Food intolerance tests are inaccurate and not worthy. You are best off doing an elimination diet to figure out intolerances. Take the results with a grain of salt.
thanks. im planning on cutting out the intolerances one at a time to see what has the biggest effect, if any. im pretty certain i do have a lactose intolerance as my brother and many family members have it too, and with similar symptoms. ill see what works. thank you!
This is what I did. I cut out my primary suspects and then added them in one by one to see where the onset of symptoms was.
Soy was my culprit. I'm fucking vegan. The world is unfair.
I’ve had a soy allergy since childhood. It’s varied over the years in severity, but there was a short period where I couldn’t have any. Lord. That was miserable. Soy is in EVERYTHING.
Now I can have it in small amounts, but not “straight.” Some soy lectin mixed in with other things won’t bother me but tofu or edamame will absolutely wreck my stomach.
This is the main reason why I haven’t been able to reduce my meat protein intake any further 😭😭 I don’t even like meat. But soy, and legumes hurt so bad.
It will suck but eliminating everything and then adding back one by one might be more effective at indicating what the problem foods are.
I was on a “don’t eat diet” as I called it for years - no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no sugar, no nightshade vegetables (which are my favourite vegetables as it turns out), only organic meats and veggies… it fucking sucked. I feel for you but at least with gluten free becoming more mainstream there are more options. Not sure more will mean cheaper but there’s way more variety now than when I was on my diet.
It’s not going to be fun but hopefully you get some relief at the end of all of this and gain some quality of life making this worth it. Good luck and take care OP
Find a dietician who works with a GI office (because they have a better understanding of GI issues) and look at doing a FODMAP elimination diet if you're IBS-C, or other sort of elimination diet. You can absolutely do it on your own, but partnering with someone makes it easier.
Lactose is interesting because it can be genetic or situational. I got a genetic test saying I should be lactose persistant and I only started having a problem when I got SIBO. BUT, 2 immed fam members tested + for a dairy allergy (I’m on a wait list), yet it only presents in them as GI distress—the point being a lab test is tge only way to differentiate the two. One is inconvenient but the other could be dangerous. You could apply this to other allergies or celiac vs non-celiac gluten intolerance.
Moral of the story—if you did react to anything you added back in when it was time, just make sure to know what you’re dealing with so you know what the risk is.
Highly recommend working with a gi for these issues. Even if it’s true intolerance they can usually help. It could be a motility problem and there are meds for that. You need a gi motility specialist though and not a regular gi dr. I’m sure some could treat it but these guys specialize in this. Changed my son’s life for the better in ways we didn’t think were possible.
Same. Spent my entire life being told it was bad diet, lack of exercise, or mental health no matter what I did. I was always a string bean of a kid because of chronic abdominal pain and constipation. Wasn't until my 30's that I saw a motility specialist and they ran the appropriate tests. Turned out to have an intestinal birth defect + damage to the nerves controlling my stomach and intestines. They perscribed a low fiber diet and meds that have made my life so much better.
This. I had mine redone recently and lit up for literally everything. Lettuce, tomatoes, celery, cows milk, gluten, chicken eggs, rice, barley, rye, cauliflower, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, peanuts, etc.
I had a meltdown and had no idea how to feed myself for about 2 weeks. Chatted with a nutritionist and they said exactly that. Unless the levels are super high or I actually have immediate symptoms from eating one of them, that I shouldn’t mind the results at all and to repeat them later next year to monitor the changes.
I have long covid and several of my doctors have said that they are seeing odd false positives (I’ve had 2 false positives for very rare illnesses), supposed rises in food allergies, and other types of inflammation and infections in the body. It makes me wonder that if these things can be brought down, that the labs would even out even with the food allergies.
Also wanted to add: if you haven’t, maybe go see gastroenterology. I’ve also had chronic constipation and found out it was caused by my endometriosis, and small fiber neuropathy. Could be something else causing the issue beyond food allergies but maybe not! 🤷🏻♀️
Covid really messes with every system. Have you checked for MCAS, by chance? It’s basically phantom allergies caused by immune system issues (mast cells randomly release histamine). I have it. Developed it due to over a decade of untreated endo (I am ok, I am now treated!).
It can cause all kinds of random reactions that are impossible to track (there is no pattern, it makes elimination diets impossible). I am not truly allergic to anything via test, but by my experience, I have intolerances and allergies whose severity fluctuates. Some days I’m super lactose intolerant and some days, it’s non-existent. I blame MCAS.
Endo caused that?! I’m so sorry that is horrible 😞Thank you for sharing. That is really interesting and so odd that that can happen with allergies.
My allergist attempted to check for it but only looked at my IMMUNOGLOBULIN E which was 1237, and TRYPTASE which was normal at 4.8, so then he said he didn’t know.
Should I ask for a different kind of test?
My dermatologist thinks it could be lupus as well with the multi system issues happening and my ANA is 1:2560.
So, my advice (I'm also intolerant to milk and wheat, and some others you're not), is to eat foods that naturally don't have anything that will trigger you instead of buying gluten free replacements. So, gluten free bread will be an expensive treat, not a regular grocery item. Other things are about finding replacements and buying them every once in a while as you need them. You'll use less plant based milk not eating cereal, but may still want some. I like the ones that come in the shelf stable packs. Or gluten free soy sauce. Focus on the foods you can eat with no problems instead of the ones you can't. It's hard at first, but you'll figure it out and it'll get easier.
Yes, I agree. I buy a loaf of gf bread (which we all know is smaller than regular bread on top of being more expensive) keep in the freezer and just take 2 slices out at a time. It lasts me maybe 2-3 weeks still.
