Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Scratch Test For Food Allergies

Caseysmommy

Recommended Posts

Caseysmommy Apprentice
Caseysmommy
Posted

Wondering if anyone else had to get a scratch test on there toddler? How does it go does it hurt. Also do you know how much it is. I have a high deductable so my insurance dosent cover it. Also I have already put her on Gluten free and she has approved but now seems to react to other foods, Watermelon, tomatoes, vinager to name a few. Any advice. Angie

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Cinnamon Apprentice
Cinnamon
Posted

No, the scratch test doesn't hurt at all. I had 3 of my kids tested and they weren't bothered in the least, and I just had it done Friday and it's quite painless. Don't know how much it costs since I haven't got the bill yet, but I've heard it's inexpensive.

It may not show anything, since celiac is an IgA reaction and the scratch test only checks for IgE reactions .There are also IgG food reactions, which are harder to diagnose. So if she comes out negative, that doesn't mean all is well with her and gluten. If she's improved on a gluten free diet, that tells you something right there. It doesn't tell you whether it's an IgA or IgG or IgE reaction, but it does show an intolerance to gluten, at least.

It's great that you are finding this out so early in her life! You'll be able to spare her a lot of difficulties. My son was 10 and daughter 11 before we finally figured out what was wrong.

Cinnamon Apprentice
Cinnamon
Posted

Whoops, you didn't say whether Casey is a boy or girl and I assumed girl, since I know a girl Casey. My apologies if it's a he and not a she!

Amyleigh0007 Enthusiast
Amyleigh0007
Posted

I had the scratch test done. It did not hurt although not touching the spots where the oil is would be hard for a toddler. I just got my statement and it was $280.

Juliebove Rising Star
Juliebove
Posted

My daughter had it done at about age 3 and again recently at age 10. At age 3 they did her arm. At age 10 they did her back. The hardest part was keeping her still for the 20 minutes or so it took to wait for a reaction. It wasn't fun but it didn't hurt.

Caseysmommy Apprentice
Caseysmommy
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your replies it makes me feel better that it dosent hurt. Also Casey is a girl.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

I've had two - the scratches on the back didn't hurt, though some of them tickled *a lot*, and you can't move, so I wouldn't describe it as pleasant! (it was in the lower area, and I had a *lot* of scratches.) they followed up with subdermal testing, however, which was not painless (it's a shot of the allergen under the dermis), so it's worth asking the allergist about how much testing they're going to be doing.

(and, of course, allergy testing won't detect food intolerances and chemical sensitivities, only allergies.)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 2 weeks later...
jillb Rookie
jillb
Posted
Thank you for your replies it makes me feel better that it dosent hurt. Also Casey is a girl.

You may want to research mast cell entercolitis. This is what I have and it includes gluten intolerance and problems with tomatoe, vinegar, fermented food, chocolate, coffee, aged foods. I guess it is genetically related to celiac. I am on antihistamines which helps alot.

ECD Newbie
ECD
Posted

I have to get scratch testing done soon, so I'm glad to hear it doesn't hurt even though I'm 23 and not 3 :) Sitting still for twenty minutes, combined with itchy hives, is what I've been told is the most difficult part. Maybe you could bring some books or something that'll keep her distracted but less wiggly?

mindwiped Rookie
mindwiped
Posted

I'll agree that it doesn't hurt, I've had the whole environmental series ran twice, but I found it incredible that both times they managed to get the allergens I'm most sensitive to right under where the bra's straps go. My allergist had a 'no itch' spray for after it was all said and done, and I took oral benedryl AFTER it was done (don't take before, it'll mess up the results). The hardest part is to lay still and not scratch.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to ainsleydale1700's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @ainsleydale1700! First, it is very unlikely, given your genetic results, that you have celiac disease. But it is not a slam dunk. Second, there are some other reasons besides having celiac disease that your blood antibody testing was positive. There are some diseases, some medications and even (for some people...
    2. ainsleydale1700
      - ainsleydale1700 replied to ainsleydale1700's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      Thank you, that is helpful!
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to ainsleydale1700's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      HLA testing can definitely be confusing. Classic celiac disease risk is most strongly associated with having the full HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 heterodimer, which requires specific DQA1 and DQB1 genes working together. Your report shows you are negative for the common DQ2 and DQ8 combinations, but positive for DQB102, which is one component of the DQ2 pair. On its...
    4. Aretaeus Cappadocia
      - Aretaeus Cappadocia replied to Thoughtidjoin's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      4

