Introduce Yourself - We're Glad You Found Us!

[lanamilo]

HI,
I am a newly diagnosed food allergy girl.  I am 38 and have started with food allergies in the last 3 months.

I am allergic to soy and all soy products- including soybean oil.  Blisters my lips, hives, itching all over, GI problems, dermatitis around my eyes.  Not good!  I can tell in just a short time if I have gotten soy into my system.
I had an anaphylactic reaction to almonds a couple of weeks after I figured out the soy allergy.  If I get it on my skin-like almond oil in a lotion- it blisters the skin it touches and makes my tongue tingle.  I scrubbed the little bit I got on three fingertips off in a hurry and popped some Benadryl before it could go further.
I also have broken out in hives from peanut butter.

I still am not convinced that I am not allergic to other things.  I am frequently itchy and my lips are always painful and dry.  I just can't seem to get them to heal.  I don't know if I need to eliminate other foods and if so, what?  My allergist isn't the most helpful on this. She told me to avoid sesame and peas as well and that was it.  Or is my itchiness and dryness just because it is cold and dry now in the winter?

My allergist did the blood tests and I came up negative to everything. She refused to do a scratch test because of the danger of anaphylaxis. However, I am definitely allergic to these things.  I now have to carry an epipen.  I keep one at work and one in my bag at all times.
I am still feeling out the foods I can eat and the places we can eat out at.  I have eaten Chipotle many times in the last 3 months!
Looking forward to your tips and ideas.

[momtimesfive]

Hi everyone. I am here to learn more about food intolerances/allergies. I haven't been officially diagnosed but if I eat anything that has any kind of flour in it I start sneezing, coughing and my eyes water. it's getting to the point everything just about causes this reaction in me. The allergy testing showed nothing at all other than some mild allergies to trees. This not being able to eat without sneezing is driving me batsy

[TheFarmersWife]

Hello everyone! So glad I found this forum and hope to find others with the same allergy. My husband is the one with the food allergy, actually. He has a galactose-alpha allergy from a tick bite. This makes him allergic to all mammals. Especially beef/dairy. He has a delayed reaction usually starting with extreme fatigue/mental fogginess and then hives followed by breathing difficulties/asthma attacks. He has not yet had to use an epi pen *fingers crossed*. He was diagnosed last year by UVA where they are heading the research on the galactose allergy because it is so prevalent in central VA. He was having symptoms for over a year before being diagnosed, we had no idea what was wrong and our primary had never heard of this allergy, it was frustrating. I am glad we know now and mostly have it under control with diet choices. He is very sensitive, especially with dairy. He cannot eat any packaged food that was even processed in a facility that also processes milk. So, that's us. I have no food allergies but have taken on a mammal free diet as well just because it's easier to not cook two different meals. Anyone else on here with Galactose allergy??  Looking forward to swapping some recipes. 

[PurpleCat]

Welcome!  I don't know if any members have that specific allergy but I do know it has been discussed here in the past and there are lots of great  dairy allergy threads.

[StephanieAc]

Hey! I'm Stephanie!

[Mrs Plod]

Hi everyone! 
I have had environmental respiratory allergies for most of my life (first tested in 1976 at age 6).  My food allergy diagnosis came about 10 days ago, after an EE diagnosis in January.  Obviously, as reality sets in, I am getting a little overwhelmed. 

I am concerned about what other foods  I might be allergic to, but was not tested for.  I am concerned/confused about the spcifics of the foods I am allergic to (which lettuce?  do Brussels sprouts count as cabbage, etc).   And I am interested in finding substitutions for things I am really going to miss.

I tested positive for 11 things.  The big bad 5 (not deathly, but need to eliminate now) are : tomatoes, cabbage, almonds, sesame seeds, green peppers.  The less serious 6 are : oats, onion, lettuce, green beans, oranges, rice.

