Anyone have allergies like this?

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I have had allergies for over 1/2 my life. They are the usual seasonal things with a couple food allergies thrown in. The food allergies are to some raw fruits. But there has been nothing new in practically forever.

The past couple of weeks I keep getting this weird feeling in my mouth/throat. I feel like the insides of my cheeks are swollen. If I touch them with my tongue they feel different then they do the rest of the time. It will also feel funny when I swallow. It doesn't affect my breathing at all though.

Tonight I ate a late dinner. Afterward I started feeling it. I got kind of freaked out. I could swallow, but I felt like I had to concentrate to do it. Nothing I had tonight was different or strange. This was all stuff I've had a million times before without incident.

I'm calling the doctor tomorrow.

Does anyone else have this type of allergy?

 

[Rajah]

Sorta. My throat tries to close up on me if I eat certain fruits (peaches are among the worst if I don't skin them first), some nuts, or shellfish. Definitely don't let this one go, give your doctor a call.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Rajah -- I react to peaches. They make me real itchy. Cherries make my throat close up. I haven't had a raw cherry in 23 years. I miss them!

 

[olena]

Now I get the itchy throat. I mean it downright itches. The back of my neck feels funny, too. That's my cat reaction.

 

[Serena]

Beth, anything could trigger it. It sounds like you are becoming allergic to something that you weren't allergic to before. I hate it when that happens.
Also, when I'm really stressed out, I may react to something that I've never reacted to before too. Ususally, I'm ok when I settle down.

Anything new or stressful going on? Any change in anything? It could be a combination of things too. Like, your body doesn't like A with B, but they can handle A and B seperately.

Good luck.

 

[browneyes]

I read somewhere that it's not uncommon to eat something one day, then be deathly allergic to it the next day. Peanuts and shellfish are 2 things that people suddenly become allergic too. I'd go see a dr pronto if I were you.

With my allergies, I just break out in hives (on my back and sometimes my legs) and itch like crazy. Unless it's sinus allergies, then I cough, sneeze and wheeze. Not a pretty sight.

 

[Poohnatic]

If you made some prepared foods (like a noodles and sauce, or hamburger helper) check the ingredient list. They change from time to time.

I know this because I have an allergy to yellow dye. Mine does what you describe (not nearly as bad), however, if my son ingests yellow dye, it exacerbates all the negative behaviors in his autism. Put it this way, if he has a major freak out/meltdown and we can't calm him down, we look back at what he ate and 99% of the time, he had the dye.

Because we have become ingredient readers on all foods, we've found over the past few years that many prepared foods have changed coloring and preservatives in them. Even 2 or 3 years ago, he had a lot of banned foods that he now can eat. Many companies are using annatto instead of yellow dye now.

Good luck finding what is causing this. It is alarming when you experience such a reaction and you don't know what triggered it.

Suzanne

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Beth - Lauri has had that problem with swallowing (needing to concentrate hard) on and off for a little while now. It ended up being a muscular thing related to her illness. Is it possible you could have some type of sinus infection or something?

 

[snuggles]

I had eaten cranberry sauce for years and all of a sudden I became allergic to it. The inside of my mouth would get all messed up if only one drop hit it. Lately I've noticed pickles trying to do it too. Definately call the dr.

 

[momof2inPA]

There's also something called Oral Allergy Syndrome you can ask your doctor about. It happens when pollens you are allergic to contaminate food, usually fruit, and causes itchy mouth, etc. I think it usually acts up during the season the pollens you are allergic to are in the air.

I would also be worried about food allergies developing-- not something to mess around with. My friend developed more as an adult after having children.

 

[Annie&Hallie'sMom]

As the queen of food allergies, I would encourage you to talk to your doctor immediately. I have developed even more allergies over the years and usually these newer allergies start out simply (some swelling, some breathing or digestive problems) and then turn into a full swing allergic reaction at a later date.

Allergies are never something to food around with.

 

[binny]

not to highjack your thread here but I have an allergy question too.

Recently I ate some gourmet sauce ( terriyaki sauce) and my mouth BURNED really bad! Has anyone had that happen? it wasnt expired and dh was fine with it but when I ate it I had a terrible reaction!



