Do you trust skin testing or RAST testing more for food allergies?

[APToddlerMama]

So the title is the question. I test positive for some skin tests and then negative with RAST and vice versa.  I am having some pretty big health issues right now and it is pointing towards being diagnosed with a pretty serious autoimmune disorder.  I have read a bit about leaky gut, candida, etc, and I'm looking at trying to do a yeast free diet and also take out all the foods I've tested positive for.  This is SEVERELY going to limit what I eat though, since I test positive for nearly every single fruit and vegetable and wheat.  I seem to do just fine when the veggies/fruits are cooked though, so I've been told I could just have oral allergy syndrome.

So, if I am testing positive to them, but do fine when cooked, do you think that I should still cut them out?  Is it posible that the tests are just positive for the foods in the raw form?  I understand some sort of pollen protein or something is killed by heat.  Any advice is appreciated!

[scsigrl]

Both the tests are limited in exact results.  The only 100% sure way to know if you are allergic is an actual food trial.  Dr's seem to say skin tests are more "accurate" and RAST gives you an idea of "how" allergic you are though you can have high levels but a very minimal reaction.  Most Drs. like to have both sets of results and see what they both say.

Clear as mud, huh? lol

Good luck!

[Brees_Mama]

I'd been wondering this too. Nice to have an answer :)

[APToddlerMama]

Thanks for the reply! 

[sbgrace]

Also, for either test, food positives are incorrect 50% of the time. False negatives are much less likely. Therefore I think oral allergy seems possible particularly if fresh fruits/veggies were used for the test--this is if you see reaction eating raw? If you can eat them without reaction and had a negative RAST I would assume no allergy/false positive basically. The "gold standard" is food challenge.

[carly0805]

when you say food positives are incorrect 50% of the time do you mean the foods that came back as them NOT being allergic to??

[scsigrl]

What that means is that if you test -, you are usually safe saying you are not allergic to that food.  If you test +, there is a 50/50 chance that there is no allergy.  By no allergy, I mean the test is + but in a food trial, the person would show no issues.