Food And inhalant allergy profile

[Will1982]

Anyone had this? Just set me back a small Fortune. But my consultant requested it. Anyone find it useful?

[twinkly29]

I've had various allergy tests at the hospital but I didn't have to pay for them. I've heard some of the paid for ones are not overly reliable but I don't know which are/are not - and your consultant may have suggested one the trust.

[Hidden in reply to twinkly29]

When I was screened for food allergies (which was done by blood test) it was requested by my gastro cons who was trying to work out whether the digestive issues I was (still am) having were connected to allergies. He actually recommended I have it done privately as the NHS test at the hospital only tested for the six most common; the one done privately tested for far more (around fifteen or twenty). As it was they all came back negative. That said it did come back with one interesting result: an IgE count of just under 1000.

[Poobah]

I worked with a lady with difficult and volatile asthma. Her local consultant referred her to the Royal Brompton and they carried out extensive allergy testing (on NHS). It was as specific to apple type, for instance. After using the new found knowledge in order to avoid her trigger foods, her asthma improved to the point of control - the first time in years. And after a couple of years her asthma had really improved a great deal.

I've known quite a few asthmatics over the years, but she was the only one ever to have access to this testing. My local respiratory team no longer carries out skin prick testing either, relying on blood testing instead, but not against a large panel of allergens.

If the NHS provides this service at one of its specialist allergy clinics then I think the consultant should have referred you to the NHS service rather than ask you to pay for it. If there are comparable diagnostic testing available in the NHS then you may have a case to reclaim the costs if your NHS consultant required the tests to be carriedout privately at cost to yourself. Your local Trust will have a policy on this and it will take a bit of digging to find out what their policy is.