Proper testing for FM

[FMmom]

This comes from a testing lab in Australia and explains the necessary tests to determine FM and the possibility of companion disorders.

breathtest.com.au/about/thetests/

Kaelin just took the hydrogen breath test, none of these other things were mentioned. After all the talk of false positives, our gastro doc is considering having Kaelin retake that test again. If he insists, I'll ask about all these tests.

Yikes. Kaelin will drop ten pound from drinking these different solutions -- she'll be sick for days. If it gives definitive results, it may be worth it. But again, can I say yikes!?!?!?

[Charlie Arnold]

I have a feeling this is what our gastro doc is getting to play with in the summer, he said he had a new toy coming that could measure more things and more accurately at the same time.

I wonder also if a sucrose test would help in fodmaps as if you are positive to fructose but negative to sucrose (as the combined sugars are absorbable) then it means a clear yes to being able to have sucrose in your diet.

[catherine]

Hi guys

We did the three tests, the control test, fructose and lactose. The control test is always done. This is done because no one can breakdown this sugar. The other tests need to done within four weeks of the control test.

[Charlie Arnold]

We never had a control done either, like you lucky they just took a baseline reading before she drank the solution. And never said anything about a time limit between tests either.

They did the fructose one first and she blew the graph. They also did the Lactose as a matter of course and luckily she didn't react. They were going to do a sucrose one but as the fructose was so positive they decided this would be invalid.

One of the problems I personally think is that this test is relatively new and they are probably still working on the best way to test. also I noticed they mentioned on the article that people were told exactly what to eat the day before whereas we were told just not to eat gas inducing foods so maybe that can influence results.

As I said the first time they did the test she blew the graph and I do wonder if that is because she was still quite reactive when they did the test, she hadn't had fruit or sugar for a year but was still having vegetables. Two years later when they re-tested she only showed a slightly elevated reading, but as she has shown recently she is still very reactive to fructose so what's that all about? They also did glucose a month later too to check for bacterial overgrowths which I have a feeling the lactulose is used for.

I have a feeling therefore that this is a test that needs alot more refining before it can be truly effective, and why don't they test the blood at the same time, that is what confuses me.

I do worry about the home testing kits that are available as if not done properly it could give completely wrong answers.

[catherine]

Hi Guys

Lactulose Control Test, this is a man made sugar that no-one can digest.

Catherine