Please, I am new and I need answers to questions and advice

[pinballwizard]

Sorry, it has taken so long to respond. It was a pretty overwhelming response the first time and there was a lot of information.

Just to update you all:

1. I got a complete package of tests from Enterolabs.
2. Over the last few months, I have cut down on caffeine, gluten, dairy, stopped taking anti-inflammatories and started chewing nicotine gum again all that has helped. I am still unstatisfied with the inability to concentrate and the joint and tendonitis problems and the fatigue.
3. Right now I am trying Traditional Chinese Medicine, since I am in San Francisco which includes the following: Acupuncture and they have me taking Herbal Extract of Pinella Stem, Scute Root, Dried gunger root, ginseng root, jujube root, locorice root, an coptis root. Their diagnosis was disharmony of the liver & stomach and stomach disharmony with middle jiao stagnation. (Hey, I will try Chinese Medicine cuz they've been doing it since we were running around in caves.) I have 8 weeks of acupuncture.
4. I am going to get an IV of vitamins this week and see what happens there.
5. I am taking glucosomine/chondroiting/MSM
6. I am getting my shoes fitted for special insoles for planar fasciitis. Just saw the X-rays. The Doctor wants me to take Vitamin D again. Even though, I have doses of vitamin D that were in range, they were lower than normal when I was really sick last year. I was also low in vitamin B12.
7. I am continuing a regimen of VLS #2 probiotics with 500 billion of bacteria. I am on occaision taking nystatin an anticandida/"yeast" drug. I also juice and ginger and eat lots of garlic.
8. I am going through and rereading all your posts to see if I can glean some more information or questions.

Please feel free to ask me any more questions. Thank you all so much. You guys have given good advice or so it seems to be excellent advice. I will know for sure later when I make more dietary changes.

[JLH]

Good. I hope the EnteroLab tests will be very helpful. They sure were for me. I had them all.

[Bifcus16]

Hi Wiz,

I note you say that you have cut down on gluten and dairy. As opposed to given up completely.

I do sympathise with all the joint problems. For me, dairy causes colitis. Gluten causes arthritic symptoms and brain fog.

I get strange swellings on hands and feet, and all my joints ache. Simple activities such as walking can be quite painful. On a bad day I can just lie on the bed at night and feel like every cell in my body is in pain. I also get seriously fuzzy in the head, forget things, can't do two things at once. And I am too tired and sore to do exercise. That is the impact gluten has on me.

Right now, I am unable to avoid it completely as I still don't have a kitchen, but you have no idea how much I long to be able to go completely gluten free again.

Avoiding gluten is difficult. It is in most processed foods, supplements, even toiletries. If you eat out it is close to impossible to avoid (unless you find a restaurant owner who is coeliac). But it is worth it. Check your supplements. If the MSM etc doesn't say gluten free, don't take it. Cook all your own food from scratch for a while and see if it makes you better. This is hard. Especially at the start when you feel bad. The good part is that some of the symptoms should start to dissipate fairly quickly. By day four of strictly no gluten I wake up with a noticeably clearer head. The time to respond may vary for you.

I note you mentioned you have Attention Deficit Disorder. Google Gluten and ADHD and just see how many hits you get. There is a relationship.

Sorry if I have come on too heavy. If you can't imagine life without gluten, don't try - just face going two weeks without it, then take it day by day.


Lyn

[tex]

Pinballwizard,

on ordering the Enterolab tests.

I don't have much to add to what Lyn said, but she is definitely right on target, and I agree with her 100%. Food intolerances are dose dependent. However, the trigger threshold for a dose that will cause a reaction, (or continue a reaction), is extremely low - tiny trace amounts are sufficient for causing a reaction. You are not likely to ever reach complete remission of all your symptoms, as long as you are knowingly ingesting trace amounts - that's like eating a little poison every day.

Remember, gluten crosses the blood/brain barrier, and the neurological effects of gluten take precedence over GI effects, (for the many people who experience neurological effects from gluten - not everyone does). IOW, neurological issues can show up sooner than GI effects, and they always last longer, after gluten is totally removed from the diet, and after the gut, (and possibly the brain), goes through a healing process.

