To pay for an online intolerance test?

[TragicallyTrying]

I’m considering paying for a York test (not cheap!) to figure out what exactly is wrong with me. But I’m concerned about accuracy. I was diagnosed with IBS 15 years ago, however I can’t figure out my triggers at all as it seems to vary so much. My stomach is sore every single day, it growls and grumbles loudly through most meals and for a long time afterwards. Rich meals or high in dairy cause immediate diarrhoea as would an ice cream or latte. A bad attack is actually worse than labour with pain, nausea and sweating. I’ve been tested for coeliacs but it was negative. Buscopan or other prescription meds for IBS do absolutely nothing. Any doctor I’ve spoken with says just do a food diary and avoid triggers which I have tried but when I’m in pain around the clock whatever I eat it’s impossible to pin point it. Aside from the stomach issues, I always feel exhausted, no energy, yawning and I’m have frequent nausea. I’m so fed up 😔

Have they tested your thyroid? It sounds to me like there might be more than one thing going on, which is why it's so hard to identify the triggers.

My husband sounds very similar to you. He did a York test, to be honest I don't think it was worth it. It came back as wheat and lactose intolerance but he's tried cutting them out to little effect. He's lost so much weight and has so little energy that he's gone back to eating wheat and lactose. His stomach/gut seems to be the same. He's trying two recommend probiotics and seeing a NHS dietician instead.

Good luck. It's a really all-consuming problem that affects our daily lives so much.

Avoid avoid avoid! They are a load of rubbish, you will allergic to loads of random stuff according to them. See an actually qualified person (medical qualification not someone who does allergy testing on the side)

I assume you’ve tried low fodmap? It has medical evidence that it helps some people with ibs

These links are related to a particular website that follows a diet devised and approved by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit. A good dietitian trained in elimination diets is essential. However, you may find some resources here to help you. www.slhd.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/default.html I know there are dietitians in the UK but also, there are dietitians in Au that do Skype appointments. The fb links below will help you with that.

www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/support-factsheets/challenges

www.fedup.com.au/factsheets/symptom-factsheets/irritable-bowel-symptoms-ibs

www.facebook.com/groups/128458328536/

www.facebook.com/groups/380347182034474/

OP - not a Doctor by any stretch but it might be worth considering a condition called Bile Acid Malabsorption, as some patients diagnosed with IBS actually have this and some of the symptoms you mention ring a bell with me (I was diagnosed earlier this year).

Online allergy tests are bullshit and not in any way accurate, spend your money seeing a private doctor.

My gastroenterologist specialist I see at the hospital said that those tests are total nonsense.

York tests are utter bunkum.

Contact a proper nutritionist - I paid about £100 - and ask their advice. I did the FODMAP exclusion diet, and identified wheat, yeast and peas as my problems. Veey straightforward, if restrictive for a few months. I wouldn't recommend doing it alone or from online crap, as so much of that is bad information..

Another one for low fodmap. Life changing. I did mine via an NHS dietician and whilst restrictive, with a bit of imagination and determination you can make it work.
From there you can work out what to permanently avoid and what you can tolerate (and by how much).
I did an online test years ago and my dr was quite scathing at the time. Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for replies, I will avoid the expense of online testing then.
bridgetreilly yes had my thyroid tested but came back fine.
I’ve read up on the low fodmap diet but tbh I really don’t know where to start, there is so much information out there on it. I should perhaps look into it again.

All I’ve eaten today is a bowl of shreddies some mixed berries and a tuna sandwich and I’ve been bloated and really uncomfortable all day and so physically exhausted, it’s like someone could tell me the house is on fire and I’d feel like ‘urgh so I have to move’ kinda tired.

Shreddies make me really unwell - it's the wheat. You've then had more wheat in the sandwich.

Have a Google for nutritionists in your area.

I’d start the diary and do two weeks completely wheat and dairy free (do a few meals and just repeat them) then slowly reintroduce wheat and see what happens. Then the next week reintroduce dairy. Intolerance symptoms are notoriously hard to identify triggers becuaes there is often a delay before symptoms come. If you are like me you will go through years of toddler tantrums ‘nooo i don’t want to be intolerant’, ‘nooo i want to eat that’ before you finally accept and come to terms with your triggers and whats worth it and whats not. I really feel for you its awful. Try the allergy uk forums and helpline

It’s a waste of money. Ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian to do the ‘low FODMAP diet’. I have IBS and I’d had various tests done. Coeliac was negative despite knowing I was sensitive to wheat. I got referred and did low FODMAP. It’s an elimination diet where you cut out a lot then reintroduce things one at a time. I was amazed at how sensitive I was actually but I’m loads better now.

Gallstones? Mine presented with gastritis-like symptoms