*IgG versus Elimination??*

[nayma]

hi, i'm still pretty new to all this, so please forgive the ignorance of the question... what (if any) are the advantages of one versus the other (IgG testing vs. elimination diet)?? the IgG testing obviously seems like it'd be tons easier, but is it way less accurate, or just really expensive?
thanks for your help!
kate

[changingseasons]

Yep- you pretty much got it. IgG testing is expensive, and only somewhat accurate. Elimination diets (with a food journal!!) are free and 100% accurate. So if you seem to be reacting to everything, sometimes the tests can give you a good starting point... but like many mamas here say, reactions always trump test results!

[stephienoodle]

I found out about all of my intolerances because of the results of an IgG panel (which my insurance covered, btw... apparently with most insurances the reasoning needs to be irritable bowel when it is coded). I think that if you suspect that you have TONS of intolerances/allergies, it can be a fabulous starting place. You can have false positives and false negatives on the IgG panel. I had a few of both. I would have had trouble even if I did a TED... I react to squash/zucchini. Anyhow, if you have insurance that will cover it and/or you've got the money to spend on it... it could be worth it. I had 42 foods that I reacted to when I started this journey, and I know that I would have never figured them out on my own.

[KimPM]

IgG testing was helpful for me because I have lots of food reactions, and none of them are the standard ones. TED would have taken me down to largely a list of my allergens, so I would have been just frustrated with that and probably would never have found my food offenders. The IgG testing I had done was reasonably accurate and was a great starting point. I just wish I would have done the extra add-on tests for spices and other foods which would have saved me the 2 years and trouble of doing elimination on those and the odd untested foods once I got the basic foods out of the way. The accuracy of IgG testing largely depends on the lab.

IgG Testing

Pros: If you have a good lab, then you have a great starting point (can save a lot of time and frustration); good for people with lots of non-standard issues (or if you suspect so); you can do it through directlabs.com and skip finding a doctor

Cons: may not be covered by insurance; limited in the number of foods they test for (even if it's 200 or 300); you may have trouble finding a provider who will test for it or who will do the test from the lab you want; if you get it done through the wrong lab the results could be almost useless (worst case)

An ED might be most helpful if you suspect you are sensitive to largely one of the top 8 foods, or if you suspect it's only 1 or 2 foods that you can easily pinpoint. It will usually take longer than having the test done. Obviously there's no dollar cost for testing with an ED, but the other "costs" can be higher in terms of stress, coordination w/ family members, length of time doing the ED, etc. It can be costly in terms of dollars if your food that you just eliminated sits there and goes bad while no one is eating it.

[SheSpeeds]

I've been doing elimination for about 5 years.  Constant post nasal drip is my only symptom, and fatigue I suppose.  I have had no success.  I am waiting on my IgG results.  If the results are as valuable as I think they may be, I will likely get it done for both my kids, OR just pretend their list is the same as mine and see what happens.

I've never done the GAPS (elimination diet), but as a nutritionist suggested to me, if you're sensitive to apples and chicken broth...well...gaps isn't going to do you much good.  Having the test results shortens the trial and error cycle to have an idea of what you may be sensitive to.  It was covered by my insurance.  I also had the IgE done, dust mites was all I was positive for (feeling fortunate).  I may do it for the kids simply because it IS covered by insurance with what plan we have right now.

[kjbrown92]

There are other tests as well, like ALCAT (which tests for an inflammatory response to food). We had IgE testing done on the kids, to rule out IgE allergies, and did a lot of the work with food journaling. However, there were more foods that I had no inkling about, which we found out through the ALCAT test (each of the two children were reactive to over 50 foods). Another helpful thing is taking out the top 4 intolerances (gluten, dairy, soy, and corn) and then rotate foods (and food journal) to find the culprits. Or the top 8 allergies, and rotate the other foods. Either of those may give you good answers.

[mytwomonkies]

Originally Posted by SheSpeeds 

I've been doing elimination for about 5 years.  Constant post nasal drip is my only symptom, and fatigue I suppose.  I have had no success.  I am waiting on my IgG results.  If the results are as valuable as I think they may be, I will likely get it done for both my kids, OR just pretend their list is the same as mine and see what happens.

I've never done the GAPS (elimination diet), but as a nutritionist suggested to me, if you're sensitive to apples and chicken broth...well...gaps isn't going to do you much good.  Having the test results shortens the trial and error cycle to have an idea of what you may be sensitive to.  It was covered by my insurance.  I also had the IgE done, dust mites was all I was positive for (feeling fortunate).  I may do it for the kids simply because it IS covered by insurance with what plan we have right now.

Which test IgG test did you do that was covered by your insurance?