# Food allergies



## redkitty (Apr 19, 2007)

I'm curious if anyone has food allergies here?  

If so, what are you allergic to, what happens when you eat those foods and do you take any medication or supplements?

Thank you!!


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## jennyema (Apr 19, 2007)

I am allergic to melons and to eggplant.

They are easy to avoid, but if I do eat some by mistake, I take a Bendryl.


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## JoAnn L. (Apr 19, 2007)

For some strange reason, I am allergic to peas. My throat swells shut. I had some scary times as a child before they found out what was wrong.


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## lulu (Apr 19, 2007)

I have transient allergies, much less of a problem now than when I was a teen.  I went through a phase of being very sensitive to the vit c rich fruits....oranges, etc...and had various degrees of response from mild irritation to skin/lips, to sweeling tongue, bad skin reafctions etc the pain is they change...I can eat oranges now but sometimes reat to pineapple and strawberries.  I am not sensible.  I go with my gut feeling...if I think I can eat it, I probably can....if I've had problems with it before and haven't had any for a while (ie a few weeks) I touch it to my lip for a moment, see how it feels and if its ok go ahead.  My reaction has always been slow enough that I feel confident doing this, and have been able to get an idea from my lips.....but I realise its paying with fire.  I don't know if I would have full blown anaphalactic hock now, or just reactions, but I'm not prepared to give up fruit if I can still eat it!  I have not had a sweeling of the tongue/throat type reaction since I was about 22 (so over five years)


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## Andy M. (Apr 19, 2007)

I am allergic to clams.  They cause severe gastro-intestinal distress.


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## jabbur (Apr 19, 2007)

I personally don't have reactions to food in the way others do.  I have trouble with raw onions causing indegestion and cucumbers are a natural laxative for me.  My DH however is allergic to only Brazil nuts.  He can eat any other kind of nut but that one.  When he has brazil nuts, his throat gets itchy and he vomits and eyes swell. My older son is starting to have reactions to seafood (and he's a hibachi chef!).


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## Caine (Apr 20, 2007)

I am allergic to dirty dishes, pots, pans, and silverware. Does that count?


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## redkitty (Apr 20, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> I am allergic to dirty dishes, pots, pans, and silverware. Does that count?



LOL! 

Thanks for the replies!


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## Clienta (Apr 20, 2007)

I wasn't allergic to dairy but I was very intolerant for 12 years. I would get hives, hot & cold sweats, vomit & have the runs within 20 to 30 minutes of eating. After trying every herbal supplement & seeing tons of medical doctors (upper/lower gi's, etc.), I starting doing research on body cleanses. I found a lot of information suggesting a build up of toxins that would not allow you to digest certain foods. I did Stanley Burrough's lemonade fast for 10 days. Since then I have been able to eat anything & everything. I do the fast now once a year just to be healthy. It has changed my life drastically, I used to dread going to people's houses for dinner....always worrying where a bathroom was...always worrying what the ingredients were at restaurants... worrying about traveling to foreign countries...etc. Traveling, eating & entertaining are much more enjoyable now....it's been four years!


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## redkitty (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks for the reply Clienta, I've also done the MC for ten days last month.  It was my third time doing it but the first time I made it ten days.  It has helped with some irritating symptoms I've been having, but something still isn't right.  I think I've narrowed it down to either food allergies or low digestive enzymes.  I'm meeting with a naturopathy/nutritionist next week and I'm hoping she might help me find some answers.

Great to hear from someone else who has done the MC!  I loved what it did for my body and was so proud of myself for sticking it out!  So many people try it but fail after a day or two.


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## Renee Attili (Apr 20, 2007)

All the sudden in the last year or two I have developed an allergy to either shellfish or seafood. (or both) If I eat it now I will get violently ill and my face swells and becomes a huge hive. The worst part is I LOVE seafood. So every now and then I say to heck with it and eat it anyway, then I remember why I shouldn't. It's a viscous cycle.


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## Caine (Apr 20, 2007)

Seriously, when I was a mere child, I went through the entire battery of "skin pop" allergy tests, and the doctor declared that I was allergic to bananas and chocolate. I still eat both, with no ill effects, except that bananas sometimes repeat on me.


