Shellfish allergy

[AustinTink]

For those of you with shellfish allergies, do you still eat other fish? I'm newly diagnosed allergic to all shellfish. I haven't had my second round of tests, yet. So, I'm not sure if I should chance it with other fish.

I love sushi. But, last week I had some and my palms started itching. Not a good sign.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

I don't eat any other fish with mine. Though to be fair the smell of fish makes me feel ill and remember the time my throat closed the first time. So maybe its more of an ahh mental block thing with me. Sorry I can't be more help.

 

[AustinTink]

I don't eat any other fish with mine. Though to be fair the smell of fish makes me feel ill and remember the time my throat closed the first time. So maybe its more of an ahh mental block thing with me. Sorry I can't be more help.

It really sux to think of giving up all fish. If I can't have sushi and fried catfish I just might scream.

 

[minkydog]

My sister is highly allergic to shellfish. In fact, she had a bad allergic reaction to the SAND in Hawaii--it's primarily coral and shells. Anyway, she doesn't eat or even touch shrimp, crabs, clams, etc, but she can eat salmon,tuna, halibut, cod and other fish with no problems.

 

[postage stamp]

My mom was allergic to shellfish but never had a problem eating other seafood. She loved it and missed her crab a lot.

 

[can84]

I'm allergic to shellfish but can eat most other fish. Could the fish you have been contaminated? I tried eating around shrimp once, and, well, it wasn't my smartest idea. Also, I tried jellyfish at a wedding (tastes like cold wet noodles) and had the worst reaction to that Never again!

 

[stepmommyof1]

This has nothing to do with shellfish but I have to say it anyway.
When I first saw the title of your post I mistakenly thought it said "Selfish allergy".
I thought, I know people come to the disboards community board to ask about etiquette questions and to vent about peoples behavior and even to just complain sometimes. BUT if a person is now posting that someone is being selfish by having an allergy, then I really have seen it all!!

 

[SAHDad]

For those of you with shellfish allergies, do you still eat other fish? I'm newly diagnosed allergic to all shellfish. I haven't had my second round of tests, yet. So, I'm not sure if I should chance it with other fish.

I love sushi. But, last week I had some and my palms started itching. Not a good sign.

DW is allergic to shellfish, but she can eat fish. (She's not a fan of sushi though.) My first thought would be cross-contamination, but DW pointed out that a lot of the various sauces used for sushi & Asian dishes use shellfish as a component, which would cause a reaction as well.

 

[Christine]

Shellfish and regular fish are totally differen things.

Shellfish are crustaceans and other things like shrimp and scallops.

My son is allergic to shellfish but did not test positive to fish. He eats salmon and any other type of fish with no problem. However, I would NOT let him go to sushi restaurant due to cross contamination issues.

 

[LisaR]

My first reaction came while eating crab legs. It was really bad and my throat closed. I barely made it to the ER. I was told (and allergy testing later confirmed) that I was allergic to hard shellfish. Three years later I had an almost identical allergy to shrimp and was then told I was allergic to both hard and soft shellfish. I continued to eat salmon a couple times a month for probably a good 10 years before having the exact same reaction. Now I can't eat any type of fish.

 

[wowsmom]

I'm extremely allergic to shellfish but have no problems with regular fish (although I don't really like most of it, but will eat tuna and tilapia). I can eat shrimp with no problems, but don't eat it often.

I have basically stopped eating Chinese food, because so many dishes use oyster sauce or fish sauce (which often has clam in it). I also found I was having a lot of issues with cross-contamination - we always ordered the same dishes, from the same Chinese restaurant and I'd be fine 2 or 3 or 4 times in a row, but then I'd have a reaction. So no more Chinese.

And the poster who mentioned the sand in Hawaii... I've always wanted to go to Hawaii...it would be just my luck to be allergic to the sand!

