Long story short (ish). Been suffering with feeling pretty ropey for approx 4 years now, had various tests and checks with GP, diagnosed IBS. Had back issues, been through physio who has discharged saying in their opinion what I described is an inflamation type issue. Been keeping a food diary for a while and was fairly sure there was a link to certain foods.

Decided to stump up and pay for a york test both allergy and intolerances. Results have come back. moderate allergic reaction to dust (expected) horse dander (?) and minor reaction to Soy. This could explain the occasional times I have tightening across the neck / breathing issues.

Then the food intolerance….100/100 for milk and egg white. high reactivity to goat and sheep milk, carrot, gojji berry, beef, yeast, flax, egg yolk, and borderline to gluten, nutmeg, peppercorn, wheat, bay leaf, lamb, goat and curry powder

So, on one hand it is now nice to have some tests to back up what I thought was going on, however lookign at that list is depressing me. I’m basically going to have to live on rice 🙁

Next step is a session with a nutritionist and I suspect a elimination diet to sort things out.

So – anyone been through this? Experiences?

The thing I am really confused about, is I was fine with food for the previous 30+ years or so, no issues, and now I have problems. its weird. Also my symptoms range from traditional IBS through to waking up feeling like I literally have been beaten up with massive headaches. Seems to be no direct link I can pin on food. For sure milk is making me fart like a trooper within hours of consumption so I was pretty certain that would be on the list, but the rest is somewhat of a surprise.

Can intolerant foods work together to create worse symptoms? I’m fine on eggs 90% of the time, and then for no reason I can tell, I eat them and I feel terrible / sick.

i cut milk and cream out of my diet about 5-6 yrs ago and feel far better as a result.

cheese/butter/chocolate seem ok as long as not too much so it’s not complete intolerance. the rise of the vegan mean that there are plenty of alternatives but vegan cheese is awful.

recently pinpointed dark chocolate and waking up with a hangover-like headache as well, so that’s gone.

The York Test is not supported by robust evidence that the positives it throws up are actually representative of anything meaningful in terms of actual health.

IgG Food Intolerance Tests: What does the science say?

If you were fine with various foods for 30+ years, this is even more reason to be sceptical of test results which suggest you may react badly to such a wide spectrum of normal dietary components.

By all means try an elimination diet for dairy/egg to see if it improves matters – especially if you are under the supervision of a proper nutritionist to make sure that any changes are not going to cause unintended consequences.

Interested in why you think the back issues may be linked – what symptoms are you suffering in terms of pain/headache/muscle tightness?

Read ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome’ + ‘Nourishing Traditions’ and then heal thy guts. Anything that is done can be undone – the body will sort itself out if you let it, so have hope.

Sugar – hurts stomach and joints. Causes me all sorts of issues – took me years to figure it out.

Aye, gluten and deadly nightshades for me. Similar feelings to yourself….had a test came out that gluten was the biggest intolerance…i cut it out and that ‘veil’ started to lift. Mostly feel hugely better now, but if i have gluten via a quick pint or sandwich the next day i remember why i steer clear of it!

I did a Teams call with a wonderful nutritionist based in the north west (can give you her name if you want vis DM). I paid for some tests and my gut microbiome was way off….she suggested a period on a range of probiotics and i felt incredible within a week. I’m full of beans and no longer suffer from things like psoriasis and hay fever!

Milk intolerant here also intolerant to Onions/garlics/leaks those families of food. Eliminate dairy first, its always the biggest one and hardest to cut out i.e. cheese…

I’d see a dietician instead of a nutritionist. Any one can become a nutritionist with a modicum of certificates and minimal actual training.

I’d see a dietician instead of a nutritionist.

I meant this too. I get the two confused occasionally.

Humans are sensitive beasts, TBH.
I’ve NOT got any formal allergy (to food..), but if I eat bread or drink milk it makes me a bit ‘gutty’.
I reckong we’ve all got a form of IBS of some degree and another.

But… TBH the test you did isn’t worth the paper it’s written on unfortunately.
They’re pretty much BLX.