      Dried Chickpeas

      I agree with your post and have had similar experiences. I'm commenting to add the suggestion of also using nutritional yeast as a supplement. It's a rich source of B vitamins and other nutrients, and some brands are further supplemented with additional B12. I sprinkle a modest amount in a variety of savory recipes.
    5. ainsleydale1700
      - ainsleydale1700 posted a topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      3

      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      Hi, could someone help me understand the result of my gene test? DQ2 (DQA1 0501/0505,DQB1 02XX): Negative DQ8 (DQA1 03XX,DQB1 0302): Negative The patient is positive for DQB1*02, one half of the DQ2 heterodimer. The doctor said I don't have Celiac genes. I asked him to clarify about my positive DQB1*02, and he said it's a gene unrelated...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,434
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    LexiBusch
    Newest Member
    LexiBusch
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @ainsleydale1700! First, it is very unlikely, given your genetic results, that you have celiac disease. But it is not a slam dunk. Second, there are some other reasons besides having celiac disease that your blood antibody testing was positive. There are some diseases, some medications and even (for some people) some foods (dairy, the protein "casein") that can cause elevated celiac blood antibody test scores. Usually, the other causes don't produce marginally high test scores and not super high ones. Having said that, by far, the most common reason for elevated tTG-IGA celiac antibody test scores (this is the most common test ordered by doctors when checking for celiac disease) is celiac disease itself. Please post back and list all celiac blood antibody tests that were done with their scores and with their reference ranges. Without the reference ranges for negative vs. positive we can't tell much because they vary from lab to lab. Third, and this is an terrible bum steer by your doc, for the biopsy results to be valid, you need to have been eating generous amounts of gluten up to the day of the procedure for several weeks.  Having said all that, it sounds most likely that you have NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) as opposed to celiac disease. The two share many common symptoms but NCGS is not autoimmune in nature and doesn't damage the lining of the small bowel. What symptoms do you have? Do you have any blood work that is out of norm like iron deficiency that would suggest celiac disease?
    • ainsleydale1700
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By ainsleydale1700 · Posted

      Thank you, that is helpful! 
    • Scott Adams
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      HLA testing can definitely be confusing. Classic celiac disease risk is most strongly associated with having the full HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 heterodimer, which requires specific DQA1 and DQB1 genes working together. Your report shows you are negative for the common DQ2 and DQ8 combinations, but positive for DQB102, which is one component of the DQ2 pair. On its own, DQB102 does not usually form the full DQ2 molecule most strongly linked to celiac disease, which is likely why your doctor said you do not carry the typical “celiac genes.” However, genetics are only part of the picture. A negative gene test makes celiac disease much less likely, but not absolutely impossible in rare cases. More importantly, both antibody testing and biopsy are only reliable when someone is actively eating gluten; being gluten-free for four years before testing can cause both bloodwork and intestinal biopsy to appear falsely negative. Given your positive antibodies and ongoing symptoms, it may be reasonable to seek clarification from a gastroenterologist experienced in celiac disease about whether proper gluten exposure was done before testing and whether additional evaluation is needed.
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Dried Chickpeas

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      I agree with your post and have had similar experiences. I'm commenting to add the suggestion of also using nutritional yeast as a supplement. It's a rich source of B vitamins and other nutrients, and some brands are further supplemented with additional B12. I sprinkle a modest amount in a variety of savory recipes.
    • ainsleydale1700
      Confused about HLA-DQ Celiac gene test result

      By ainsleydale1700 · Posted

      Hi, could someone help me understand the result of my gene test? DQ2 (DQA1 0501/0505,DQB1 02XX): Negative DQ8 (DQA1 03XX,DQB1 0302): Negative The patient is positive for DQB1*02, one half of the DQ2 heterodimer.  The doctor said I don't have Celiac genes.  I asked him to clarify about my positive DQB1*02, and he said it's a gene unrelated to Celiac.  I have all the symptoms and my bloodwork is positive for antibodies, despite being on a gluten-free diet for the past 4 years.  He also did a biopsy but told me to continue a gluten-free diet and not eat gluten before the biopsy.  Based on the gene test and biopsy (which came back negative) he ruled out Celiac, leaving me very confused.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.