I just sent my sample to Enterolab for testing. Will I be able to understand the results easily?
I am a newbie to the forum but have been reading the posts and reading Tex’s book. I have MC-LC. Diagnosed July 2017. Took budenoside for 3 months and all was well. But, D came back in March 2018. Wish I would have known then what I know now. I am doing things so differently this time and going slower. On budenoside again and am down to 2 pills a day. Taking a nutrition class and will see a nutritionist, but very limited food choices for me. Went to GI doctor for follow-up and they are so clueless. He pushes fiber and basically laughed at my choice to do stool sampling. Said I could try changing my diet? Wish they really cared. So glad I found this group. Not sure if I even posted this in the right spot?
Enterolab testing results
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Hi DeeDee,
Welcome to the group. Yes, posting here is the best choice, especially for an introductory post. It sounds as though you are off to a great start (this time). Please don't let the nutritionist talk you into trying anything that you feel is incorrect because sad to say, virtually all nutritionists are still clueless about treating MC. They incorrectly think that what they have been trained to do for IBDs in general will work for MC. It won't. as many MC patients have discovered. Less is more when trying to recover from an MC flare, so be conservative with any suggested additions to your diet, especially while in the recovery stage. I agree, It sounds as though your GI specialist is still clueless about treating MC, but that's not surprising, as many others seem slow to catch on, also. I suspect that most nutritionists may learn how to treat MC before most GI docs learn, but that's just a wild guess.
Yes, you will be able to understand the lab results from EnteroLab. Your results will come with a detailed interpretation by Dr. Fine himself. And it should be available (online) within a few days after they receive the sample for testing. They will send you an email notification when you can log on to download your results. And if you need any additional explanations about any of your results, we'll be glad to help.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the group. Yes, posting here is the best choice, especially for an introductory post. It sounds as though you are off to a great start (this time). Please don't let the nutritionist talk you into trying anything that you feel is incorrect because sad to say, virtually all nutritionists are still clueless about treating MC. They incorrectly think that what they have been trained to do for IBDs in general will work for MC. It won't. as many MC patients have discovered. Less is more when trying to recover from an MC flare, so be conservative with any suggested additions to your diet, especially while in the recovery stage. I agree, It sounds as though your GI specialist is still clueless about treating MC, but that's not surprising, as many others seem slow to catch on, also. I suspect that most nutritionists may learn how to treat MC before most GI docs learn, but that's just a wild guess.
Yes, you will be able to understand the lab results from EnteroLab. Your results will come with a detailed interpretation by Dr. Fine himself. And it should be available (online) within a few days after they receive the sample for testing. They will send you an email notification when you can log on to download your results. And if you need any additional explanations about any of your results, we'll be glad to help.
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.
Enterolab Test Results
I received my test results from Enterolab. I thought it would be a little easier to understand.
Here’s my interpretation: food is not getting digested completely? I have sensitivity to gluten, can tolerate cow’s milk, chicken egg, and soy. Is this an accurate assumption based on the results?
I think I have had digestion issues since having my gallbladder removed several years ago and was taking an OTC digestive enzyme daily (GI didn’t think that was necessary) along with probiotics before MC kicked in.
Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score: 346 Units (Normal Range is less than 300 Units)
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA: 19 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA: 7 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA: 3 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA: 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value # Antigenic Foods: 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods: 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Foods to which there was no significant immunological reactivity: Corn, Rice, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Tuna, Almond, Walnut, Cashew, White Potato
Food to which there was some immunological reactivity (1+): Oat
None in the 2+ or 3+ categories
I have eliminated dairy, other than butter. I also eliminated eggs, gluten, processed foods and sugars, and most fruits and vegetables. Trying to eliminate soy, which is rather difficult, as it is in everything. Also trying to follow a Low FODMAP diet. Down to 6mg Budenoside now with a goal to get to 3mg a day. Scared to go off completely to avoid a setback.
I am very grateful to have found this forum. Everyone is so willing to offer suggestions or share what may or may or not work. There is so much to learn.
Thank you for including me.
Here’s my interpretation: food is not getting digested completely? I have sensitivity to gluten, can tolerate cow’s milk, chicken egg, and soy. Is this an accurate assumption based on the results?
I think I have had digestion issues since having my gallbladder removed several years ago and was taking an OTC digestive enzyme daily (GI didn’t think that was necessary) along with probiotics before MC kicked in.
Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score: 346 Units (Normal Range is less than 300 Units)
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA: 19 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA: 7 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA: 3 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA: 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value # Antigenic Foods: 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods: 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Foods to which there was no significant immunological reactivity: Corn, Rice, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Tuna, Almond, Walnut, Cashew, White Potato
Food to which there was some immunological reactivity (1+): Oat
None in the 2+ or 3+ categories
I have eliminated dairy, other than butter. I also eliminated eggs, gluten, processed foods and sugars, and most fruits and vegetables. Trying to eliminate soy, which is rather difficult, as it is in everything. Also trying to follow a Low FODMAP diet. Down to 6mg Budenoside now with a goal to get to 3mg a day. Scared to go off completely to avoid a setback.
