Food Allergies

[KSchwagg86]

So after months of pain and other not so fun symptoms, I am finally going to see a food allergist on Monday to see if I am allergic to anything...So I am curious--what, if anything, are you guys allergic to? What were your symptoms and how were you tested?

Thanks!

 

[KSchwagg86]

a little more info: Their main thoughts for me are a lactose allergy or gluten...been tested for gluten many times, but since my symptoms just started, I may have been giving out false-negatives

 

[Christine]

a little more info: Their main thoughts for me are a lactose allergy or gluten...been tested for gluten many times, but since my symptoms just started, I may have been giving out false-negatives

I haven't been tested for food allergies but my son has and some people I know have.

If they have no clue as to what the offending foods might be, they often do blood work that can test for several hundred food items. These aren't always really accurate and they don't necessarily give a good cause and effect.

If you have some suscipicions of food, they will do a more narrow blood test or even a skin prick test.

As for gluten--you could have an allergy. But please note that gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is not an allergy to gluten but an autoimmune disorder so a food allergy test is not really going to diagnose celiac disease but it may show an allergy to wheat or other grains. As for lactose, I guess you can have a lactose allergy, but more commonly it is an intolerance. Again, food allergy testing won't turn this up but there are ways to test for intolerance.

 

[KSchwagg86]

thanks...yea ive had lots of bloodwork and now we were told to try the food allergist--woo hoo

 

[momof1princess]

i had the blood allergy test several years ago, but my ENT said there was an enzyme in my blood that was blocking portions of the test, so i had to have a skin test done also. as far as food goes, i only turned out to be allergic to milk, which i can tolerate in very small amounts. anything more than 2-3 tablespoons and i start having trouble breathing. i am also allergic to cigarette smoke, deciduous trees, timothy grass, dog and cat dander...oh boy, i could go on for an hour, lol. good luck with your testing! i hope you get some answers! it can be very frustrating.

 

[kimmar067]

a little more info: Their main thoughts for me are a lactose allergy or gluten...been tested for gluten many times, but since my symptoms just started, I may have been giving out false-negatives

...not me but my DH - he thought he was lactose intolerant, but, after being tested, results were that he tested positive for Celiac...boy, has it been an adjustment! That was 5 years ago....

...he had just about every symptom there was: sores in his mouth, loss of strength, cramps in his legs at night, diarrhea, drastic weight-loss, pain in abdomen....

 

[kimmar067]

..As for gluten--you could have an allergy. But please note that gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is not an allergy to gluten but an autoimmune disorder so a food allergy test is not really going to diagnose celiac disease but it may show an allergy to wheat or other grains. As for lactose, I guess you can have a lactose allergy, but more commonly it is an intolerance. Again, food allergy testing won't turn this up but there are ways to test for intolerance.

...ITA - he [my DH] was not diagnosed with a colonoscopy (and 13 biopsies!), but with an endoscopy [other end ]...

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

It could also be gall bladder problems.

Out of nowhere, DW had an attack after we dined at Ohana several years ago, thought it was either bad food or allergic reaction. DW described it as worst tummy ache in the world. Doctor at WDW thought it might be gall bladder.

Got home and found out it was!

 

[kimmar067]

It could also be gall bladder problems.

Out of nowhere, DW had an attack after we dined at Ohana several years ago, thought it was either bad food or allergic reaction. DW described it as worst tummy ache in the world. Doctor at WDW thought it might be gall bladder.

Got home and found out it was!

YIKES! Sounds scary - 'specially while on vaca....

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

YIKES! Sounds scary - 'specially while on vaca....

thankfully we had gotten trip insurance, it paid for the portion our health insurance didn't cover for a doctor to visit us in the room!

And it was a sudden onset, no prior problems that would telegraph that something might be going on! The different meats at Ohana are what probably triggered it (in the Doctors opinion) but we just watched what she ate on the trip and stayed away from fried or greasy food, and she was just fine!

 

[KSchwagg86]

...ITA - he [my DH] was not diagnosed with a colonoscopy (and 13 biopsies!), but with an endoscopy [other end ]...

Yea, I've had both and they were negative--but I was told that since my symptoms started in the past couple of months, maybe the blunting of the villi wasn't enough yet--or they just didn't read the results correctly? who knows--thanks for all the info!

