IBS-80 testing identifies food allergies that may cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The IBS symptoms may improve or disappear by eliminating these foods from the diet.

The theory behind IBS-80 is that an allergic reaction similar to what happens on the skin from the food patch test occurs in the intestine’s lining when the same food is eaten, causing IBS symptoms. The allergic reaction in the skin is called a "type 4" delayed hypersensitivity reaction or allergic contact dermatitis (similar to poison ivy). The IBS symptoms may improve or disappear upon eliminating the food from the diet.

All the food allergens used for the testing are commonly found in our food supply and are known to cause allergic contact dermatitis (type 4 allergies) in the skin. We have carefully selected the foods over a fourteen year period based on results from three clinical studies. All are safe to eat as typically encountered in the food supply.

If you have any known food or food additive allergies, report them to your provider before your provider orders  IBS-80. They will be excluded from your patch tests.

Skin prick testing and RAST blood testing search for type 1 allergies, which involve antibodies and histamine. Type 1 allergies cause hives and anaphylaxis and are caused by foods such as peanuts and shellfish. Foods that cause type 1 allergies typically are different from foods that cause type 4 allergies. Type 1 allergy testing has been studied and is generally not helpful in evaluating IBS.

Foods for patch testing are prepared by licensed compounding pharmacists at The Compounding Pharmacist in West Chester, PA, following Pennsylvania Pharmacy Board good manufacturing practices and United States Pharmacopeia Chapter 795 guidelines.

Your provider will give you detailed instructions before the administration of IBS-80.

We are a direct care practice and do not participate with health insurance companies or Medicare. Cutting out the overhead that accompanies insurance company participation allows us to keep prices reasonably low and transparent because of lower overhead costs. The all-inclusive testing fee is $875. $275 (non-refundable cost of materials) is payable when you schedule and the $600 balance is payable before your first visit. All Medicare patients will need to sign a ”Medicare Private Contract” to undergo our patch testing. This contract demonstrates understanding that we are non-participating in all Medicare programs, and that no reimbursement for services may be sought through Medicare. Unfortunately, we cannot see Medicare patients if this contract is not signed.

You can check directly with your insurance provider whether they may reimburse you for the above costs. Insurance coverage for IBS-80 testing can vary depending on your provider and specific plan. While some insurance plans may cover the testing, many will not since this testing is relatively new and not yet “standard of care” (again, Medicare does not cover IBS-80 testing). The insurance codes you can use for this inquiry are K58 (the ICD-10 diagnosis code for irritable bowel syndrome) and 95044 (#80 units) (the CPT procedure code for patch testing to 80 allergens). Our team is happy to assist you in providing any necessary documentation to help with the reimbursement process.

Stierstorfer MB, Toro B. Patch Test–Directed Dietary Avoidance in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Cutis. 2021 August;108(02):91-95, E8-E9|doi:10.12788/cutis.0321

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34735319/

Shin GH, Smith MS, Toro B, Ehrlich A, Luther S, Midani D, Hong I, Stierstorfer M. Utility of food patch testing in the evaluation and management of irritable bowel syndrome. Skin. 2018;2(2):1-15.

https://skin.dermsquared.com/skin/article/view/223

Stierstorfer MB, Sha CT. Food patch testing for irritable bowel syndrome. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;68:377-384.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23102771/