Article 70666 of sci.med:
Newsgroups: alt.med.allergy,sci.med
Path: bigblue.oit.unc.edu!concert!gatech!swrinde!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!rogoff
From: rogoff@netcom.com (Carolyn Rogoff)
Subject: Re: Strange Allergy Test (was: Naturopath allergy testing weirdness )
Message-ID: <rogoffCqvxwo.DFD@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <2sfmae$6d2@zikzak.apana.org.au> <2sgtnj$3j8@hpscit.sc.hp.com> <1994Jun2.163946.9603@nlm.nih.gov>
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 18:26:48 GMT
Lines: 41
Xref: bigblue.oit.unc.edu alt.med.allergy:307 sci.med:70666

>> And I thought the allergy test I had was "strange".
>
>> Has anyone else had an allergy test, where the doctor draws blood, and
>> then tests the blood to determine the allergies.
>
>This is often referred to as "cytotoxic" allergy testing. It has failed
>miserably in every good research study that I have read, and I would consider
>it completely unreliable. The only good tests for allergy that we know of

I think cytotoxic testing is illegal now, but I am extremely grateful
that I had a chance at it.  I am one of those people who have many
annoying allergies, rather than One That Kills You.  The testing done
with my blood tested a couple hundred allergens, and yes, they put a 
drop of each in contact with a drop of my blood and watched the white
blood cells react.  It found allergens I had been searching for for
years--that didn't sound right, did it?  (^;  Things like vanilla and
cream of tartar--products which I would never have eaten without a 
dozen other ingredients at a time.  Believe me, I've tested those
results, they were right on.  What wasn't accurate was the degree of
reaction.  In other words, my printout listed how severe the reaction
was for each allergen.  This might have been accurate based upon how
severely the white cells blew up, but I found no correlation with 
gross reaction.  

I later found  an M.D. (really) who first tries to treat his patients
with vitamin supplements and homeopathically, before resorting to
the usual steroids or whatever.  He performs miracles.  Anyway,
he told me that the reason the FDA banned cytotoxic testing was that
anyone with a lab was doing it and there was too much sloppy and
inaccurate testing going on.  

For what it's worth...

 - Carolyn


-- 
=================================================================

         **Bhavam, Ragam, Talam, NATYAM!**

=================================================================
Carolyn Rogoff, Los Angeles, California
rogoff@netcom.com


