Food Allergies

[MrYum]

Evening all...

As mentioned a couple days ago, ended up at the emergency room with my girlfriend...doc said it was an allergic reaction to 'something'. After a lot of thought trying to figure out what it could have been...we had a couple ideas of the cause, so obviously she stayed away from those items.

Ended up at the ER again today...similar reaction as before, though not quite as bad since we got her to the doc sooner. At this point, we're thinking she may have suddenly become allergic to nuts. (Yes, we all know I'M NUTS, but the other kind )

See, being the nice guy I am...when she got sick late last week with this, I went and did the grocery shopping. Knowing how much she loves chocolate and nuts, I picked her up some brownies topped with walnuts. As she hasn't been getting better the past few days, we've been thinking it would just take a while for the toxins to clear her system...until the flare up today. That's when we started putting 2 and 2 together and hit on NUTS.

To the reason for this thread...

Has anyone here ever suddenly become allergic to nuts after eating them for years???

From some googling, it certainly appears that it can happen, though not necessarily a common thing. So, figured I'd get some feedback from my fellow GG&J'ers

Btw...what a bitch of a week it's been...got a call earlier this evening that my mother is in the hospital again in California. Where's the tearing my hair out emoticon?

[SirMoby]

That happened to a friend of mine although he never went to the ER. He claims he grew up eating peanut butter (like all great Americans do) but one day at an Orioles game his mouth and throat started to itch and he started choking after he ate a single peanut. The something about having peanuts at a Thai restaurant and all hell broke loose.

He says he can't touch them now.

He has told a few other stories that are difficult to believe but those usually involved Asian triplets.

[Maj. Stress]

It took 35 years but one day I could no longer eat a banana without heartburn from hell to follow. I can't even eat candy with the artifical banana flavoring.

[MrYum]

Yep, those stories are similar to what I've seen. Damn, the human body is a fickle thing at times.

Now, the poor lil thing seems to be coming down with a cold too. Apparently the steroids they have her on weaken the immune system and she has been around sick people by going to the hospital

[RedCherry]

About 6 months ago, after eating them for years, I became allergic to green beans. Had them 3 times after the reaction, last time I had some problems breathing, so I'm trying hard to never have them again because I don't want to end up in the er.

Nuts allergies I've heard are one of the worst. She needs to be careful if she even eats something that has been processed in a factory that uses nuts...watch your labels. At least green beans are easier for me to avoid.

[MrYum]

Originally Posted by RedCherry

About 6 months ago, after eating them for years, I became allergic to green beans. Had them 3 times after the reaction, last time I had some problems breathing, so I'm trying hard to never have them again because I don't want to end up in the er.

Nuts allergies I've heard are one of the worst. She needs to be careful if she even eats something that has been processed in a factory that uses nuts...watch your labels. At least green beans are easier for me to avoid.

Some of the stuff I read online about this are downright scary. Her doc gave her a self dose of adrenalin for emergency situations. If she feels her throat closing up due to anaphylaxis, she's to jab this thing into the outside of her thigh and immediately get to an ER.

We're still not 100% sure it is nuts. But, going to keep her away from them for a few days and see if this improves. And she's going to get started on allergy testing, with nuts being the first thing tested.

[Bill]

Dang, dude, that sounds nuts.

---

Sorry man, somebody had to do it... ;-}

Crazy times all around.

[RedCherry]

Originally Posted by MrYum

Some of the stuff I read online about this are downright scary. Her doc gave her a self dose of adrenalin for emergency situations. If she feels her throat closing up due to anaphylaxis, she's to jab this thing into the outside of her thigh and immediately get to an ER.

I've been told if I have sulfa drugs orally again, I'd probably die. So I stay away from them. The whole throat closing thing really scares me. The first time I ate them the inside of my mouth, and the side of my tongue kinda broke out. 2nd time, same thing, only a bit worse, and it lasted longer. 3rd time...worse and the breathing scared me. I dropped benydril right away. With me, I don't know if my asthma was kicking in due to scaring me, or if I actually was heading towards anaphylaxis, but I don't want to find out. I'm real careful now if I get any kind of "mixed" veggies, to make sure there are no green beans. I mean, I've heard of nut allergies, but not bloody green beans.

I just hope she gets better soon, and it isn't not allergies. I worked with a girl that had nut allergies, and she couldn't touch anything that contain nuts even to her lip's without her lips swelling up. She didn't even have to keep the thing with the nuts. Just touch it to some part of her town or lips and shoot have a reaction and end up in the ER.

