What are your thoughts on Naturopathic-diagnosed food allergies?

[Impossibles]

My girlfriend recently went to a naturopathic doctor regarding some digestive problems she's had for years. We decided it would be a good thing to try because I don't think it can really do much harm and it is partly covered by our extended health insurance.

But now I'm getting a little leary because just after listening to her symptoms, the 'doctor' said its probably food allergies and likely an allergy to gluten. She is getting some bloodwork done and a gluten test, and I know she's going to get a big long list of foods she should avoid. I'm really concerned about eliminating gluten from our diets because I love breads and pastas.

Does anybody know how credible these diagnoses are? Any comments?

We'll try whatever they say for a while and see if there is any improvements, but I'm just wondering if anybody has any stories on the topic.

[kkl1208]

I have heard some good things on naturopathy. Especially dealing with allergies...some people found that once they cut certain things from their diet, their allergies became better and they even felt better as a whole ...but just like any professions, there are good ones, and bad ones, and if your girlfriend has been suffering from digestive problems for a long time. I would have to say ..why not just try it? Maybe it will help, maybe it won't, but what can you lose right?

[Impossibles]

I have heard some good things on naturopathy. Especially dealing with allergies...some people found that once they cut certain things from their diet, their allergies became better and they even felt better as a whole ...but just like any professions, there are good ones, and bad ones, and if your girlfriend has been suffering from digestive problems for a long time. I would have to say ..why not just try it? Maybe it will help, maybe it won't, but what can you lose right?

Hence the last sentance of my original post.

[OceanDrop]

i'm a little skeptical...my best friend went to one about 2 years ago, and came back being "allergic" to pretty much everything - milk, eggs, chocolate, peanuts... yet she had been eating these things her entire life with no obvious side-effects. anyway, it didn't help much, she still feel lethargic at times, but now she's terrified to go near some of her previously favourite foods since being diagnosed as allergic to them.
but i'm also ignorant on the subject, since her experience is the only one i know of.

[Keelie]

i'm a little skeptical...my best friend went to one about 2 years ago, and came back being "allergic" to pretty much everything - milk, eggs, chocolate, peanuts... yet she had been eating these things her entire life with no obvious side-effects. anyway, it didn't help much, she still feel lethargic at times, but now she's terrified to go near some of her previously favourite foods since being diagnosed as allergic to them.
but i'm also ignorant on the subject, since her experience is the only one i know of.

it depends on the severity of the allergy. if its not the 'dont eat it or you'll die' allergy, then its better to keep some of it in your system so it doesnt become one.

i have a food allergy and the dr. told me that if i didnt keep small amounts of it in my diet the reaction would worsen when i did eat it.

[marksman]

We'll try whatever they say for a while and see if there is any improvements, but I'm just wondering if anybody has any stories on the topic.

My wife has MS, and about 10 years ago she was told she would need to start doing daily injections of Interferon to deal with it. This had numerous negative side-effects, and would have cost thousands a month. Also, they have since found that this isn't necessarily a successful method of dealing with MS.

Instead of going with the injections, she went to a naturopath who diagnosed her with food allergies, and she changed her diet to avoid those foods (gluten, dairy, oranges, eggs, peanuts). At the time, the doctor's at the MS clinic told her she was crazy, and she really needed to start the injections.

Since she switched her diet, her health has improved 1000%! Her MS doctors have told her that whatever she is doing, keep it up, because it is working. It was a bit hard at first, but the sacrifices made are totally worth it.

I also have a friend who suffered from mind splitting migraine headaches. She was taking heavy duty medications to deal with the pain, and was unable to function at times. About 6 months ago, she was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, and advised to avoid gluten as much as possible. Since she has cut it out of her diet, she almost never experiences migraines, and even when she does, they are mild compared to what she had previously experienced.

[ariell]

First of all, going gluten free doesn't mean you cannot have bread or pasta. You can get rice pasta or bread among other choices. Just check at a health food store or even most grocery stores carry rice pasta now.