Tex

[Rosie]

I'd be careful about taking lots of herbal supplements. When I first started having D, I tried lots of different herbal remedies....ginger, peppermint, tumeric, etc and they made my symptoms worse. I actually went into remission when I totally eliminated all herbal and other supplements, so something there was a trigger. Coincidently, shortly after I went into apparent remission, I was diagnosed with MC. I found this site, and got tested for gluten sensitivity by Enterolab. I was positive, and went gluten free. To my suprise, a number of other health issues improved, mainly my asthma and joint stiffness, as well as improved energy. So I would encourage you to at least start with a trial of going totally gluten free for a few weeks and see what improvements occur.

Rosie

[pinballwizard]

These are the results from Entero Labs and interpretation. I was hoping for your analysis. Do I have a smoking gun? What does it mean? It says I am gluten sensitive and soy sensitive.

----------------------------------------------------------

A) Gluten Sensitivity Stool and Gene Panel Complete *Best test/best value
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA: 20 Units

Fecal Anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA: 9 Units

Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score: Less than 300 Units

Fecal Anti-casein (cow's milk) IgA: 7 Units

HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 1: 0201

HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 2: 0501

Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 2,1 (Subtype 2,5)

C) Egg, Yeast, and Soy Food Sensitivity Stool Panel
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA: 4 Units

Fecal Anti-saccharomyces cerevisiae (dietary yeast) IgA: 5 Units

Fecal Anti-soy IgA: 12 Units

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): Intestinal antigliadin IgA antibody was elevated, indicating that you have active dietary gluten sensitivity. For optimal health, resolution of symptoms (if you have them), and prevention of small intestinal damage and malnutrition, osteoporosis, and damage to other tissues (like nerves, brain, joints, muscles, thyroid, pancreas, other glands, skin, liver, spleen, among others), it is recommended that you follow a strict and permanent gluten free diet. As gluten sensitivity is a genetic syndrome, you may want to have your relatives screened as well.

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): The level of intestinal IgA antibodies to the human enzyme tissue transglutaminase was below the upper limit of normal, and hence, there is no evidence of a gluten-induced autoimmune reaction.

Interpretation of Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score (Normal Range is less than 300 Units): Provided that dietary fat is being ingested, a fecal fat score less than 300 indicates there is no malabsorbed dietary fat in stool indicating that digestion and absorption of nutrients is currently normal.

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-casein (cow's milk) IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): Levels of fecal IgA antibody to a food antigen greater than or equal to 10 are indicative of an immune reaction, and hence immunologic "sensitivity" to that food. For any elevated fecal antibody level, it is recommended to remove that food from your diet. Values less than 10 indicate there currently is minimal or no reaction to that food and hence, no direct evidence of food sensitivity to that specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test.

Interpretation Of HLA-DQ Testing: HLA-DQB1 gene analysis reveals that you have one of the main genes that predisposes to gluten sensitivity and celiac sprue, HLA-DQB1*0201 or HLA-DQB1*0302. Each of your offspring has a 50% chance of receiving this gene from you, and at least one of your parents passed it to you. You also have a non-celiac gene predisposing to gluten sensitivity (any DQ1, DQ2 not by HLA-DQB1*0201, or DQ3 not by HLA-DQB1*0302). Having one celiac gene and one gluten sensitive gene, means that each of your parents, and all of your children (if you have them) will possess at least one copy of a gluten sensitive gene. Having two copies also means there is an even stronger predisposition to gluten sensitivity than having one gene and the resultant immunologic gluten sensitivity or celiac disease may be more severe.

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): Levels of fecal IgA antibody to a food antigen greater than or equal to 10 are indicative of an immune reaction, and hence immunologic "sensitivity" to that food. For any elevated fecal antibody level, it is recommended to remove that food from your diet. Values less than 10 indicate there currently is minimal or no reaction to that food and hence, no direct evidence of food sensitivity to that specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test.

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-saccharomyces cerevisiae (dietary yeast) IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): Levels of fecal IgA antibody to a food antigen greater than or equal to 10 are indicative of an immune reaction, and hence immunologic "sensitivity" to that food. For any elevated fecal antibody level, it is recommended to remove that food from your diet. Values less than 10 indicate there currently is minimal or no reaction to that food and hence, no direct evidence of food sensitivity to that specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test.