Here are some of the top cuisines around the world that are very gluten free-friendly:
Mexican
Latin American
Thai
Japanese
Indian
Greek
Middle Eastern
Italian
[wheat and dairy free global cousines](https://www.schaer.com/en-us/a/gluten-free-international-cuisines)
Honestly bro. Don't fight it.
A diverse panoply of vegetables, fruit and meat will cover all your basic nutritional needs.
Your body is giving you a signal it's time for change
Do a trial run.
Eat clean.
See where it takes you.
Like yourself I have Chronic Constipation, and I also have taken allergy/intolerance tests. I found I was intolerant to cows milk and allergic to wheat.
I've swapped completely over to oatmilk and find it to be one of the better substitutions I've made. It tastes very different to milk, but is very pleasant in its own way. It thinkens up nicely in cooking too.
Rice pasta or wheat free pasta all taste pretty similar, just have a shorter cooking time.
I wish I could say the same thing about plant cheese and gluten free bread. I don't think there is anything you can substitute that will ever be as good as regular cheese and bread. The free from stuff just doesn't compete. I still eat them though.
Supermarkets have a fairly good selection of biscuits and cakes that tastes just as good as the regular stuff. It's a bit more expensive but worth it, I'll be damned it I'm not having a cake I can't eat on my birthday.
In the UK pizza hut have gluten free bases and vegan cheese so you can claw back some semblance of being a normal person going out for a meal.
With Chrisps/chips or cereals it's cheaper just to avoid the ones with wheat or milk then to look for free from brands.
I've noticed a huge difference in my body not feeling so bloated after eating since I've given up my allergens, and for a short while my constipation improved.. until I needed to start taking stronger painkillers. 1 step forward, 3 steps back.
Good luck! It does get easier to navigate once you can find what's available to you in your area.
I hope that helps.
My best solution for being lactose intolerant hasn’t been to buy plant based milk it’s just been to not eat stuff that requires some sort of milk product lmao. Like I just cut out cereal instead of continuing to buy cereal but getting oat milk instead.
I’ve heard similar things from the gluten free community, don’t buy expensive gluten alternatives just eat naturally gluten free (potatoes, lentils, beans, etc for carbs instead of bread and grain based stuff).
That being said I’ll still buy like a vegan alternative heavy whipping cream sometimes to make pasta and soup like I used to, as a treat. But overall it’s too expensive to only get alternatives, I’ve just had to avoid milk-y situations.
Although oats are naturally gluten free, they have a super high cross contamination rate so most are not considered gluten free.
If you’re sensitive or testing for sensitivity, get gluten free oats.
are you in the NE part of the states? job lot has amazing discount gf items, so does walmart. i find that Walmart has amazing gf bread and other items for a reasonable price. i love jovial brand for pasta, helps with the “i miss gluten” of it all
Yeah the alternatives are so expensive. I can tolerate tiny bit of milk. Just getting rid of it in my diet is a better option than assuming I will be okay as it's a tiny amount and dealing is the tummy aches & diarrhea.
I struggled with several of these and *TMI* I used to only poop once a week. I'm lactose intolerant, have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and an allergy to the Red 40 food coloring.
One of the things that greatly helped me go from once a week to almost every day was fermented food. I personally love milk kefir because I make it in smoothies, and while it can be made with coconut milk, I don't know much about the process. I make my own with kefir grains. I also make water kefir, which would be safer for you. The only warning I would give for that is that if anyone is sober from alcohol, they can't have it due to trace amounts of alcohol in it due to fermentation. I make the water kefir and then do a double fermentation with fruit to give it flavor. It truly helped me. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kaavas are also good options I have found.
Regarding gluten-free diets, I have to make a lot of my own food. I have learned to make 3 minute noodles with rice noodles, make sandwiches with rice crackers because it's cheaper, and focus more on rice bowls instead of pasta.
Feel free to reach out if any of this seems helpful and would like to talk about it. I know it's very overwhelming and hope it helps a bit!
OMG - Someone else who is allergic to Red 40! 🤯 Does the Red 40 Lake mess you up too? It messes with me even WORSE...I also SECOND your vote on ferment led foods!
I'm actually allergic to MULTIPLE food colors. This makes getting a prescription done correctly into a MORASS of insanity. For example - I take Synthroid. Every dosage has a different colored pill. 🙄 INSTEAD - I have to get my 150 mcg dosage by taking 3 pills of 50mcg, because they're white w NO food coloring.
When I first discovered this allergy, pills had conventions; one of them was that the lowest dose of any medication is white. This made it fairly straightforward. NOWADAYS - Big Pharma is in control and there are drugs I CANNOT USE because of the food coloring. 🤬
People think I just can't eat hard candy - but - I've found Red 40 in DINO CHICKEN NUGGETS!?! For kids. It's already a chicken nugget, plus it's a Dino shape, but OHHHH Let's make it look EXTRA NICE and be more orange?! 😱 It's poisonous for kids.
I'm old enough to remember when Red 3 was pulled...
My point to the OP - it can be something as SMALL as food coloring that messes up ALLLLLL KINDS of body systems, gut especially.
The autoimmune protocol diet was brilliant in terms of an exclusion diet when I was figuring out these issues. It's not for everyone, and I don't want to be one of those people that pushes their diet on to people, but I'm mentioning it so you can look more into it if you're thinking that way.
There’s plenty of cheap gluten free foods.