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## JMediger (Apr 20, 2007)

Caine said:
			
		

> ...I went through the entire battery of "skin pop" allergy tests, ...


 
I'm not sure which were worse - the skin pop tests or the back scratch tests. It could have also been my mom's reaction when the doctor told her I was allergic to cows and she just about rolled her eyes out of her head. 

Anyway ... Cinnamon really upsets my stomach and I usually get a killer headache.  Soy doesn't sit to well either - but only in certain forms.  We did the Atkins so we used several products that were soy based and it just didn't work.  Not sure if it was just the general change in diet or the soy specifically.  Either way, unpleasant to say the least!


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## expatgirl (Apr 21, 2007)

chamomile--which is so relaxing in teas but it makes my mouth and throat swell--scary sensation and I have to avoid a lot of the herbal tea mixes because of it.


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## bandonjan (Apr 21, 2007)

eggs, orange citrus and soy. Eggs and orange citrus make
my hands and feet swell and sometimes I will get welts.
I only found out about soy when I had a blood test for
allergins (couldn't do skin, was reacting to everything), I
don't seem to have a noticible reaction to soy.


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## redkitty (Apr 22, 2007)

Wow, Bandonjan, that must be hard having an allergy that strong to eggs.  You must have to read labels for everything since eggs are in so many things.  

I have found some great egg replacement ideas for baking, just made my first batch of vegan fudge brownies and they were pretty good!


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## Kaddehawk (Jul 9, 2007)

*Food allergy*

How did your visit to the Naturopath/Nutrionist go?  I have recently developed an allergy to chili peppers... weird.  My mouth itches and burns and tongue swells and throat tightens.  Doc said it could be as bad as peanut allergies if I don't watch out.  You know how many things have chili peppers, crushed red peppers and such in them!  No more commercial pizza, tacos, most spaghetti sauce, chili... etc.  I am searching for recipe's for making these things without using chili peppers and have to be real careful when we eat out.

Kadde


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## redkitty (Jul 9, 2007)

Hi Kadde, funny you posted this today!  I just went to see her again this afternoon!  I have been taking digestive enzymes with food and thats helped with some of my issues.  

That is awful about the allergy to chili peppers!  You are right, they are in soo many things.  I cook all my own food so it makes it much easier to just leave things out of recipes that I know my belly won't like!


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## Chopstix (Jul 10, 2007)

I can't eat fresh pineapple.  My tongue gets so excruciatingly sore.  (Yes, I do remove the skin first )  I can't eat anything that got into contact with fresh pineapple as well.

However, I've no problems with canned pineapple.


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## bandonjan (Jul 10, 2007)

Redkitty, 
My reaction to eggs seems to be to a
certain amount. Its weird, I can eat an
egg breakfast once every couple of
months and be ok, but if I eat more than
that I have the reaction. I do use the
egg substitute and I can have more
"egg" meals. Just have to watch it. I
guess its more the yolk than the white.


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## Robo410 (Jul 10, 2007)

sulfites in wine can give me a stuffy nose, but that's about it, except this really weird reaction to the calories in food...makes me gain a lot of weight!  huh?


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## Kaddehawk (Jul 12, 2007)

Funny... I have that same strange reaction to calories!  Weird huh?  

 

Kadde


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## soapgirl (Jul 18, 2007)

> I can't eat fresh pineapple. My tongue gets so excruciatingly sore. (Yes, I do remove the skin first ) I can't eat anything that got into contact with fresh pineapple as well.
> 
> However, I've no problems with canned pineapple.


 
Canned pineapple has been heated during the canning process which deactivates the enzyme bromelain (hope I spelled that right). That is the enzyme that helps break down a ham when you cook it with pineapple and is used to chemically age some meats. 

I am so happy I have no allergies, but I have a neice who is very young and is deathly allergice to all peanuts/tree nuts, soy, eggs, and dairy. She has to carry and epi-pen at all times.


