I've only experienced the standard allergy tests: ragwood, house dust etc. I
highly recommend that you do empirical testing, i.e., try the suspect foods in a
controlled environment. I firmly believe our medical practioner's are doing
their best but are, on average, in over their heads. I visited specialists for
sinus problems and food intolerances (different doctors). I had to self-diagnose
that my problems went beyond lactose intolerance. I felt generally lousy for
almost a year and suffered through 4 serious sinus infections a year for 3
years. My life improved dramatically in Jan 97 when I realized that my problems
were related to milk products. As soon as I stopped eating anything with milk in
it, I immediately felt better. My only sinus infection  in 1997 came from a very
bad summer cold. My post nasal drip is much less a problem (and relates directly
to reduced incidence of sinus infections). The sad part was I was drinking 99%
lactose free milk, and regularly using lactaid pills. So, I'm a firm believer in
taking control of your own destiny.
[A big breakthrough for me was information on the UK Vegetarian website. It
explained that you can have some of the symptoms of food allergy but not have
the full-blown problem. That explained many of my problems].

In fairness to the medical profession, I believe our bodies are so complex, and
the individual differences so great, that it's almost impossible for them to
treat out-of-the ordinary food allergies and intolerances.  I suspect there are
some specialists who do a good job, but they are a small minority. You have to
be pleased if you find one.

I hope this helps.

|\
|/ON

> Thanks for the reply and warning.  So, does that mean that *positive*
> results can also be false?
>
> I'm asking  because my son was positive on his RAST test for almost
> everything he was tested for, including foods that I could see no reaction
> from.  So we've just been rotating his diet (within the lower scoring
> foods) so he doesn't get too much of any one food.
>
> He tested positive to lobster, something he had never eaten.  We wondered
> about that.
>
> --Sally
>
> ----------------
> Sally Strasser
> [log in to unmask]