My Enterolab Results

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 4:27 pm

Hello, everyone. I received my Enterolab results. I was a little surprised because I didn't think that I had any issues with some of the food items. Most significant were tuna, chicken, oat & cashew. That causes some concern for me because chicken was my mainstay when we go out to eat and I could easily take tuna along for lunch when I'm away at lunch time. Moderate were corn, rice, beef, pork, walnut, almond & white potato. I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm starting to feel like I wish wer were on the "Jetsons" (cartoon) and we received our nourishment by a pill! My IgA was 125 units (normal is less than 10.) The only thing I can think of gluten-wise is the day before I submitted the specimen I was bagging cookies for my husband's unit for Christmas in July. We were supposed to wrap the cookies ahead of time and some people didn't so I was wrapping cookies -- I should have worn gloves and the thought did cross my mind. According to my IgA I should avoid eggs, too. I'm grateful for this group and the support that is given here. I will keep chugging along.

Marcia

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:09 pm

Well, at least you found out now, early in your MC journey and can tweak the eating plan to optimise healing.

Revisit Dee's kitchen, it will give you some egg free ideas.

healing hugs

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:13 pm

Sorry, it's really rough. I tested positive to all EL tests for but pork.

Post by **tex** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 5:34 pm

Marcia wrote:My IgA was 125 units

Was that your anti-gliadin antibody result? If so, that result doesn't reflect what you ate (or handled) the day before the sample was taken. It represents your average level at that point in time. Antibody levels continue to rise as we ingest gluten, and the longer we react, the higher the level climbs.

After we stop eating gluten, it takes a long time (years, usually) for the level to return to normal, even if we do a perfect job of avoiding gluten, because the half-life of anti-gliadin antibodies is extremely long — 120 days. Most foods have an antibody half-life of about 6 days.

And of course anytime we accidentally eat anything that is cross-contaminated with gluten (even tiny amounts) that provides a slight boost to the level again, so that it takes longer for the level to decay to normal.

And to complicate things, the anti-gliadin antibody level doesn't drop to half of the initial level in 120 days, as we would expect, because our immune system continues to produce antibody levels for a long time after we stop ingesting it, in order to keep the immune system receptors "armed and alert", so that they will be ready to respond immediately, in case any gluten shows up again. Eventually, if no gluten has been detected after a long-enough period, it will stop producing antibodies, and the antibody level will fall to normal levels.

Remember that just because the antibody level has not decayed to normal, doesn't mean that we are still reacting. It simply means that the immune system is still on guard, and if any gluten should show up, it will be able to respond immediately. After the level returns to normal, if we were to ingest any gluten, it would take much longer for the immune system to react, because it would have to build up the antibody level (and the number of receptors) before it could launch a significant response.

In real life, that seldom happens, because most of us (regardless of how careful we are) are occasionally exposed to tiny amounts of gluten in our diet, and those small exposures are typically sufficient to keep the immune system primed and ready for action, even though we might not react at those low levels. IOW, the 20 ppm tolerance that's allowed in GF processed foods is sufficient to keep our immune system alert for gluten, even though most of us don't react at those low levels.

What was the overall result for the test for the 11 antigenic foods? That number is often more important than the actual ranking of the foods into their respective categories, because if it is low enough, then none of the foods may be a problem. On the other hand, if it is very high, then virtually all of the foods may be a problem, including those in the +1 category.

Tex

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 6:48 pm

Hi Marcia!

I, too, was surprised to get my Enterolab results, and like you I reacted to everything! Chicken was my staple, also. I went to turkey, venison, lamb, elk & haddock for protein, and did well.
You can try other nuts like pecans, macadamia, & seeds like sunflower seed butter. I bought coconut wraps online, and make pecan butter or sunflower seed butter for a sandwich on the go.

There's more choices out there, but you're so overwhelmed by your results that it's difficult to be creative, right now....I know how you feel. But, it can be done!

Let us know how we can help you sort it all out!

:bigbighug:

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 7:22 pm

Tex, thank you for the explanation about the gluten. I couldn't fathom how my level could be high when I have been so careful since 9/13. The Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods is 51 units. If the normal range is 10 units, then I am way above that.