I am very grateful to have found this forum. Everyone is so willing to offer suggestions or share what may or may or not work. There is so much to learn.
Thank you for including me.
Hi DeeDee,
Your interpretation is pretty much correct. Actually the report shows that you can tolerate casein (not milk). This is good, because after you stop the inflammation, you will be able to tolerate milk. But while our intestines are inflamed, we're all lactose tolerant, unfortunately, so we can't have milk regardless of a safe casein result.
The elevated fecal fat score indicates that you have a nutrient malabsorption problem due to the inflammation, but that's nothing to get excited about because many of us have a malabsorption problem while we're reacting. With an elevated fecal fat score, but so many negative test results, I can't help but wonder if you might have selective IgA deficiency. If that were to be the case, the Enterolab tests might show false negative results (because your immune system would be unable to produce normal amounts of Immunoglobulin A). But the Gluten test would still be likely to show a correct result because gluten is such a powerful antigen that if you produce any Immunoglobulin A at all, it would be enough to trigger a positive result on that particular test.
Did your doctor give you a blood test to screen for celiac disease? If he or she did, they might have also checked you for selective IgA deficiency to make sure that the celiac test result would be valid. If you have selective IgA deficiency, the celiac blood test would be likely to give a false negative result, also.
About 1 in 500 people have selective IgA deficiency. If you know that you do not have selective IgA deficiency, then the test results should be accurate. If you are able to tolerate casein, butter would be safe now, because butter and hard cheeses contain very little lactose, and a little is not a problem with lactose.
I hope I haven't just confused the issue.
Tex
Your interpretation is pretty much correct. Actually the report shows that you can tolerate casein (not milk). This is good, because after you stop the inflammation, you will be able to tolerate milk. But while our intestines are inflamed, we're all lactose tolerant, unfortunately, so we can't have milk regardless of a safe casein result.
The elevated fecal fat score indicates that you have a nutrient malabsorption problem due to the inflammation, but that's nothing to get excited about because many of us have a malabsorption problem while we're reacting. With an elevated fecal fat score, but so many negative test results, I can't help but wonder if you might have selective IgA deficiency. If that were to be the case, the Enterolab tests might show false negative results (because your immune system would be unable to produce normal amounts of Immunoglobulin A). But the Gluten test would still be likely to show a correct result because gluten is such a powerful antigen that if you produce any Immunoglobulin A at all, it would be enough to trigger a positive result on that particular test.
Did your doctor give you a blood test to screen for celiac disease? If he or she did, they might have also checked you for selective IgA deficiency to make sure that the celiac test result would be valid. If you have selective IgA deficiency, the celiac blood test would be likely to give a false negative result, also.
About 1 in 500 people have selective IgA deficiency. If you know that you do not have selective IgA deficiency, then the test results should be accurate. If you are able to tolerate casein, butter would be safe now, because butter and hard cheeses contain very little lactose, and a little is not a problem with lactose.
I hope I haven't just confused the issue.
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.
Wow, that is confusing, but I appreciate your quick response.
I did have a blood test for celiac and it was negative. Still going to try avoid gluten as I read thru the posts on the discussion board people can still have sensitivities to gluten and wheat.
Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum was 148. Range is 87-474
t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA was <2. Range is 0-3
I do not know if I have selective IgA deficiency. Is there another test for that? I have my appointment with a nutritionist in a couple weeks and hopefully she will be able to help me decipher this.
You have given me hope that I will get through this. I am making progress. There’s so much more to learn.
Thank you so much!
I did have a blood test for celiac and it was negative. Still going to try avoid gluten as I read thru the posts on the discussion board people can still have sensitivities to gluten and wheat.
Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum was 148. Range is 87-474
t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA was <2. Range is 0-3
I do not know if I have selective IgA deficiency. Is there another test for that? I have my appointment with a nutritionist in a couple weeks and hopefully she will be able to help me decipher this.
You have given me hope that I will get through this. I am making progress. There’s so much more to learn.
Thank you so much!
If your Immunoglobulin A serum test result was 148, then you do not have selective IgA deficency and the EntroLab results should be reliable.
In order to keep the tests affordable, EnteroLab only tests for sensitivity to the main protein in all foods, so it's theoretically possible that you could be sensitive to some other protein (but not the main one), but that's not likely. You might not be sensitive to casein, but be sensitive to the whey protein in milk, for example. But as I said, that's not likely.
You're very welcome.
Tex
In order to keep the tests affordable, EnteroLab only tests for sensitivity to the main protein in all foods, so it's theoretically possible that you could be sensitive to some other protein (but not the main one), but that's not likely. You might not be sensitive to casein, but be sensitive to the whey protein in milk, for example. But as I said, that's not likely.
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.