Enterolab question

[cmiller]

I was just looking at Enterolab, wow. I don't know if I can afford that. Can going to a regular allergy specialist and have them test for allergens also do somewhat of the same thing?

[nerdhume]

I'm sure others are more knowledgeable than I am, but it is my understanding this is the only place that does this type of testing.
I'm glad I put out the $$$ for the test, it saved me many months of elimination and trying to figure out what foods I react to.

[tex]

C.,

Theresa is correct. Most of the blood tests and skin tests are fine for testing for classic allergies (that affect the skin and the respiratory system). But those tests are typically worthless for determining the type of food sensitivities that we have. For one thing, the gut-based reactions are due to the production of IgA antibodies, whereas the blood tests are based on IdE and IgG antibodies. For another thing, the reactions that we have occur in the intestines, not in the blood. The antibodies are in the intestines (and in stool), not in the blood.

99.99 % of allergists know absolutely nothing about testing for the type of food sensitivities that we have. They are trained to test for the classic food allergies that cause anaphylactic shock. That's an IgE reaction, and it has nothing to do with the basic problem in our gut.

Tex

[Marcia K]

While the testing is expensive, I found out that chicken & tuna are two of the foods which caused the most reactivity for me. Guess what I was eating most frequently? I'm so glad I had the testing done.

Marcia

[UkuleleLady]

While the testing is expensive, I found out that chicken & tuna are two of the foods which caused the most reactivity for me. Guess what I was eating most frequently? I'm so glad I had the testing done.

Marcia

I completely agree. Because of Enterolab, I got tuna, chicken, rice, almonds and eggs off the list and lo and behold I finally started making progress after months of GF/DF/SF and while on Entocort. It was worth the money for me.

I learned on this board that Dr. Fine (the Enterolab GI who created the tests) himself actually has MC. That to me was an endorsement.

Also, I have done blood-based food allergy testing (igg/ige ELISA through Meridian Valley) prior to Enterolab. My results were strange. Was not allergic to wheat, casein, rice, oat. Things like garlic, ginger, kidney beans were off the charts.

Oddly, I used to eat a LOT of garlic and ginger. I had them both daily, often raw or juiced (garlic for infections, ginger for acid reflux). Seemed to me it made sense they showed up in the blood test.

My Enterolab tests showed I clearly have gluten intolerance as well as casein, eggs. I was a +3 for oats, rice, almonds, etc. Results are on this site as well as many others' if you want to peruse them.

My recommendation would be to start an elimination diet if you can't find the $$ to do Enterolab -- people here have successfully done this.

Other recommendation would be to not spend money on other tests. I feel like mine was a wash.

Sincerely,
Nancy

[AnnW]

The gut sensitivities/allergies of IBD/MC patients are mostly IgA and/or IgG medicated as Tex pointed out. Patients must keep in mind, however, that gut sensitivities are most likely to develop against those foods most often consumed. So it is very common for patients to show stronger positivity to the foods they eat most often. These reactions will begin to subside as those foods are consumed less. Different foods will then show more positive reactions as patients begin to introduce new foods or consume other foods more often. This is a well known source of error in these types of tests. That is not to say that they don't have value. They do! However, the root of these reactions are usually not inherent in the foods themselves but due to leakly gut or dysbiotic fermentation or both. Avoidance need not be permanent. Avoiding reactive foods temporarily and healing the gut will often allow for them to be re-introduced at a later time.

Gluten and dairy are major exceptions to this rule and many patients (but not all) will never be able to re-introduce them without provoking an immune response.

Taking digestive enzymes at each meal can help protect against developing further sensitivites. Since adequate nutritional intake is vital to healing the gut, long term dietary restriction can delay gut healing. Cells of the GI tract renew every 7 days. Nutrients vital to DNA synthesis, so necessary for cell renewal, are often deficient in restricted diets. Therefore IBD/MC patients should consider taking at least a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement as soon as is feasible.

Dr. Ann