Doubt cast on many reports of food allergies

[KatWrangler]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37104569...es_and_asthma/

Many who think they have food allergies actually do not.

A new report, commissioned by the federal government, finds the field is rife with poorly done studies, misdiagnoses and tests that can give misleading results.

Okay, what do you all think? Go!

[Village Mama]

It is because most peolpe do not have a true allergy, but do have a food sensitivity. The allergists views are outdated in my opinion. Myself and my two boys are sensitive to both dairy and gluten... we have reactions with the slightest crumb that last for over two weeks. For me it had built up and caused psoriasis, arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibro and massive digestion and absorption problems. I tested negative to having allergies. When I glutened up for a test I had vomiting, heart racing tongue tingling and breathing troubles and my son ( who had only had asthma virally before) had a really bad asthma attack and landed in the hospital. Cutting out gluten and dairy got rid of ALL of my health issues( on the verge of being on disability before) and the kids have not been in the hospital with asthma ( sometimes it was every two weeks we were in emerg with both boys) BUT we are not allergic... so nobody takes it seriously. I think that the seriousness of food sensitivities and gut health are just peeking onto the radar in conventional medicine and the importance will be in the forefront soon. It is so unfair to dismiss people because they don't meet the current criteria. People often use the word " allergy" because it is the only thing that fits the seriousness of the problem. Sadly there is still a view that a sensitivity is more of a choice, or that maybe you should find a way to be less sensitive and less of a hypochondriac! Ugh. Articles like that are irritating and dismissive. People are reporting more " allergies" becausethere truly is a growing problem.

[KatWrangler]

Thats like Gabrielle had a reaction to Morphine when she had her first surgery when she was 4 1/2 months old. Her heart rate dropped, her respiration dropped dramatically. We had nurses swamp her crib. The Ped ran over and said I think she is reacting to the Morphine. I am going to give her a reverse drug to bring her out of it. If it's not, I will have to stick a tube down her throat. The reverse drug worked.

However, we have been told she is not allergic to it. I always say, I don't care what, she is NEVER going to have morphine again. Scared her Dad and I nearly to death!

[dannic]

I agree that allergists and drs in general are behind the times and repeating old dogma. That's the very reason I didn't take dd to a dr for her issues. Like pp, she is extremely sensitive to the smallest amount of gluten, yet she is not celiac nor allergic (IgE).

With the type of "food" that is standard in the SAD, is it any wonder that so many are reacting? Of course, we weren't eating SAD, so that's a generalization as well...

[kjbrown92]

I agree. They don't consider food intolerances allergies so if someone says they have an allergy, and they get tested and it's "proven" they don't (by a skin reaction) then it's dismissed. There was no such thing as Gulf War Syndrome, there was no such thing as Fibromyalgia, there's no such thing as Lyme Disease....the list goes on.

[nicole_marie]

I think the claim that "tests can give misleading results" has some validity. Many families, like my own, are finding the IgG test results to be inaccurate. Although allopathic medicine has it's own inaccurate testing too. If I was independently wealthy I would have IgG testing repeated to 2-3 different labs simultaneously while leaving the food questionnaire blank. I have to admit, I was a little suspicious when I submitted our IgG lab paperwork and they wanted to know what my son's diet was like. I wonder if our results would have been different if I would have written 'Mac n Cheese, hot dogs and big macs'.

[dfb]

The differentiation is valid and not just skin deep. Allergic reactions are auto-immune responses. Severe allergies can be considered an auto-immune disorder on par with rheumatoid arthritis. Intolerance is a catch-all phrase for an unexplained reaction, just as eczema is for any unexplained rash. The treatments, beyond avoidance, are completely different.

By calling out their colleagues, setting treatment standards, and diagnosis guidelines, this project can help practitioners to ask better questions, collect better data, and more properly diagnose and treat health issues. One goal is for the medical community to better understand what causes intolerances, better segment them, create better tests to diagnose, and ultimately practical treatments. My son's allergist explained as much last year when we met her for the first time.

We, as lay people, should also take that advice to heart. The differentiation will help us better treat the disorders as well. And perhaps, we can help our medical care givers better understand what it is bothering us and our loved ones.