Interpretation of Fecal Anti-soy IgA (Normal Range is less than 10 Units): Levels of fecal IgA antibody to a food antigen greater than or equal to 10 are indicative of an immune reaction, and hence immunologic "sensitivity" to that food. For any elevated fecal antibody level, it is recommended to remove that food from your diet. Values less than 10 indicate there currently is minimal or no reaction to that food and hence, no direct evidence of food sensitivity to that specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test.

For more information about result interpretation, please see http://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Fa ... tation.htm

Stool Analysis performed by: Frederick Ogunji, Ph.D., EnteroLab
Molecular Gene Analysis performed by: American Red Cross
Interpretation of all results by: Kenneth D. Fine, M.D., EnteroLab

[pinballwizard]

Just to update you all:

1. My EnteroLabs results came back. I will try to cut down on gluten and soy. I am not sure if I have the willpower to cut it out.
2. I was also tested for Neurotransmitters in my gut. I am very low across the board: epinephrine, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine. My cortisol levels are too high in the evenings. But mainstream medicine does not look at neuro-levels and see relationships yet. My Alt Doctor has me taking Aceetyl-l-tyrosine and HTP-trypophan as they are precursors to these neurotransmitters. She suspects that taking ritalin and an anti-depressent may have lowered these levels. My psychologist says, that if I start focusing and getting some successes in my life, that my levels will go up. My primary care doctor, thinks that the tests don't have useful information for mainstream medicine.
3. I stopped going to traditional chinese medicine. My pain went down after seeing them. But, I attribute the pain reduction not to the accupressure of my ears and acupuncture but to other things like orthotic inserts from my podiatrist, physical therapy. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosed with stagnant jiaol (my spelling is bad, but its the middle part of the digestive tract. I am also
4. I have been injected intravenously with vitamins, gluthianone, MSM, vitamin B, etc from an alt doctor and I have noticed some differences. I have had a lot less fatigue.
5. I am taking glucosomine/chondroiting/MSM, vitamins, and I stopped taking Nystatin. Nystatin is a power fungicide so that may have helped.
6. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (PF) and was with fitted special insoles. That is helped a lot. Just saw the X-rays which shows flat feet and that can cause a whole host of pain in the body. PF is often an incorrect diagnosis for something else occuring in the flat feet. My physical therapist thinks that its not my plantar fascia ligament that is the problem even though the inserts are helpful. She thinks that I have had something systemic that degenerated all my soft tissue in my body particularly my tendons.
7. My depression has gotten a little worse lately. I am reconsidering anti-depressents which I got off of last June.

SO Here are my diagnoses and symptoms:

*Lymphocytic Colitis
*Depression
*Systemic Tendonitis
*Fatigue
*Low neurotransmitter levels
*Somewhat Low white blood cell count

[Lucy]

Hi Pin,

Many of us have the same symptoms -- I've had plantar fascitis, morton's neuroma, and terrible tendonitis all over the body. That went away in three days, in my case, but then I was consistent.

Who told you you didn't have the will power to stay off gluten?!!!!

Try leaving off every trace of gluten you can find in your diet -- make it THE ENEMY. Have a ceremony and throw out EVERYTHING that contains it in your cubbard, etc. You'll learn to hate the stuff. It takes a while to empty your system of it -- it is addictive to those who are allergic to it. Maybe someone will have time to explain this scientifically for those who are interested, but it's
a well known fact with allergens.

You need to focus on one thing at a time. START with concentrating on ALL the gluten, and stay off of it until you are no longer having withdrawal from it.
None of us THOUGHT we could do it until we were so sick we were terribly sick.
Your tests indicate you are early in the discover in terms of your small bowel and you are sooo fortunate that you only have the gluten and soy to eliminate.
After you've been off all the gluten until you are finally comfortable with it, then work on eliminating soy TOTALLY.

We are here to cheer you on. We've all been in your situation and can empathize. Just come around daily, and even more when the going gets tough. There are many people here with suggestions in how to make things alot easier. Eventually it becomes a way of life, and you'll hardly think about it.

I thought the tendonitis, etc., didn't have anything to do with my gut. Boy was that a happy suprise when all the non-GI symptoms went away!!

