Reputable food intolerance testing

bright_side

Idiophreak wrote: »

Does that mean each loaf would cost £7.40?

Sorry no I meant I would be able to get if free on prescription. I tend to avoid it personally as it's not that nice and for me to spend almost £3 on a tiny little loaf, it would have to be the best thing I'd ever tasted!!

Idiophreak

karen23 wrote: »

Sorry no I meant I would be able to get if free on prescription. I tend to avoid it personally as it's not that nice and for me to spend almost £3 on a tiny little loaf, it would have to be the best thing I'd ever tasted!!

I quite agree. My wife used to get it and it quickly became apparent that "not eating bread" is far preferable to "eating wheat free bread"

JenC

karen23 wrote: »

The strange thing about food intolerances is that you can grow out of them. Within a year, you may find yourself able to eat something safely again. But even if this is the case, it's still a good idea to limit amounts.

I hadn't realised you can 'grow out of it' - I hope it means as an adult as well as a child. I'm pretty much used to my intolerance now as it's been almost three years but this gives me a bit of hope that one day I could be able to eat normally again

I find this whole subject fascinating. I was born allergic to milk and then became able to tolerate it later. A few years ago I developed cystic acne and allergy testing indicated dairy and coffee was the cause. I cut both out and had an immediate and dramatic improvement. It also came up with tomatoes, but I carried on eating them as I don't have them frequently.

I recently had further allergy testing via a hair sample and dairy and coffee didn't show as I've already cut them out and my body 'wasn't resonating' with them. Tomatoes came out top of the list though!

I think if you can massively cut back you should find you are ok if you have something by accident (dairy is hidden everywhere!)

anatomical

Superdrug offer a blood test. Blood tests are what your doctor should have given you really! These should be as reliable as any NHS blood test. I believe some pharmacies offer this instore, so it might be worth asking your local ones.

I have coeliac disease and was fobbed off for years. Bought a do it yourself coeliac test kit off the internet and confirmed it for myself. It was hard for my doctor to ignore my symptoms once I had a positive test strip to show him! Coeliac disease is widely misdiagnosed as IBS due to lack of knowledge within the health service, and 1 in 100 people in the UK have it. It's worth looking into. Anyone presenting with IBS symptoms is supposed to be tested for coeliac, so I would go back and ask your doctor for the blood test.

It could be worth making a food diary. Write down all foods, the time they are eaten and the time any symptoms occur. This could be a big help with a diagnosis.

When one of my friends was diagnosed with IBS it was suggested she have a week of eating plain rice and water, and slowly adding foods back in. This way it is obvious which foods are causing symptoms.

Torry_Quine

To test for an intolerance the best person you need to see is a dietician or nutritionist to follow an elimination diet.

Indispensable_Hobbes

My fiance and I had an intolerance test on Saturday using the 'Vega method'. It might be a load of codswallop however the results confirmed things that I'd suspected. The machine was set up and resistance to certain items was measured using a metal probe against an acupuncture point.

My results were; wheat, tuna, apple, sherry and lactose with a deficiency in vitamin B12.
My fiance's were; wheat, cows milk, cheese (cows), tea, mixed grasses, mixed nuts (specifically red skinned peanuts and another), lactose and aspartame with a deficiency in phosphorous.

So I'm going to cut out wheat and diary and see what happens, I dont drink sherry and will swap apples for pears.

brook2jack

Vega testing, hair testing total quackery with no scientific proof http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/introduction-to-allergy/controversial-tests/

Try reading the quackwatch website if you are not sure about a test. They have a good section on how to start diagnosing food intolerances http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/allergytests.html

It is an excellent website on all sorts of health/beauty frauds from detox to wrinkle creams.

brook2jack

Ps you should not take b12 as a result of a vega test. Overdosing on b12 can cause Increased cancer risk and nerve degeneration and a deficiency can only be diagnosed by a blood test. If you have reason to suspect you are b12 deficient ask your gp for a blood test.

I cant emphasise enough vega testing is an utter scam. We used to get alot of patients in the late eighties early nineties "diagnosed" with allergies from health food shops who bought these machines. I thought it had died a death but unfortunately not.

mikemaple

To be honest most of the Non NHS stuff seems like quackery.

We the whole NHS choice thing - I'd try this...

Google NHS specialist hospital allergies (for instance that pulls up St barts and others).

St barts page :-

http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/our-services/allergy-centre/about-us/

Then give them or your chosen a ring and chat to them.

Then march down your GP tell them you've spoken to XX at hopsital XX and you want a referal !

If you really don't fancy fighting the NHS then you'd probably be better off saving your money and running your own exclusion diet.

See

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2010/10/food_intolerance.html

http://conversation.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/nutritional-therapists-advice-worth-the-cost/

Torry_Quine

mikemaple wrote: »

To be honest most of the Non NHS stuff seems like quackery.

So i'd see your GP and get some allergy testing done.

If you really don't fancy that you'd probably be better off saving your money and running your own exclusion diet.

See

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/watchdog/2010/10/food_intolerance.html

http://conversation.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/nutritional-therapists-advice-worth-the-cost/

I have to agree. It worries me that people may be missing things out of their diet for no good reason and having potential deficiencies.