To answer your question, yes I do know people that have been helped by NDs. My sister had really severe eczema on her fingers for years -- dry, cracking, bleeding, very painful. Her MD gave her prescriptions for cortisone cream and corticosteroid pills which reduced the symptoms but it never went away completely. She eventually ditched the pills and creams and went to an ND who felt the problem was due to allergies (I believe gluten as well). So she was put on a diet that avoided the foods she was allergic to and within a few months she was completely symptom free. The first time in years. And she's stayed that way although she starts experiencing problems again when she starts eating some of the foods she's allergic to.

I also have a friend who had a (benign) pituitary tumor and was told she would never to be able to get pregnant (because of how the tumor affected her hormone levels). See went to see an ND and I don't know the exact specifics of what her treatment involved but I do know that it involved dietary change and supplements. And yes, she did get pregnant and has a healthy toddler.

And personally, my problems with fatigue and digestive complaints were hugely improved after seeing an ND.

I noticed your quotations around "doctor" which I took to mean you are questioning an ND's credentials. Just as an FYI, naturopaths are highly educated requiring at least 7 years of training. To even get in to do an ND training, you need at minimum a 3 year university degree in science with coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry etc. Then the 4 year program is very rigourous. So their training is similar if not longer than what an MD gets but their focus, however is on using natural methods to treat and treating the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.

As a simple example of treating symptoms vs. cause of the problems, let's say your car's engine suddenly started making noise. What do you do?
1. turn up your stereo so you don't hear the noise anymore
2. take your car to a mechanic to figure out the problem and get the engine fixed

Either one means you've "solved" the noise problem but only the 2nd one means you're actually dealing with the root of the problem. In #1, you're just treating the symptoms of the engine problem (the noise), essentially covering up the problem so you're not aware of it anymore. Similarly, alot of allopathic (western) medical treatment merely masks the problem so you're not bothered by the symptoms anymore. NDs look at the source of the problem.

NDs are also trained to take a more global view to see how one system can affect another. MDs are trained to look at things in isolation. Their training looks at systems in isolation -- cardiac system, respiratory system etc. Notice how there are so many MD specialists? So you have heart problems, you see a cardiologist, you have allergies, you see an allergist etc. But your body's systems can and do interact with each other so looking just at individual systems isn't always the best route.

So not to say that NDs are the answer to everything or to slam MDs (in fact my dad is an MD but has always been a great supporter of natural healing methods). But NDs are generally much much better at treating chronic problems (digestive problems, autoimmune problems etc.) than an MD is. MDs are better with acute problems (heart attack, broken bone, etc.)

And that ends my public service announcement for naturopathic doctors. Good luck.

[Draff]

First of all, going gluten free doesn't mean you cannot have bread or pasta. You can get rice pasta or bread among other choices. Just check at a health food store or even most grocery stores carry rice pasta now.

To answer your question, yes I do know people that have been helped by NDs. My sister had really severe eczema on her fingers for years -- dry, cracking, bleeding, very painful. Her MD gave her prescriptions for cortisone cream and corticosteroid pills which reduced the symptoms but it never went away completely. She eventually ditched the pills and creams and went to an ND who felt the problem was due to allergies (I believe gluten as well). So she was put on a diet that avoided the foods she was allergic to and within a few months she was completely symptom free. The first time in years. And she's stayed that way although she starts experiencing problems again when she starts eating some of the foods she's allergic to.

I also have a friend who had a (benign) pituitary tumor and was told she would never to be able to get pregnant (because of how the tumor affected her hormone levels). See went to see an ND and I don't know the exact specifics of what her treatment involved but I do know that it involved dietary change and supplements. And yes, she did get pregnant and has a healthy toddler.

And personally, my problems with fatigue and digestive complaints were hugely improved after seeing an ND.

I noticed your quotations around "doctor" which I took to mean you are questioning an ND's credentials. Just as an FYI, naturopaths are highly educated requiring at least 7 years of training. To even get in to do an ND training, you need at minimum a 3 year university degree in science with coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry etc. Then the 4 year program is very rigourous. So their training is similar if not longer than what an MD gets but their focus, however is on using natural methods to treat and treating the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.