By the way, we who have the main celiac genes in particular, tend to have a lesser amount of flesh on the palms of our hands and soles of our feet, and sometimes where we sit down, particularly if we get too lean. Not sure why this is -- probably just a genetic thing, but it's there, non-the-less. That means that once the tendonitis is gone, there may be a little need for some extra padding to make up for what nature didn't endow us with, so orthotics can be necessary.

If I were you, I'd hold off on all the alternative stuff you are trying for the time being, and just focus on the two allergens. You NEED to focus right now, and you need to do one at a time, just to flesh out the effects of removing each one of them. This can take a while, particularly with the diarrhea, so be patient.
We have good no's just from this group's history to know that the VAST majority of us on a true gf diet (other necessary food removals as well) get significantly better by following the allergy tests in our removals.

Good luck, but it's not luck, it's work, so get with it!
Yours, Luce

[pinballwizard]

Hi Pin,

Many of us have the same symptoms -- I've had plantar fascitis, morton's neuroma, and terrible tendonitis all over the body. That went away in three days, in my case, but then I was consistent.

Who told you you didn't have the will power to stay off gluten?!!!!

Try leaving off every trace of gluten you can find in your diet -- make it THE ENEMY. Have a ceremony and throw out EVERYTHING that contains it in your cubbard, etc. You'll learn to hate the stuff. It takes a while to empty your system of it -- it is addictive to those who are allergic to it. Maybe someone will have time to explain this scientifically for those who are interested, but it's
a well known fact with allergens.

You need to focus on one thing at a time. START with concentrating on ALL the gluten, and stay off of it until you are no longer having withdrawal from it.
None of us THOUGHT we could do it until we were so sick we were terribly sick.
Your tests indicate you are early in the discover in terms of your small bowel and you are sooo fortunate that you only have the gluten and soy to eliminate.
After you've been off all the gluten until you are finally comfortable with it, then work on eliminating soy TOTALLY.

We are here to cheer you on. We've all been in your situation and can empathize. Just come around daily, and even more when the going gets tough. There are many people here with suggestions in how to make things alot easier. Eventually it becomes a way of life, and you'll hardly think about it.

I thought the tendonitis, etc., didn't have anything to do with my gut. Boy was that a happy suprise when all the non-GI symptoms went away!!

By the way, we who have the main celiac genes in particular, tend to have a lesser amount of flesh on the palms of our hands and soles of our feet, and sometimes where we sit down, particularly if we get too lean. Not sure why this is -- probably just a genetic thing, but it's there, non-the-less. That means that once the tendonitis is gone, there may be a little need for some extra padding to make up for what nature didn't endow us with, so orthotics can be necessary.

If I were you, I'd hold off on all the alternative stuff you are trying for the time being, and just focus on the two allergens. You NEED to focus right now, and you need to do one at a time, just to flesh out the effects of removing each one of them. This can take a while, particularly with the diarrhea, so be patient.
We have good no's just from this group's history to know that the VAST majority of us on a true gf diet (other necessary food removals as well) get significantly better by following the allergy tests in our removals.

Good luck, but it's not luck, it's work, so get with it!
Yours, Luce

For what it is worth, I dont really get diahrea that often. Or IBS for that matter. I still suspect everthing is linked to my gut which changed after I got sick with something tropical in Latin America and had to take antibiotics and flagyl. My biggest problems right now are depression and tendonitis in my feet and hands and fatigue.

Why does my test say that I am early in the discovery because of test results in my small bowel?

I will try to get gluten and soy free. I just take a lot of supplements and sauces... beef jerkey, protein bars, vitamins. I may have to look those ingredient labels. I am not looking forward to it.

I saw that you have Morton's Neuroma. I get this sharp stinging pain, when I step between 3rd and fourth toe (on the paw or ball of the foot) but only when I wear these stiff military boots. Only when I step. Interesting. Maybe its a mild version of it.

[tex]

Hi,

FWIW, I've also had PF - maybe it goes with the turf. It was really aggravating, in my case, because part of my job requires me to carry 50 pound bags of corn around, and stack them on pallets, to shoulder height. I got rid of it by going to Walmart, and buying some Dr. Scholl's inserts, made especially for treating PF. They were cheap, very effective, and tough - the first set lasted for over 6 months. If I could have avoided having to carry the extra weight around for many hours each day, I probably could have gotten over it much faster, but as it was, it took me over 6 months to get over it, because I had to do that load-bearing work most days, and then I continued to use the inserts for about another 6 months. I haven't had any problems with PF since then, though.

