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[SunflowerFree]

Hi GoingNuts!  I had the highest level of reaction possible to sunflower on skin test.  I wish there were seperate tests for the seed, oil, and lecithin because sunflower seems to be in many foods, lotions, shampoo, etc.   My allergic symptoms are sore throat, sinus inflammation, headache, itchy mattered eyes, and gastrointestinal problems, etc.  I did not relate the allergy symptoms to sunflower in particular.  But I had been eating salads with sunflower seeds sprinkled on top, and more sunflower lecithin/oil containing products than usual as I was avoiding dairy (I'm lactose intolerant) and using several dairy-alternative products with sunflower in them in the weeks just prior to testing.

I have more skin tests to do, as I was only tested for about 20 foods out of 70 possible food allergies.  Sunflower was the most severe reaction, but I also reacted to wheat, and pistachio nut (all other nuts were non-reactive).  Also, cottonwood, hickory, ragweed, cocklebur, water hemp, pigweed, alternaria, and hormodendrum.

Question:  Do I have to type out my name, email, verification code, letters, backward word spellings, etc with every post?  So far I have had to every time.  Thanks!

[babyboyjimmy]

Hi there,

My wife and I just had our 8 month old son tested - it was discovered that he is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs and poppy seeds.

We are still adjusting the news and beginning to inform ourselves as much as possible.

Nice to meet everyone. Glad to have stumbled upon this forum.

[rebekahc]

Hi Sunflower and welcome!  To deter spammers, new members must complete the verification process a number of times.  Don't worry, you won't always have to do it!  I'm sorry you're experiencing symptoms that may be food related.  However, current best practices don't indicate doing allergy testing for such a broad number of things due to the high rate of false positives.  Have you tried tracking your symptoms with a food/activity/etc. diary to help narrow down possible culprits?



babyboyjimmy, I'm glad you found our site, but sorry you needed to.  What symptoms prompted you to get your baby tested (hopefully nothing too scary!)?  Many of us have been dealing with allergies since our now-grown kiddos were babies, so we have lots of information and tips to share.  I know how overwhelming it can be when facing a new diagnosis with a little guy who can't tell you if he's having symptoms, etc. - feel free to ask us lots of questions!

[SunflowerFree]

Oh, wow.  I would not want false-positives!  How many tests can a person do at one time to avoid false-pos?  Thanks very much.

[spacecanada]

Allergy testing in general has a high rate of false positive results.  Thus, it is recommended to only test for foods that are likely suspects to correlate with past reaction history.  If you can eat a normal serving of wheat pasta, for example, (and assuming no cross contamination with other allergens)  without any allergic reaction it wouldn't make sense to test wheat since you know you aren't allergic to it.  But if you eat two bites of that same pasta and have a reaction, and possibly react to oats or barley, both often heavily contaminated with wheat, testing for wheat makes sense.

I hope that helps.

[GoingNuts]

Welcome Babyboyjimmy!  Glad you found us - even though you're giving me flashbacks of when my now 22 year old was that age, wheezing, and covered in weeping eczema. 

[Dorlee311]

Good morning! Happy I found this page in my late night surfing, as I gather all my research. My son was recently diagnosed with tree  nut (walnut, pistachio, cashew, pecans) and sesame seed allergies. We were on vacation when he had a bite of a cookie that had walnut in it, and our lives changed forever (scariest 30 minutes of my life to date).
The tree nut allergy I think I am able to understand and keep B (son) safe...but this sesame allergy is throwing me for a loop. I need help! I will be posting in a different thread a call for sesame allergy resources.
Thanks again for having this page!
DorLee311
Mom to 5yo B with TN/Sesame allergy

[PurpleCat]

Welcome!  My daughter has the same allergies plus more.

Sesame is tough but not impossible.

A quick summer help - King's Hawaiian Rolls -made in a sesame free bakery.  Hamburger, hotdog, dinner, mini sub, loaves of bread, etc.... but they are sweet - Hawaiian style.  Here I find them at Target, Walmart, and a couple grocery stores.  Sometimes they are in the bakery section, other times I find them in the deli section.  I do not find them in the bread section.

Others here know sesame too!  (unfortunately!)

[kathclapp]

Hi all 

my blog / cool dating video

[stewartjn]

I've just been diagnosed with sunflower/sesame allergy.

Let's see, 10 years ago, I had a reaction while eating multi-grain bread.  At the time, I had just had a baby, had just been diagnosed with cervical cancer, and my mom was dealing with lung cancer.  So, instead of getting tested, I just practiced avoidance.  I didn't eat anything multigrain, and I didn't eat any bread if I didn't know exactly what it was.

Fast forward 10 years, a co-worker brought some snacks to work.  I had never tried kale chips, so I decided to give it a shot.  Within seconds my mouth and throat were itching.  I got some antihistamine, but it continued to get worse.  I decided to go to the minor med, but realized quickly that I was in no shape to drive.  Ended up going into anaphylactic (sp) shock.  Apparently, even the EMT was scared.

I had kept the bag of kale chips, and took it with me when I went to the allergist.  Kale, sesame, sunflower, and tree nuts.  The doctor did a blood test since I had such a bad reaction.  Sunflower and sesame came back positive, with the sunflower much more extreme.  The nurse told me sunflower oil would probably be safe, but the doctor told me no way, no how.

Anyway, now I'm checking labels on everything.  These "sunflower and/or canola oil" labels are killing me.  Especially when it's stuff I've been eating, with no problems.  Sesame doesn't seem to be as much of a struggle; I don't see it on labels very often.

I'd love to find a list of all the various names of these things.

[spacecanada]

Welcome to the forum.  There are many knowledgeable people here, links to valuable resources, etc. 

If you are in America be careful with sesame as it doesn't have to be listed on the label (nor does sunflower) and can hide in things like vegetable oil, flavours, seasonings, etc.

In Canada, however, sesame must be listed on the label as 'sesame' if it has been added as an ingredient.  Manufacturers are not allowed to hide it if it is an ingredient.  Sunflower is not a major allergen in Canada and does not have to be identified on the label like sesame here (Canada).

Traces of sesame and sunflower (or any other allergen) do not have to be declared by manufacturers in either country, so be sure to call or email manufacturers to find out if there is a possibility of cross contamination in items that may otherwise seem safe. 

[livinglarge]

 Hi All,

I am happy to be here on this beautiful day.  I have quite a bit to contribute, I am sure we can learn a great deal as well.  My mother, her siblings, my brother and I, and my children all have some very odd allergies.  Corn, Wheat and Soy are all problems there are more things we are discovering that we do best to avoid as well.  Specifically we are narrowing down cottonseed oil and canola.  Thankfully we can all eat peanuts.  I do some food journal-ling complete with pictures of rashes and reactions because things can get dicey.  The highlight of our Thanksgiving meal this year was a violent reaction we think we tracked back to some Soy based cooking spray.

All this said - not griping at all, there is so much we can eat.  Right now we are just trying to figure out how to feel better every day.  Currently there is an ingredient is something that we are eating that we have not been able to pin down after three months of chronicling food etc.

Thanks for having us!  I hope we can help out and pick up some great pointers along the way!

Living Large!!

[rebekahc]

  livinglarge and welcome!  Feel free to jump in anywhere with help or questions.

[GoingNuts]

Welcome Livinglarge!

[Sunshine_burn]

Hello everyone! I am so glad I found this website! I am a 34 yr old female recently diagnosed with a slew of allergies.
I look forward to any advice, encouragement, and support I can offer or is offered!