Good luck with the allergy testing. And sorry to hear that your girlfriend is having so many problems.

[pornrex]

For the first 38 years of my life I couldn't tolerate peanuts. My mom knew early on (during pregnancy actually) that I would not be able to consume them, because whenever she ate them, she became violently ill.

As a child I always carried an anaphylaxis kit, had them at school at home and just about everywhere I ever went, just in case and its been a lifesaver for me on more than one occassion.

But here's the kicker: about a year ago, I went for an allergy test as has been my custom for my entire life and I found out that I was no longer allergic to peanuts anymore - no joke. The test was performed three subsequent times since that first time and the same result: not allergic to peanuts! So, being the 'brave fool' that I am, I decided to have my first PB&J sammich, with anaphylaxis pen on standby, just in case.

As it turned out, I had no reaction, which in fact shocked the complete hell outta me. I was puzzled beyond my imagination. For 38 years, I couldn't even bare the smell of peanuts and here I am now able to eat them raw or in peanut butter form, which still feels weird having to tempt fate like I have these past 15 months but no reaction has occurred since.

I asked my family doctor about it and he told me that certain individuals may be allergic to an allergen their entire lives or for brief periods, or even can go 'off and on' but it mostly depends on your genetics, age, time the allergy kicks in, etc.

The best thing you can do for your gf, Yumster is to get her an anapen and avoid peanuts at all costs. Who knows, maybe in a few years or whatever, she may even overcome the allergy but better safe than sorry for the time being.

[JackDaniel's]

My father became allergic to honey. He always mixed coffee with honey and milk ! One day he became very sick . After many investigations the doctor said : NO MORE HONEY !

I never understood how can anyone become so sick after having honey, but than I found out that allergies to honey can involve reactions varying from cough to anaphylaxis.

I never had any allergies and I hope I never will

[docholly]

After years of living on shrimp, conch etc.. after the RugDawg was born I developed an allergy to shell and fin fish..usually it's one or the other but normally not both.. however I am not allergic to processed like Tuna or Salmon... So I have to be really careful when I eat out. Can't have like anything deep fried that has deep fried fish on the menu because of the oil. We went to dinner a few months ago at a friends house who knows about my allergy. Had made homemade chili in a big pot. Suddenly i felt my face turning red and my throat closing.. grabbed for my kit that I always carry in my pocket.. and Nothing..i'd changed bags.. luckily the QuickCare was less than a 1/2 mile away.

Turns out the night before ..they'd made paella in the same pot and some of the residual oil was still coated on the pan.

I understand the nut allergy is is one of the most deadly because so many things contain nuts/oil etc..

Sorry to hear about your mum too, Yum-Yum.

[MrYum]

Wow...thanks for the input folks. So, this isn't that unusual...

Poor thing seems to be getting worse again this morning...fuck fuck fuck! Time to get on the phone and see if I can track down an allergist. So far, the ER and our regular doc don't seem to be doing much good

Damn Doc...the morning AFTER...wtf!

Thanks for the well wishes for Momzilla too...as of late last night, not looking good on that front either

[Licker4U]

Damn, sorry about your g/f AND mom. Wow, a plate full for sure.

If I get allergic to nuts that's the day you can send flowers to my relatives, I'ld kill myself. I LOVE just about all nuts.

[Preacher]

Sorry to hear that about your mom MrYum, I know this has been going on for a while and that has to be hard.

Hopefully next week will be a better week!

[Mr Exotic]

My mom has some really bad food allergies. One thing that they know that brings it on is some kind of perservative that is in strawberries. So she has to be very careful when she gets ice cream at like Dairy Queen because thats what caused her first episode, a strawberry sundae at Dairy Queen. But with other things she just doesnt know, seems to happen quite a bit when she goes out to eat at unknown places. She keeps benadryl with her at all times, alot of times just taking that will help, if it doesnt I think she still carries one of those pins on her.

For it to keep happening I would think it would have to be something she is eating on a regular basis. In my mom's case once she gets hit with it and gets it taken care of it stops and doesnt happen again until she gets hit with it again out of the blue, which is 90% of the time when she eats out at a new place. I know last year when my mom and dad took their vacation in Europe last year she took all kinds of stuff with her since she would be eating all unknown foods.

[emmanuelle]

Nuts are a very scary allergy, they're in EVERYTHING, including icecream. One of our bigger candy/chocolate bar companies has turned their peanut free factories into a marketing edge- a huge relief for parents everywhere.