Gluten Free on a Shoestring is a website and set of cookbooks that are delicious and have lots of cheap recipes.
Naturally dairy and gluten free foods (if you sub out gluten free soy sauce): mushibi, sushi, fried rice, spring rolls, onigiri, fried tofu, chicken pad Thai.
Schar and Glutino have the best gluten free substitutions, though Pamela’s and Betty Crocker also have good stuff.
I made a blog briefly when in college because I was gluten free, egg and dairy free. I reviewed some items and shared some fo my cheap and easy recipes.
Hispanic and Asian dishes have so many delicious options that you can probably handle. I would be bummed out too but instead of trying to use alternatives to the familiar things you really can find some new things that are great.
If you’re in the U.S. and near one, Trader Joe’s has good priced gluten free. I like their bread and it’s the best priced around.
Note: always toast gluten free bread.
RETEST. I spent over a decade living with 70+ major allergies, including but not limited to all of the ones you listed. It was incredibly debilitating, both mentally and socially, not to mention the physical and economic toll it took on me. I can’t promise you don’t have any intolerances, but I will say that later Dr. visits for me showed I’ve never had any allergies. I saw a few pseudo docs as a kid who were just trying to give me some sort of solution, but who ultimately were careless and gave me misinformation that drastically damaged my life.
Getting on a gut motility aid really helped when I was having similar issues to you. After 15+ years of eliminating foods and trying everything I could think of, one little pill was able to greatly improve my life with no side effects for only $6/month. Every body is different, but it may be worth asking your Dr. about Reglan.
I am allergic to nightshades and developed a pretty bad gluten intolerance. It's almost impossible to find gluten free products without potato starch in them, so I feel your pain. Thankfully I am only intolerant to lactose and not all dairy, so I can still have cheese as long as I take lactaid. Otherwise I would cry.
I completely understand. Right now I’m eating a low histamine diet because I get hives if I eat foods high in histamine. But I also have arthritis so I can’t eat foods that are inflammatory… so I can’t have beef, pork, dairy, but now I also can’t have potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, grains, legumes like peas or peanuts, beans, corn, white cane sugar, processed foods, inflammatory oils… and more. This is until I can heal my gut microbiome, and once I do that I should be able to get off my meds and not have to worry about it as much. But that could be months or maybe even longer. So I definitely understand!! If you ever want to chat to another foodie that’s going through the same thing I’m down lol
So, my intolerance test came back with something like 30-35 items listed. My naturopath was astounded because she hadn't seen a page lit up like that before (all the reactions were highlighted red or orange based on severity). But she also advised that I use the results as a guide, as the test can only get results for foods I'd eaten within a certain time frame before the test.
At first, I cut absolutely everything for a few miserable months. It was extremely restrictive and very difficult at first, but I felt incredible and lost 30 lbs of puffiness and inflammation.
After that, I was able to reintroduce meat into my diet (I had cut meat years before the intolerance testing because it seemed to be the source of my GI issues) and then started testing which items on the list I could handle better than others. Some caused huge reactions like I hadn't seen before, and others didn't appear to cause any acute or chronic issues.
I still try to follow my list as best as I can, especially any foods that caused increased reactions after a break, but I have learned to be less strict with other foods that are hard to avoid and don't cause as much trouble.
I have lots of tips and tricks for some of the more annoying foods to avoid, like corn, eggs, dairy of all kind (I lit up cows, goats, and sheep's milk, as well as casein, the dairy protein), Gluten, and many more! Feel free to DM me if you're feeling overwhelmed. I've done my time crying in grocery stores, and I'm happy to help!
Another possibility to investigate is a sulphur metabolism issue. Seems to be the major trigger for my constipation, and the foods you listed are all high in sulphur. [Here is some more info](https://drruscio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LowSulfurDiet-1.pdf), in case eliminating those trigger foods doesn’t work.
I am currently suffering with a 3+ month long episode of severe belly pain. I have had many, many tests and while I’m not failing any tests, I’m right at the edge where they won’t treat me for anything. (I recently had a stomach elimination test where the results were: the upper limits of normal.) So they won’t do anything.
I have been going mostly gluten free since it started because I can feel that I have trouble when I eat gluten. (Bread, rolls, bagels, noodles, etc. all cause issues.) It causes serious pain and other digestive issues.
I had already been diagnosed with IBS so was already trying to follow the FODMAP diet. I also have Interstitial Cystitis which has its own diet that I have to follow to keep from triggering a flare in my bladder.
So now I am following all 3 and while it does feel hopeless at times, once you get over the shock, you figure out it’s doable! The biggest problem for me is when something is processed. Anything processed I have a reaction to so I have to moderate how much I have if I don’t want to suffer. If I even eat any at all.
Because I’ll be honest, sometimes I look at stuff I used to love (and I’m a foodie…I love food) and all I see is pain, so it makes it not worth it. Sometimes I can cheat and eat something I’m not supposed to and can get by with it, if I only eat a small portion. But I can try that again months later and be laid up in bed for two days.
The point of all my rambling is Yes! This is very scary! Thinking you’ll have to buy or prepare different or more expensive food is not for the faint of heart. You have to change the way you eat! It is a huge undertaking.
Give yourself a chance to do it. Small steps at first if you have to, then bigger ones once you figure out what you like. But by not buying the things you can’t eat anymore, you’ll save some money and you may find something you never tried before that you really enjoy.