Have a look at http://www.shayahealth.com/resources/Stanford-University-Low-FODMAP-Diet-Handout.pdf.pdf for some foodgroups that can bloat etc..

Now..dieticians often berate me for giving this to patients as technically to trial a low FODMAP diet you need specialist detician inout – this would be great if there were more than 2 of them serving the south of England….
Anyway…

I’d ignore the horoscope levely pseudo science that you mentioned in the OP, and trial an exclusion diet.

DrP

It’s oranges for me. It took ages to find out. I used to think it was air conditioning that gave me flu-like symptoms (because 25 years ago there was only air con on planes, hotels and meeting rooms, and you would be plied with OJ when there). So when I had these nasty flu-like symptoms I would do what any sensible person would – dose myself with vitC – mostly in the form of orange juice. It would take ages to go away…

Fortunately the lemons and limes I consume copiously in Margaritas and Caipirinhas don’t give me any trouble apart from a bit of a fuzzy head next morning.

When I cut out bread, pasta and pizza (I don’t eat cereal or potatoes mid-week) I feel healthier, but not to the point where I would give them up at weekends.

@jolmes – I’m sorry, but must correct you there. Like most things most life not all nutritionists are created equal. The lady who treated me, was at the top of her game and lectures all over the UK to professional bodies including GP’s and private doctors. What she talked about was mind blowing that exceeding any interaction i’ve ever had with any dietician. To say that ‘anyone can become a nutritionist with a modicum of certificates’ i feel is hugely insulting.

I’m basically going to have to live on rice

Also potatoes. Learn to love them 😉
(I know all about potatoes & rice – I’m coeliac)

… deadly nightshades for me.

Yeah I also don’t do well eating deadly nightshade! I have woody nightshade in the garden, pretty and not quite so, uh, deadly. Maybe it’s worth a taste…

Thanks for the comments so far, I had read comments about the scientific validity of the tests, however I’ve also spoken to a dozen or so people now over the years who have all used it, elimated the findings from their diet and it sorted their issues. £200 is’nt pocket money to part with, hence why it took me this long to do it.

It might be coincidence but most of the top things in the report I had already identified as highly likely to be causing me issues via a food diary. So maybe its rubbish, but has helped me to come round to the fact I do need to do the elimination diet properly, rather than do it a bit, and then think sod it I’ll have an ice cream

As for the symptoms, they really are varied which is why I think I’m reacting different to different things. It ranges from the IBS / bloat, toilet troubles, which is usually milk – through to waking up feeling massively hungover/beaten up barely able to function which I think it beef. Physio symptoms my lower abs / back really tighten to the point where is causes spasms in the lower and upper back. I think probably due to a very unhappy tummy. I also on occasions get the need to just go to sleep, massive headache. 10 min power nap normally improves situation drastically. Just fighting though makes it ten times worse. Maybe those are migraines, I have spotted a correlation with food. Description of a veil up there is also apt, I can get confused, struggle with words, and co-ordination. But again, only very occassionally.

so overall a whole heap of crap going on, that I’d rather just disappear and get me back to when I used to jump out of bed ready for the day….

Physio symptoms my lower abs / back really tighten to the point where is causes spasms in the lower and upper back. I think probably due to a very unhappy tummy. I also on occasions get the need to just go to sleep, massive headache.

Or vice versa. Did your physio find muscle tightness/spasm in the neck/shoulder also?

I’ve got the gadget that measures breath results (FODMOP)

Home

It’s never actually thrown anything up for me and the gadget itself was pernickety.

But is still worth looking into, as it was fairly new when I got it.

I’ve had various issues over the years that I’m pretty sure stem from a bad gut. (Serious dose of antibiotics in my 20’s that wiped me out).

After trying everything I started taking more interest in my gut and its ‘biome’ and I feel generally better for it now. Still have some amazing days when I think whats happening here (!), followed by a crash for a week but its slowly levelling out.

Recently read ‘the Diet myth’ by Tim Spector which lays out all the current thinking and debunks a few myths. Theres a lot in there that makes sense.

Good luck.