Allergy testing

[cjsmith]

I went in today to be tested for allergies to 1) serotonin and 2) lots of common foods.

I'm apparently allergic to every substance they tested. This includes about 80% of what's legal for me to eat, on this diet that's already so restrictive I can barely have a social life.

The woman who did the testing tried to tell me to eliminate these foods for six weeks, or at least make the portions of them smaller. I told her I was already down nine pounds and I wasn't going to eliminate a damn thing.

She said maybe I could substitute. I pointed to where the substitutions sheet suggested other things I was either allergic to or couldn't have on the current diet. She suggested things I hadn't been tested for. I said looking at the sample set, it's reasonable to infer that I'm allergic to many of those too, and since we don't know which ones, it's kind of pointless.

I told her I felt fine other than the joint pain. She said chronic food allergy can cause inflammation that could explain the joint pain. I said my pain had never responded to anti-inflams of any kind, including some pretty strong ones, so it was reasonable to conclude my pain is not inflammatory in nature.

So I'm ignoring it.

There's nothing else to do really.

I want my $625 back.

I am seriously considering never going to another doctor again. All they've done for me is take my money, make my life miserable with "noninvasive" approaches, and fail to get results. I HAVE HAD IT.

Comments

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

man, that sucks :( i'm with you, though - it seems dead unlikely that you're *actually* allergic to everything and its dog. *hug*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it? Wouldn't you think I'd have LESS energy and vivaciousness and vigor rather than, oh, always been way above average on those for my age? Wouldn't you think I'd have SOME other weird health problem, not just mysterious symmetric pain in four small joints that show no damage?

I won't pretend I had no reaction to serotonin. That made a big ol' red splotch all over my shoulder. But the rest of it can go hang.

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

do you have any exposure to serotonin in the normal course of events?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHA I like the way you think. Rob and I could do our own set of desensitization exercises.

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

Actually, if you want to dump extra serotonin in your body, take some 5-HTP and see what happens.

It is the precursor to serotonin and available over the counter. Some folks with depression use it to help manage depression. You could dose with some, and see what transpired, if you are willing to do that experiment.

(I have done that experiment and also one with a dopamine precursor. That was not a fun experiment.)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh awesome. I absolutely am willing, though I'll schedule carefully. What kind of timeframe is likely for any kind of results there? Same day I take it, same hour, ...?

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Ask mikz about his taking 5-HTP. Apparently he found out fairly quickly it wasn't right for him, and he probably had enough serotonin in his brain naturally.

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

mikz took 5-HTP once and found out it messed with his moods and made him irritable. I take that as a sign that his natural serotonin levels are good where they're at, and more is bad for him.