Practitioner Tip: One Question We Get All the Time – How do I Test for MCAS?
Take a look at what the current diagnostic criteria are, why testing misses so many cases, and what to consider if you don’t have positive test or a diagnosis.
Hello, MC360 friends.
For anyone new here, welcome! Mast Cell 360 is a virtual consulting clinic and team specialized in functional approaches to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Mold Toxicity.
Today, we’re going to dig into a question we get a lot...
We get it! You want to know. Or maybe you want something concrete that you can hand to a doctor or other practitioner that shows this is what you have.
If you’ve been on this journey for any length of time, there’s a good chance you’ve heard some version of, “I don’t think you have MCAS.”
Maybe you did get some testing, but your tryptase came back in range. Or your doctor ordered a histamine test that came back negative, and that was the end of the conversation.
Maybe you were told that MCAS is a rare condition. That you don’t fit the criteria. Or that you should look for other answers (that still seem elusive).
Or you’ve simply been met with confused stares when you describe your symptoms.
We hear these stories constantly. And most of us have been through it on our own journeys. It’s frustrating.
And more importantly, it leaves too many people stuck and still looking for help and relief. Which is a big part of why we are so passionate about all the free information we share!
First, we want to make sure you know the good news. You don’t need a diagnosis to start feeling better. Because really, that’s what looking for answers is about, right?
As a functional consulting clinic, we don’t diagnose or prescribe. But we do help people get to the root of what’s driving their symptoms, so they can heal and feel better.
We do encourage you to work with your practitioner to rule out other conditions that need attention. And having a practitioner who really listens can be genuinely helpful on this journey.
Here’s the second thing we want you to know: negative labs DO NOT mean you don’t have MCAS.
In this post, you’ll learn:
What the diagnostic criteria for MCAS are
Why standard testing misses so many cases
Why tryptase, histamine, and other markers may not help
What to do when labs are negative, but symptoms say otherwise
Let’s get into it.
This post is for informational purposes only. To read our full disclaimer, please scroll to the bottom of this post.
What are the Suggested Criteria for Diagnosing MCAS?
When we talk with colleagues about testing, everyone agrees that MCAS is missed far too often. Some estimate that testing misses about 90% of cases.
But before we talk about common issues with testing, it helps to understand what an MCAS diagnosis actually requires.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to MCAS diagnostic criteria.
