Discussions can be posted here about mediator release testing (MRT), as offered by Oxford Biological Technologies, in conjunction with the LEAP program, which is claimed to determine a relative level of sensitivity to various foods and chemicals by measuring an increase in the ratio of liquids to solids in a blood sample that has been exposed to a specific allergen.
Arlene wrote:I'm wondering if Tyramine leads to the degranulation of mast cells, would foods high in histamine add to the burden of histamine levels from food in your body?
Definitely. Avoiding such foods is a part of the treatment plan, along with avoiding foods which trigger the release of histamines from existing mast cells in the body, (such as tyramine).
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.
Molds and fungi tend to eat my lunch, too, (worse than pollen). Of course, they are very high in tyramine.
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.
Were you gobsmacked to see the results? LOL! You have 34 reactive foods (both red and yellow). I had 35, BTW. However, you do have more red (most reactive) foods than anyone else tested to date except Pat. You and Pat are tied, it appears. The 34 foods are the ones that probably should be avoided for at least 3 and maybe 6 mo. before retesting. I think most of us here have found the red/yellow food results to be quite reliable.
Re your rice reaction, I would agree with Gloria that perhaps your meds have masked a full reaction. It will be interesting to see what Mary Beth thinks. And since MB is also our resident expert on the histamine issue, this should be a real plus for you. Also, regarding the gluten, soy and dairy foods, no matter what the MRT shows, I don't think we MCers get any free passes. Once we are sensitive to those foods, it appears to be a lifetime sensitivity. My MRT showed I was green (safe) for cottage cheese, American cheese, whey, and cow's milk. NOT!! I would never even try to test them - I know I have a full dairy sensitivity, which for some reason, is not totally picked up on the MRT. Neither is the full gluten sensitivity. So, I believe you will have to avoid all of these foods in addition to the other MRT reactive foods.
I know Kari will be envious that you can still have coffee and tea, and Pat will be envious that most sweeteners appear safe for you. What do you think will be your biggest problem?
BTW, I think it's good that you will wait until your return from Oz to start the LEAP diet. It does take a lot of planning and focus to do it right. And, you don't want to be on vacation and have a reaction.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
I am not sure what I am going to do about rice and foods as of yet. I need to consult with Mary Beth about this.
My goal for the moment the goal is to come up with safe day o day diet to carry me through the trip to Oz in April, then hen i get back work on the LEAP diet for real.
When you get around to addressing this issue, if you decide that you need to avoid sources of tyramine, here is an excellent reference for judging the tyramine content of food:
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 for posting. The rice thing is an eye opener. I too am beginning to wonder about this staple and how I would be able to handle meals without it, if I had to....
My body is happier without any grains. I've been saying, "Rice? Really?" and my body has been saying, "No, really, I mean it." So I am backing off from rice, too, at least for a while.
Marliss Bombardier
Dum spiro, spero -- While I breathe, I hope
Psoriasis - the dark ages
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis - Dec 2001
Collagenous Colitis - Sept 2010
Granuloma Annulare - June 2011
I have been on spring break and away from all electronics so I am quite behind on checking messages. 101 emails and over 100 PP messages - feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Joe,
I am not surprised by your rice reaction - I have seen it with other clients. Any food can be reactive and cause symptoms - there is nothing special about rice and it can be as reactive as any other grain. It is not a top allergen here in the US, but it is in Asian countries (so is sesame and we don't see that here either) . You are on Imuran and I beleive it will masks some reactions like we talked about before you tested. I beleive it is wise for you to get off of reactive foods as your goal is to get off of Imuran.
When I visited with Dr. Fine a few years ago at his camp he said that he thought a high yeast reaction was related to Crohn's. I didn't ask too many questions because that didn't pertain to me, but I do remember him clearly saying that.
I am also not surprised that MRT didn't pick up your dairy or gluten reactions. It is not a test for lectins. However, when I work with people I will almost always remove gluten, dairy and soy in the early phases to check response. MRT doesn't test all types of food reactions - that is an impossible task, but the process of LEAP can help identify more reactions that MRT. Think of LEAP as a specially designed elimination diet to help discern food sensitivities - the MRT test cannot just be taken at face value - it is a crude tool used in the search of food sensitivities. But like others have said, reds and yellows are very accurate, it's the greens that need to be tested.
The other thing to remember is that not all food sensitivities result in D. People report a wide range of symptoms but since we all have an IBD here, we just think of D as the only symptom. Other symptoms could be joint aches, headaches, GERD, etc. I get achy joints from solanine, but not D, but that is still a reaction and I think my result for yellow on solanine is quite accurate.
I have no idea if Deb knows much about MC, so I don't know what your Phase 1 will look like. I do think that anyone who has MC and has MRT should eliminate suspicious lectins and very high histamine foods in the early phases. When they are added back you will clearly know if you react.
As my son siad after we did Enterolab and MRT and radically changed his diet - "it's better think about what I can eat than what I can't eat - it makes it easier". Your dietitian will help you to figure out what you CAN eat - that's the part we need to focus on. Being reactive to rice is a bummer but she will help you to find foods you can eat.
Mary Beth
"If you believe it will work out, you'll see opportunities. If you believe it won't you will see obstacles." - Dr. Wayne Dyer
