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[Sarah2]

I have never heard of food intolerance tests being done by a GP. Blood tests for intolerances are highly unreliable but some dermatologists will do them for skin conditions - they measure the antibodies in the blood.
I was once seen by a consultant immunologist ( and one of my children was too) who told me that the only way to test for intolerances is by elimination diets. You can read his book Food Allergy and Intolerance by Prof J Brostoff. It was written almost 30 years ago and is a bit of a 'bible' with diets you can follow to test yourself.



It's easy enough to test for gluten intolerance- loads of gluten free products in the shops now.

[honeybun]

I should have said that my GP surgery do not do food intolerance tests rather than won't do. He also advised me not to pay privately to have one done.
I have had allergy tests done in the past but privately by a dermatologist. It was the dots on the back skin test. That was for dermatitis/skin problems.

There are loads of gluten free stuff now but they are very expensive generally. I am not a big bread,cake or biscuit etc eater so it was relatively easy to cut it out of my diet. 
Most IBS sufferers have trigger foods that they can't tolerate. The difficult thing is finding them. For me sometimes I can eat certain things and other times I am running for the loo.
Also what is normal for one person bowel habit wise is another person's bowel problem.
If I only went twice a day that would be great for me but not for Dandelion.


Honeyb
x

[Rowan]

I was recommended "Food Allergy and Intolerance" by Professor J Brostoff" as I have HIT but couldn't get it in on Amazon as not available at the moment, but they do have "The Complete Guide to Food Allergy and Intolerance" by Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamble, which is probably updated, you can get it for pennies.

Histamine Intolerance and IBS maybe linked in some way, but I have never had IBS, some foods make me feel bloated (  I think that is normal for lots of people) but have never had the symptoms that OH has with IBS. I have said to him many times that he should try and find out what triggers his symptoms, but he is stubborn and often says that IBS is an "umbrella" statement for when the Medics don't know what is wrong, so I give up there he does have chronic constipation and then days when he is "going" all the time, he also has an awful lot of pain with the condition.

 http://www.allergyuk.org/common-food-intolerances/histamine-intolerance

[CLKD]

"The stool is the right colour but the wrong consistency.
"There is blood in the stools.
"The doctor tested for blood and it came back negative.  …….. " 

"I don't think my depression is emotional or psychological, as there is a distinct difference. One site says IBS can cause depression.  ……. " 

I have suffered with depression for many years: clinical (emotional) depression is recognised by health professionals and is usually due to situations where people are unable to alter their life-style/problems etc..  Psychological is the same, in that life-style etc. impacts on how we feel.  I suffer from organic depression in that my brain needs support.  I also have clinical depression at times and there is, for me, a difference ….. are you depressed? low mood is totally different.

Immodium and other types of such drugs are NEVER prescribed for daily use for IBS or other conditions.  I am a recovering anorexic and eventually my bowel almost stopped working.  The spasm which pushes food through the system forgot to work.    I became bloated: I could put on a skirt first thing but by mid-afternoon the belt was undone and by T-time I couldn't take grub/fluids on board because my body tried to vomit them back.  I became suicidal and went to the GP who after many questions and gentle probing, diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome. He gave me several medications and after 3 weeks I began to feel well for the 1st time in over 30 years. 

Reading the internet will confirm any disease/condition that we believe we have.  However, many of the sites we have access to are 'wrong' and at best, unreliable    …….. as we age we can develop allergies and the GP who said we can't become allergic to oil seed rape should be dismissed  …….. I never had allergies: apart from to onions:  until I was in my mid-20s and then I became sensitive to odds and sods.  Oil seed rape is a 'new' crop and I noticed in 1999 when it was first grown in large amounts that my chest became wheezy …….

You will have read my report about how hormones caused sudden diarrhoea …….. and our bodies are never 'perfect' for too long, there are always variants in how we feel depending on 1000s of reasons …...