I guess like many I am really surprised because I thought I was doing very well. I feel good most of the time other than tiredness but work has been more than overwhelming since April so I just assumed it was from that. I'll keep coming here for advice and reading other posts. Thanks again, everyone. You really are lifesavers!

Marcia

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:59 pm

canned salmon instead of tuna perhaps?

Post by **tex** » Tue Jul 29, 2014 9:35 pm

Marcia wrote:thank you for the explanation about the gluten. I couldn't fathom how my level could be high when I have been so careful since 9/13.

Not to worry, at less than a year on the diet, that's a reasonable number.

Marcia wrote:The Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods is 51 units.

Hmmmmm. That's a pretty high result, alright. But you have to keep in mind that we're all different, and clinical symptoms aren't always as severe as we might expect with such test results.

If you've been doing well, then you might find it helpful to read one of my recent posts related to these tests (or reread it if you have already read it), because it seems to apply to you.

Some Thoughts On Antibodies

Tex

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:00 pm

Thanks, Leah. The pouches of tuna were easy to throw in my purse, but they do contain soy. I'm going to look at the canned salmon for days when I'm on the road for lunch. Linda I tried sunflower seed butter a while back and I think I reacted to it. I'm not sure so I might try a bit of it again. I have been using almond butter but now that almonds are a 2+ for me I need to find something else. I am very fortunate that I have an hour for lunch and I come home most days, which makes things a lot easier for me. I read Tex' book but some nights before bed I'll pick it up and page through it. Most times I find something that I missed before...I just read about foot cramping. My toes have been cramping lately and I never associated that with the LC. Tex probably never imagined that his book would be bedtime reading when he wrote it.

Marcia

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 4:16 pm

A good idea for when you are out for the day /lunches at work, finding a suitable protein powder that may work.
mix it with some banana, ?coconut water.
i find the protein powder cost effective and nutritious, and it takes the stress away from holidays/travelling/socialising/working lunches etc.

the other aspect, it is near impossible to maintain PERFECT eating plan without stress. figuring out a sustainable plan that is affordable takes time. Having one or two serves of tuna a week would be ok while you transition something else to replace the tuna.

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 5:39 pm

Any protein powder suggestions, Gabes? I was drinking whey protein for breakfast after I had oral surgery. I liked it so much that I continued to have it for breakfast until the LC hit. Then it was in & out in record time.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:39 pm

Mine is rice based - so that wont work so well for you

there is pea based, hemp based, soy based. Did you react to Soy on the Enterolab tests?

Marcia K · Post by **Marcia K** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 6:52 pm

My soy was 46 units. I have purchased NOW pea protein for my son in the past, (Non-GMO, no soy or dairy) so maybe I'll try that.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:29 pm

mmm with the legume reaction, you have a 50/50 chance
again like the tuna situation, so long as you dont have it all the time it will be ok, small amount a couple of times a week

you may find that once you remove the Chicken and the Tuna, you will tolerate some of these other things a bit better.
the sucky part is there is no black and white, or exact science. It is trial and error, and a fair bit of blind faith!

Post by **tex** » Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:19 pm

Marcia,

Please be aware that not only can magnesium deficiency, and potassium deficiency cause cramps, but dehydration can also cause cramps. I had a round of lower leg and food cramps a few days ago, after a long afternoon of working in the sun with nothing to drink. And when I returned home, it didn't occur to me that I needed to drink extra water.

The cramps were different than the ones that I was used to (both lower legs and feet were affected), and when I tried my usual remedy of getting out of bed to walk them out, unlike the cramps that I've experienced due to magnesium or potassium deficiency, these were very slow to resolve, and trying to walk was quite painful.

The second time the cramps woke me up (about an hour later), and I had to get up to walk around for a while, I noticed that my mouth was dry. But apparently I was so sleepy that the implications didn't even register on my groggy brain.

Duh! The third time, while I was outside walking around in the yard, it dawned on me that I was probably dehydrated.

Sure enough, I drank about half a glass of water, and the cramps quickly resolved and I had no more problems after that.

Tex