It seemed to me that allergy elimination would enhance my immune system so I went and got standard allergy testing which showed I was allergic to 20 inhalants and 12 foods. Shots would have immunized me to 20-25 of these substances and would have to be taken for 2-5 years once a month.
After talking with my LLMD, turns out that the tests are of limited value because they only test for one type of antigen whereas there are five types. He recommended I do an allergy elimination diet and also look into taking low dose antigen (LDA) shots which cover 300 substances and are taken every other month for 2 years. This therapy was brought into this country by a Dr. Shrader (drshrader.com).
I just started the allergy elimination diet and my nose is already clearing up. My question is - as I add back foods I am potentially allergic to and I do react to one of them, do I need to stop that food and also stop adding back foods for awhile or do I just go on and add the next food?
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
I would ask your LLMD how he wants you to handle it. I would think your reaction would need to stop and you would need to stop eating that food or else you won't be able to tell whether you're allergic to the next food or not.
I did one of those diets years ago and just avoid the foods I was allergic to, but it was really only mold containing foods like fruit juice, pistachios, peanuts, etc., so it's not too tough. I can eat them once or twice per week, no more.
Posted by NEMOM (Member # 31370) on :
Only add back one food at a time. If you react to it-remove it again. Wait a few days before adding back another food so if you have a reaction you know it is to the new food and not left over from the previous one.
Did you have standard skin testing done? It is only about 50% accurate. The skin testing only tests to see if you have an IgE reaction.
Some people are IgG allergic or have intolerances which cannot be tested using skin testing.
You can learn more about allergy testing at this site if you are interested:
I did get standard testing. Thank you both for the input. I think that getting my allergies under control will be really helpful for getting rid of lyme and company. For some reason I'm not having any trouble at all giving up all those foods. After dealing with lyme, nothing is daunting.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Don't count on the accuracy of the info at the aaaai website. They generally do not believe that people can have non-IgE mediated allergies to foods.
There are labs that can test for IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies to foods, but even these tests can miss significant food allergies. I show allergic to 56 foods via skin scratch tests and also blood tests for IgE, IgG, IgM, and IgA allergies, yet am unable to tolerate a much, much, much longer list of foods. Most of my food allergies I discovered by repeated elimination/re-challenge long before I ever had any allergy tests. And EDS screening confirms my own personal elim./challenge results - I am essentially allergic or intolerant to pretty much all foods.
My suggestion: Continue with the elimination diet/food challenges. But be aware that you may also be allergic to things being eaten while on your elim. diet, so once you've discovered some additional "safe" items, you may need to test the things you were eating initially on your elim. diet.
Posted by tickled1 (Member # 14257) on :
Here's a question. If someone came up positive to something on a blood RAST test shouldn't that food also come up on delayed food allergy blood tests?
On RAST testing I came back allergic to shrimp and peanuts which I never suspected I was allergic to but on delayed food allergy testing shrimp and peanuts did NOT show up but walnuts (and many other things) did which I've always been incredibly sensitive to. But, walnuts didn't show up on the RAST testing. I don't know what to make of that.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
No, they won't necessarily show the same foods. RAST is IgE. ELISA (delayed) is IgG/IgA/IgM.
Posted by raw vegan runner (Member # 30432) on :
I had both the RAST and skin testing and though some things did match up, most did not. I am allergic to pretty much everything that grows, molds, many chemicals and 20 foods, with anaphylaxis to tomatoes, shellfish and peanuts. I will say I am clearly having allergies as most people know it when I eat the foods on my list. When I do not, I feel good and my environmental allergies are MUCH less. Go figure...