Does the biology fit your history?

Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS, food allergy, food intolerance, coeliac disease, eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Eczema, psoriasis, asthma, hay fever, chronic urticaria, multiple or severe allergies.

Rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, scleroderma, Sjögren's disease, fibromyalgia, vasculitis.

Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ME/CFS, Ménière's disease, neuropsychiatric or chronic neurological conditions.

Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's, Graves'), mast cell activation syndrome, type 2 diabetes.

My condition affects several systems at once, or doesn't appear in any of the above categories.

Bloating, pain, unpredictable reactions to food, loose stools or constipation, possible food sensitivities. Something is wrong in the gut but no clear label yet.

Itching, hives, rashes, respiratory reactivity, or reactions to multiple foods or environmental triggers without a clean allergy diagnosis.

Widespread, resistant-to-explanation exhaustion, cognitive difficulties, or pain that worsens with effort. Possibly investigated but without a clear answer.

Stiffness, swollen joints, tingling, numbness, or other neurological symptoms — immune-adjacent, but investigation hasn't confirmed a specific diagnosis.

Several of the above — gut, skin, joints, energy — all somewhat wrong at once, with no unifying diagnosis that doctors have agreed on.

No real issues. I'm interested in maintaining that, especially given family history or the general direction of my health over time.

Nothing I'd call a condition, but some low-grade reactivity, fatigue, or digestive inconsistency I'd rather not have — subclinical but real.

I've dealt with something immune-related before and want to stay well — not just treat it again if it recurs.

Recent onset — I'm still in the process of understanding what this is and what the conventional options are.

Established enough that I have a picture of it, but still in the earlier phase of understanding and managing it.

A meaningful part of my history. I know what it does and what it doesn't respond to.

A long-standing companion — I've lived with it, tried things, adapted around it.

I haven't started conventional medical treatment, or I'm managing with diet and lifestyle rather than prescribed medications.

Aminosalicylates, antihistamines, topical steroids, basic pain management. Something, but not enough.

Methotrexate, azathioprine, ciclosporin, low-dose oral corticosteroids, DMARDs, or similar — partially working.

Anti-TNF agents, IL inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies — the current or recent front line for my condition.

Partial responses, failures, side effects, or running out of approved options. I'm looking beyond the standard menu.

Current treatment works. I'm exploring this for the future, or looking for something with a lighter long-term footprint.

Currently pregnant or breastfeeding; or living with HIV regardless of treatment status.

Currently on cyclophosphamide, rituximab, alemtuzumab, or high-dose corticosteroids (above approximately 20 mg prednisolone per day), or undergoing chemotherapy for any condition.

Currently managing a significant infection, or having had a serious infectious illness in the last three months.

As far as I know, none of these recognised cautions describe my current situation.

I have a doctor or specialist I see regularly, and they would read the evidence and consider it with me.

I don't have active support right now, but I understand that this requires medical partnership and I wouldn't proceed alone.

I have a doctor, but they may not have heard of this, or may be unlikely to engage with it seriously.

No regular medical care at the moment, for whatever reason.

I've read enough to know this is not a quick fix. I'm thinking in terms of months and years, not weeks. I want to understand it fully before deciding.

I'm not sure yet. I want to understand what I'm dealing with before committing any further attention to it.

I'm building a picture. No decision is imminent. I want to understand the landscape before anything else.