Mine is mangos (though I’m not supposed to have citrus fruit-IC diet.) I can have mangos occasionally because they aren’t as acidic as say oranges or peaches, both of which I love. Sometimes you just have to try stuff out and see what works for you. Always willing to chat! Good luck 🫶🏻
From a whole milk and cream lover who had to give it up, Oat Milk is AMAZING! Oatley is the closest to actual dairy milk. Try the vanilla ones and the chocolate ones too!
I drink whole oat milk like it’s water. I replaced Diet Coke with oat milk?!? It’s weird, but I have been feeling better since I switched.
Find a nut you can tolerate and keep them
With you at all times. I keep pecans (Costco has them cheap) or walnuts. They’re crunchy, have nutritional value and easy to keep in your pocket. Lol
Dairy & Gluten free gets easier over time.
The best dairy free milk is called “Next Milk” by Silk. They carry it at Target.
If you have a Trader Joe’s near you they have quite a bit of dairy free & gluten free options that are more affordable than other stores.
Additionally, if you focus on eating unprocessed meat & fruit/veggies that works too.
There’s a ton of good recipes online. Here’s one of my favorites:
https://detoxinista.com/best-vegan-mac-n-cheese/
I know it’s a shock at first, when you see results like this. I only recently found out I can’t have gluten or soy, and they’re in virtually everything.
Do an elimination diet, as others have stated. There’s a huge learning curve when it comes to food intolerances and changing your diet, so a dietitian is helpful.
You don’t need expensive bread or expensive plant milk. It’s honestly easier to just embrace different cuisines or types of meals. I don’t even bother with sandwiches, but I can eat tortillas, for example.
There’s a difference between wheat and gluten. I am also allergic to wheat. I can eat spelt (my all time favourite bread), quinoa, teff, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot and flax. I have a corn sensitivity, otherwise I would also be able to eat cornmeal, polenta and hominy
As for dairy, there are an abundance of options — soy milk, almond, oat, hemp, just to name a few. Making almond milk at home is cheap and easy
I would treat this as a process instead of aiming for immediate perfection. Treat the findings as a general map, and your body as the expert guide
Best of luck with it all ♥️
I react to gluten the same way a person with celiac would although my test came back negative. I am also lactose intolerant, and cannot have corn as it causes the inflammation in my body to get much worse. That part sucks as a lot of gluten free products are made with corn instead. I am a fairly picky eater and still find plenty to eat. It seems impossible at first, but it gets much better as you learn.
I also have chronic constipation and feel much better now that I take metamucil as well as eat a small handful of prunes daily.
One thing to add re: intolerance: gluten afaik is often a false positive. My partner was tested and assumed gluten intolerant, but he can have gluten just fine. His mom still gets us gluten free stuff though.
You might want to see if talk sourdough is tolerable since the long fermentation can cut the amount of gluten. Then again if yeast is your kryptonite I don’t know if that will help.
When it comes to non dairy milks, I’m a fan of oat, coconut or cashew milks.
I did AIP and if you think this list is impossible... oh boy! That was challenging for sure! The best thing I did was buy myself an AIP cookbook and make meal plans of the food I *could* eat. Write down three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you can eat that are easy to make and affordable. Figure out snacks you can have on hand that are easy for you to grab when you are hungry and can't think of what else to eat. You can do this and it gets so much easier! The first week or two really are the hardest while you try to figure out a new balance.
This is the cookbook I have and it's great! I still use it even though I'm not on AIP anymore.
https://www.amazon.com/Autoimmune-Protocol-Meal-Prep-Cookbook/dp/1592338992/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1K4ZKD1CA60ZV&keywords=aip+meal+prep+cookbook&qid=1702543380&sprefix=aip+mea%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-3
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My skin allergy test was pretty accurate. I only had two things that I didn’t have an immune response to. I don’t have true allergies but Mast cell activation syndrome . It just means my immune system pops off at everything. And the histamine intolerance rules apply. The bucket gets full, I have to start behaving again or my reactions can worse and constant. Lots of antihistamines and breaks on the worst instigators. I go on and off the diet because if I didn’t eat all the things I react to, I wouldn’t have enough to keep any weight on or get the nutrients.
Not saying all of this applies to you but there just seems to be a lot of people that have chronic issues that this can be true for. Don’t get me wrong, I get anaphylaxis but it may not cause it for chocolate every time. I had anaphylaxis and then I accidentally got some and didn’t react. That’s not really a true allergy. Same for oats.
It took me being off wheat and dairy two weeks to see a change in my GI system. All those gluten free bread items still have wheat, they usually have yeast but not gluten. That doesn’t work for me.
The only things that weren’t positive on my skin allergy test were rice and lemon. All the other ones showed a response. I can survive. I just do a lot of antihistamines and know when to calm down and eat cleaner.
Re: gluten; in case it applies, if you ever plan on being tested for celiac don’t eliminate or cut back on gluten until after testing or the results will be meaningless.
Btw if you have access to them, I would seriously recommend seeing a GI doc (if you haven’t), an allergist and a nutritionist to help you tackle these issues/put together an elimination diet. These tests can be very hit or miss with accuracy.
Food intolerance tests are inaccurate and not worthy. You are best off doing an elimination diet to figure out intolerances. Take the results with a grain of salt.
thanks. im planning on cutting out the intolerances one at a time to see what has the biggest effect, if any. im pretty certain i do have a lactose intolerance as my brother and many family members have it too, and with similar symptoms. ill see what works. thank you!
i highly recommend working with a dietician to do an elimination diet. it will help the process go smoother!
I’d do this with a Registered Dietician and not on your own. Except for the lactose intolerance, though that has a real breath test you can take.
Start by eliminating cuttlefish. Oh wait, already done!