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## krichardson (Jul 18, 2007)

I am allergic to avocados and bananas! I just developed these allergies about 4 years ago, around the same time that I became a vegetarian. I don't know if they are related though. With avocados I have a anaphylatic reaction and get very sick. If I touch a banana I start to itch like crazy, eat one and I'll be puking in 30 minutes. I guess I'm also allergic to everything else in that family like kiwi's and chestnuts but I haven't tried them out yet, not until I feel like being violently ill for at least 24 hours!


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## jpmcgrew (Jul 18, 2007)

Im so sorry for you guys so far no major food allergies however my mother and one brother are allergic to shell fish they get very ill even eating something that has been fried in the same oil as shell fish.I do believe I have a slight allergy to wheat I get a bit congested.My worst allergy is Bee Venom  I carry 2 Epi Pens have not had a full blown reaction yet because I do all I can to not get stung but I am a good canditate the next time Im stung.I believe I have really bad bee karma because when I was a little kid in Germany I would pick bees off the hedge and pull their wings off. My job in Texas is somewhat stressful bees everywhere and I mean everywhere.Here at home the bees dont bother me they just fly by but in Texas they try to get in the truck,the house they are all over at the gas station they are every where and try to get in everything even grocery bags they hover every where.


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## flukx (Jul 19, 2007)

Actually, I am glad someone started this thread as I have a question. I have, after some research, diagnosed myself with oral allergy syndrome. This basically means that due to my "normal" allergies (hay fever, etc), I am mildly allergic to some types of food, mostly raw vegetables (carrots, potatoes, celery and others) and a lot of fresh fruits (apples, pears, some berries). Reactions are always comparably mild if eating these foods, mostly just tingling/numbness in the mouth and lips and it really isnt severely dangerous, or hasnt been thus far. 

Oral allergy syndrome basically occurs because your body mistakes an enzyme (I think) that is present in these foods for pollen. Cooking the foods gets rid of the enzyme, therefore no reaction. 

Since I am not allergic to the foods (rather the pollen that my body mistakes these foods for) it is actually possible to cure this type of allergy with shots/pills, or so I hear. 

I am thinking of giving this a try, anyone else have any experience with this?


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## Claire (Jul 30, 2007)

The one thing I wish all would do is differentiate between food allergies (i.e, , eating something will make you feel bad for a few hours or even a day) and FOOD ALLERGIES, (i.e., you get even a taste of peanut or shrimp and we need to dial 911 and hope you live long enough for the medics to get here, and hope that someone in the room has an epi-pen).  There should be two different words.  For example, I love clams, especially when in linguini with clam sauce.  But I won't eat it in a restaurant, because it goes straight through me.  So I make it once a year or so, at home, so that I can deal with the cramps and runs to the toilet.  I don't consider that a food allergy.  But when a meal sends someone to the emergency room, that's another story entirely.  So, I wish there was another word for the true, death-is-possible, food alergy.


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## Claire (Jul 30, 2007)

flucks, I've lived among diverse ethnic groups all of my life.  Some people simply lack enzymes to deal with certain foods.  Many Asian women cannot drink alcohol, they lack the enzyme that helps to digest it (I'm putting it in my terms, someone here can explain it better than I).  This isn't an allergy, really.  If you lack an enzyme that allows you to digest something, well, heck, don't eat it.  This is my quandry.  When my Asian friends (for some reason it seems more common in women than men, don't ask me why) visit, they knew to not drink the alcoholic drinks.  BUT, what I am getting at is that this isn't death-defying.  One Asian friend decided she really wanted to drink my daquiries.  She turned red, ran to the bathroom, puked her guts out for ... well, a couple of minutes, and came down to be cossetted and cared for.  I asked her husband what was going on.  "She drank the daquiries, right?"  Yup.  (I didn't know about this at the time).  "No big deal, she'll be sick for a few minutes and all will be OK."  Sure enough.  This was when I was quite young, now I know it is common.  But this kind of allergy is one thing.  My husband's allergy to insect stings is another thing entirely, as is that allergy to peanuts or some shell fish.  15 min (or overnight in the bathroom) will NOT purge it, you will die within minutes.  There should be a different word for it.


