Steroids | Food Intolerance Testing

Guidance about Steroids & Lorisian Food Intolerance Tests

If you are taking steroids or immunosuppressants you must continue to do so as advised by your GP. Steroids and immunosuppressants can lower the levels of food-specific lgG antibodies in blood and so Why Weight Ireland has provided the following guidance:

Individual responses to oral steroids vary and the rate and extent to which pituitary-adrenal feedback loop suppression occurs varies because of this, the doses used, the time for which the medication is used and the structure of the dosage regime. However, if dosage is prolonged there will always be some suppression and “steroidal” side effects.
Inhaled steroids very rarely (if ever) cause pituitary-adrenal feedback loop suppression and the same is true for topical steroids, although some of the more potent ones used chronically and in large amounts may do so. Our tests can be taken if someone is taking inhaled steroids.
Recovery of the feedback loop will usually occur after cessation of therapy, although this may be only partial. The degree of recovery and the speed at which it occurs is roughly proportional to the doses used and the length of treatment.
After long term treatment the body reaches a “re-set”, stabilised, immune profile and this becomes the “normal” for the individual

Using these assumptions the relationship of steroid therapy to the test can be judged to be:

In “usual” oral doses (equivalent to 1 to 10mg of prednisolone) given for up to 7 days you need to wait for 6 weeks after stopping to do the test.
For 1 to 2 weeks of steroid treatments then you need to wait for 6 weeks after stopping to do the test.
If the dose has been given for 3-4 weeks wait 12 weeks.
If the dose has been given for 4-6 weeks wait 26 weeks.
If the dose has been given for more than 6 weeks then it would be best not do the test until someone has been on a stable dose for at least 6 months. The effect of the body should then have stabilised.
Once “stabilisation” has occurred it should be reasonable to do the test then. as the findings will reflect the “real life” situation for that individual and the results should be meaningful to you.
If intra-rectal steroids (rectal enemas) are being used then the Lorisian Test is not suitable

Please contact Hannah directly if you have any questions hannah@whyweightireland.ie