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test results are in... happy and confused
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test results are in... happy and confused
Hi everyone. I just want to share my Enterolab results with you. I don't know how to post the actual page, but I am basically not producing anti-bodies to ANYTHING! Not even gluten! Well, Gluten scored a 4. Dairy,egg, and soy all scored a 1. Anything under 10 I guess is normal. I also did test C and yeast and NOTHING came up positive. Good news, right? But now I am confused. Why do I have CC and why do I have inflammation? And what is my course of action if not to eliminate the main culprits? There are still foods that irritate an inflamed intestine, right? So, stay away from those and try to put back some gluten and maybe some hard cheeses? Because I am still taking Entocort, I really can't tell if something is really bothering me. Should I stay on this diet until i am off the drug and THEN experiment? HELP!
Leah,
I'm guessing that you probably have what's known as selective IgA deficiancy, IOW, your immune system doesn't produce normal amounts of immunoglobulin A. Roughly one in 300 people have that problem.
The EnteroLab tests are all based on detecting IgA antibodies, but if your immune system doesn't produce normal amounts, your results will all be skewed, (IOW, way low).
Bummer.
You can ask your doctor to test your blood, to verify whether or not you produce normal amounts of Immunoglobulin A.
If the test verifies that situation, then no IgA tests will be valid for you, unfortunately.
Tex
I'm guessing that you probably have what's known as selective IgA deficiancy, IOW, your immune system doesn't produce normal amounts of immunoglobulin A. Roughly one in 300 people have that problem.
The EnteroLab tests are all based on detecting IgA antibodies, but if your immune system doesn't produce normal amounts, your results will all be skewed, (IOW, way low).
Bummer.
You can ask your doctor to test your blood, to verify whether or not you produce normal amounts of Immunoglobulin A.
If the test verifies that situation, then no IgA tests will be valid for you, unfortunately.
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.
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MBombardier
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Leah, I didn't react to anything on the Enterolab test, either. I had my IgA checked, and the level was normal, at least when it was checked. IgA levels go up and down. So... I was left to do things the hard way and challenge foods to see if they are problems for me.
I have CC too, and except for a couple of weeks right at the beginning, I have not taken any medicine. If I were you, I would stay away from at least gluten and dairy until the doctor tapers you off Entocort. That way you know that your GI tract will be starting to heal, or at least not be damaged by those foods any more. When you are off Entocort, hopefully gluten and dairy will be all you are reacting to and you will continue on as if you were still on Entocort. If not, well...
Did you do gene testing? Even if you didn't, you probably understand from reading all the research on the board that unless your MC is caused by medicine or some other unusual cause, gluten is the main culprit, and dairy and soy are the next worse offenders.
I have CC too, and except for a couple of weeks right at the beginning, I have not taken any medicine. If I were you, I would stay away from at least gluten and dairy until the doctor tapers you off Entocort. That way you know that your GI tract will be starting to heal, or at least not be damaged by those foods any more. When you are off Entocort, hopefully gluten and dairy will be all you are reacting to and you will continue on as if you were still on Entocort. If not, well...
Did you do gene testing? Even if you didn't, you probably understand from reading all the research on the board that unless your MC is caused by medicine or some other unusual cause, gluten is the main culprit, and dairy and soy are the next worse offenders.
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
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
Thanks for that input Marliss. I was wondering if anyone else didn't respond to the tests. I am a bit bummed out right now because I thought the Lab test would tell me what I needed to know. I feel as if I wasted $700 ( that I could ill afford ) too. Now I feel as if i am back at square one. What I don't understand is that the medical field doesn't know WHAT causes MC, so why is it that everyone on this site says that it has to be caused by food or meds? I understand that certain foods aggravate the intestines, but CAUSE the inflammation? I thought the MC CAUSED the inflammation.
Anyway, thanks again .
Leah
Anyway, thanks again .
