Testing for allergies and intolerances.

bunni

New Member
I see that a few of you have determined which substances cause your child to react. How did you determine this? Is there a test? (I am betting that would be too easy!!)

Has anyone used the ALCAT test?

Before I start my children on the Feingold and Gluten-free, Casein-free diet I would like to have a CLUE about what might be the real issue. HELP.
 

Josie

Active Member
I have not used the ALCAT test.

My family has a history of celiac disease and my daughter (easy child) was showing stomach problems since she was a baby from wheat. So I started with that. Traditional celiac testing did not show her to actually have celiac disease but she continued to have mild tummy troubles. Finally, I did testing with an online lab for gluten which was positive. The same lab also tests for milk, soy, eggs, and yeast. After I did the gluten test and it appeared to be accurate, I went ahead and tested the others over time.

Since easy child tested positive for gluten with the lab, I tested myself and difficult child. We were both positive and it has made a difference to eliminate those foods. difficult child is (knock on wood) a easy child after eliminating gluten and casein.

If you want the name of the lab, I will PM you with it.

Even after getting the results from the lab, it was eliminating those foods and seeing the results that really convinced me. Once I started paying attention to what we were eating and how they were behaving and feeling, it is clear when there is a problem food now.
 

Lothlorien

Well-Known Member
HiBunny,
I did the allergy testing. Nothing came up except for environmental things like dogs and certain trees. However, I started her on Feingold when she was 3 1/2 and kept her on it for about 5 or 6 months, then gradually added things to her diet. I could see a difference immediately with certain things. Basically, at this point, she has minimal things like oranges, almonds and things high in salicylates. She is very reactive to corn syrup and food colorings. My son, who is easy child, is not really on any restrictions, but I do limit what he has. When he has things with food coloring or corn syrup, he gets a little hyper, but nothing compared to the obnoxiousness/raging/overly emotional components that Missy experiences when she has those things.

When you get a chance, fill out the profile section of "my stuff" and let us know a little about you and your family. You can familiarize yourself with the terms we use in the FAQ section.

Welcome to the sight!
 

skeeter

New Member
Food allergies are notorious for not showing up on "traditional" allergy testing (scratch and sub-Q). It takes a good allergist, who will listen to your concerns, to often find the culprits.

Keep a food diary. Write down absolutely everything your child consumes. Also note the date, so if it's seasonal things such as pollen, etc. you'll also begin to catch those.

If you haven't already done so, get a copy of Dr. Doris Rapp's "Is This Your Child". She details all the things that really are allergic reactions, that many people don't think are.

If you find that cow's milk is a problem, feel free to pm me. My 20 year old is allergic to cow's milk, and I can give you some tips on avoidance and substitutes.
 
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