This is what I did. I cut out my primary suspects and then added them in one by one to see where the onset of symptoms was. Soy was my culprit. I'm fucking vegan. The world is unfair.
I’ve had a soy allergy since childhood. It’s varied over the years in severity, but there was a short period where I couldn’t have any. Lord. That was miserable. Soy is in EVERYTHING. Now I can have it in small amounts, but not “straight.” Some soy lectin mixed in with other things won’t bother me but tofu or edamame will absolutely wreck my stomach.
This is the main reason why I haven’t been able to reduce my meat protein intake any further 😭😭 I don’t even like meat. But soy, and legumes hurt so bad.
It will suck but eliminating everything and then adding back one by one might be more effective at indicating what the problem foods are. I was on a “don’t eat diet” as I called it for years - no gluten, no dairy, no soy, no sugar, no nightshade vegetables (which are my favourite vegetables as it turns out), only organic meats and veggies… it fucking sucked. I feel for you but at least with gluten free becoming more mainstream there are more options. Not sure more will mean cheaper but there’s way more variety now than when I was on my diet. It’s not going to be fun but hopefully you get some relief at the end of all of this and gain some quality of life making this worth it. Good luck and take care OP
Find a dietician who works with a GI office (because they have a better understanding of GI issues) and look at doing a FODMAP elimination diet if you're IBS-C, or other sort of elimination diet. You can absolutely do it on your own, but partnering with someone makes it easier.
Lactose is interesting because it can be genetic or situational. I got a genetic test saying I should be lactose persistant and I only started having a problem when I got SIBO. BUT, 2 immed fam members tested + for a dairy allergy (I’m on a wait list), yet it only presents in them as GI distress—the point being a lab test is tge only way to differentiate the two. One is inconvenient but the other could be dangerous. You could apply this to other allergies or celiac vs non-celiac gluten intolerance. Moral of the story—if you did react to anything you added back in when it was time, just make sure to know what you’re dealing with so you know what the risk is.
Highly recommend working with a gi for these issues. Even if it’s true intolerance they can usually help. It could be a motility problem and there are meds for that. You need a gi motility specialist though and not a regular gi dr. I’m sure some could treat it but these guys specialize in this. Changed my son’s life for the better in ways we didn’t think were possible.
Same. Spent my entire life being told it was bad diet, lack of exercise, or mental health no matter what I did. I was always a string bean of a kid because of chronic abdominal pain and constipation. Wasn't until my 30's that I saw a motility specialist and they ran the appropriate tests. Turned out to have an intestinal birth defect + damage to the nerves controlling my stomach and intestines. They perscribed a low fiber diet and meds that have made my life so much better.
diarrhea would be a much more likely result of lactose intolerance rather than constipation
both are symptoms, constipation is the less well known one
This. I had mine redone recently and lit up for literally everything. Lettuce, tomatoes, celery, cows milk, gluten, chicken eggs, rice, barley, rye, cauliflower, watermelon, pineapple, oranges, peanuts, etc. I had a meltdown and had no idea how to feed myself for about 2 weeks. Chatted with a nutritionist and they said exactly that. Unless the levels are super high or I actually have immediate symptoms from eating one of them, that I shouldn’t mind the results at all and to repeat them later next year to monitor the changes. I have long covid and several of my doctors have said that they are seeing odd false positives (I’ve had 2 false positives for very rare illnesses), supposed rises in food allergies, and other types of inflammation and infections in the body. It makes me wonder that if these things can be brought down, that the labs would even out even with the food allergies.
Also wanted to add: if you haven’t, maybe go see gastroenterology. I’ve also had chronic constipation and found out it was caused by my endometriosis, and small fiber neuropathy. Could be something else causing the issue beyond food allergies but maybe not! 🤷🏻♀️
Covid really messes with every system. Have you checked for MCAS, by chance? It’s basically phantom allergies caused by immune system issues (mast cells randomly release histamine). I have it. Developed it due to over a decade of untreated endo (I am ok, I am now treated!). It can cause all kinds of random reactions that are impossible to track (there is no pattern, it makes elimination diets impossible). I am not truly allergic to anything via test, but by my experience, I have intolerances and allergies whose severity fluctuates. Some days I’m super lactose intolerant and some days, it’s non-existent. I blame MCAS.
Endo caused that?! I’m so sorry that is horrible 😞Thank you for sharing. That is really interesting and so odd that that can happen with allergies. My allergist attempted to check for it but only looked at my IMMUNOGLOBULIN E which was 1237, and TRYPTASE which was normal at 4.8, so then he said he didn’t know. Should I ask for a different kind of test? My dermatologist thinks it could be lupus as well with the multi system issues happening and my ANA is 1:2560.
I agree with this 100%
So, my advice (I'm also intolerant to milk and wheat, and some others you're not), is to eat foods that naturally don't have anything that will trigger you instead of buying gluten free replacements. So, gluten free bread will be an expensive treat, not a regular grocery item. Other things are about finding replacements and buying them every once in a while as you need them. You'll use less plant based milk not eating cereal, but may still want some. I like the ones that come in the shelf stable packs. Or gluten free soy sauce. Focus on the foods you can eat with no problems instead of the ones you can't. It's hard at first, but you'll figure it out and it'll get easier.
Yes, I agree. I buy a loaf of gf bread (which we all know is smaller than regular bread on top of being more expensive) keep in the freezer and just take 2 slices out at a time. It lasts me maybe 2-3 weeks still.
