What type of doc to test for deficiency? | ADHD Information

Hello everyone, my 5 1/2 year old son has recently been diagnosed with ADHD (or at least in the written words of the psychologist - displaying significant symptoms of ADHD) this was after meeting with me, my son and then my son having two - 2 hour evaluations (on two separate days).  We are trying behavioral modification and medication.  He has started on Concerta - 18 mg for the past few days.  His pediatrician who prescribed the Concerta only checked his heart with a stethoscope and checked his blood pressure at the initial visit to talk about meds (last Friday), however, after reading on here and other websites about stimulants and there possible effects on underlying heart conditions that may not be known, I've scheduled him for an EKG/possible echocardiagram next Thursday.  So anyway to get to my long drawn out question (sorry) I also would like to take him to an allergist to test for any unknown allergies he may have and also a doctor to test to see if he has any deficiencies in any area that might be causing any of his "symptoms".  I'm not doubting what the psychologist has concluded because if I didn't feel his symptoms were real, I wouldn not have gone so far as to get this evaluation done by a pediatric psychologist.  I do however, want to make sure we aren't missing anything along the way (I guess part of me is hoping maybe an allergist or other doctor will find something that we missed and - hurray it wouldn't be ADHD) though I'm not getting my hopes up.  At any rate to my question, (finally - and thank you if you're read this far), what type of doctor would be able to test him for any vitamin/mineral or whatever deficiencies he may or may not have - would that also be an allergiest or some other kind of doctor.  Thanks for any help in the matter and again, sorry for the rambling post.

-Heather

Well..... you may want to check out some posts on the Alternatives to Meds section of this board.  There is a difference between a true "allergy" that is often life threatening or compromises the system and a food "sensitivity" which often manifests itself in behavior.

That said, most allergists test for things such as peanuts, grass, mold, etc.  They don't usually deal with "sensitivities."  We did a sensitivity test through a Naturopathic Doctor who ordered the test and we had blood drawn at a lab.  The results are usually about 75% accurate -- with an elimination diet being the only way to truly tell if there is a sensitivity.

Common foods children are often sensitive to (that can manifest itself in behavior) are:

Dairy products (specifically the casein in dairy) wheat/gluten Corn Syrup dyes -- specifically red and yellow preservatives

I would caution that none of this investigating food sensitivities are a quick fix -- dairy can take up to 6 weeks to work its way out of your system.  However, it is well worth it if you find that there are sensitivities.  I can immediately tell now if my son ate something with corn syrup -- the reaction in his behavior is immediate.

Good luck in your quest for answers!

 

I called an "allergist" MD on my insurance plan and asked for food allergy testing. They asked why, and I said that he shows ADHD symptoms and I would like to know whether the behavior could be related to food allergies. They politely laughted at me and said, we don't usually test for those symptoms. I abandoned the pursuit. I have heard that acupuncturists and osteopaths also do allergy testing. I tried to call my lab directly for testing, and they said that I needed a prescription. Thank you for your replies.  When I spoke to the allergist at my son's ENT briefly, she said that food or other allergies could definitely cause behavioral issues, so at least it doesn't sound like I'm being shut out for the testing route.  She said at his age they would do a blood test I guess as opposed to skin prick test and that should be able to tell us something if he does indeed have allergies.  Thank you again for your replies!

You might want to ask what kind of blood test they are going to do.  We recently had a bad experience with an allergist.  I wanted to have our son tested for "hidden" food allergies.  The test for that is an IGG antibody test.  The allergist said mainstream medicine doesn't believe in that and they only do IGE testing.  I said "but wouldn't he have physical symptoms if it was an IGE allergy?"  She evaded a direct answer and ordered all kinds of IGE tests knowing that we have excellent insurance.  I was shocked when the bill came in at over ,000.  Then I found out that I was right, the standard for IGE testing is having physical symptoms such as a rash, hives, trouble breathing, severe stomach aches, etc.  My son had none of that. 

She also did a Coeliac test (for gluten intolerance) that she said was negative.  Then I found out the test is only valid if the child has been eating lots of gluten (wheat, rye, etc.) for a month or more before being tested.  My son was gluten free for 3 months before the test.  Coeliac disease is serious and can even lead to cancer later in life so it was outrageous that she even tested him knowing the test results would be invalid, and then had the nerve to tell me he could have gluten-containing foods again.  When I confronted her she just got snotty and said "Your insurance paid for it didn't it?"  I told her that was beside the point.  She never even tried to defend her actions.  I am filing a complaint against her.  In short, I am just trying to say, if your son doesn't show physical symptoms, an IGG test is what you want, not an IGE test, it would be a waste of money. 

