Info the allergy testing, delayed gastric emptying, etc.

[Guest guest]

OK, guys. I have now spent hours on this. UGH!!!!

What I can tell you is that testing for food allergies is very

controverial when it comes to a child who has food allergies with

only GI symptoms.

First of all, both skin tests and RAST tests are very accurate in

predicting NEGATIVE results. Meaning if both tests say the child

isn't allergic, they undoubtedly aren't.

However, both have very weak positive predictive values. RAST

tests, especially, can say positive with antibodies in the blood,

but it could mean the child once was allergic and isn't anymore, is

allergic today, or COULD be allergic in the future, not that they

are actually allergic today and this food is causing the problem.

That being said, the RAST blood test does have about a 95% positive

predictor value for peanuts, milk, fish and eggs. This doctor is

specifically looking for milk allegies, because tested

positive for a milk protein allergy when she was 18 months old, and

constipation is a known common side effect for milk allergies

(confirmed this when I did a PubMed search last night).

The bulk of the research recommends doing a skin or RAST if looking

at various food allergies, looking for what shows positive. And

then the ONLY way then to really determine the allergy is to do

either a " double blind placebo controlled food challenge " (which

only works with foods that cause hives, breathing, etc) or " food

elimination and monitoring " -- where you eliminate a single food

category for one month and record everything. VERY tedious process.

Research definitely showed that far too many kids are being told

they are allergic to wheat, etc. when they probably are not -- they

may have antibodies, etc. Incredible research out there.

So, we will move forward with the RAST test, staying off the

Periactin for one week.

The breath hydrogren test. What I can tell you is that he is

testing for h pylori but I believe that it is being tested via a

different means, not the breath hydrogren. And sorry, Beth, I don't

know what type of breath hydrogren study it is....

He did say that her bloating could indeed be from the delayed

gastric emptying. But to continue her on so many meds for reflux,

etc. without knowing all of the dynamics he wasn't happy with.

Also, he did talk about pyloroplasty for . He said if she

shows major bacterial problems due to the delayed gastric emptying,

he would recommend discussing a pyloroplasty. If there isn't any

bacterial, then she is coping with the delayed gastric emptying well.

I know this is a big topic. He recommended the " top dog in gut

dysmotility " a Carlo something. Don't have it in front of me, at

Cleveland Children's Hospital. Said we should get him to speak at

next year's convention. He may not have a lot of experience with

RSS/SGA kids, but he is the world reknowned guy in gut dysmotility.

And Dr. Fred said he is the funniest guy and a great speaker.

Thoughts???? Would this be interesting to anyone???? Or a repeat

of the Spigland/Harbison/Ursea presentation from last year.

> Jen,

>

> I am really curious about this breath hydrogen test. It sounds

very

> similar to the testing for H. Pylori, very non invasive and easy.

> Why does the GI feel is having more gas and bloating? Why

> does he think it is related to a bacteria, and just not the

delayed

> gastric emptying. Very curious for selfish reasons. From what I

> can find on the net, sounds like the symptoms for the gas

producing

> bacteria is the same as the H. Pylori which Matt has a history of.

>

> Also, on the net they talk about different breath hydrogen tests,

> rice, lactose, etc. What kind are you doing?

>

> Beth