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Thread: Food allergy test – what is your experience?

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Food allergy test – what is your experience?

    I had one of those Allergan tests where they take blood and then report back to you the foods you’re likely to be allergic to. By “allergic” reaction I mean phlegm producing.

    I found the results surprising and after thinking about it for a couple of months, largely inaccurate, not useful.

    They put allergens into four categories and in my strongest category of food allergy was egg whites and milk products. And the second category was egg yolks, and some other things.

    I eat eggs all the time. I’m not reactive to eggs.

    I MAY be reactive to a certain load of milk products but the little bit I use in my daily coffee does not set off anything. Meanwhile, there is a certain substance used in SOME, commercial baked goods that always produces phlegm. This test apparently was not sensitive enough or wide ranging enough to identify that substance.

    I took a skin prick test a year prior to identify environmental allergens, and that test came back telling me nothing I didn’t already know. my lifelong allergies are about pollen and environmental things. On a five point scale, I would say two or three for cat dander, but I knew that. I just don’t let the cat sit on my face.

    My bottom line is this: All tests were a waste of money, didn’t reveal anything of use, and I suspect this kind of testing must be in its infancy. On the other hand, we have used the environmental test (a blood test) for rescue bulldogs often and those results are useful.

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    I had bad hives for about 2.5 years while in NC and the allergy tests did not help. I reacted to everything they stuck me with including the CONTROLS. They were kind of freaked out when my whole arm turned red. But when I left this state and returned to Indiana, no more hives. Either pine trees or an environmental issue with new house (like termite treatment, carpeting, VOCs, etc.)

    They said it is common for 75% of allergy issues to not be identified. (info 20 years old)

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    Senior Member Tradd's Avatar
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    Doctor had me do these blood tests maybe five years ago for an update on the allergy tests I had when I was about five. I’m allergic to things like grass, hay, mold, environmental stuff. No food allergies.

    On a funny note: the tests I had as a kid, ca. 1974, they put you on your stomach on the exam table and they did all these tests on your back. The gal who drew my blood for the much more recent tests thought that was barbaric. LOL

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    I just had a barrage of allergy testing about 2-3 months ago. Tree pollen was the most prevalent, but they couldn't find out what would cause me to start coughing, throat closing up, phlegm producing, etc. I know it is smells/airborne chemicals. Then about a month ago, the primary classes started painting. I walked in a classroom to clean it and immediately reacted. So, it appears one of the things I can't be around is Tempera paint. Working in an elementary school and not being able to be around Tempera paint... sigh.
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    I found the results surprising and after thinking about it for a couple of months, largely inaccurate, not useful.
    I had one at around 14, after smoking for two weeks. Going up two flights of stairs (everyday school thing), I would have a major asthma attack. Found out I was allergic to tobacco, which explained a trip incident and one at the state fair. Found out I had a milk allergy, but it tended to react after other issues, and one that shocked me was the peanut allergy. I had eaten so much PB&J and Nutter Butter as a kid I had built up a tolerance and thought the choking feeling was a normal thing.
    Some allergies seem to compound, so it may only be happening when other factors are at play.

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    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I didn’t know you could test for allergies with blood. I have had the skin scratch tests 4 times in my life and the last one was probably 5 years ago. My allergies just keep getting worse but luckily I don’t have any food allergies.

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    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Teacher Terry View Post
    I didn’t know you could test for allergies with blood. I have had the skin scratch tests 4 times in my life and the last one was probably 5 years ago. My allergies just keep getting worse but luckily I don’t have any food allergies.
    For dog tests they take blood and test for several kinds of environmental allergens, such as grass, allergy, pollen, allergy, etc. etc. But for my environmental allergen test it was skin prick. So I don’t know about the differences.

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