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## redkitty (Jul 30, 2007)

Yes Claire, their is a difference between a food *allergy* and food *intollerance*.  Most people suffer the intollerance, such as myself.


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## Kaddehawk (Aug 2, 2007)

A lot of people do confuse food allergy and food intolerance, another classification is food sensitivity, which is also different from a true allergy.  That is why it is always important to ask your doctor if you think you may have an allergy.  I was told mine is a true allergy, and with each exposure my risk of a more dangerous response gets greater.  I was told by my doctor that if I am not careful to avoid the peppers it can become as bad as peanut allergies are for some people.  I learned the other day how careful I need to be because I ate a TV dinner I "thought" was safe, only to find out I was wrong.  I made the mistake of not reading the ingredient list because I did not expect to find chili peppers in a ginger-garlic sauce!  From now on I read All ingredient lables!  Fortunately so far Benadryl works to stop my reactions, as long as I take it right away.  And the benadryl goes everywhere with me!

Kadde


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## jimcfs (Aug 4, 2007)

I have a corn intolerance.  It's not really an allergy, as the reaction occurs between 36-48 hours after eating a corn laced product.

With corn appearing directly or indirectly in many ingredients and forms, it's hard to avoid in the mainstream.  Fast food is almost non-existant to me. I cook more than ever before.  

I'm finding in my research that many people probably have a food allergy, but doctors don't want to recognize it.  My wife thinks it's all in my head, but I know when I've been corned, I'm a different person.  My mother and son also have it... mom has gluten and dairy in addition to corn.


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## llvllagical_llkook (Aug 9, 2007)

I'm very allergic to shellfish and shrimp (except black tiger shrimp). When I eat it, my throat tightens, begin vomiting, fever and rashes around the neck. If I eat it, I can tell by having my throat tighten. An epipen is then needed and an ambulance. This only happens if I ingest it. If I smell it, no problem. If I touch it, I get a large rash. Despite this, I still make meals with this. When making these meals, I wear gloves and long sleeves and turtleneck. I also used to be allergic to melons, corn, apples and grass but no longer am. Hopefully, my allergies to shellfish will go away just as the others did since I love the black tiger shrimp.


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## SHAMALICIOUS (Aug 9, 2007)

I dont think im allergic to any food. I do always get a sore n itchy mouth though whenever i have kiwi or melon. Nothing severe though. Maybe i am mildly allergic to them? Ive never had any big problems, so thats good


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## Kaddehawk (Aug 9, 2007)

This reaction to the melons may be a food sensitivity which is a bit different than an allergy, but only your doctor could really say for sure.  I get what sounds like the same reaction as yours to citrus/acidic type foods, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit etc, if I eat too many or eat them several days in a row. This differs from my reaction to the peppers which has the itching, but also burning and tingling followed by thickening or swelling of the tongue and tightening of the throat... and on from there if not treated right away.


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## llvllagical_llkook (Aug 10, 2007)

Don't forget, people's allergies can go away, or they can get new ones. I had grass allergies to a point I couldn't see since my eyes were watering endlessly and had to have tissue boxes surrounding me. Now, none of that. Just went away. Same for melons, corn and apples. 

Sounds like you get anaphylactic reactions to peppers.


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## Claire (Aug 10, 2007)

You are so right.  People can develop alergies out of the blue.  It is odd.  But I still maintain that there is a difference between having the runs and cramps for a few days and flopping around and dying within a few minutes of a bite.


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## Katie H (Aug 10, 2007)

Interesting thread.

As background, my father was a physician.  When I was born, I didn't show any allergic/sensitive symptoms to anything...until my parents introduced solid foods to my diet.

For some reason, I had a strong/violent reaction to "cooked" carrots.  Read this to baby strained carrots.  I would almost convulse, etc.  As a result, my parents quit feeding me cooked carrots

Fast forward to my teen years.  After I was served cooked baby carrots, I had a severe reaction...again.

When I was in college, living with my grandparents, I found myself passed out on the floor after eating carrots my grandmother had served me with the evening roast.

As far as my father could determine, I was sensitive to the cooked version to carrots.  All he could conclude was that there was something that happened to carrots upon being heated/cooked that changed the chemical composition of carrots that my system couldn't handle.  (I have always been able to eat a boat-load of them raw.)