I'm fortunate in that I have no allergies whatsoever, other than your usual poison ivy type. Now if I weren't so picky about what I will & wont eat, I'd be able to enjoy it more.

[Torn Rose]

I saw a story 3-4 months ago on CNN on Green beans, Broccoli, and other similar food.

Someone did a study on the makeup of the food itself and proved that some kids taste buds will translate the taste of certain veggies differently then others, and that it is literally like eating acid to them and in most cases they will grow out of it when they get older. The Drs estimated it was 35% -45% of all kids have this problem.

I remember being a kid and almost gagging and vomiting when I was forced to eat green beans and other green vegetables, and living in the country where my parents grew 100% of their own vegetables, it was a tough thing to live through since it was almost every meal I was forced to eat the vile crap.

And now I LOVE them and actually crave them and eat green beans and broccoli 3-4 times a week at least.

I did get the pleasure of calling my parents and yelling “SEE I WASN’T MAKING THIS SHIT UP, THEY DO TASTE YUCKY!”…. 30 years later….

So a note to all parents, there is a great chance your kid is telling the truth when they say dinner taste bad.

[Greenguy]

And I thought I had NUT problems!

Wucka Wucka...give me those ribs!

[stuveltje]

my sister became allergic suddenly for alot of food with the age of 19, no explanation how come...but it just happend, now she is 33 and still have to look at everthing she eats to not get sick as hell.

[MrYum]

Well, other than still getting itchy every few hours (at just about time for meds), she seems to be doing better. We'll be getting her in for some allergy testing asap to figure this thing out. Still leaning toward the nuts though...

From what the doc said, it can sometimes take a few days for the 'toxins' to clear her system, so still being kinda itchy at times isn't unexpected even though the last brownie she had was night before last.

Licker, if she ends up being allergic to chocolate, I'll have to hide the guns. Nuts will be disappointing...chocolate would be catastrophic!

Greenie...walk into this

No real new news on the Momzilla front...she's unresponsive, but that's happened before...only time will tell.

Again, thanks very much everyone...this is a great community we have here

[emmanuelle]

Originally Posted by MrYum

Licker, if she ends up being allergic to chocolate, I'll have to hide the guns. Nuts will be disappointing...chocolate would be catastrophic!

It could be worse... She could be alergic to YOU, or parts of you

[RedCherry]

Originally Posted by emmanuelle

I'm fortunate in that I have no allergies whatsoever, other than your usual poison ivy type.

You might want to be careful if you handle mangos. I helped a friend make mango chutney one time, and I knew mangos kinda made my skin itch, so I wore gloves to peel them. Unfortunately, it was real hot, and I kept wiping sweat off my face, or getting my hair out of my face with the back of my hand...that had mango sap on it.

I woke up a day or two later with my eyes almost swollen shut, my face swollen, and a bad rash on my face. I went to the DR. and was looking at me, questioning me, and finally said, "I wish I knew if you reacted to poison ivy." (Since this was Hawaii, and there is no posion ivy there). I said, yes, I grew up in Michigan and had bad reaction to it.

She told me it was the mango sap. Apparently, they are in the same family as poison ivy. Go figure. So I can eat the fruit, but I can't touch the sap, or breath in the pollen. I ended up having to take allergy pills after that because my hay fever got so bad after that reaction. Thank GOD mangos don't grow here. I've been healthier since I moved here than any other time in my life.

[emmanuelle]

Not too many mangos in the great white north lol! I caught it from my cat who got out and hid in some brush I cleared the day before (with gloves) I appreciate the thought and the story though :-)

BTW- tea tree oil is the only thing that could help me with that unbearable itch. Mind you, I used a purer-than-advised concentration that I picked up from an apothecary in New Orleans, and ended up with a chemical burn on top of it all.

[RedCherry]

Originally Posted by emmanuelle

I caught it from my cat who got out and hid in some brush I cleared the day before (with gloves) I appreciate the thought and the story though :-)

I was roller skating, and plopped down on my elbows to take a break. Apparently, I plopped my elbows into poison ivy. I didn't have it anywhere else on my body, since I had long pants on.

Needless to say, I got teased and asked if my boyfriend had it on his front side, lol.

[MrYum]

Originally Posted by emmanuelle

It could be worse... She could be alergic to YOU, or parts of you

Now, THAT would indeed be catastrophic!

We got her an appointment to see an allergist in 2 weeks (have to wait for the drug cocktail to clear her system). Also got her some valium so she can get some sleep.

So, I'm in caretaker mode...just trying not to get bitten by a very crankly lil monkey.