Blood test to identify food sensitivities/intolerance

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Sebastion_H
Sebastion_H Member Posts: 6
in Living with arthritis

Hi everyone,

Along my research journey I discovered a few companies that specialise in blood sampling to determine foods that disrupts the body I.e inflammation, IBS and general allergies.

These tests will list the specific type of foods and severity of your intolerance.

I was wondering if some of the members have used this type of service and whether it has been beneficial in managing your symptoms? Or is this a waste of money?

I’ve already discovered from my own experience a couple of specific foods that intensify my inflammation and learnt to avoid them.

Sebastion

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  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,712
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    Yes, I have tried possibly the biggest UK testing lab many years ago. They told me I had an intolerance to dairy foods so I cut them out completely for about three months. It made not one jot of difference to my RA.

    There are food intolerances and food allergies. The former are a lucrative source of income for the unscrupulous. (Purely a personal opinion.) The latter are serious medical problems which are diagnosed by doctors. My son has a food allergy. If he eats any gluten he comes out in a vile, itchy, pustular rash (dermatitis herpetiformis) throughout his body. If he doesn't eat gluten he's fine.

    As I see it, food intolerances are just big business. Eat a sensible, healthy diet and, if you think you might have a problem with a specific food then cut it out for a while to see. Otherwise just eat a broadly Mediterranean type of diet, don't eat junk food and don't smoke. Exercise regularly and carefully and, if you have an autoimmune form of arthritis, keep taking the DMARDS. I hope it works for you as it does for me.

    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
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    I was born with eczema (an auto-immune inflammatory condition) and during the course of a very miserable childhood my Ma worked out that fruit (includng tomatoes) and dairy were the causes, the former probably due to the vitamin C content. Dairy and eggs were also triggers in the asthma (another auto-immune piece of junk) I developed aged seven. All of this was later confirmed in a series of skin prick tests carried out at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, when I was twelve (1971). We also discovered further allergens which explained other things.

    Now I am on immuno-suppressant meds the skn is generally a great deal better but I recently added dried apricots to my diet to assist the figs and prunes in their Dyno Rod role and, despite the meds, I have a rash. What I do not have is any steroid cream to ease it but no matter, I never had that as a child. My PsA has not worsened. The immune system can begin misfiring at any age and it is easy enough to work out for oneself what is going on by keeping detailed records of consumption and effect. I know that tomatoes now aggravate my OA (as do pickles and chutneys) instead of aggravating my skin. That is probably due to the foods acidity.

    One thing I have learned is that foods you like are always to blame, yet another of life's rich travesties. DD

    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • Sebastion_H
    Sebastion_H Member Posts: 6
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    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/668572#Comment_668572

    Thank you @stickywicket for your feedback. I have always kept an open mind, but in the end they are a business, so they will always market themselves to target you emotionally and convince you that their service will help. My rheumatologist shared similar feedback, but though it would be wise to gather more opinions.

  • Sebastion_H
    Sebastion_H Member Posts: 6
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    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/668573#Comment_668573

    Agree @dreamdaisy, I think a diary would help. I’ve noted some foods which my body reacts to, but need to monitor more closely.

    Glad you have discovered those problem foods and it has helped.

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