Why does my test say that I am early in the discovery because of test results in my small bowel?

I'm pretty sure that she was referring to the fact that your fecal fat score was within the normal range, (under 300), indicating that you do not have significant damage to the villi of your small intestine, (it would cause a fat malabsorption problem, if significant damage were present).

More than that, though, I note that you do not yet show signs of a significant autoimmune reaction, (you had negative anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody results). The results appear to be only marginally negative, but still in the negative result interpretation range. The message there, is that with your anti-TTG antibody level knocking on the door that opens into the positive test result range, (your score was 9, and 10 would have been a positive result), if you continue to eat gluten, you will progressively become more and more sensitive to it, until eventually, a full-blown autoimmune reaction will be triggered, and trust me, once the D starts, it can be hell to stop. Also, since you have the main celiac gene, (DQ2), you run a significant risk of developing celiac disease, if you continue to eat gluten.

For food sensitivity purposes, gluten is like being pregnant - either you are, or you're not. There's no such thing as being a little bit gluten sensitive, just as there's no way to be a little bit pregnant. Even tiny amounts of gluten, on a somewhat regular basis, will, for all practical purposes, cause almost as much damage to your intestines, as eating relatively large amounts. That applies to any other food intolerances that you might have, also, (soy, in your case).

Depression goes with the turf, when you have MC. If your depression is increasing, that suggests that the intestinal inflammation might possibly be increasing, and beginning to generate more symptoms - another good reason to cut out the gluten now, before you slip into a full-blown reaction.

Also, remember that you might still be lactose intolerant, even though you tested negative to casein intolerance. Lactose is not near as bad as casein intolerance, since it's not associated with an autoimmune reaction, but all the same, it can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea. Since you're not casein intolerant, though, even if you're lactose intolerant, you should be able to eat yogurt, aged cheese, and lactose-free milk.

It's interesting that you tested negative for casein antibodies, (7 units). Very, very few people with MC, who are sensitive to gluten, are not also sensitive to casein. That makes you a pretty unique individual.

I hope that covers what you wanted to know about your test results. If we missed something, please don't hesitate to ask.

Tex

[pinballwizard]

Thanks Tex,

If I continue to eat gluten at low levels, what are my chances of developing a full blown auto-immune reaction?

And I must say that I have custom made hard plastic orthotic inserts because the store brand did not work. Also, when I read your posts, I add a heavy Texan accent to it because...I don't know. It makes me smile though.

-PB

[ant]

Dear PB

Thanks for sharing your test results. FWIW it ain't worth risking getting the autoimmune part of MC triggered by gluten. (Trust me, I have an Anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA score of 70). It is bad enough to have the immune system attacking gluten and Soy, let alone one's own tissue.

When I feel miserable about not having any more gluten products I tell myself gluten is poison to my body, and then treat myself to best quality meat I can find.

Wishing all the best, Ant

[tex]

If I continue to eat gluten at low levels, what are my chances of developing a full blown auto-immune reaction?

That's an extremely tough question, and it's further complicated by the fact that there are at least three possible avenues by which it can come about, in your case, (microscopic colitis, celiac disease, or a combination of the two). Statistically, only slightly less than 3% of people with a celiac gene, ever develop celiac disease. However, since you already have intestinal inflammation, (as evidenced by a diagnosis of MC), your odds would have to be much higher, (how much higher is anyone's guess, since there are no statistics on this particular situation, that I am aware of). Consider this quote from a description of a presentation made by Dr. Fine, at a seminar in 2006, (the red emphasis is mine):

Dr. Fine used slides to show how the pathology of microscopic colitis is virtually identical to celiac sprue. When the pathology occurs in the small bowel, it's celiac disease. When it occurs in the large bowel, it's microscopic colitis. However, because the patient doesn't usually have fully developed celiac disease, diagnostic tests, like blood tests, are usually negative. The first study Dr. Fine ever did, as a young researcher, was to try to figure out why there seemed to be an overlap between the different syndromes of microscopic colitis and celiac sprue.

What he discovered was that 64% of people with microscopic colitis have the celiac-like genes of the HLA which is DQ2 and most of the others had another set of genes that had never before been reported in an inflammatory condition associated with gluten sensitivity.

