Anyone got their RAST test results handy?

[brandy77]

My son, 4, was tested 2.5 years ago and has a total IGE result of 16. I was told by the paed (who he doesnt see anymore as he was god awful) that the result was negative. Ive spoke to the dietician today about trying my son with egg and told her the result of the RAST , she said between 3.5 - 16 is regarded as HIGH for allergy.

Can anyone confirm for me please? I havent given him egg ever, he had the egg trace removed from anaesthetics as two prior anaesthetics he woke up with swollen lips/eyes

Thanks for any replies

I don't remember the exact figures, but I do remember that high is in the range that your dietician is talking about because my son was at the lower end of the "high" figures.

My son was 4.75 for egg, and touching it gave him hives, so 16 sounds pretty sensitive to me.

I would not be trying him with any egg based on the information you have given here, but suggest you seek clarification.

thankyou mawbroon, i think il ask for him to be retested as they may have even given me the wrong results, had that before with his other problems. thanks againx

really sorry to hyjack, but REALLLLY need to know...

My DS5 had a normal blood test done and was tested for wheat allergy and the number that i was given was 13 (or 13 and a tiny bit) would that be the same scale? she also gave me a number for milk, get the feeling it was around 9, but i may have transposed the numbers (not that it matters in this instance).

I ask because the Paed said that it was fine and the dietician mentioned 'raised' levels without me even asking...

is the rast test a special test or does it just describe the blood tests for allergies of varying descriptions ie wheat, milk etc.

RAST tests measure the levels of the IgE antibody in the blood (gE is the antibody resomsible for most allergic reactions). You can either get a generalised reading - ie for the total amount of antibody in the blood or for the amount of IgE for a specific protein (eg eggs, peanut, milk protein etc).

Whether a particular reading is classed as high, medium or low depends on the food stuff in question.

So for peanut, the scale is (approximately)

Normal

Sorry first line should read "(IgE is the antibody responsible for most allergic reactions)

thank you, that was very well explained i get that now - it had been confusing me slightly. will go google...

Hi. I think the Total IgE score is quite different to the specific IgE scores. DD's total IgE score was 36, and according to the report we were given the normal range (presumably for a non-allergic child?) is less than 15. However her IgE levels for specific allergens were all less than 3, even the ones they counted as "positive" results.

Brandy7, when your paed told you the result was negative I guess he meant because it was only just above the normal range. Whereas maybe the dietician thought you were talking about the specific result for egg?

I don't really understand the reason for this difference though - maybe someone else can explain? I'll post a new thread if not. thanks!

gosh I didn't know that. I guess I am lucky because DS only has one allergy and I haven't come across a "total" IgE score.

Yes, I think that is right cuppachar.

Total IgE is a measure of how much IgE there is generally in the blood from everything you might have a problem with (effectively how 'allergic' you are at that moment). When we were considering having a food challenge for dd they did a total IgE test - it was just after an anaphylactic reaction to another food and it was essentially to see if her body had 'calmed down' enough to be challenged. Hers was normal too, whereas the tests for milk etc were certainly above the normal range. Two different things, I think.