Latex, Environmental and Food Allergies

[Opnhrtscrub881]

I was diagnosed with a type 1 latex allergy after working just over a year in the OR. I would start to have a tight chest cough and hoarse voice. It later escalated into nausea vomitting and diarrhea. I tried to avoid it as much as possible and it got a lot better. I noticed soon that when I ate apples or Bananas I would have a cough and sore throat and the next day I have crippling stomach pains and diarrhea ( I know TMI) after a year this has happened with multiple kinds of food. Melons,strawberries,clementines, carrots, celery, potato, tomato, wheat( congestion sinus pain tight chest), hazelnuts,grapes. I'm frustrated with this because I feel like I can't eat anything fresh. I can eat some vegetables like lettuce broccoli green beans and corn so that's positive.
I have lots of environmental allergies to molds weeds grasses trees etc. Anybody experience anything like this?

[rebekahc]

Have you researched oral allergy syndrome? Some of your reactions could be due to that. Also, latex is strongly cross reactive with bananas and avocados plus others, but those are the two I know of off the top of my head (and the most common), so your latex allergy might have caused an allergy to related foods. Lastly, if your body is always on high alert from continued exposure to an allergen, you can react to many things you're not really allergic to. If you can successfully avoid your allergen(s), you might be able to reintroduce some of the foods you're reacting to now.

I would suggest having IgE testing done by an allergist well versed in food allergy and see if you're positive to all the things you react to. That's probably the best way to narrow down what's a real allergy, what's oral allergy syndrome, etc.

[Maggie]

My allergist mentioned OAS today actually. The latex is cross reactive with everything that's on my list but I was told that to be reactive to all the foods directly from latex would be rare. I take 2 antihistamines and Zantac plus asthma meds x 2 and nose spray so I think you're right on my body being on high alert. Unfortunately not being around my allergens is hard or near impossible because I'm allergic to so many things. The IgE test seems like a good idea thanks for the advice