Allergy testing

[DaveP]

The last three times that shellfish have passed my lips have been followed by as miserable an experience as you could want. Believe me - you don't want details!
I have finally gotten round to asking the GP about allergy testing and she arranged for me to have a blood test, which came back "Normal". The problem is that, without intending any slur on the Doc or the NHS lab involved, I'm not sufficiently reassured to eat the things again.
Fortunately fish per se is ok, and I could live without oysters without too much hardship My main problem is the frequency with which sea food based sauces are encountered when dining out. Or having a take away, as is the case tonight. "We can't have that because Dave daren't eat it..." is becoming embarrassing.

Are there any other tests worth taking, even if I have to pay? A few more positive results might give me the confidence I need.

[Spinners]

I can't see how a bloods test would have helped check an allergy.

Anyway, walking past a health food shop this very morning I noticed an advert for allergy testing in the window (Health & Herbs, Picton Lane, Swansea). Perhaps your local health food shop does the same?

[Bensons]

We have some experience of allergies with me and my daughter having epi pens.

I am no expert but my understanding is that the RAST bloodtest tests for the level of IgE in the blood. IgE is the immune system's response to an allergen, an antibody I presume.

The other type of test is a skin prick test where a bit of the suspected allergen is placed on the skin and it is then scratched or pricked. After 5 mins or so the size of the hive/redness is measured to see the level of reaction.

Some of my daughter's more unusual allergens are only tested for by skin prick tests (not sure why). The more common ones seem to have been blood tested (again not sure why).

My own epi pen is for a shellfish allergy - again shown on blood tests.

Do you think it could be some sort of intolerance which produces gastric symptoms rather than a full blown allergy? A question for your doctor perhaps?

[DaveP]

Yes, going back to the Doc's is an option. I just feel a bit - guilty or ashamed - not sure which, about requesting an appointment simply to ask for reassurance...which might not be effective anyway.
It's not a life or death deal AFAIK! so I decided to research a bit on my own behalf.
Obviously I had heard of skin tests. I had also heard that they can sometimes be of dubious validity. I was actually surprised that I wasn't sent for one. Your experiences might relate to that - if I do go back to the doc about this I'll be sure to ask why!
I'm really not sure about the difference between intolerance and allergy if it's more than a question of degree. Something else to investigate. Thanks.

[Bensons]

I know that an allergy involves the immune system whereas an intolerance doesn't but other than that I don't know much about it.

A quick google produces this

https://www.allergyuk.org/food-intolera ... ntolerance

[531colin]

I know that an allergy involves the immune system whereas an intolerance doesn't but other than that I don't know much about it.

A quick google produces this

https://www.allergyuk.org/food-intolera ... ntolerance

Thats a very good reply, and a very good link.
I particularly liked the bit in the first paragraph about the commercial "allergy/intolerance testing".
Personally, I don't tolerate salmon, it gives me the bellyache which is a shame, as I like it. Trout is OK, Salmon is def. not OK. I simply avoid anything with "salmon" in the ingredients. I used to worry about "fish stock" but in the absence of problems I'm more relaxed about it now.
If other people ate these 3 lots of shellfish and were OK, then the shellfish were OK, and all you need to do is avoid shellfish......it hardly matters if its allergy or intolerance.

[Bensons]

Colin is right, I wouldn't give anyone my money for an allergy test.

Ours are carried out in a hospital allergy clinic by a consultant allergist, retested every 12-18 months for my daughter, 3 years or so for me. The consultant measures the skin pricks and decides the grade of reaction, not an unknown in a high st shop.

The trouble is that food intolerances have become somewhat trendy hence the offering of these 'tests'.

In our experience if you have a serious reaction to something the NHS responds and investigates.

[DaveP]

Thanks for your input!
I will be following things up over the next couple of days.

[Lodge]

Get yourself referred to an allergy specialist.

Food allergy is remarkably common. Clinical researchers are developing procedures to desensitise patients by slowly escalating levels of the offending foodstuff, whether it be peanut, milk or shellfish or something else. Experimentally, the anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab is being used to protect against hypersensitivity reactions during allergen tolerance procedures. See link below to a paper from a Swedish group on this topic. See if your symptoms match those described. Perhaps surf some of the links from the paper.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4215434/
By the way, Gunnar Johansson is one of discovers of IgE back in the mid-1960's. He's still working!

[Cyril Haearn]

I felt queer, headaches etc several times after eating fish, havnae eaten any for years, had some sardines yesterday, no problems
I think it is best to have things that may cause problems for lunch not for supper, the digestion slows down at night

Used to eat 'danish blue cheese', it made me feel just a bit queer although I liked it
French blue cheese agrees with me much better

[fastpedaller]

I had a series of "attacks" of terrible vertigo which seemed to be gastric related, judging by the internal discomfort which accompanied them. No amount of suggesting to my GP that it was food related got me anywhere - they just kept banging on with the "it's inner ear - you probably GOT Meniere's disease" rubbish. A particularly bad attack after eating a Pizza focussed our attention, and my Wife suggested I saw a nutritionist. After I told N my symptoms she immediately said "I bet a pound to a penny you've become lactose intolerant - come off milk pronto" - I did, and the rest is history! I subsequently had the blood allergy test at the Hospital, and it showed nothing "out of the ordinary". make of that what you will, but if I have for example milk chocolate, it works as a laxative! OOER.
All I can suggest is be guided by your body - It's looking after you. If you get an adverse reaction, avoid the food, it doesn't matter one bit what the test does/doesn't show, your body doesn't want that food. Sometimes it is difficult to find the intolerance, but if you've found it you're in the position to avoid it. If only I'd gone to the nutritionist first, I could have avoided over a year of distress.