IBS and food allergies/sensitivities?? anybody else know about this??

Ive had IBS for many years nows and have never had any real solutions for my problem. I was recently told that IBS could be cause by food allergies and sensitivities.      Has any ever heard of this before?      None of my doctors have, but i have lost faith in them a while ago.     what do you think???

Definitely! Lactose intolerance, sugar alcohol (mannitol, sorbitol - anything ending in "itol") intolerance, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance...the list goes on and on. Food sensitivities are very common and should definitely be looked into for any gastrointestinal symptoms!

Your GI should be able to do breath tests for lactose and fructose intolerance...you might also see a naturopath or a nutritionist to try an elimination diet!

I have been reading a lot about the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle Washington and they talk a lot about food allergies (www.ibstreatmentcenter.com). I would love to see the doctor at this center but it is very expensive and must be paid for up front. I did however find the lab that they speak about on their website. The lab is US Biotek in Seattle Washington. You can order an at home test that will include 96 foods for $239 and add 48 spice and herbs for $275. I would love to try it but I am sick of spending money on trying to get well only to find no relief. If you do go for testing I would love to know the outcome and if you feel better.

The cheapest, surest way is to experiment by eliminating these things from your diet. If you feel better after the elimination, and then start taking them again one at a time and get your symptoms back...bingo! I had to experiment to find what bothered me. Doctors weren't willing to give me tests (saw no validity with them) and they were too costly. Sometimes tests come back false negative, so they may not help you. Good luck.

thank you for your input. Ive been doing a lot of research the past few days and found out some interesting things. Do you guys know anything about immune complex?? It seems to be an immune response to certain foods that trigger inflammation and can cause IBS. Has anyone heard of this response before?

I currently take probiotics and I have tested negative for yeast. Thats why I really feel something else is going on here. I am looking in to getting a blood test done for food sensitivies from one of the labs. Has anyone here had a test done? experience?

I suffer from IBS and Gord. The IBS is due to food intolerances. I only developed IBS and GORD due to the antidepressants and painkillers which I took for two years to help me deal with the pain of Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) The TMD was caused by my dentist being negligent in removing my wisdom tooth.

The only medicine which has helped me is chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture. I could not take the blood test to identify my food intolerances because I got to such a stage where I had an inflamed gallbladder and could not eat or drink. Thankfully I was able to do this hair test which identified the food I could not eat. Since I have avoided these foods I have been much better. I find that I only really suffer from IBS if my system is down or if I eat the wrong food. Unfortunately I have had to give up tea coffee fruit juices alcohol wheat yeast gluten pasta sugar MSG chocolate milk yoghurt cheese butter noodles. Gone are the days when I can have a mince pie, susage roll and a cup of tea at christmas

I was tested through US Biotek a few years ago and despite strict discipline with my diet, I did not get any better. At the begining of this year my doctor tested me through Sage Labs, as he himself had done the testing and seen great results. Sage labs seems to be the more accurate of the testing because I haven't felt this good in YEARS. The testing truely changed my life. It is more expensive than the other labs, but as my doctor pointed out you get what you pay for and your health isn't something you want to mess around with.

I did their standard IgG test which was $600 for 132 foods. I think they also offers an 88 food test, but I wanted to be sure I didn't miss anything.

US Biotek and Sage had some similarities, but they also had some differences. Sage also showed to be much more sensitive, picking up the smallest of reactions, resulting in me feeling so much better.

I used to be the same way, so much so I lost way too much weight and definately was not getting the nutrition that my body craved. By eating what is "right" for my body I am now able to eat without being in the bathroom for hours after, and I was able to put a healthy amount of weight back on, making me feel much better about myself. It's something I would definately recommend to everyone after the wonderful experience I had.

trac10,

Did you get the results of your food allergy testing from sage labs?  I am still considering having it done but is so expensive.  I have already spent a lot of money trying to get better.

Trac10

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better.  I have had my doctor send the orders and should be having my done soon.  I really hope this works for you.  Did the tests show that you were sensitive to many foods?  They did say it was really hard to stick to it but I will do it knowing I will feel better.