mention the RAST test, and I don't think she's planning to do skin testing. Unless, of course, I get worse again and it's warranted. I figured the same thing about the IgE vs. IgA reactions. When I did Enterolab, I think my score for eggs was a 6. I had the skin test done when I was 16, and it turned up allergies to all sorts of pollens, but no food allergies. I am tolerating poultry well--I get non-injected chicken breasts from GFS, and I eat Boar's Head turkey for lunch most days, with no problems. Hope that continues!
Today was the first time since I started reintroducing foods that I had a problem. I tried a spoonful of sunbutter at lunch and was miserable all afternoon. I have no idea whether that means I have a problem with sunflower seeds, tocopherols, or something else, but everything else I had today was stuff I've been eating all along. So obviously there's still some uncharted territory here!
Zizzle--she didn't mention the RAST test, and I don't think she's planning to do skin testing. Unless, of course, I get worse again and it's warranted. I figured the same thing about the IgE vs. IgA reactions. When I did Enterolab, I think my score for eggs was a 6. I had the skin test done when I was 16, and it turned up allergies to all sorts of pollens, but no food allergies. I am tolerating poultry well--I get non-injected chicken breasts from GFS, and I eat Boar's Head turkey for lunch most days, with no problems. Hope that continues!
Today was the first time since I started reintroducing foods that I had a problem. I tried a spoonful of sunbutter at lunch and was miserable all afternoon. I have no idea whether that means I have a problem with sunflower seeds, tocopherols, or something else, but everything else I had today was stuff I've been eating all along. So obviously there's still some uncharted territory here!
Cynthia
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
"Can we fix it? YES WE CAN!" -Bob the Builder
Hey Cynthia. There is always uncharted territory. I am also at that stage where i try a little of this and a little of that. It's a good way to know what is okay or not without having a long term reaction. i even had a piece of milk chocolate the other day and was fine. Very small amounts of things seems to be the trick for me. Looks like Sunbutter is out for you though :(
Leah
Leah
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draperygoddess
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