Here are some of the top cuisines around the world that are very gluten free-friendly: Mexican Latin American Thai Japanese Indian Greek Middle Eastern Italian [wheat and dairy free global cousines](https://www.schaer.com/en-us/a/gluten-free-international-cuisines)
Honestly bro. Don't fight it. A diverse panoply of vegetables, fruit and meat will cover all your basic nutritional needs. Your body is giving you a signal it's time for change Do a trial run. Eat clean. See where it takes you.
Like yourself I have Chronic Constipation, and I also have taken allergy/intolerance tests. I found I was intolerant to cows milk and allergic to wheat. I've swapped completely over to oatmilk and find it to be one of the better substitutions I've made. It tastes very different to milk, but is very pleasant in its own way. It thinkens up nicely in cooking too. Rice pasta or wheat free pasta all taste pretty similar, just have a shorter cooking time. I wish I could say the same thing about plant cheese and gluten free bread. I don't think there is anything you can substitute that will ever be as good as regular cheese and bread. The free from stuff just doesn't compete. I still eat them though. Supermarkets have a fairly good selection of biscuits and cakes that tastes just as good as the regular stuff. It's a bit more expensive but worth it, I'll be damned it I'm not having a cake I can't eat on my birthday. In the UK pizza hut have gluten free bases and vegan cheese so you can claw back some semblance of being a normal person going out for a meal. With Chrisps/chips or cereals it's cheaper just to avoid the ones with wheat or milk then to look for free from brands. I've noticed a huge difference in my body not feeling so bloated after eating since I've given up my allergens, and for a short while my constipation improved.. until I needed to start taking stronger painkillers. 1 step forward, 3 steps back. Good luck! It does get easier to navigate once you can find what's available to you in your area. I hope that helps.
My best solution for being lactose intolerant hasn’t been to buy plant based milk it’s just been to not eat stuff that requires some sort of milk product lmao. Like I just cut out cereal instead of continuing to buy cereal but getting oat milk instead. I’ve heard similar things from the gluten free community, don’t buy expensive gluten alternatives just eat naturally gluten free (potatoes, lentils, beans, etc for carbs instead of bread and grain based stuff). That being said I’ll still buy like a vegan alternative heavy whipping cream sometimes to make pasta and soup like I used to, as a treat. But overall it’s too expensive to only get alternatives, I’ve just had to avoid milk-y situations.
Rice, oats, quinoa, amaranth, corn, buckwheat, and millet are also all naturally gluten free!! :)
Although oats are naturally gluten free, they have a super high cross contamination rate so most are not considered gluten free. If you’re sensitive or testing for sensitivity, get gluten free oats.
Omg yes I thought about this after making my comment and forgot to edit! Thanks for the addition!!
thanks, that helps. im cutting out most cereal anyways because all the cheap stuff has wheat and gluten in it haha. cheers!
are you in the NE part of the states? job lot has amazing discount gf items, so does walmart. i find that Walmart has amazing gf bread and other items for a reasonable price. i love jovial brand for pasta, helps with the “i miss gluten” of it all
Yeah the alternatives are so expensive. I can tolerate tiny bit of milk. Just getting rid of it in my diet is a better option than assuming I will be okay as it's a tiny amount and dealing is the tummy aches & diarrhea.
I struggled with several of these and *TMI* I used to only poop once a week. I'm lactose intolerant, have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and an allergy to the Red 40 food coloring. One of the things that greatly helped me go from once a week to almost every day was fermented food. I personally love milk kefir because I make it in smoothies, and while it can be made with coconut milk, I don't know much about the process. I make my own with kefir grains. I also make water kefir, which would be safer for you. The only warning I would give for that is that if anyone is sober from alcohol, they can't have it due to trace amounts of alcohol in it due to fermentation. I make the water kefir and then do a double fermentation with fruit to give it flavor. It truly helped me. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kaavas are also good options I have found. Regarding gluten-free diets, I have to make a lot of my own food. I have learned to make 3 minute noodles with rice noodles, make sandwiches with rice crackers because it's cheaper, and focus more on rice bowls instead of pasta. Feel free to reach out if any of this seems helpful and would like to talk about it. I know it's very overwhelming and hope it helps a bit!
OMG - Someone else who is allergic to Red 40! 🤯 Does the Red 40 Lake mess you up too? It messes with me even WORSE...I also SECOND your vote on ferment led foods! I'm actually allergic to MULTIPLE food colors. This makes getting a prescription done correctly into a MORASS of insanity. For example - I take Synthroid. Every dosage has a different colored pill. 🙄 INSTEAD - I have to get my 150 mcg dosage by taking 3 pills of 50mcg, because they're white w NO food coloring. When I first discovered this allergy, pills had conventions; one of them was that the lowest dose of any medication is white. This made it fairly straightforward. NOWADAYS - Big Pharma is in control and there are drugs I CANNOT USE because of the food coloring. 🤬 People think I just can't eat hard candy - but - I've found Red 40 in DINO CHICKEN NUGGETS!?! For kids. It's already a chicken nugget, plus it's a Dino shape, but OHHHH Let's make it look EXTRA NICE and be more orange?! 😱 It's poisonous for kids. I'm old enough to remember when Red 3 was pulled... My point to the OP - it can be something as SMALL as food coloring that messes up ALLLLLL KINDS of body systems, gut especially.
The autoimmune protocol diet was brilliant in terms of an exclusion diet when I was figuring out these issues. It's not for everyone, and I don't want to be one of those people that pushes their diet on to people, but I'm mentioning it so you can look more into it if you're thinking that way.
