Lynn,
I'm not sure what the percentage of members who have used EnteroLab for food sensitivity testing might be, but I would guess about half. Besides the cost, some members don't use the lab tests because they are have a condition known as selective IgA deficiency. About 1 in 300 people in the general population have this problem, and we have a fair number of members who have selective IgA deficiency.
For anyone who has the condition, neither the classic celiac blood tests used by doctors to screen for celaic disease, nor the ELISA tests used by EnteroLab for detecting food antibodies can be relied on for accuracy. Since those individuals cannot produce normal amounts of immunoglobulin A, their tests will almost always yield false negative results. Therefore they have to use trial and error for determining their food sensitivities.
I see that Jane has already covered your questions about "SF", insurance coverage, and insurance codes.
A lot of us were in the same boat when we were at your current stage with the disease — we were unable to work, and most of us were unable to get insurance coverage for the cost of the tests. I went through this about a dozen years ago, and I wasn't even aware of EnteroLab back then, so I used trial and error food testing, and I kept a detailed food/reaction diary, to figure out which foods were causing my problems.
Acid reflux/GERD often goes along with MC. Research shows that IBDs are associated with low vitamin D levels, and GERD especially, seems to respond well to supplementation with significant doses of vitamin D. We have several members who have managed to suppress their GERD problems by taking vitamin D daily.
The sensation of something stuck in the throat, and the aftertaste, are often associated with a hiatal hernia, and a number of members here have dealt with that issue. It is caused by the upper part of the stomach protruding through an enlarged opening in the diaphragm. In some cases, though, the symptoms may be caused by acid-burned areas in the esophagus, due to GERD, and if that's the case, then the remedy that I am about to describe will not work.
If a hiatal hernia is causing the problem, there is a simple home remedy that can help to slip the stomach back into it's proper place, and relieve those symptoms. The first step is to drink a glass of warm water (to add some weight to the stomach). Then stand on tiptoe, and suddenly drop down onto your heels. It's probably best to do this on a carpeted or otherwise cushioned floor, to prevent causing heel pain. In most cases, the sudden jar will pull the stomach back down to where it should be. Sometimes the maneuver has to be repeated a time or two, to get it just right, but it is a cheap and usually effective remedy.
If you plan to try a dietary treatment, it's usually easier to eliminate only gluten and dairy from the diet (along with fiber and raw fruits and vegetables) at first. With any luck at all, after a few weeks to a month or so, you should see some significant improvement in your symptoms. If you have any additional food sensitivities, then your symptoms will begin to deteriorate again after a couple of weeks or so. That's a sign that it's time to eliminate soy or possibly eggs from the diet, to see if that helps.
Some people are lucky, and within a few days to a week or so on a GF diet, they will see significant improvement. For most of us, though, it takes longer, unless we are also taking an anti-inflammatory drug to help suppress the inflammation level.
Lynn wrote:When work and home became extremely stressful in January ....the flood gates opened, but then I developed acid reflux, gerd
I don't know how much you have read on this site, or if you've read my book, but I have a theory about the reasons behind the development of not only MC, but all autoimmune disease, and it is based on the damage that chronic stress causes in the intestines, which creates an environment that predisposes to autoimmune disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, especially. There is strong evidence that GERD is also an autoimmune disease.
At any rate, my point is that anything that you can do to reduce your stress level, will be a huge help toward resolving your symptoms, and getting your life back. The reason why the disease can be so debilitating is because it seems to be self-perpetuating. It's caused by stress, and it causes additional stress in return, which multiplies the problem. Chronic stress (either physical stress or emotional stress) appears to be the main reason why we are all in this situation. IMO, someday, someone will develop a program to prevent and/or treat MC, based on stress relief techniques carried to new levels.
Tex
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