Elimination diet for detection of intolerances/allergies?

[Espi]

Can someone help me find the protocol for an elimination diet in order to find which products are the real culprits for intolerances/allergies?

In the 2-3 years since I've been paying very close attention to my diet and trying to eliminate the culprits, I still am clueless about some foods.

So, I'd like to start a proper elimination diet in which I will start reintroducing foods one by one and see what happens.
Apparently this is trickier than one would imagine.

For example , when I eat gluten on day 1 after a long period of avoidance , there is no problem. Eating gluten once again 2 days later, and hell breaks loose. Same for soy lecithin.
Combining culprit foods gives worse effects than eating just one of them.

Sometimes I feel that I'm eliminating foods for no reason at all. Just because I got a bad reaction once, doesn't necessarily mean I'm allergic/intolerant all the time right? It could be that the food item was spoilt.Another example is sesame seeds and flax seeds, which give rise to diarrhea. But I'm suspecting they were just too old.

The reason I'm finally asking for help is that I observed the common allergy response of nasal 'drip' and instant production of mucus when having rice protein powder. I'd never suspected rice protein to be a culprit as well since I never really observed a bad reaction upon eating rice (basmati, rice cakes, krisipes) and I frequently eat it for refeeds.


When I got tested for 1001 allergy factors, everything comes back negative = no true allergy, yet the overall allergy value (IgE) was way above the accepted limits. It could also be non-food but then I'm really f*king clueless (pollen, mites, cats.. who knows). T3 values are also compromised = below proper levels. Apparently this is also allergy-related.

So, hence the need for a proper protocol so that I can at least rule out the food-related culprits. Your help is appreciated.

[Patricia]

Hmmm...
:popcorn:
I sometimes have the same problem....
Even a small amount of foods sometimes makes me blow up like a balloon and causes all sorts of problems....

[AJB]

Can someone help me find the protocol for an elimination diet in order to find which products are the real culprits for intolerances/allergies?

Espi, sorry you are dealing with this, must be frustrating. I do have the elimination diet at home, but am out of town right now, will try to find it with my resources here though.
One question for you, what do you use as your protein source? have you repeatedly used the same thing (eggs, dairy, chicken, fish, etc.) for an extended period of time?

I am by no means an expert, hopefully, others will be able to help. Should mention that a true elimination diet they say should be done with physician supervision :wink: and usually is used for those who have severe problems. That being said here are a couple of websites to start with. I know you are pretty well read so you have probably seen them, but anyway:
http://www.foodintol.com/
if you want to pay someone to do it for you!
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typeindexer.htm
The validity on this is not great, but does seem to work for some people, don't think it really hurts anyone.



For example , when I eat gluten on day 1 after a long period of avoidance , there is no problem. Eating gluten once again 2 days later, and hell breaks loose. Same for soy lecithin.
Combining culprit foods gives worse effects than eating just one of them.?

When I got tested for 1001 allergy factors, everything comes back negative = no true allergy, yet the overall allergy value (IgE) was way above the accepted limits. It could also be non-food but then I'm really f*king clueless (pollen, mites, cats.. who knows). T3 values are also compromised = below proper levels. Apparently this is also allergy-related.


:scratch: hmmmm.....Your lab values aren't what I would expect based on your symptom description. At least for food allergies, I think a high IgE indicates an immediate reaction, like something happens right away--eating peanuts and throat swelling. So if your IgE values are skyhigh maybe it is environmental, not sure :scratch:? I would suspect your IgG levels would be elevated b/c that usually indicates delayed onset food allergy. Did you have your IgG levels tested?
Here is a link that describes the difference between immediate and delayed onset food reactions. I am not quite sure of their use of the allergy term for the delayed onset, I think it should be called intolerance or sensitivity,not sure.

http://www.drbralyallergyrelief.com/igg.html

One other thought is that there may be one or more things that are truly causing your symptoms, but when you repeatedly put them in your system, your gut or your immune system don't work as well and things you normally would be able to tolerate, it seems like you can't, so it seems like you are allergic to everything.
They say that if you find the culprit and remove it from your diet then you may be able to reintroduce in the future, like 3 or 6 months after complete avoidance. Hang in there.