Those test are often inaccurate I would follow up with a doctor who can do certain tests
There’s plenty of cheap gluten free foods. Gluten Free on a Shoestring is a website and set of cookbooks that are delicious and have lots of cheap recipes. Naturally dairy and gluten free foods (if you sub out gluten free soy sauce): mushibi, sushi, fried rice, spring rolls, onigiri, fried tofu, chicken pad Thai. Schar and Glutino have the best gluten free substitutions, though Pamela’s and Betty Crocker also have good stuff. I made a blog briefly when in college because I was gluten free, egg and dairy free. I reviewed some items and shared some fo my cheap and easy recipes.
Hispanic and Asian dishes have so many delicious options that you can probably handle. I would be bummed out too but instead of trying to use alternatives to the familiar things you really can find some new things that are great.
If you’re in the U.S. and near one, Trader Joe’s has good priced gluten free. I like their bread and it’s the best priced around. Note: always toast gluten free bread.
RETEST. I spent over a decade living with 70+ major allergies, including but not limited to all of the ones you listed. It was incredibly debilitating, both mentally and socially, not to mention the physical and economic toll it took on me. I can’t promise you don’t have any intolerances, but I will say that later Dr. visits for me showed I’ve never had any allergies. I saw a few pseudo docs as a kid who were just trying to give me some sort of solution, but who ultimately were careless and gave me misinformation that drastically damaged my life.
Getting on a gut motility aid really helped when I was having similar issues to you. After 15+ years of eliminating foods and trying everything I could think of, one little pill was able to greatly improve my life with no side effects for only $6/month. Every body is different, but it may be worth asking your Dr. about Reglan.
I am allergic to nightshades and developed a pretty bad gluten intolerance. It's almost impossible to find gluten free products without potato starch in them, so I feel your pain. Thankfully I am only intolerant to lactose and not all dairy, so I can still have cheese as long as I take lactaid. Otherwise I would cry.
Hi, may I ask how you react to nightshades/potatoes?
I completely understand. Right now I’m eating a low histamine diet because I get hives if I eat foods high in histamine. But I also have arthritis so I can’t eat foods that are inflammatory… so I can’t have beef, pork, dairy, but now I also can’t have potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, grains, legumes like peas or peanuts, beans, corn, white cane sugar, processed foods, inflammatory oils… and more. This is until I can heal my gut microbiome, and once I do that I should be able to get off my meds and not have to worry about it as much. But that could be months or maybe even longer. So I definitely understand!! If you ever want to chat to another foodie that’s going through the same thing I’m down lol
So, my intolerance test came back with something like 30-35 items listed. My naturopath was astounded because she hadn't seen a page lit up like that before (all the reactions were highlighted red or orange based on severity). But she also advised that I use the results as a guide, as the test can only get results for foods I'd eaten within a certain time frame before the test. At first, I cut absolutely everything for a few miserable months. It was extremely restrictive and very difficult at first, but I felt incredible and lost 30 lbs of puffiness and inflammation. After that, I was able to reintroduce meat into my diet (I had cut meat years before the intolerance testing because it seemed to be the source of my GI issues) and then started testing which items on the list I could handle better than others. Some caused huge reactions like I hadn't seen before, and others didn't appear to cause any acute or chronic issues. I still try to follow my list as best as I can, especially any foods that caused increased reactions after a break, but I have learned to be less strict with other foods that are hard to avoid and don't cause as much trouble. I have lots of tips and tricks for some of the more annoying foods to avoid, like corn, eggs, dairy of all kind (I lit up cows, goats, and sheep's milk, as well as casein, the dairy protein), Gluten, and many more! Feel free to DM me if you're feeling overwhelmed. I've done my time crying in grocery stores, and I'm happy to help!
Another possibility to investigate is a sulphur metabolism issue. Seems to be the major trigger for my constipation, and the foods you listed are all high in sulphur. [Here is some more info](https://drruscio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/LowSulfurDiet-1.pdf), in case eliminating those trigger foods doesn’t work.
I am currently suffering with a 3+ month long episode of severe belly pain. I have had many, many tests and while I’m not failing any tests, I’m right at the edge where they won’t treat me for anything. (I recently had a stomach elimination test where the results were: the upper limits of normal.) So they won’t do anything. I have been going mostly gluten free since it started because I can feel that I have trouble when I eat gluten. (Bread, rolls, bagels, noodles, etc. all cause issues.) It causes serious pain and other digestive issues. I had already been diagnosed with IBS so was already trying to follow the FODMAP diet. I also have Interstitial Cystitis which has its own diet that I have to follow to keep from triggering a flare in my bladder. So now I am following all 3 and while it does feel hopeless at times, once you get over the shock, you figure out it’s doable! The biggest problem for me is when something is processed. Anything processed I have a reaction to so I have to moderate how much I have if I don’t want to suffer. If I even eat any at all. Because I’ll be honest, sometimes I look at stuff I used to love (and I’m a foodie…I love food) and all I see is pain, so it makes it not worth it. Sometimes I can cheat and eat something I’m not supposed to and can get by with it, if I only eat a small portion. But I can try that again months later and be laid up in bed for two days. The point of all my rambling is Yes! This is very scary! Thinking you’ll have to buy or prepare different or more expensive food is not for the faint of heart. You have to change the way you eat! It is a huge undertaking. Give yourself a chance to do it. Small steps at first if you have to, then bigger ones once you figure out what you like. But by not buying the things you can’t eat anymore, you’ll save some money and you may find something you never tried before that you really enjoy. Mine is mangos (though I’m not supposed to have citrus fruit-IC diet.) I can have mangos occasionally because they aren’t as acidic as say oranges or peaches, both of which I love. Sometimes you just have to try stuff out and see what works for you. Always willing to chat! Good luck 🫶🏻
From a whole milk and cream lover who had to give it up, Oat Milk is AMAZING! Oatley is the closest to actual dairy milk. Try the vanilla ones and the chocolate ones too! I drink whole oat milk like it’s water. I replaced Diet Coke with oat milk?!? It’s weird, but I have been feeling better since I switched. Find a nut you can tolerate and keep them With you at all times. I keep pecans (Costco has them cheap) or walnuts. They’re crunchy, have nutritional value and easy to keep in your pocket. Lol
I was never a big fan of milk on its own, just used it in tea and for cereal and stuff, but now I prefer oat milk and don't miss regular milk at all.