It has only been during the last several years that I've been able to eat cooked carrots.  This whole process has taken over 50 years to find out.  Go figure.


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## Kaddehawk (Aug 12, 2007)

_llvllagical llkook_ - if it wasn't anaphylactic before it is now! Son gave me a mini egg roll last night without properly checking ingreds. & it turned out to have green chilis and jalapeno in it. I took benadryl as soon as I realized it but almost ended up in ER anyways. My tongue and throat swelled and I could hardly talk. Got very short of breath and was wheezing. (I am also asthmatic.) We were actually on the way to ER when the benadryl finally started to help and breathing got easier, so we went back home. I will be on the phone to Dr early Monday!


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## notjustamom (Aug 24, 2007)

Food allergies are awful, some of you guys have some serious ones.  And of course doctors don't always believe in food allergies, I went to an allergist who actually told me that adults couldn't develop food allergies!  I got up and walked out the door.  I developed serious allergies to soy and peanuts about 13 years ago.  Soy does something weird to me, it gives me a huge adrenalin kick that has my heart racing so fast I nearly pass out and my chest starts to hurt.  Peanuts has the opposite effect.  I actually don't carry an epi pen because I'm afraid if I do pass out after eating soy someone will give me the epi shot which would just finish me off.


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## llvllagical_llkook (Aug 25, 2007)

Whether or not doctors believe in food allergies I do. I've studied biology, more specific, human anatomy in high school. I'm studying it in university, so I for one, know allergies are real. There's a "new science", a load of crap, which basically is hooking you up to a large battery, turning it on and waving the food over you. It's said to make you better. I told them to do it to themselves, minus the food and see how different they are. Epi pens won't save you. Take it but you still need to see a hospital. If you've got a MedicAlert bracelet on, hospitals run the number and can see you're allergic to something. People aren't always allergic to food. It can be to fungi or even to medication. My friend cannot take Tylenol. If he does, his pulse races like you said when eating soy. 

Basically, allergies are when you eat or something comes into contact and the body's defence system recognizes the proteins as invading, so they attack. For the anaphylactic, the body is desperate to destroy the proteins of the initaitor. It stops anymore entry of food by ingestion, yet can kill you. It's one of the methods the body uses to protect you, which it does, yet can kill you. Ironic isn't it?


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## notjustamom (Aug 25, 2007)

Definitely ironic! Thankfully I did find a good allergist who recognized my food allergies, but I guess he was too good, he has recently moved to NYC. I hadn't seen him for a few years now, anyway. He's now head of an allergy department in some university there, and has opened his own practice in NYC, too. Ah well, there really isn't anything that can be done for people with food allergies anyway, right? I had not heard of the magic wand treatment you mentioned, lol. I did try something with a naturopathic doctor several years ago, some little machine that I held in my hand once a week or so. Weird! I also had to put tiny drops on my tongue every day. Several months and several hundred dollars later, and it didn't help in the slightest. I can't even touch food with soy without getting an itchy rash, let alone eat it.


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## Claire (Aug 26, 2007)

I've never heard of a doctor who did not believe in food allergies.  My sister used to be a counsellor for Jenny Craig (for those not familiar, a weight-loss chain).  One of her clients had a child who had so many food allergies she was crying because she almost couldn't feel the poor baby.  Her doctor finally found 3 or 4 thing the poor baby could eat without getting sick.  The doctor was frustrated, and told her, d'ya know, the only times I've seen food allergies this severe it was in families where there was a lot of intermarrying within the family.  The woman was incensed and called her mother to vent, only to find out that her granparents were cousins.  

There are allergies and there are life-threatening allergies, and there are foods that our stomachs don't like for some reason (my aforementioned clams that I love but go straight through me, so I can only eat them at home).  If I'm feeding strangers, I do ask before they visit my home if they have any serious allergies.  We're talking the epi pen and 911 type allergy.  But if it is simply a bad reaction to something (for example, a lot of people are allergic to mangoes, but in a tongue swells up kinda thing, not a call the ambulance kinda thing).  Mostly, if you're allergic to it, don't eat it.  For the most part that is pretty easy to do.  The peanut allergies are the ones that can sneak up on you.  

