As I mentioned in the first post about my son’s dietary restrictions, I took him to our naturopathic doctor who tested a blood sample from my son’s finger for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies specific to different foods. The blood test was sent to Rocky Mountain Analytical laboratory. About three weeks later we got these results back. Here are his blood test results:
As you can see, my son tested positive for all dairy (first page) and for gliadin, gluten, rye, spelt, and whole wheat (fourth page). They are in the yellow (moderate and high IgG count) area. The other foods are in the green zone (low IgG) which means that he can safely continue to eat those foods.
Presence of IgG means that he has a particular food sensitivity (not a food allergy). This is a different test than the one done in the dermatologist’s office which checks for immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. IgE present in blood show the presence of a food allergy.
IgG food sensitivity is a delayed reaction, unlike an IgE food allergy, which is immediate. Symptoms of food sensitivity can occur hours or even days after consuming the food, which makes it more difficult to find a correlation between a symptom (or symptoms) and a particular food (or foods).
What I did to help my son heal:
- Removed gluten and dairy foods from his diet.
- Added a few supplements to his diet to help heal the leaky gut.
- Moisturizing cream applied to his legs twice a day (morning and evening).
I was lucky enough to find a cream with calendula for his legs that truly works for him. As I mentioned here, I tried many creams, (including olive oil and coconut oil), but only the calendula cream worked.
What happened:
- His behaviour improved (he is still a 5 year old boy, though).
- No more eye shiners.
- His eczema cleared up.
- His colds become less frequent and I don’t have to use a Ventolin puffer all the time. When I use the puffer I use it sparingly. During a cold, his breathing is fine, but the cough bothers him sometime. Thus, I give him the Ventolin puffer before he goes to bed to open up his airways so that he and I can have a restful sleep. But we have not gone to Emergency for his breathing since making these changes for which I am very, very grateful.
A little bit more about exactly how I removed gluten and dairy from my son’s diet:
- I make most of the food that he eats (including snacks and desserts).
- He eats fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, gluten free grains, and animal products.
- The packaged foods that he eats (such as rice crackers, Mary’s cookies) are labeled gluten free. Not many products are labeled dairy free, so I have to check the ingredients of each product for dairy.
- If the label says that the particular packaged product comes from a facility that handles gluten products, I still buy it, as my son does not have celiac disease and probably (as I can’t know for sure) his body can handle a little bit of gluten.
- When he went to preschool, he had a snack bag with food from home. His teacher knew not to give him any of the snacks that the other kids brought (as they each brought food by rotation). When my son’s turn came to bring a snack, I made gluten free and dairy free muffins or cupcakes and cut up celery or carrots. Sometimes the snack was homemade popcorn and apple slices.
- If we eat out, I used to ask the waiter prior to ordering whether what my son wants contains gluten and dairy. Now I know very well which foods he has to avoid and I only ask the waiter when I am unsure.
- If our friends offer my son something to eat, he is used to asking them whether it has gluten and dairy. If they don’t know, then he comes and asks me to make sure that the food is ok to eat.
- When my son goes to birthday parties, I ask the host in advance (sometimes the host asks all the guests in the invitation for dietary restrictions) if there are any gluten and dairy free options. Usually the host is kind enough to have some options. But if pizza and regular cake are served, then I know they are not safe for my son to eat and I bring backup options. My son does not eat many packaged foods at home (yes, I know he will probably catch up as a teenager), so he is very happy with almost any packaged snacks I bring for him.
- When we go to a friend’s house who I know does not have gluten and dairy snacks available, I make sure I bring snacks for all the kids. But by now, most of my friends know about my son’s dietary restrictions and are very kind and have plenty of gluten and dairy free options on hand.
Did you miss the first post where I talk about the symptoms that my son had when he was eating gluten and dairy foods? Here it is.
I also shared an update on where we are now with his gluten- and dairy-free diet. I tell you what happened when I reintroduced some gluten and dairy in my son’s diet. And what to do if you don’t want to do the blood test, but you still want to check if your child (or you) has a food sensitivity. I will also answer any questions that you send my way.
Have you or your child ever had a food-sensitivity blood test that checks for IgG? If yes, what was the result?
hi! im just wondering how much the food sensitivity tests from RMA cost?
Around 300 CAD.