Author Topic: Does allergy/ intolerance testing on hair really work? Any experiences?  (Read 5926 times)

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Offline KathrynK

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I've been trying for months to get to the cause of Sophie's persistent night cough which reappears every couple months and lasts for ages, it's just awful. The dr's think it's not "proper" asthma (dh & 2 of his brothers have asthma, I have eczema & hayfever so we are very atopic!)

The owner of her day nursery does allergy testing and offered to do Sophie, so I gave a lock of her hair. It came back saying she has an intolerance to citrus fruits, pork products, and an intolerance or allergy to all dairy products. I was astonished as I thought with a dairy allergy her symptoms would be obvious, like lo's with MPI rashes, etc.

Have googled a bit about this kind of testing and it seems the medical profession are a bit sceptical, so I don't feel I can talk to my GP about it. Any experiences to offer?
thanks
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Offline Mydreamcametrue

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Re: Does allergy/ intolerance testing on hair really work? Any experiences?
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2008, 20:08:30 pm »
I have never done this before, but I am sure your hair can tell a lot.  I know they can do drug test and stuff with your hair.  Something like it stays in your hair for longer.  Did she have problems with milk as a baby?  Maybe like the drug test, since it is still her same hair as a baby, it is still showing that. 

The medical profession does not care for alternative testing/medicine.  I have talked to my doctor about the Carroll Food Intolerance Test that I had done on my son and they know NOTHING about it and only look at true allergies.

I do know that Asthma can be linked to asthma though.  I just talked to a mother at my son's Ped office and her 2 year old has a constant cough, want sleep, etc.  They are treating her for asthma, but also think it is milk related.  She said since she had switched her to soy milk, she has been doing better, but still needs to cut out all traces of dairy too.

I think it would be worth a shot.  My only personal experience is the test we had on my son.  He showed intolerance to Potato's and fruit and sugar within a 4 hour period.

Since cutting out potato's, his gas vanished.  I have been playing around with the fruit and sugar combo lately just to see.  Today I gave him yogurt and some fruit.  Of course the yogurt has sugar in it and he now has a rash on his face, well the bumps on his face are worse.

So for me personally I do believe in alternative testing because I have seen true results with my son.

Let me know what you decide to do. 
Wendy -

Zach - 3 1/2 yrs old. My sweet, loving, gentle boy that loves playing in the dirt!

Tyler - 17 months.  My very very spirited little boy.  Can't turn your back for a minute.  He is doing the cutest things now!  Loves to eat and climb!

Offline Mashi

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Re: Does allergy/ intolerance testing on hair really work? Any experiences?
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2008, 20:16:05 pm »
Well, I know that I am *always* sceptical of things until I have read enough about them to make up a good opinion, and when it comes to alternative medicine I am usually wary until I see results.  In your case, I know if it was me, I wouldn't take her word for it, but use it as a starting point.  As in, take one of the things that she has said, like citrus, read up on the signs of the allergies, and start eliminating it.  Watch for any improvements.  Then move onto the next, etc.

As for the MPI, you are right about rashes and things, but one of my sister's LOs (all 3 were milk allergic or intolerant) still has a milk allergy at 8 years old, but it did take my sister a while to realise it because his rashes are sooo subtle sometimes that she hadn't noticed them enough to make the connection.  She notices it more in his temperment than anything, which is one of those things that only a mother would notice and that a lot of doctors would brush off as being one of a million other things, iykwim?


Offline KathrynK

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Re: Does allergy/ intolerance testing on hair really work? Any experiences?
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2008, 20:32:10 pm »
thanks guys
I do know what you mean, she has some days where she is constipated, and others where her bowels are really loose, and there seems to be no good reason for it. She has days where her eczema is fine, almost clear, and then a flare- up and again I can't see an obvious reason for it. Also she is generally very angel/ textbook, but has days where she is an absolute horror- often it's because she is tired, but sometimes there just seems to be no real reason so now I am starting to wonder whether it's diet- related.

I think I'll leave things as they are for the next couple weeks, with christmas and her birthday fast approaching, and try some sort of elimination early in the New Year.
thanks again
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Offline Mydreamcametrue

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Re: Does allergy/ intolerance testing on hair really work? Any experiences?
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2008, 19:26:25 pm »
I think all kids have good and bad days.  I know with my DS1 there are times he is the BEST thing in the world, but if he is not well rested, It is a totally different child. 

I agree though, get through the holidays and her b-day happy and then maybe start looking into it. 


Wendy -

Zach - 3 1/2 yrs old. My sweet, loving, gentle boy that loves playing in the dirt!

Tyler - 17 months.  My very very spirited little boy.  Can't turn your back for a minute.  He is doing the cutest things now!  Loves to eat and climb!