"We had an apparent celiac-like gene genetic predisposition and, perhaps, a new set of genes making their first appearance," Dr. Fine said. When they looked at the small bowel biopsies, they found they were abnormal in 70% of the patients, but it was not celiac disease. There was no villous atrophy and, when they looked at the blood, there were no more antigliadin antibodies than there are in the general population.

http://www.clanthompson.com/res_press.p ... pr&pr_id=1

The task of estimating the risk is also complicated by the fact that there appears to be a downward trend in symptomatic presentation of celiac disease, (characterized by diarrhea), (IOW, a significant trend toward a higher percentage of asymptomatic patients, as time goes by). I strongly suspect that this trend also applies to microscopic colitis, but I'm not aware of any research to verify this theory.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_o ... 7b77108175

It appears that for every 2 celiacs with typical symptoms, there is at least one more, who is asymptomatic, (some authorities place that number much higher). I have seen at least one research article showing evidence that a fairly high percentage of the population shows the markers of MC, on examination of biopsy samples taken from the colon, even though the patient was never aware of any symptoms. Unfortunately, I can't locate that article right now, but I'm thinking that the markers of MC were present in something like roughly 15% of the general population. Whatever the exact number might be, clearly, there are a high percentage of asymptomatic MC patients, who are not even aware that they have/had the disease.

Sooooooo, any estimate that I might make, would have to be strictly a guess, but IMO, in the long term, the odds of eventually developing autoimmune antibodies are very high, approaching 100%. However, obviously, that does not mean that you will be necessarily be symptomatic. If you are going to eat any gluten at all, I honestly don't see any point in restricting it. Doing so might slightly slow down any development of increased sensitivity, but in the long run, it will have basically the same effect as eating large amounts of gluten, since you already have elevated antibody levels to the gliadins in gluten. If it weren't for the fact that you already have significant antibody production, eating low levels would certainly make a big difference in any possible development of the disease. With a sensitivity already established, however, progression is inevitable, if exposure to the allergen is continued. The dosage level is of little importance, once sensitivity is established. For an estimate of your chances of developing autoimmune clinical symptoms, (IOW, allowing for asymptomatic probabilities), I would have to guess that your chances might be in the 50 to 65% range, but that estimate is only a WAEG.

Remember, though, this is strictly my opinion, and I am not a doctor, nor do I have any formal medical education. My formal training is in the fields of engineering, and computer science.

Also, when I read your posts, I add a heavy Texan accent to it because...I don't know. It makes me smile though.

What accent? LOL.

Tex

[pinballwizard]

How is my EnteroLabs IgA food alergy test different than my USbiotek IgG and IgE?

Here is the copy of my IgG and IgE food alergy blood test:

http://img24.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=iggandige.png







How much weight would you give this test for lymphocytic colitis and my other problems?
Which is better or are they different?
what advice might you give?

I know there is a connection between what I eat and how I feel. I know that after I eat, I will feel sick sometimes. I am not sure what is happenning. I believe my worst reactions are to:

Ketchup (could be the sugar, or gluten)
Wine more than any other alcohol (yeast? Sulfites? Alcohol? sugar?)
Bear (yeast? alcohol?)
Milk but not whey, casein or yogurt. (Lactose is likely)
Spicy vegetables like peppers. (I am guessing. but I love spicy food so I am probably just over exposed. I have not cut it out yet.) Considering cutting out nightshades.
Bread (particularly pizza bread) (yeast, gluten?)
Sake alcohol
Cheeseburgers
Processed food
cafeine at night
cabbage
Soda Pop (cokes, etc)

Easiest foods:
Rice, fruit, fruit juice, meat, fish, distilled liquor without caffeine and sugar mixers

[tex]

I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of adding the BBCode, (Bulletin Board Code), for your images, to your post, so that the ImageShack-hosted images would appear in individual thumbnails in your post.

How is my EnteroLabs IgA food alergy test different than my USbiotek IgG and IgE?

