54 replies to this topic

[AKL]

this really intrigues me. Who does these IGE tests? I don't think my insurance covers it. How much does it cost?

Ask your doc, or:

The only decent test available is a stool test by EnteroLab for $130.

http://www.enterolab...s/TestInfo.aspx

[alternativista]

this really intrigues me. Who does these IGE tests? I don't think my insurance covers it. How much does it cost?

Everyone does IgE tests. That's what your average doctor/allergist are concerned with because that is what causes the immediate type reactions like hives, rashes and anaphylactic shock that could kill you.

What you want is a test that looks for reactions involving other antibodies or some other end marker of any kind of inflammatory response including those that don't involve antibodies. The delayed type reactions that cause acne, asthma, fatigue, headache and all kinds of mystery ailments people never find a cause for. Which is the basic point of this thread.

Many of the acne and related studies I've read lately have mentioned Type IV delayed responses which are cell-mediated responses and don't involve antibodies. Some of them have been posted here in this thread.

Edited by alternativista, 29 December 2011 - 09:49 AM.

[alternativista]

Dr. Oz said that bumps inside the lower eyelid are signs of allergy, with no additional information as usual. I just looked and was surprised to not see any, but I know I've noticed them in the past.

I searched for info and found only people citing Oz and this from a poster on a forum
'

There are a host of professional opinions about these minuscule eruptions (less than 1/16" wide), all of which link them to some kind of infection, or worse -- and all of them are wrong. The cause is benign, variable, and most likely linked to body chemistry (e.g. allergy, pH balance, etc.). If you usually get only one or two at a time, inside the mouth, eyelid, or some other area of very sensitive skin; if it doesn't hurt or itch, and lasts for only a few days, it is just a small gland that has become iritated and has filled with fluid, causing it to pop outward. Though it doesn't hurt when left alone, it's very sensitive and can cause irritation in the mouth when the tongue becomes obsessed with it and won't let it be; or when it's inside the eyelid and scrapes across the cornea with each blink.

No references. And I don't know if they are talking about the same thing.

[alternativista]

http://www.acne.org/...ost__p__2817239

There are currently 5 different types of immune reactions and only 4 types have antibodies you can search for. With regards to acne, IgG antibodies (Type III, Immune Complex Sensitivity) may present when there is an antigen OR a specific white blood cell known as a Polymorphonuclear Cell/PMN (Type IV, Delayed Type Hypersensitivity or Cell Mediated) may present itself.

You can test for the first one, but not for the cell mediated white blood cell activity. Well actually, there are a few tests for that one (NowLeap.com, ALCAT.com, EPC-ODX.com), but again, no test is as accurate as an Elimination & Provocation Diet. So just because you didn't test postive for any of the tests looking for antibodies, it does not mean there may not be foods that affect you unfavorably. Have you personally avoided foods and noted the results?

Acne as a Delayed Type Hypersensitivity This is a write up based on information others, including myself, posted in healthboards several years ago It mentions histamine because it also plays a role in DTH reactions. So anti-histamines are not just for those that have "allergies"


Immunohistochemical evidence of chronic inflammation in acne vulgaris
This is one of several studies that helped fuel the discussion on here as well as healthboards. It's funny because people in the scientific community had tested acne as a DTH reaction as far back as 1980 and they discounted it. Of course, you won't react to just anything...only what you personally are sensitive to

.

"So to summarize chronic acne is due to an imbalance in Th2:Th1 activity which promotes a delayed type hypersensitivity of the skin (to toxins, foods, and bacterial products) which is due to many things, including high histamine; thus all of these things must be addressed to normalize the balance."

Other good post on enzymes, histamine, etc
http://www.acne.org/...ost__p__2816469

Edited by alternativista, 30 March 2012 - 09:25 AM.

[doodleme123]

Well, I've tried eliminating Dairy and grains each for over a month with no improvement to sinuses, headaches and other symptoms. So soon I'm going to begin a more strict elimination plan in which I eat only from the below list of foods that few people are allergic to and begin adding in one by one other foods.

List of Hypoallergenic Foods from World's Healthiest Foods book. (For some reason, they cover this much more simply and to the point in the book than on the website. You think it would be the other way around.)

Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Collard Greens
Green Beans
Green Peas
Kale
Lettuce
Summer Squash (Zucchini)
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Winter Squash
Sea Vegetables

Garlic and Onions
Olive Oil

Apples
Grapes
Lemons*
Pears

Brown Rice
Black Beans
Garbanzos
Lentils
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sunflower seeds

Cod
Wild Salmon
Lamb

Notes:
-Many people with a damage digestive tract and/or extremely intolerant should avoid all grains. legumes, nuts, seeds until they heal. And many are cross contaminated with gluten grains. Some won't see any improvement from only avoiding the gluten grains.
-Lamb is on that list because it is almost always from pastured animals fed no grains. If you can find products from other animals raised that way or wild they are probably fine.
-Make sure the Salmon is wild, not farmed.
-Cherries, like other stone fruit should be organic and we've had some people here that break out from stone fruit. I don't know that they've methodically verified that they react to every stone fruit or if they can have cherries. Almonds belong to the same family.
-I get cysts from oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and key limes, but I've been able to use quite a bit of lemon and other limes without a problem.
-Some people have difficulty digesting legumes, so you might want to avoid those for a period as well. And when you add them in, make them yourself from dried beans and soaked at least overnight. And black beans belong to the kidney bean family and kidney beans are considered high in lectins so their inclusion in a list of hypo-allergenic foods is confusing, only consume if you soak and cook properly. More info on lectins and proper preparation/food combos to reduce their harm: http://www.acne.org/...me-t247794.html
-Some people have issues with fructose malabsorption which can be improved with a natural circadian rhythm and certain nutrients like taurine. http://www.acne.org/...bo-t299249.html

-And I'm not sure if by 'Summer Squash (Zucchini)' they mean all summer squash with zucchini as one example of a summer squash, or they mean specifically just zucchini.

-----------------------------------------------------
List of foods sorted in their related families. Consider if you have an intolerance to one, you may have an intolerance to other members of the family.

Note: This list was copied from another members post from an unknown source. I've been modifying it, but I'm not guaranteeing it's 100% accurate. Or complete.

FOOD FAMILIES:
Apple Family: Apples and pears
Banana Family: Banana, plantains, arrowroot
Birch Family: Hazelnut, wintergreen
Blueberry Family: Blueberry, Bilberry, cranberry, huckleberry
Buckwheat family: Buckwheat, rhubarb
Cashew Family: Mango, Cashew, Pistachio, poison ivy
Cattle/Ruminant family: Beef, goat, sheep/lamb and all bi-products such as milk/cheese/whey,...
Dillenia Family: Kiwi, gooseberry and relatives
Goosefoot Family: Beet root/ greens, spinach, swiss chard, quinoa, amaranth, purslane, lambs quarters
Gourd Family: Cucumbers & pickles, melons (i.e. cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon), All kinds of squashes (zucchini/courgettes, yellow squash, winter squashes and pumpkin)
Hordeae Family: Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, teff, farina, products like bulgur, couscous
Grape family: Grape, raisin, wine, cream of tartar
Hemp Family: Hops, Marijuana
Hickory Family - Hickory, Pecan
Laurel Family: Avocado, bay leaf, cinnamon
Lily Family: Onions, garlic, chives, leeks, shallots, green onions, asparagus, aloe vera
Mint Family: Basil, catnip, mint, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, savory, spearmint, thyme, chia, menthol
Morning Glory Family: Sweet potato
Mulberry Family: Breadfruit, fig, mulberry
Mushroom Family: Mushrooms, puffballs, Truffles
Mustard/Cabbage Family/Brassicas: Horseradish, mustard, rutabaga, turnip, cabbage, broccoli family, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, Chinese cabbages and bok choy varieties, collard greens, kale, canola oil, rapeseed, cress. If it's leafy (or broccoli like) and not shaped like a ducks foot, it's probably in this family.

