Muscle Testing & food allergies?? Is this for real?? - Allergies Message Board

Skylar_ · 04-29-2007, 09:44 AM

I've suffered since 2005 with severe acid reflux, general fatigue, joint aches, mental fog, and general feeling blah. I've seen multiple docs (including allergist who said I am allergic to molds but not foods according to scratch tests). I've taken acid reflux medication without relief.

In desperation I saw a chiropracter who used applied kinesiology to "diagnose" me through muscle testing with food allergies. He makes a big deal to say they are allergies, not intolerances and that I must completely eliminate wheat, dairy and soy from my diet for life. He thinks these allergies are the cause of all my symptoms. I've given this strict diet a go for the last 3 months and do not notice much difference other than the loss of ~15 pounds.

Does anyone have more information/experience with muscle testing and food allergies? Is it for real??? Thanks!!

Alagaesia · 04-29-2007, 11:47 PM

A true allergy to food means that if you were actually allergic to a piece of food you would die if you didn't get to a hospital in time. Most people have food intolerences. What are your reactions to those foods? Do you just get hives or redness or do you have trouble breathing? I have GERD and I have the same symptoms you mentioned. I'm doing well now. At first I was taking digestive enzymes and chlorophyll and it did help for a while. It wasn't enough though. I started taking zinc and that's totally helped. I guess I had a zinc deficiency. I don't want to take too much zinc so I only take it after my first 2 meals of the day. After that I take apple cider vinegar pills. I feel great now.

Sannah · 04-30-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alagaesia

A true allergy to food means that if you were actually allergic to a piece of food you would die if you didn't get to a hospital in time.

I would disagree with this. I think an allergist would say you have an allergy if you have IgE antibodies for the allergen. My daughter had IgG antibodies for food so the allergist said that it wasn't an allergy but I had to stick her with an epipen once anyway! I would think that the IgG reactions are just an immune reaction. The IgE are the classic allergy antibodies.

mkgbrook · 04-30-2007, 10:57 AM

Dito Sannah.

You can have an allergy that has not manifested to leathal reactions yet.. An allergy is a immunological response from your body which results in your body producing histamines in response to exposure to said allergen. This can also occur when exposed to some irritants and pollutants if ones system is sensitive enough. In most cases people with allergies live in a hyperactive immunological state and must take anti-histamines to prevent/minimize allergic flare ups and reactions.

Death is not the only allergic side effects.. rashes, asthma, skin irritation and dryness, mouth ulcers, running noses, sore throats, swollen lymph nodes and many other sysmptoms can signify allergies... Also many small allergic responses to the exposure to too many allergens can aggrevate the whole system into an immunological overdrive state that can only be reset by application of steriods for a period of time. These are also referred to as auto-immune disease responses.

With regard to muscle testing.. never heard of it.. I have heard of and done.. the scratch testing, blood testing, and prolonged skin contact testing for allergies. Each allows for differest aspects to be evaluated.

Wheat and lactose are common allergens in many people. It is also proven that you may have a food allergy and not test positive for it unless you ingest it. My food allergies are that way.. only my yeast, wheat, and iodine showed up by normal studies.. I had to orally expose my self and monitor the histamine response after oral indegestion to confirm.. the strawberry, muchroom, coconut/oil/acid and a few other nuts. The reaction was quite dramatic and undeniable.

Trust your gut.. and if you are not on an anti-histamine.. go for OTC Clartin if you MD won't right you a script for something like Zyrtec/Allegra.

Sincerely,
MG

Skylar_ · 05-02-2007, 04:39 PM

Thank you all for your replies. I have had scratch testing and showed no food allergies. I do not have any symptoms that I know of after consuming wheat, dairy or soy, thus it was a complete surprise to me when the chiropracter/kinesiologist said my "food allergies" were wreaking havoc on my system and causing the acid reflux. He said I needed to stop eating these items for life and that I could have "leaky gut syndrome", which allows food proteins that my body can't digest to "leak" into my blood stream and cause an allergy. He said if I did not stop consuming these items that my immune system would crash and I'd develop an autoimmune disorder such as Lupus.

This all sounded a bit fishy to me, but I'd like to hear the opinions of others....