Well, if you're asking about test results, your Enterolab test results show you to be sensitive to the alpha gliadin in wheat gluten, and the soya protein in soybeans, while the US BioTek results show you to have no sensitivity to either of those proteins. Strangely, the US BioTek results show you to have a sensitivity to wheat gluten, but not to wheat gliadin, which is impossible, since gliadin is a component of gluten, and in fact, it's the allergen in gluten, to which our immune systems react. IOW, their test results make no sense, regarding wheat gluten/gliadin.

How much weight would you give this test for lymphocytic colitis and my other problems?
Which is better or are they different?
what advice might you give?

These are the symptoms/problems that you list:

*Lymphocytic Colitis
*Depression
*Systemic Tendonitis
*Fatigue
*Low neurotransmitter levels
*Somewhat Low white blood cell count

Honestly, I don't see anything in those test results that directly affects anything in that list, but remember than I'm not a trained medical practitioner. I don't know much about the US BioTek tests, but the conflicting results raise some serious questions about the accuracy and/or value of such testing. My advice? Stick with the Enterolab results, because we know that they are accurate, (and so do many thousands of other satisfied customers of Enterolab).

The depression and fatigue, (and the low neurotransmitter levels in the gut), go with the turf, IOW they're some of the casualties due to LC.

Systemic Tendonitis, doesn't ring a bell for me, unless you've taken ciprofloxacin for an extended period, especially if you've taken it in conjunction with a corticosteroid. High-dose inhaled corticosteroids have also been shown to cause tendonitis, but I'm not aware of any proven connection with oral corticosteroids, (except in connection with concurrent ciprofloxacin use).

A low white cell count can be due to many things, including, (but not limited to), taking certain medications, (such as an antibiotic, a corticosteroid, one of the anti-TNF drugs, or any other immune system suppressant), a bacterial infection, a vitamin deficiency, certain diseases, etc.

Regarding the atypical cortisol levels, please be aware that there is a correlation between elevation of cortisol in the evening, and deterioration of visual object recognition memory. The loss of recognition memory, is a major symptom of the amnesic syndrome, and early stages of Alzheimer's disease. IOW, if you're noticing symptoms of this type, you should get this issue checked out with a good neurologist.

http://www.molecularbrain.com/content/1/1/4

I believe my worst reactions are to:

Ketchup (could be the sugar, or gluten)

Some ketchups presumably contain gluten, though there are gluten-free versions available. Or it could be the tomatoes - many of us have problems with tomatoes while we're reacting. I note that US BioTek lists tomatoes as vegetables, (which is a common mistake), but scientifically speaking, a tomato is definitely a fruit, (and laboratories are supposed to be science-oriented).

Wine more than any other alcohol (yeast? Sulfites? Alcohol? sugar?)

It could be either yeast or sulfites.

Bear (yeast? alcohol?)

Bear meat shouldn't contain any alcohol, nor yeast, (unless it hasn't been stored properly), so I assume that you meant beer. Most beer contains gluten, (though there are quite a few gluten-free versions available, these days.

Milk but not whey, casein or yogurt. (Lactose is likely)

There's a conflict here, because whey contains up to about 75% lactose, while whole milk contains only about 5% lactose. Also, yogurt is pretty much lactose-free, if properly processed. Most of us here are, however, lactose intolerant, while we are reacting, (but not necessarily while we are in remission).

Spicy vegetables like peppers. (I am guessing. but I love spicy food so I am probably just over exposed. I have not cut it out yet.) Considering cutting out nightshades.

Spicy foods tend to irritate the gut, when it is hypersensitive, due to the inflammation caused by LC.

Bread (particularly pizza bread) (yeast, gluten?)

It could be both, but gluten is by far the major offender in wheat-based bread.

Sake alcohol



Cheeseburgers

The gluten in the bun, possibly the casein in the cheese. (Aged cheese contains very little lactose, but it's loaded with casein.)

Processed food

Most processed food contains gluten, and all sorts of other allergens.

cafeine at night

Caffeine at night, or late in the day, tends to interfere with virtually everyone's sleep patterns.

cabbage

Cabbage tends to cause gas, because part of the final digestion involves fermentation.

Soda Pop (cokes, etc)

Could be the sugar, (HFCS). If you drink diet sodas, aspartame, and most other artificial sweeteners are a major problem for many/most of us.

Remember, most of what I've said here, is just my own personal opinion, based on what I've learned by hanging out on this board, and by researching reports available on the internet.

Tex