
Allergic Myalgia symptoms describe many of the complaints expressed from those who suffer from fibromyalgia. Myalgia means pain in one or more muscles. Dr. Randolph diagnosed and treated allergic myalgia by admitting patients to the hospital and having them fast for days. Then he gradually tried different foods - one at a time - to see if each provoked symptoms. Unfortunately this was a very expensive a time-consuming process.
There now is another way. If you've been through allergy testing such as the skin-prick test and RAST and your results came up negative, there is another option. Past allergy results may be due to the simple fact that those tests only test for one type of antigen called IgE. These rapid immune responses are hay fever type allergies that cause hives, wheezing, or shock when exposed to a reacting food or chemical.
On the other hand, delayed food sensitives are not caused by IgE activation so they can not be tested by those common allergy tests. There is an enzyme-linked immunosrobant assay/activated lymphocyte cytotoxicidty test (ELISA/ACT) that may be more beneficial. It is not welcomed yet by conventional medicine. Rather it is used quite frequently by naturopathic physicians.
In this test, the lymphocytes from a patient's blood sample are placed in incubation chambers and then exposed to 350 different food and chemical substances. The re-activity of the lymphocytes to each substance is then measured by looking at increases in their size and shape.
In a study published by the Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, 40 fibromyalgia patients had their blood tested with the ELISA/ACT to detect delayed immune system reactions in the blood. Every single one of the fibromyalgia patients tested positive for multiple food/environmental sensitivities. The most frequent reactive substance was the commercial flavorant MSG, followed by Candida albicans, caffeine, food coloring, chocolate, shrimp, and dairy products. Those that followed a diet obsolete of any sensitivities tested had less pain and depression and more energy than those who kept to their traditional diets. More information can be found at Biotechnology ELISA/ACT.
Speaking of lymphocytes, it is fair to mention once again a previous article written on such immune responses discussing the book Eat Right for Your Type. This book gave me amazing leverage in generating a self-healing body once again.