 

[minkydog]

And the poster who mentioned the sand in Hawaii... I've always wanted to go to Hawaii...it would be just my luck to be allergic to the sand!

Yeah, it took my sister quite by surprise. She had spent the day lying on the beach and when she went back up to her room she was covered in an itchy red rash that only got worse from there. She ended up in the ER and had to get a steroid dose-pak. Needless to say, it pretty much ruined her vacation.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

I thought I should add that I can eat regular fish, its more of a mental thing. But the shellfish anaphalactic city for me Maybe the seafood you had , at some point had been in contact with shellfish. I always ask about allergies because sometimes things share pans etc.

 

[Squirlz]

My wife is deathly allergic to shrimp, but has no problem with crab or lobster. Fine with fish also but she hasn't found much that she likes yet.

 

[mom2grace]

It really sux to think of giving up all fish. If I can't have sushi and fried catfish I just might scream.

I also developed a shellfish allergy about 2 years ago. We go to 2 sushi restaurants that I trust, and I write shellfish allergy on my order sheet that the sushi chefs get. DH & I use separate order forms since he will order shellfish, that way they are not on the same plate.

I also do not eat anything tempura, since shrimp are fried in the same batter/cooker. However, our allergist says that I do not need to do that, but I do.

I will and have eaten fried fish in situations when I know that shellfish have not been in the fryer & I have been fine.

 

[EMom]

I'm deathly allergic to crustaceans, but not molluscs/mollusks. But if I said, "I have a crustacean allergy" to a server, I might get a blank stare a decent percentage of the time. So I just tell them I have a shellfish allergy, because I am allergic to SOME shellfish. but not all. As for fish, no allergy there at all so I eat it a lot.

 

[AustinTink]

This is all just so scary to me. I have eaten shellfish all my life, them BAM swollen lips and eyes, closed throat... very frightening. As someone said, it may be a mental thing now for me. I just don't feel safe chancing fish, though I love it. When I go for my second round of testing (they ran out of skin space last time!) I'll find out for sure about fish.

I tested positive for all shellfish, both mollusks and crustaceans. The doc also told me to watch out for pork, which has some correlation with shellfish allergies.

 

[wowsmom]

Yeah, it took my sister quite by surprise. She had spent the day lying on the beach and when she went back up to her room she was covered in an itchy red rash that only got worse from there. She ended up in the ER and had to get a steroid dose-pak. Needless to say, it pretty much ruined her vacation.

I can see how that would ruin her vacation!

I also do not eat anything tempura, since shrimp are fried in the same batter/cooker. However, our allergist says that I do not need to do that, but I do.

I will and have eaten fried fish in situations when I know that shellfish have not been in the fryer & I have been fine.

My mom, who is also very allergic to shellfish, can't eat fried fish if it's been fried in the same oil as shellfish. She now only eats fried fish at the church fish fry during Lent.

 

[AustinTink]

I have to add, I just found out I'm allergic to gluten, as well. Needless to say, I'm having a tough time with food right now. There's an enormous learning curve that comes with the adult onset of food allergies. I have to retrain myself now, in so many ways.

 

[wowsmom]

This is all just so scary to me. I have eaten shellfish all my life, them BAM swollen lips and eyes, closed throat... very frightening. As someone said, it may be a mental thing now for me. I just don't feel safe chancing fish, though I love it. When I go for my second round of testing (they ran out of skin space last time!) I'll find out for sure about fish.

I tested positive for all shellfish, both mollusks and crustaceans. The doc also told me to watch out for pork, which has some correlation with shellfish allergies.

I didn't eat any shellfish growing up (due to my mom's allergy) but tried clam chowder when I was about 16. Was fine with it until I was about 18 when out of the blue, I had a bad reaction.

That's very interesting about the pork....I've never heard that and we tend to eat pork pretty regularly. Hmmmmm.

I have been told to avoid iodine, such as Betadine. And also to be careful having a CT with contrast (which, thankfully, I've never needed!).