As a simple example of treating symptoms vs. cause of the problems, let's say your car's engine suddenly started making noise. What do you do?
1. turn up your stereo so you don't hear the noise anymore
2. take your car to a mechanic to figure out the problem and get the engine fixed

Either one means you've "solved" the noise problem but only the 2nd one means you're actually dealing with the root of the problem. In #1, you're just treating the symptoms of the engine problem (the noise), essentially covering up the problem so you're not aware of it anymore. Similarly, alot of allopathic (western) medical treatment merely masks the problem so you're not bothered by the symptoms anymore. NDs look at the source of the problem.

NDs are also trained to take a more global view to see how one system can affect another. MDs are trained to look at things in isolation. Their training looks at systems in isolation -- cardiac system, respiratory system etc. Notice how there are so many MD specialists? So you have heart problems, you see a cardiologist, you have allergies, you see an allergist etc. But your body's systems can and do interact with each other so looking just at individual systems isn't always the best route.

So not to say that NDs are the answer to everything or to slam MDs (in fact my dad is an MD but has always been a great supporter of natural healing methods). But NDs are generally much much better at treating chronic problems (digestive problems, autoimmune problems etc.) than an MD is. MDs are better with acute problems (heart attack, broken bone, etc.)

And that ends my public service announcement for naturopathic doctors. Good luck.

Not all MD's are highly specialized. General internists, for instance, do not subspecialize. And I really don't think telling people with chronic problems to avoid seeing MD's is the best advice. Perhaps in some situations, but are you suggesting that people with heart disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, etc., should avoid seeing an MD?

[gordholio]

My opinion is that if you get the right naturopath, you may get help that you couldn't find with a medical doctor. Some naturopaths though can be a bit kooky and have some really kooky remedies. You just have to be careful and think about what is being prescribed.

[ariell]

Not all MD's are highly specialized. General internists, for instance, do not subspecialize. And I really don't think telling people with chronic problems to avoid seeing MD's is the best advice. Perhaps in some situations, but are you suggesting that people with heart disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, etc., should avoid seeing an MD?

I think you are misinterpreting what I said. I didn't say all MDs are specialists. But the phenomenon of specialization IS unique to allopathic medicine. On the contrarary, while you may find an ND that has interests in certain areas, you will be unlikely to find an ND that specializes only in a particular body system as that goes against naturopathic philosophy to treat the individual as a whole.

Also notice that I said generally NDs are better with chronic problems, MDs better with acute. It's not a hard and fast rule and certainly there can be overlap between the two, and yes, in the conditions you mention the 2 can work in conjunction. It doesn't have to be an either-or choice. That being said, I'm not suggesting people do or do not do anything with their health. I think everyone should choose whatever method they are most comfortable with.

[tkddad]

The only sure fire way to test food allergy is a
elimination/re-introduction trial. There are tons
of information in google.

The premise is really simple. For example, if you
suspect that you are allergic to milk, what you
do is to

1) eliminate ALL milk products for a week. Make
sure you read label on any processed products you
eat.

2) After a week, have your milk, ice cream, cheese
for a day.

3) If your symptom is gone for the week and comes
back when you re-introduce the food, BINGO.

4) Repeat for other suspected culprits.

After my wife gave up chocolate, the migraine that
she had to endure for years was gone.

[gmark2000]

Red wine and regular sex can also be a cure to many ailments.

[Jay01]

My girlfriend recently went to a naturopathic doctor

Is this covered by OHIP?

[Riffer]

The only sure fire way to test food allergy is a
elimination/re-introduction trial. There are tons
of information in google.

The premise is really simple. For example, if you
suspect that you are allergic to milk, what you
do is to

1) eliminate ALL milk products for a week. Make
sure you read label on any processed products you
eat.

2) After a week, have your milk, ice cream, cheese
for a day.

3) If your symptom is gone for the week and comes
back when you re-introduce the food, BINGO.

4) Repeat for other suspected culprits.

After my wife gave up chocolate, the migraine that
she had to endure for years was gone.

+1

[Kenny Blankenship]

umm, 3 year old thread