Nutmeg Family: Nutmeg, mace
Olive Family: All olives
Orchid Family: Vanilla
Palm Family: Coconut, date, hearts of palm
Papaya Family: Papaya
Parsley Family: Anise, caraway, carrot, celery, celery seed, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, parsley, parsnip, lovage, cilantro, celery root/celeriac
PassionFlower Family: Passion Fruit
Pea Family: Alfalfa, clover, beans (aduki, fava, green, kidney, lima, mung, navy, pinto, snap, string, soy, garbanzo, locust, carob, lentil, split pea), peanuts, peas (black-eyed, chick peas, green peas) licorice, tamarind.
Pepper Family: peppercorns, white pepper, black pepper
Pheasant Family: Chicken and chicken eggs, pheasant, quail
Pineapple Family: Pineapple family
Plum Family/Genus Prunus: Stone fruit -Almond, apricot, cherry, chokeberry, nectarine, peach, plum, prune
Poppy Family: Poppy seed
Potato Family (Nightshade): Eggplant/aubergine, potato, tobacco, tomato, peppers: cayenne, chili, tobasco, paprika, pimiento, tomatillo, jalapeno, bell peppers of all colors
Prawn Family: Prawn, shrimp
Protea Family: Macadamia nut
Rose Family: Blackberry, boysenberry, raspberry, strawberry
Citrus Family: Citron, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin, oranges, tangerine, tangelo, ugly fruit, key lime, all kinds of hybrids...
Yeast Family: Baker's yeast, brewer's yeast
Sapucaya Family: Brazil Nut, paradise nut
Sesame Family: Sesame seeds, sesame oil
Spurge Family: Castor oil, tapioca (aka yucca, cassava & others names), arrowroot
Stercula Family: Chocolate, cocoa, cola nut
Tea family: Camellia sinensis teas aka Black tea, green tea, white tea
Walnut Family: Black walnut, English Walnut, white walnut
Yams: Yams, Chinese potato, cush-cush, water yams, yellow yams, black yams, elephant's foot. (Sweet potatoes are often mistakenly called yam, but it is very unlikely you'll find a true yam in an American or probably European market. Those things in your supermarket or what you had for Thanksgiving dinner are most likely sweet potatoes, regardless of what they call them.)

Can we have an update on the progress you did or didn't make on that, please? Sorry if old and you already answered this somewhere. This place is huge.

[alternativista]

Well, I've tried eliminating Dairy and grains each for over a month with no improvement to sinuses, headaches and other symptoms. So soon I'm going to begin a more strict elimination plan in which I eat only from the below list of foods that few people are allergic to and begin adding in one by one other foods.

Can we have an update on the progress you did or didn't make on that, please? Sorry if old and you already answered this somewhere. This place is huge.

Are you asking about my plan to follow a very hypoallergenic diet for a while? I never did it. Also, my interest in it had nothing to do with acne. Or little to do with acne. As apparently rhinitus may be a symptom of hyperkeratinization, as is acne.

[doodleme123]

That diet looked like it might have done something for acne. I was wondering if it did, but seeing as you didn't do; why didn't you do it, may I ask? The question has now changed.

[alternativista]

That diet looked like it might have done something for acne. I was wondering if it did, but seeing as you didn't do; why didn't you do it, may I ask? The question has now changed.

Ok, I think you've been around here taking part in a lot of posts, so I don't understand the confusion. I follow a diet that clears my skin as I discuss all the time. This thread is about food intolerances that might cause an assortment of ailments and discomforts.

And yes, as the list of hypoallergenic foods includes some of the best, most nutrient dense foods that are mostly low GI, limiting yourself to those foods in low to moderate GL meals would likely clear your skin. If you have reason to believe you have many mystery food intolerances or find it easier to figure out what to eat as you change your diet if you just stick to a short lists of food, then sticking to that list of hypoallergenic foods is a good way to go.

Edited by alternativista, 24 May 2012 - 08:59 AM.

[doodleme123]

Yes, and all the information you post, whilst helpful, is also overwhelming. So it's easy to get lost in everything and not follow what you say exactly. Let alone the whole community on this forum and what everybody else has to say about acne. I read specific things of interest, not everything you post.

And thanks for the advice.

[alternativista]

I found this comment in a discussion forum. I've no idea how valid any of it is.

A little info on citrus allergies


Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and pineapple can be very allergenic when Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) is deficient. Stress or trauma will cause the Adrenal Glands to burn up a great deal of Pantothenic Acid, which frequently results in the “Citrus Allergy.” This can occur with mental and emotional stress. The mineral antidote for the “Citrus Allergy” is Calcium, and the amino acid is Serine.
Allergies to the “Nightshades,” such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tobacco, can often cause arthritis or aggravate existing arthritis. Many nutritionists believe that the way to correct the allergies is to have the person eliminate these foods from the diet. The awareness that these foods can be antagonistic is good, but the theory of diet elimination is not completely sound.