Something else to keep in mind, if your son does have food sensitivities, it is most likely due to something called a "leaky gut."  You may want to google it.  It can be caused by Coeliac disease or Candida yeast infection which can both severely damage your intestines.  You become "allergic" to foods you commonly eat due to leaky gut because the food enters your bloodstream through holes in your intestines before it is digested and your immune system has to remove it so it begins to see these foods as an enemy.  This causes an inflammation response and can cause the behavioral problems. 

Just removing the foods isn't enough because new food allergies will develop.  You have to find out what the problem is and let the gut heal, then the food sensitivities (except Coeliac Disease) will go away after avoiding those foods for 6 months or so.  I highly recommend a good Natropath over a mainstream doc when it comes to vitamin deficiencies and food sensitivities.  Most mainstream doc's, in my experience, just spout whatever drug-company funded studies they have read about in the mainstream medical journals.  They can't think out of the box even if they wanted to. 

We recently took our son to a clinic of medical doctors who do think out of the box and treat vitamin and mineral deficiency diseases that look like ADHD.  The treatments haven't helped yet but we have been told to be patient and give it a couple of months.  Their entire bill for extensive testing and consultation was the same as the allergist's one blood draw and she had the nerve to tell me this clinic  was ripping me off.  I will post results on my son in a couple of months.  Good luck to you.

Thanks so much for the information, keep us informed of what you learn!

Just to add to momonamission..... another term for Coeliac's is "Celiac's"  It is actually becoming more and more prevalent.

I'd also add that leaky gut is not always the case w/ food sensitivities -- particularly dairy.  Dairy is very hard for our bodies to digest -- whether one has a sensitivity to it or not.  Also, sensitivity to things such as preservatives, dyes, corn syrup (artificial stuff) isn't really the same thing as leaky gut.  Just a clarification!  It's a lot of info, I know!

The RASP test is for food allergies, it is extremely definitive.

Celiac's Disease will actually cause more growth problem's , cancers, and other things rather than behavior problems.

Just an additional note, Celiac can cause the villi of the intestines (that help absorb nutrients) to lie flat, causing severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to malabsorption, which can lead to Adhd symptoms including academic problems and behavior issues.

Edbson,  What is the RASP test?  I tried looking it up on Yahoo and all I got was something different called the RAST test?   Is it an IGG or IGE test?  Thanks.

momonamission39142.9855324074

momonamission -- I found your post very helpful. I've been trying to figure out the allergy testing for some time now, so thank you for taking the time to post this.

I am concluding from your comments that an Allergist MD will not do the IGG antibody test which is what I need, and that I will need to find a naturopath or an osteopath to order this testing? This would explain the response that I got from the Allergist MD -- they asked incredulously whether my son was having physical symptoms (b/c they only do IGE testing).

Edbson-- I am also interested in this RASP test if you have any further info.

One way to ensure an assay and a lab are legit is to make sure they are CLIA ceritified (CLIA Certificat of Compliance or Certificate of Accredidation, NOT Certificate of Waiver or Certificate of Registration). CLIA has several certificates depending on what the lab does and they are not the same:

http://www.uhl.uiowa.edu/services/additional/clia/certificat es.xml

High complexity testing is where allergy testing falls. Waived tests are for tests like glucose, pregnancy (ones that the kits are pretty much fool-proof.

Here is a link to the lists of labs that are certified for high complexity testing, those whose license have been suspended etc.

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CLIA/18_Laboratory_Registry.asp#TopOf Page

The feds have a hard time regulating all clinical labs and some have gotten certificates frauduantly.

I have seen IGG allergy home test kits on the net where you do a pin prick blood test but I have been hesitant to try them because I have no idea which ones, if any, are legit.  If I can't find someone around here qualified who does them, I may try one though.  I do not know if the IGG tests cover things like milk, food dyes and preservatives or just foods but, based on a recent Harvard study I read, we have cut all preservatives and dyes out of our sons diet anyway.