I get the throat swelling thing occasionally too.
I hate it! Its very scary!

 

[Rajah]

Any news, Beth? Were you able to get in to your doctor?

Binny -- no idea on that one, unless either the sauce used a spicy pepper that you were unaware of, or it had something in it you were allergic to. I know, I'm no help, am I? *hugs*

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Saw the doctor this morning and as momof2inpa mentioned the doctor told me it sounds like oral allergy syndrome. The good thing is that he said they rarely become dangerous - like severe reactions. He said that they are when your body thinks what you are eating is something else that you are allergic too. So basically my body thinks the food I eat is a tree or grass!

He tested me for 10 different things. I am reactive to trees, grass, soy and peaches. The soy was the only one I didn't know about already.

He started me on Allegra. He told me to keep a diary of what I eat when I react.

 

[chell]

Glad you saw the doctor. I hope that is all it is for you.

My allergy to eggs started like that. Now it is a major allergy for me.

It is weird how allergies to food cause different symptoms in different people.

Like with me citrus gives me a BAD bladder/kidney infection, melons make my lips and tounge go numb for 3 days, etc. Each item is different.

 

[momof2inPA]

Beth,

Too bad about the soy allergy. My son can tell you it's in everything. He seems to tolerate soy oils and soy lecithin o.k., since most of the protein is supposed to be processed out, but some allergic people cannot eat these, either. Soy flour is in many breads and baked goods, so read labels carefully.

Hey, glad I could help about the OAS.

 

[Pembo]

My family thinks I'm crazy. I haven't eaten raw fruit in over a year. Strawberries, melon, apples, they all made my mouth feel funny. And the last time I drank wine, 3 or 4 years ago, I tightening in my chest. I never told the doctor. Just eliminated the foods. Maybe I should call the doctor.

I had allergy testing done when I was younger. I'm allergic to grass, trees and weeds as well as cat. I can't go near cats, I have an asthma like attack.

I'm learning alot tonight on the DIS..........

 

[one_cat]

I hate allergies. I can't eat raw bananas or melons, they cause an itchy throat. I'm also allergic to grasses and trees. This has been the worst year in about 10 for me. I think it's because we visited Seattle in the Spring (where I grew up). It really knocked me for a loop and the allergies didn't go away again when I got home. I'll NEVER move back to Seattle. I'm glad to hear you saw the doctor and it wasn't serious.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

My allergies started 18 months ago, first finding out about a shellfish allergy,which is common. Testing revealed beef & fish, garlic, onion, as well as grass, cedar (big out west), dust & newsprint. I used to get a runny nose. All of a sudden, my throat would swell and get tight instead. I did allergy shots last year, which helped, and take Claritan daily. This was very scary to me, I had never heard of this happening. There is alot of info on Oral Allergy Syndrome, the one I remember is if you are allergic to apples, you're also allergic to birch trees. A co-worker had OAS, but found if she cooked apples she could eat them, raw apples or apple cider would swell her throat and send her to the ER. It's also very common to develop allergies to something that never bothered you before. By checking cross-reactivity, you may find something in the same family of foods that you should avoid.

One important thing I learned is that it is important to rotate foods, and not eat the same thing every day, or your body can become allergic to it. By waiting 3 or 4 days, it gives your body time to process a food out, so your immune system can't recognize it and react.

I also became very sensitive to smells, & especiallly chemicals like new carpet & car smell, plywood, candles, perfumes & those "plug-in" air fresheners. (perfumes have insecticides in them to repell the insects they attract!) I am much better now, the first 6 months were the worst. But I am very careful what I eat now.
Beth E, good luck & feel free to PM with any questions.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Glad to see that I am not alone on the allergy front. It's interesting to see how many of us are allergic to different things. I can eat tropical fruits and grapes but not apple, plums, peaches and nectarines. While I cannot eat them raw I am fine if they are cooked. I can have apple juice or apple cider.

The doctor told me that it is the protein in the food I am reacting too. He said the protein in apples is so transient that if you cut the apple and let it sit for a while some people no longer react. That's why some people think they are allergic to the skin. Once you remove the skin you release some of the protein.