Just received my results from enterolab. No surprise that gluten sensitivity was 57 units. Casein 15, egg 13, soy 13. Also had plus1 sensitivity to oat, corn, rice, tuna, beef, pork, chicken, almond and potato(white). Need opinions please. Are the numbers for soy, egg, and dairy significant? Do I eliminate all these things from my diet? I do have a diagnosis for microscopic colitis and have taken Lialda for 2 1/2 years. It does control my symptoms but my goal is to get healthy without taking medications. I guess my main question is on the numbers. Anything over 10 is not good, but is 13 or 15 a lowered sensitivity than say 20 or thirty, or does it matter, if the number is over 10 it is to be avoided? Thank you for your help, I am reading
Wayne's book. By the way Tex, I live north of you in Mansfield Texas.
enterolab results
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi,
Unfortunately, food sensitivities work somewhat like a pregnancy determination. Either we are or we aren't. Any positive score is significant. Those test scores are based on a relationship with the number of antibodies present. The longer we react to a food, the higher our antibody numbers climb, and therefore the higher our associated test scores will likely to be. That implies that a test score of 11 today might turn into a score of several hundred if tested after a year or so of continued exposure to that food. So yes, if you want to stop the inflammation so that you can control your symptoms by diet instead of with Lialda, you will need to totally avoid those foods because of those positive test results.
If a test score were to remain low over the years despite continued exposure to the food causing the antibody production, then it might be plausible to rate the sensitivity as "mild". However, in the real world, this virtually never happens. Antibody numbers (and therefore test scores) continue to climb with continued exposure.
Remember that you have been taking an anti-inflammatory medication for 2 1/2 years. If you hadn't been doing that, your test results might be much higher. Other than Entocort (budesonide), EnteroLab normally isn't concerned about medications suppressing antibody levels enough to corrupt the test results. But mesalamine used for that long would have to have some effect on antibody numbers, provided that it has been effective at reducing the inflammation in your digestive system.
Regarding the 11 other antigenic foods — the most important consideration is the overall score on that test. If it is below 10 (negative result), then those foods are irrelevant, and eating them should be safe. If it is a low positive result, then you may or may not be able to tolerate some or even all of those foods (especially in a rotation diet). But if the overall score is relatively high, then you will probably need to avoid some of all of those foods, at least until you have been in stable remission for awhile.
If you live north of me then you're probably enjoying all this rain even more than I am.
As wet as it is here, I can only imagine what it's like in your part of Texas. We've been lucky in this area. We've always been on the fringe of the rain during the past several days, so we've only accumulated a couple more inches. But the radar has consistently appeared to be mighty wet west and north of here. 
You're very welcome,
Tex
Unfortunately, food sensitivities work somewhat like a pregnancy determination. Either we are or we aren't. Any positive score is significant. Those test scores are based on a relationship with the number of antibodies present. The longer we react to a food, the higher our antibody numbers climb, and therefore the higher our associated test scores will likely to be. That implies that a test score of 11 today might turn into a score of several hundred if tested after a year or so of continued exposure to that food. So yes, if you want to stop the inflammation so that you can control your symptoms by diet instead of with Lialda, you will need to totally avoid those foods because of those positive test results.
If a test score were to remain low over the years despite continued exposure to the food causing the antibody production, then it might be plausible to rate the sensitivity as "mild". However, in the real world, this virtually never happens. Antibody numbers (and therefore test scores) continue to climb with continued exposure.
Remember that you have been taking an anti-inflammatory medication for 2 1/2 years. If you hadn't been doing that, your test results might be much higher. Other than Entocort (budesonide), EnteroLab normally isn't concerned about medications suppressing antibody levels enough to corrupt the test results. But mesalamine used for that long would have to have some effect on antibody numbers, provided that it has been effective at reducing the inflammation in your digestive system.
Regarding the 11 other antigenic foods — the most important consideration is the overall score on that test. If it is below 10 (negative result), then those foods are irrelevant, and eating them should be safe. If it is a low positive result, then you may or may not be able to tolerate some or even all of those foods (especially in a rotation diet). But if the overall score is relatively high, then you will probably need to avoid some of all of those foods, at least until you have been in stable remission for awhile.
If you live north of me then you're probably enjoying all this rain even more than I am.
