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Question about food allergies

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Posted 8/25/2006 7:44 AM (GMT -8)
I mentioned this in my other post, but thought I'd start a new thread and see if more people had advice: I was recently tested for allergies and tested positive for multiple food allergies on the skin test.  I've never had a reaction to any of these foods.  My allergist said something about antibodies that developed when I was little but then didn't develop enough to cause me symptoms...or something like that.  What I'm wondering is if low-level food allergies can cause atypical allergy symptoms -- fatigue, bowel problems, bloating, etc. -- and not throat/breathing problems or rashes.  Also, is a skin test even useful for diagnosing food allergies, or should I assume those were false positives? 
Posted 8/26/2006 4:43 PM (GMT -8)
i have multiple food allergies too and i had the skin prick test. I tested at all levels: I, II, III, IV. that was 5 years ago that i was tested. yesterday i received results in the mail for my recent rast test and now know that my allergies are much worse. I have lots of abdominal trouble and i think food allergies are part of the cause.
Posted 8/26/2006 8:20 PM (GMT -8)
I was always told that skin testing was not a reliable method to determine food allergies, last year I showed allergies to eggs, this year I don't, last year I was fine with wheat , this year I am not, etc, the only one that shows the same year after year is corn , which is positive and getting worst confused
Posted 8/26/2006 8:24 PM (GMT -8)
You may also have food sensitivities, this would cause you problems and yet would not be detected by allergy testing, the only way to find out what they are is to go on an elimination diet, that is remove the suspect food for two weeks and then reintroduce them one at a time and watch for reaction

Posted 8/27/2006 3:20 AM (GMT -8)
Allergy testing can be soo confusing! However one test is not preferred over the other. They both have false positives as well as false negatives. The best way is testing with a full history of reactions as well as a food diary. If your test turns out negative and yet you still have reactions to that food, most allergist would say it's an allergy. My skin test have been extremely positive for chicken and tuna ... whole upper arm will be super red with a 20mm hive. While the Rast test has been negative... then again, I had a reaction within a week or so of having the RAST test, so that can make it unreliable. Again it depends on which test the allergist likes. Some like the skin prick test more, and others like the RAST more, some just don't like them... lol.
Posted 8/27/2006 4:24 AM (GMT -8)
There's a difference between food allergies and food intolerances. Food allergies can be life threatening while food intolerances can cause discomfort because your body is unable to break it down properly. If you have food intolerances, this will almost never show up right on the allergy tests which makes them unreliable. There are a fecal tests available for this kind of intolerances which is more concrete. Food intolerances doesn't produce a reaction from antibodies but they can cause symptoms like you stated; bloating, gas, diarreah, nausea etc. Food allergies have the symptoms of hives, shortness of breath, swelling, inflammation for example as you would see in people allergic to peanuts. If you have life threatening allergies, it may or may not show up on tests and I think the allergists use these tests as a baseline. They use the baseline to recommend you avoid certain foods at that time. I agree that if you think a certain food is bothering you, keep a food diary. Record everything you have eaten, even a stick of gum and record your body's reaction if any. You should do this for a month and see if there is any similiarities in the foods you eat and the reactions to them.
Posted 8/28/2006 4:26 PM (GMT -8)
Thanks, everyone! Sorry, I've been on vacation (actually still am) so I wasn't checking in. I've never had a reaction, so it sounds like they might have been false positives. I may have slight "intolerances" like Red just described, but nothing has bothered me so much to make me stop eating it (except lactose). Thanks for all that info., everyone -- it IS a very confusing subject!
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