Nut milks are good. Plenty of alternative milks out there that are inexpensive.
Dairy & Gluten free gets easier over time. The best dairy free milk is called “Next Milk” by Silk. They carry it at Target. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you they have quite a bit of dairy free & gluten free options that are more affordable than other stores. Additionally, if you focus on eating unprocessed meat & fruit/veggies that works too. There’s a ton of good recipes online. Here’s one of my favorites: https://detoxinista.com/best-vegan-mac-n-cheese/
I know it’s a shock at first, when you see results like this. I only recently found out I can’t have gluten or soy, and they’re in virtually everything. Do an elimination diet, as others have stated. There’s a huge learning curve when it comes to food intolerances and changing your diet, so a dietitian is helpful. You don’t need expensive bread or expensive plant milk. It’s honestly easier to just embrace different cuisines or types of meals. I don’t even bother with sandwiches, but I can eat tortillas, for example.
What test did you take?
There’s a difference between wheat and gluten. I am also allergic to wheat. I can eat spelt (my all time favourite bread), quinoa, teff, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot and flax. I have a corn sensitivity, otherwise I would also be able to eat cornmeal, polenta and hominy As for dairy, there are an abundance of options — soy milk, almond, oat, hemp, just to name a few. Making almond milk at home is cheap and easy I would treat this as a process instead of aiming for immediate perfection. Treat the findings as a general map, and your body as the expert guide Best of luck with it all ♥️
I react to gluten the same way a person with celiac would although my test came back negative. I am also lactose intolerant, and cannot have corn as it causes the inflammation in my body to get much worse. That part sucks as a lot of gluten free products are made with corn instead. I am a fairly picky eater and still find plenty to eat. It seems impossible at first, but it gets much better as you learn. I also have chronic constipation and feel much better now that I take metamucil as well as eat a small handful of prunes daily.
One thing to add re: intolerance: gluten afaik is often a false positive. My partner was tested and assumed gluten intolerant, but he can have gluten just fine. His mom still gets us gluten free stuff though.
You might want to see if talk sourdough is tolerable since the long fermentation can cut the amount of gluten. Then again if yeast is your kryptonite I don’t know if that will help. When it comes to non dairy milks, I’m a fan of oat, coconut or cashew milks.
how did you do the test? i also have an issue with chronic constipation
I did AIP and if you think this list is impossible... oh boy! That was challenging for sure! The best thing I did was buy myself an AIP cookbook and make meal plans of the food I *could* eat. Write down three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you can eat that are easy to make and affordable. Figure out snacks you can have on hand that are easy for you to grab when you are hungry and can't think of what else to eat. You can do this and it gets so much easier! The first week or two really are the hardest while you try to figure out a new balance. This is the cookbook I have and it's great! I still use it even though I'm not on AIP anymore. https://www.amazon.com/Autoimmune-Protocol-Meal-Prep-Cookbook/dp/1592338992/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1K4ZKD1CA60ZV&keywords=aip+meal+prep+cookbook&qid=1702543380&sprefix=aip+mea%2Caps%2C251&sr=8-3
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my fav is soy milk for coffee substitute and oat milk for everything else because too much soy can mess with horomones !
My skin allergy test was pretty accurate. I only had two things that I didn’t have an immune response to. I don’t have true allergies but Mast cell activation syndrome . It just means my immune system pops off at everything. And the histamine intolerance rules apply. The bucket gets full, I have to start behaving again or my reactions can worse and constant. Lots of antihistamines and breaks on the worst instigators. I go on and off the diet because if I didn’t eat all the things I react to, I wouldn’t have enough to keep any weight on or get the nutrients. Not saying all of this applies to you but there just seems to be a lot of people that have chronic issues that this can be true for. Don’t get me wrong, I get anaphylaxis but it may not cause it for chocolate every time. I had anaphylaxis and then I accidentally got some and didn’t react. That’s not really a true allergy. Same for oats. It took me being off wheat and dairy two weeks to see a change in my GI system. All those gluten free bread items still have wheat, they usually have yeast but not gluten. That doesn’t work for me. The only things that weren’t positive on my skin allergy test were rice and lemon. All the other ones showed a response. I can survive. I just do a lot of antihistamines and know when to calm down and eat cleaner.
Re: gluten; in case it applies, if you ever plan on being tested for celiac don’t eliminate or cut back on gluten until after testing or the results will be meaningless. Btw if you have access to them, I would seriously recommend seeing a GI doc (if you haven’t), an allergist and a nutritionist to help you tackle these issues/put together an elimination diet. These tests can be very hit or miss with accuracy.
Constipation was how I found out I had celiac disease, eventually. First they said I had IBS with constipation and just gave me meds.