I've never heard of a doctor denying that food allergies exist.  That is scary.  It would help if so many people didn't claim a food allergy to something they simply don't like, in order to not seem to be a fussy eater.


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## Kaddehawk (Aug 26, 2007)

I've never heard of a doctor denying food allergies either.. sounds like a dangerous doc!  Mine sure believes in them... I called her after my last reaction and I now carry an epi pen.  I will also be seeing an allergest in a couple weeks.  My son now has a bit more patience as we read food labels at the store too, lol.  This has been an eye opener for me.  I have been doing research and joined an online food allergy group to learn more.  My sister is an elementary school teacher.  I am going to talk to her about how they handle food allergies there.  I found out that some schools restrict what can be carried in some areas of the school, making it difficult to have an epi pen handy in say... the lunch room!!


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## EmsMommy7 (Oct 4, 2007)

Great thread... I just read the entire thing. 

My husband and I and my daughter... all fine.  Typical seasonal allergy things.  Then I had my little boy, had trouble nursing him around the 5th, 6th week, couldn't understand it.  Instead of trying to eliminate things from my own diet (which I should have done) I gave up and he went on the hypoallergenic formula, you know the nine bucks a bottle stuff.  Yikes!  He had terrible eczema and skin issues, and I waited a long time to introduce solids to him, which is recommended.  Anyway... long story short, we ended up going on zyrtec for his skin, having a blood test for allergies and being recommended to a pediatric allergist when he came back positive for peanut, milk, egg, possible corn, soy and wheat, and dog.  It's been a tough road... but he now is able to have wheat, soy and corn and most fruits and veggies, loves meats... we are careful with what we try.  He can't have anything dairy/egg/milk/peanut.  My MIL mistakenly put regular milk into his cereal... ended up in the ER, hives all over his tiny little sweet body, swollen, rash, dehydrated, it was the worst day of my life.. being called home from school and seeing him.  I grabbed the epi-pen and him in a diaper and ran out the door.  We are extremely careful and read labels religiously.  I don't know what I'll do when he goes to school.  We are hoping he will outgrow the milk and egg.. doctors say not likely to outgrow the peanut.  We just made an appt. to switch allergists and start seeing someone at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania.. we live close to Philly.)  Scary stuff!

I hope all of you who posted about your severe symptoms at least have Epi-pens and carry them! (notjustamom... LOL.. be careful!)


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## JustJeanAnn (Oct 4, 2007)

I cant eat foods from the bovine family. meaning any hoofed animal that lactates. 
hard to eat out because when you try to explain you cant have dairy, there are ingrediants listed that dont say milk ect so its hard for other people to catch. For instances, whey to most people who see it dont automatically click in as a form of milk so they would tell you no there is no butter or milk in this food item. 
  I dont stop breathing when I eat foods I'm allergic to. it can take up to 4 days to start feeling like a flu is coming on. my whole body swells alittle and there is alot of pain invovled. Takes up to 7 days or more to feel myself again.


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## Kaddehawk (Oct 6, 2007)

The doctors are now trying to decide if I have a true allergy or a severe sensitivity to the chili peppers.  He did say that either way he would consider it life threatening and I should treat it the same.  I do carry an epi-pen and benadryl everywhere.  What is making it confusing is that I have a mild immune dysfunction.  My body does not respond properly to infections and things.  So we don't know how much we can trust the tests.  I do not form proper antibodies to infections... would I to an allergen??  Either way, strict avoidence is key according to the doctor.  This is tricky since chili peppers are often Not on labels.  Right now its trial and error and lots of benadryl on hand!  lol


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## Claire (Oct 8, 2007)

Better safe than sorry.  remember that some topic ointments contain capsacin.


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## Kaddehawk (Oct 15, 2007)

Very true... so for now ointments are suspect... fortunately I don't really use them.  I did once, with a capsaicin type, on my hands and then accidently got it in my eye!!!!!  so I kinda avoid those kinds of ointments now!


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