Leah
Technically, MC is the syndrome of laboratory markers and clinical symptoms that result from a certain pattern of inflammation. IOW, MC is the result of the inflammation, rather than being the cause of it.Leah wrote:I understand that certain foods aggravate the intestines, but CAUSE the inflammation? I thought the MC CAUSED the inflammation.
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.
Because, as foolish as it sounds, no one has ever done a double-blind, random trial to prove conclusively, (according to scientific standards), that food-sensitivities in the diet cause symptoms, (at least they've never published such results in a prestigious, peer-reviewed medical journal).raemckee wrote:Why do the specialists not think that the diet is involved?
Of course, no one has ever proven by scientific methods, that food-sensitivities do not cause symptoms, either, but for some strange reason, (either ignorance or stupidity), gastroenterologists just assume this to be true.
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.
Hi Leah,
I'm responding to your original question posted at 5:37 pm. Those of us who do not go GF are at extremely high risk of relapse particularly in 8 week period following last Entocort pill. Even being GF we run the risk of relapse particularly on doses of less than 3 months. Another thing to be aware of is generally Entocort is not as effective "the second time around." i.e. if you have to have it prescribed for relapse. It is possible to get thru the Entocort taper off and get thru the 8 week danger period without having received the Enterolab testing (my situation.) I'm now in week 11 after my last Entocort. Agree with you that even on low dose it is very difficult to tell anything while being on Entocort. Since I didn't have the testing until very recently I gave up G, D, S and Eggs all as an insurance policy. The hardest thing to give up was yogurt and when I....finally....gave that up about a month before getting off of Ento I duh....I felt much better. Unlike most users, I had pretty severe side effects through out the whole Ento thing---so for me going on it a 2nd time is not an option. I could not deal with the dizziness again.
I took the extremely conservative approach thru the Ento taper and thru the 8 week danger zone of going GF, DF, SF and egg free really as precautionary measures. That being said I thought I was soy free until I realized that my tuna and my non stick spray had soy. So--I was able to get to what I feel is now the beginning of remission still having soy contamination.
During the 8 week period after last Ento I kept to my tried and true diet. I did not "test" anything new. I stuck with the standbys. I removed a couple of things that I could tell were problematic. I figured concentrate on healing first and test things down the road. So that is where I am now. You asked some extremely important questions. Saw your other post. I'll try to elaborate a little bit more over the weekend. Thought I'd share my experiences although I'm not sure I directly answered your questions. Brandy
I'm responding to your original question posted at 5:37 pm. Those of us who do not go GF are at extremely high risk of relapse particularly in 8 week period following last Entocort pill. Even being GF we run the risk of relapse particularly on doses of less than 3 months. Another thing to be aware of is generally Entocort is not as effective "the second time around." i.e. if you have to have it prescribed for relapse. It is possible to get thru the Entocort taper off and get thru the 8 week danger period without having received the Enterolab testing (my situation.) I'm now in week 11 after my last Entocort. Agree with you that even on low dose it is very difficult to tell anything while being on Entocort. Since I didn't have the testing until very recently I gave up G, D, S and Eggs all as an insurance policy. The hardest thing to give up was yogurt and when I....finally....gave that up about a month before getting off of Ento I duh....I felt much better. Unlike most users, I had pretty severe side effects through out the whole Ento thing---so for me going on it a 2nd time is not an option. I could not deal with the dizziness again.
I took the extremely conservative approach thru the Ento taper and thru the 8 week danger zone of going GF, DF, SF and egg free really as precautionary measures. That being said I thought I was soy free until I realized that my tuna and my non stick spray had soy. So--I was able to get to what I feel is now the beginning of remission still having soy contamination.
During the 8 week period after last Ento I kept to my tried and true diet. I did not "test" anything new. I stuck with the standbys. I removed a couple of things that I could tell were problematic. I figured concentrate on healing first and test things down the road. So that is where I am now. You asked some extremely important questions. Saw your other post. I'll try to elaborate a little bit more over the weekend. Thought I'd share my experiences although I'm not sure I directly answered your questions. Brandy