 

[chell]

Yea, I've had both and they were negative--but I was told that since my symptoms started in the past couple of months, maybe the blunting of the villi wasn't enough yet--or they just didn't read the results correctly? who knows--thanks for all the info!

This makes me want to second the gall bladder idea. Have you had it checked? I was sick with mine for 6 months before they ever checked it. I thought it was just stress because there was a lot going on in my life at the time. By the time I was finally diagnosed with gall bladder issues mine was about to rupture. Mine was so inflamed that I went to the surgeon's office Monday afternoon and was in surgery first thing Tuesday morning. He told me afterwards if I had waited 24 more hours I probably would have died. He said it was about to rupture and it was so infected that everything would have spilled into my body and poisoned me. Have them check yours just in case if they haven't.

On to the food allergies. I have to be one of the weirdest people on the face of the planet when it comes to food allergies. Here are mine (that I can remember at the moment) and the symptoms they cause:

Eggs: if they are baked in something they will make my joints stiff and make it difficult for me to move. If I smell eggs cooking or something or accidentally eat something with them in it besides baked my throat gets tight and I can go into anaphylactic shock.

Citrus: causes kidney and/or bladder infections

Melons: even smelling them make my lips and tongue go numb. If I eat them they can go numb for up to 3 days.

Ginger/Turmeric: gives me hives.

Bananas: make my throat itch and feel odd.

Walnuts possibly pecans: make my mouth itch.

Fish/shellfish: hives

 

[wic0721]

I'm allergic to all nuts - causes me to go into anaphylactic shock.
I'm allergic to cats - hives

My daughter is allergic to peanuts/latex.

Good luck with your testing!

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

all nuts
eggplant
red wine & red wine products
swiss cheese
fennel
bees, wasps
grass
mold
trees
cats, dogs, horses
cochroaches
MSG
that's all I can think of right now

I think I might be developing a pineapple allergy.

Blood & patch tests. I carry Benydryl & Epi-pens everywhere.

Up until 3 years ago I was allergic to all shell fish, bananas, apricots & peaches.

 

[chell]

Peach fuzz is another thing I'm allergic too. It makes me itch real bad. Once the fuzz is gone I'm okay.

 

[luvmy3]

My ds just went in for food allergy testing last week. He had the skin prick test to confirm a suspected allergy to tree nuts. Turns out he is allergic to almonds but no others. He has to avoid all other just because of cross contamination and now has to carry benadryl and an epi-pen with him. He showed a reaction to peanuts, soybeans and sesame seeds too but since he currently eats those without symptoms his allergist is not worried about a severe reaction to any of those things. I am doing my own experiment and cutting soy out of his diet. I have been letting him eat as usual and I am keeping a journal of every reaction he has, no matter how insignificant it may be. Then I'm going to take him off soy and see if anything changes. Soy products are in everything and I have a feeling that it may be contributing to some behavior issues he has so his doc says this is the way to do it.
He also suffers from pretty much every kind of grass and tree pollen. Because of those he has developed oral allergy syndrome, so there are many fruits and veggies that make his throat and mouth itchy that never used to. Poor kid just can't seem to get a break . I know its unlikely he will grow out of the tree nut allergy but I'm hopibg he grows out of everything else.

 

[chell]

I forgot about my milk allergy. It just affects my sinus congestion. As far as other allergies, I'm not even going to get into all of those. We'd be here way too long. I've been around something today that I'm allergic to because my back is itching and burning. Our puppy has decided to live outside and it is either his dander or the dirt he rolls in that is probably making me itch right now. I'll have to get a Benadryl soon.

 

[kimmar067]

Yea, I've had both and they were negative--but I was told that since my symptoms started in the past couple of months, maybe the blunting of the villi wasn't enough yet--or they just didn't read the results correctly? who knows--thanks for all the info!

...yup. The doctor saw the flattened villii right away, along with the smooth small intestine walls....within 2 weeks of an adjusted diet, he felt 200% better! (mind you, it took 2-1/2 years to diagnose!)

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I am not allergic to anything. I was tested as a child because my dad is severely allergic to stinging insects and my parents wanted to know if I would be as well.

 

[KSchwagg86]

This makes me want to second the gall bladder idea. Have you had it checked? I was sick with mine for 6 months before they ever checked it.

I'm pretty sure they checked it, but maybe not--thanks for the info!