Will be back with more in a little bit,have to go now, sorry. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks

[Espi]

Thanks a lot for your help. It's not a problem to wait as I've been to the GI-specialist 3 years ago and the allergy center almost 2 years ago by now.
This year I finally discovered that T3 levels, despite not dieting hard, were sub-normal. Things finally clicked when Ileen (or some other thyroid expert) told me that allergies can suppress T3-levels.

Since memory is faulty , I looked up IgE again, but no I didn't get it wrong. It is IgE that is raised.

There are some foods to which I do have a semi-allergic reaction, if my gut is already irritated from eating it a few days before.
This is especially true for dairy (always a reaction) as well as for soy lecithin which I found out because I could tolerate dark chocolate without soy lecithin and thought it had to be dark. But no, another 72% chocolate brand with soy lecithin gave instant itching. While I can also eat milk chocolate from a specific German brand that is free of soy-lecithin.
Finding out what it actually was that caused the itching took over a year because I wasn't paying enough attention.

This is just an example of 1 food item. While I'm not getting really ill, it limits my functioning. Before when I still ate those foods I was unable to function properly : messed up memory, very poor concentration, feeling tired easily. Which according to Ileen is again thyroid related. I'm on the mend, esp. by supplementing B12 and now also sulbutiamine but I want to feel good all the time.

Feeling good now matters more to me than being able to eat offending foods. But it's stupid to not know what they are.

[Espi]

AJB, Lauren gave me this link: http://www.drcranton.com/elimination_diet.htm

I'm printing it now. I'd like to know if it is similar to what you have at home.

[AJB]

AJB, Lauren gave me this link: http://www.drcranton.com/elimination_diet.htm

I'm printing it now. I'd like to know if it is similar to what you have at home.

Looks similar as far as I can tell. The order of re-introduction might be a little different, but that is negligible. The only other thing I remember it saying is that if a food you eat repetitively for some time is on the approved list, avoid that food too and test it like you test the others. Maybe this one says that, I just skimmed but don't remember seeing it.
Good luck :)

[mich56]

AJB is definitely on the right track here. I know that you have some issues for some time Espi, hang in there...and I hope that you will find what it is that is bothering soon.

I can recommend a few books that are worth looking into for food allergies and elimination/rotation diets ~ Jeanne Marie Martin's books are very good. And there is another one that I can not think of the name at the moment, and I let my sister borrow it (I will get back to you on that one)

Some other things to look at with gut issues is poor liver function and candida.

And if you have been to an allergist over 2 years ago, it can certainly change. It wouldn't be a bad idea to see them again...of course if you are doing the elimiation diet on your own as well to save some $$.

Good luck!!

ETA:

Here are some interesting food allery symptoms associated with which foods -

There are foods that are associated with specific allergy symptoms. The list below is particularly helpful for those individuals who need to trace the source of their allergies; it presents eight specific symptoms and the corresponding (possible) foods that can cause the allergy. For example, you will see that wheat allergy is often found to cause headaches, an egg allergy can frequently cause migraines and hives, while common symptoms of milk allergy are hay fever and cerebral issues (energy, emotions, pysche).

Headaches: wheat, chocolate

Migraine Headaches: Alcohol, cheese, chocolate, nuts, wheat, citrus fruits, tomatoes, MSG, nitrates, eggs, milk.


Hay Fever: Milk, wheat, nuts, chocolate, colas, sulfites


Hives: Strawberries, tomatoes, chocolate, eggs, shellfish, mangos, pork, nuts.


Childhood Allergies: Milk, wheat, eggs, artificial colors/flavors, peanuts, salicylates, (less common) rye, beef, fish.


Eczema: Eggs, citrus fruits, tomatoes.


Asthma: Wheat, eggs.


Cerebral Symptoms: (affecting energy, emotions, and pysche): Milk, soybeans, corn, and wheat.

(from: Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Celestial Arts: Berkely, CA, 1992, p. 874)

Just thought I would share that.

[Espi]

Thanks very much again for the additional info!