An allergy to peppers is caused by a deficiency in Niacinamide/Niacin, and an allergy to tomatoes (and citrus fruits) is generally caused by a deficiency in Pantothenic Acid. One of the best sources of these two vitamins is “Royal Jelly” which contains 500 mg. Of Pantothenic Acid and 500 mg. Of Niacinamide in one 100 mg. capsule. It is a very good source of these nutrients because it is natural and easily absorbed. The mineral antidote for “Pepper Allergy” is Phosphorus and amino acid L’Glutamine.

Citric acid intolerance is not the same as citrus allergy. Citrus allergy sufferers respond to substances specific to citrus fruits such as limonene or specific proteins found in the fruits, whereas citric acid intolerant people react only to citric acid, which is found in a number of fruits and even some vegetables, and is used as a food additive.

Citric acid intolerance is not a "true" food allergy - that is, it's not an autoimmune response to a chemical in food. Intolerances occur when the body lacks some chemical or enzyme necessary for it to properly digest a particular substance: one of the most common is lactose intolerance, which is caused by a genetic difference which makes the body of a sufferer unable to produce the enzyme lactase. Currently, I don't know what quirk of body chemistry makes people intolerant to citric acid - but I do know that the problem runs in my family!

It's important to manage food intolerances as the body's negative response to the food in question can damage the lining of the gut and impair digestion (particularly true of coeliacs). This in turn can predispose the sufferer to acquire true allergies, as poorly digested food proteins enter the bloodstream through the damaged gut wall and the immune system is exposed to unusually high levels of them.

The important difference between a food intolerance and a food allergy is that an allergic response will occur in exactly the same way however small a quantity of the allergen a person eats, for example in peanut allergy where even a trace of peanut can induce anaphylactic shock. Food intolerances, on the other hand, cause problems only in proportion to the amount of the problem substance you've eaten: lactose intolerant people, for example, are commonly reckoned to be able to "get away with" up to 250ml of milk a day without suffering severe symptoms. However, since some food intolerances can damage the gut and contribute to allergy problems - and particularly since information about citric acid intolerance is so hard to get hold of - I tend to treat citric acid intolerance as analogous to coeliac disease, and to avoid citric acid completely. Sources: http://southsideprid...201/herbal.html

[alternativista]

I just noticed that there are two possible reasons citrus may cause/contribute to acne in this thread, posted by me. Why didn't they get recorded in my brain. Especially considering that it applies to me.

Also apples to many of the other fruits that many people break out from, such as strawberries and tomatoes.

Edited by alternativista, 28 April 2013 - 02:14 PM.

[whoartthou1]

I also had an ALCAT test done... so does this mean that the MILDER allergies are the ones that cause the cysts and acne, while the more severe/moderate allergies give other reactions? 

[alternativista]

I also had an ALCAT test done... so does this mean that the MILDER allergies are the ones that cause the cysts and acne, while the more severe/moderate allergies give other reactions? 

IgE mediated responses are immediate and cause the rashes, hives, swelling and anaphylactic shock that most people associate with allergies. Other antibodies are involved in delayed reactions that cause other symptoms including acne, although this is the type I'm saying isn't true acne.

And then there's the cell mediated responses referred To as type IV that recent researchers and scientists have started believing causes the whole process. True acne. And I don't think it's just things you are intolerant to. I think it's also diet and lifestyle habits that trigger the release of pro inflammatory things. Cykoteines, ROS, etc.

[whoartthou1]

I also had an ALCAT test done... so does this mean that the MILDER allergies are the ones that cause the cysts and acne, while the more severe/moderate allergies give other reactions? 

IgE mediated responses are immediate and cause the rashes, hives, swelling and anaphylactic shock that most people associate with allergies. Other antibodies are involved in delayed reactions that cause other symptoms including acne, although this is the type I'm saying isn't true acne.

And then there's the cell mediated responses referred To as type IV that recent researchers and scientists have started believing causes the whole process. True acne. And I don't think it's just things you are intolerant to. I think it's also diet and lifestyle habits that trigger the release of pro inflammatory things. Cykoteines, ROS, etc.

Ic.