So, do Brussels sprouts, kale, red cabbage, brocolli, cauliflower count as "cabbage"?
Do spinach, arugula, danelion geens, etc count as "lettuce"-- in fact which lettuce counts as lettuce?
Do navy, black, pinto, baked and refried beans count as "green/string beans"?
Which peppers are included with "green peppers"?
Does "orange" really mean citrus?
Are leeks, chives, scallions all "onions"--garlic came back negative btw, as did white potatoes

Any thoughts?  It's a little tough to guage symptoms and reactions, because damage is occurring in my esophagus, and in addition, I am slightly lactose intollerant, and greasy food and garlic all cause negative digestive reactions cramps, diarrhea, gas.   

Arrrgghh!

[PurpleCat]

Hi and welcome!

What does your allergist say about this? 

I can't speak to EE, I can share about food allergies.

Environmental allergies cross into food allergies.  Dust mites are related to shellfish, certain tree, weed and grass pollens are related to certain fruits and vegetables (some of these for my DD are OAS - Oral Allergy Symptoms and not life threatening and some of these cause anaphylaxis). 

Some of these allergies came about as DD got older.  For example, she always loved and ate Cantaloupe.  One day out of the blue, same melon she had some of two days before, DD had anaphylaxis to cantaloupe.  At that time we tested the other melons and she could only eat watermelon...and after a couple weeks, watermelon caused OAS.  Melon are related to ragweed.

Here are a couple charts and there are many more if you google.

http://s.doctoroz.com/sites/default/files/im_uploads/3_170_food_seasonal_allergy_chart_PRINT.jpg  (not promoting Dr. Oz, I am not a fan, but this chart is a quick read)

http://www.worldallergy.org/professional/allergic_diseases_center/foodallergy/


In my experience with my DD (who is the one with the allergies) she is not always allergic to the whole family of an allergen.  Sometimes she is.  Some examples are:

She is allergic to all tree nuts except for recently out growing and passing a coconut challenge.  (She may also have outgrown Pecan but we have not challenged that one yet.)  She is allergic to shellfish, however she can and does eat shrimp after passing a challenge in the doctor's office.  She is allergic to peanuts but she can and does eat all other legumes.


Reactions trump testing.  Always. 

[YouKnowWho]

This is where I want to tell you that I know - but I truly don't. 

And this is where I tell you to call the doctor to ask who will have a better idea (hopefully!) of what you do and do not need to avoid. 

I say this because you have a limited diet as is and further limiting it will make it so much worse, especially if you don't have to do so.   

Food diaries can also be helpful as you try items you question (I recommend eating them with foods that are safe for you to make it easier) to determine if it is causing a reaction.

[ninjaroll]

The foods mentioned above - did the doctor say those are positive triggers for EE or IgE?  It's really, really important to keep an accurate accounting.  Different treatments.

[Peg]

Hi. Maybe you remember me from way back. Joined when my son was 17. He's 30 now.

He's a writer. Daughter is too. She writes for television, he writes mostly freelance and yearns for a writing job.

He's got a lovely girlfriend. Lives close to us. GF lives near Disneyland. Works there. He works in Santa Monica so they're 45 miles apart.

DD had the same situation far from beloved they're married 4 years now.

Son manages his allergies very well. Carries two epi pens. Extremely careful. Last reaction was just after college. 7 years ago. Travels. Did his MFA program flying back and forth to Maine. Well travel is not easy but he manages. Girlfriend and her family very cooperative. They love him so it's easy.

It's a constant battle really but it's his life and he's fine with it. I wish it could be easier. We spent his entire early life teaching him how to stay safe and handle emergencies so our job is really done. He does all of his own cooking. He's a weight watcher. At goal for a long time now. Looks like a million dollars.

I work for weight watchers now. 5 years. At goal 6 years. Part time. DH physician still practicing. No plans to retire.

Glad to see some old faces here.

[SilverLining]

Hi Peg. Nice to see you again. Funny you popped in. I was thinking about you earlier this week.

[rebekahc]

Hi Peg! 

[Peg]

Nice to see you all here.

[Macabre]

It's so good to see you! 

Does your son carry the new AuviQ? If he does not have employee insurance, it may be hard for him to do that--they can be steep.  They are auto injectors that are the size of an iPhone-ish.  DS loves them!  If his insurance won't cover them, it might be a nice birthday gift or something.  They've changed DS' life. 

[Peg]

Honestly never heard of it. I'll have him look into it. Interesting. Thanks.