As wet as it is here, I can only imagine what it's like in your part of Texas. We've been lucky in this area. We've always been on the fringe of the rain during the past several days, so we've only accumulated a couple more inches. But the radar has consistently appeared to be mighty wet west and north of here. You're very welcome,
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.
Thanks so much for your reply. I have familk members who want to influence my diet, but I was expecting your answer to be what it was. My daughter in law is a nurse (labor and delvery), and truly I have found most people do not have any significant knowledge of MC. She is however going to have her 2 1/2 year old son tested for soy and dairy....seems to run in the family. It is raining as a type so my dogs will not want to go out. Least it is not SNOW. I am originally from Northern Indiana. Thanks for all the work you do for MC, it is empowering to have these resources and support! God bless you.
That's great that your daughter in law is going to have your young grandson tested. I have a hunch that some day the medical community will discover that if we avoid all our food sensitivities beginning at an early age, we may be able to avoid many of the AI diseases that are so common today.
I have to agree with your dogs — that cold rain and drizzle out there is mighty unpleasant.
You're most welcome, and I hope that your transition from Lialda to diet control of your symptoms will go smoothly and reliably. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Tex
I have to agree with your dogs — that cold rain and drizzle out there is mighty unpleasant.
You're most welcome, and I hope that your transition from Lialda to diet control of your symptoms will go smoothly and reliably. Please keep us posted on your progress.
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.
Hi Tex
I'm new to this forum.
I was diagnosed with MC (Lymphocytic) in July,2015. In the process of tapering off Budesonide. Waiting for the results from Enterolab.
My question to you is, what is your take on full spectrum digestive enzymes, they seem to help with me, or is it just some kind of placebo effect?
No rain here-just snow (but not much). I live in southwestern Michigan-Kalamazoo
I'm new to this forum.
I was diagnosed with MC (Lymphocytic) in July,2015. In the process of tapering off Budesonide. Waiting for the results from Enterolab.
My question to you is, what is your take on full spectrum digestive enzymes, they seem to help with me, or is it just some kind of placebo effect?
No rain here-just snow (but not much). I live in southwestern Michigan-Kalamazoo
Hi,
Welcome to our Internet family. Unfortunately I'm not a good source of information about enzyme supplements because when I tried an expensive enzyme supplement mix during my recovery, it made me so sick that even today I wouldn't take a chance on using one. But we are all different, and we all respond differently to various medications and supplements. So if you feel that they are helping you, it's certainly possible that they may indeed be helping, because one of the unfortunate effects of enteritis (intestinal inflammation) is to interfere with the production of digestive enzymes in the small intestine and even the pancreas. Enzyme production normally returns to near normal after the inflammation is controlled. But poor digestion as a result of compromised enzyme production is one of the reasons why diarrhea can be so persistent with this disease.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to our Internet family. Unfortunately I'm not a good source of information about enzyme supplements because when I tried an expensive enzyme supplement mix during my recovery, it made me so sick that even today I wouldn't take a chance on using one. But we are all different, and we all respond differently to various medications and supplements. So if you feel that they are helping you, it's certainly possible that they may indeed be helping, because one of the unfortunate effects of enteritis (intestinal inflammation) is to interfere with the production of digestive enzymes in the small intestine and even the pancreas. Enzyme production normally returns to near normal after the inflammation is controlled. But poor digestion as a result of compromised enzyme production is one of the reasons why diarrhea can be so persistent with this disease.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
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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Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
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- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
welcome eqwitt
depending on how many posts you have read, the 'sucky' part of life with MC is that what works for one person, can cause major chaos for another.
most of us have to do trial and error. Digestion is very unique to each individual and changes over time. for many here, it is easier to avoid the food items causing issues than to try and find suitable aid to assist digestion. and my thinking is that digestive enzymes can not alleviate/stop all the inflammation, and inflammation is what we are trying to minimise.
read the discussions/posts aimed at new people and good luck with your enterolab results.
depending on how many posts you have read, the 'sucky' part of life with MC is that what works for one person, can cause major chaos for another.
most of us have to do trial and error. Digestion is very unique to each individual and changes over time. for many here, it is easier to avoid the food items causing issues than to try and find suitable aid to assist digestion. and my thinking is that digestive enzymes can not alleviate/stop all the inflammation, and inflammation is what we are trying to minimise.
read the discussions/posts aimed at new people and good luck with your enterolab results.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama