Which enterolab test to order?

Discussions can be posted here about stool testing for food sensitivities, as offered by Enterolab.

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laurie1010
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Which enterolab test to order?

Post by laurie1010 »

Hi, I have had MC for about 3 or 4 years, always uncontrolled. I want to gain control without steroid use. Which labs do you recommend I order? I now eat whatever I want and usually pay the price in the form of watery, explosive D from 4-6 times a day. Thanks!
Marcia K
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Post by Marcia K »

Hello, Laurie. I believe I did Panel C (it was around $500). It was money well spent!
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi Laurie,

Welcome to our Internet Family. The test panel that Marcia is referring to is actually the combination of the EnteroLab A1 and C1 Panels. The A1 Panel provides testing for the 4 main problem foods (gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs), and the C1 Panel includes testing for 11 other foods that often cause problems for MC patients, including other grains (corn, rice, oats), meats (beef, chicken, pork, tuna), nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts), and nightshades (white potato). You can order the individual panels if you prefer, but the price of the combination is discounted.

Here's a link to the description of the test panels that we're referring to:

https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... #PanelA1C1

Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex
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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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Post by SusanneK »

I just ordered my Enterolab test. Have been doing very very well lately thanks to all the advice on here - but I'm curious, and I really do miss some food items, plus my own experiments seem a bit inconsistent. But I'm still early in the game so that could have a number of reasons.

I just want to get an idea of what I really shouldn't experiment with.

But thinking of how far I've come since I first found this site and realized that my GI doc is clueless and totally not interested in diet. I'm so thankful!

It's like one of the quotes on the main page - You CAN get your life back!
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi Susanne,

The surest and fastest way to reach remission is to stick with a diet that's working, and not experiment — at least not before reaching remission, or before receiving your EnteroLab results. After you receive your results you will have some reliable guidelines that can be used for selecting foods that may be safe to try. And after you are in remission, you will be able to test foods safely because if you test foods one at a time for 3 days, you will be able to easily detect when a food is safe and when it is not.

The EnteroLab test results are typically very accurate, so that in most cases we can rely on those results for guidance regarding the foods that are included in the test. And if you have any questions, if you post your results we may be able to add additional insight from past experience.

Until you have your EnteroLab results, it's best to avoid gluten, dairy, soy, all artificial sweeteners, (and eggs if they seem to make symptoms worse), and minimize sugar and fiber. No raw vegetables (small amounts of peeled, overcooked veges may be OK) or fruit, except that bananas are safe for many/most of us.

I hope that some of this is helpful.

Tex
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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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Post by SusanneK »

Thank you, Tex, I will definitely share my results when I get them.

I am sticking to the diet you described - except that I seem to be able to tolerate Kefir yogurt - and am doing really well on it.
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Post by SusanneK »

Tex, one more question if you don't mind.

When do you know for sure that you're in remission? Is it a certain period of time with normal BM's? If so, how long should that be?

Thanks.
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tex
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Post by tex »

IMO, remission is when BMs have returned to normal (or whatever one's normal was before the disease developed), and all of the other symptoms have resolved enough that we feel like doing things and we're not afraid to leave the house.

But everyone has their own definition, depending on their own situation. Remission occurs long before healing is completed. Complete healing usually takes 2 to 3 years. Remission typically takes somewhere between several months and a year or more, but everyone is different.

Tex
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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
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

Susanne
here is a previous discussion (with links to other previous discussions) about this topic

hope this helps
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic ... =remission
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SusanneK
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Post by SusanneK »

Thanks guys.

I should have known that that was a question that had come up before. Thanks for doing the search for me, Gabes!

I do consider myself in remission. My life is back to normal - except for what I can eat. And that's fine.

Last weekend I had to drive 140 miles to an agility trial and I wasn't even thinking about access to bathrooms. What a difference from a year ago!
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tex
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Post by tex »

Great! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the update.

Tex
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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.
mthoom
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Post by mthoom »

Howdy! Happy New Year!

I've decided to do Enterolab testing, I've cruised through some blogs and see that Panel A1 and C1 tests were mostly recommended. Is that still the case?
If any other panels would be beneficial, does anyone know?
During my Dx process, I know that I was tested for parasites - negative and C.Diff - negative.

My explosive D has been under control, for the most part for about a year. I tend to be more constipated these days and Miralax has really helped, no adverse symptoms, that I can tell.
So taking Miralax almost daily, would this affect my test results? Should I stay off the Miralax?

I really appreciate your assistance.

Thank You!
Melissa
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tex
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Post by tex »

Hi Melissa,

As far as I can tell, those two panels are still the best choice for MC patients, unless you're a vegan or vegetarian. Some people order the fecal fat test to find out how bad their fat malabsorption problem mighty be, but that problem will resolve on it's own anyway as our digestion improves, so I see little point in spending the money for that additional test.

Miralax is just polyethylene glycol, so I doubt that it would adversely affect your EnteroLab test results unless it's causing extreme, watery diarrhea. But unless your constipation problem is relatively severe, I think I would skip it anyway for at least 30 hours before I collected the sample for EnteroLab, just to be on the safe side. The EnteroLab testing involves common ELISA test methods, so I don't think it would have an effect, but I'm not a chemist so I honestly don't know if it might have some effect on the sensitivity of the testing. If you feel that you need the Miralax, a phone call to the lab should provide a reliable answer.

Happy New Year!

Tex
:cowboy:

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.
mthoom
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Post by mthoom »

Tex, Thank you very much! As always, your insight is much appreciated.

Happy New Year!


Melissa
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