Food allergies

[notjustamom]

Definitely ironic! Thankfully I did find a good allergist who recognized my food allergies, but I guess he was too good, he has recently moved to NYC. I hadn't seen him for a few years now, anyway. He's now head of an allergy department in some university there, and has opened his own practice in NYC, too. Ah well, there really isn't anything that can be done for people with food allergies anyway, right? I had not heard of the magic wand treatment you mentioned, lol. I did try something with a naturopathic doctor several years ago, some little machine that I held in my hand once a week or so. Weird! I also had to put tiny drops on my tongue every day. Several months and several hundred dollars later, and it didn't help in the slightest. I can't even touch food with soy without getting an itchy rash, let alone eat it.

 

[Claire]

I've never heard of a doctor who did not believe in food allergies. My sister used to be a counsellor for Jenny Craig (for those not familiar, a weight-loss chain). One of her clients had a child who had so many food allergies she was crying because she almost couldn't feel the poor baby. Her doctor finally found 3 or 4 thing the poor baby could eat without getting sick. The doctor was frustrated, and told her, d'ya know, the only times I've seen food allergies this severe it was in families where there was a lot of intermarrying within the family. The woman was incensed and called her mother to vent, only to find out that her granparents were cousins.

There are allergies and there are life-threatening allergies, and there are foods that our stomachs don't like for some reason (my aforementioned clams that I love but go straight through me, so I can only eat them at home). If I'm feeding strangers, I do ask before they visit my home if they have any serious allergies. We're talking the epi pen and 911 type allergy. But if it is simply a bad reaction to something (for example, a lot of people are allergic to mangoes, but in a tongue swells up kinda thing, not a call the ambulance kinda thing). Mostly, if you're allergic to it, don't eat it. For the most part that is pretty easy to do. The peanut allergies are the ones that can sneak up on you.

I've never heard of a doctor denying that food allergies exist. That is scary. It would help if so many people didn't claim a food allergy to something they simply don't like, in order to not seem to be a fussy eater.

 

[Kaddehawk]

I've never heard of a doctor denying food allergies either.. sounds like a dangerous doc! Mine sure believes in them... I called her after my last reaction and I now carry an epi pen. I will also be seeing an allergest in a couple weeks. My son now has a bit more patience as we read food labels at the store too, lol. This has been an eye opener for me. I have been doing research and joined an online food allergy group to learn more. My sister is an elementary school teacher. I am going to talk to her about how they handle food allergies there. I found out that some schools restrict what can be carried in some areas of the school, making it difficult to have an epi pen handy in say... the lunch room!!

 

[EmsMommy7]

Great thread... I just read the entire thing.

My husband and I and my daughter... all fine. Typical seasonal allergy things. Then I had my little boy, had trouble nursing him around the 5th, 6th week, couldn't understand it. Instead of trying to eliminate things from my own diet (which I should have done) I gave up and he went on the hypoallergenic formula, you know the nine bucks a bottle stuff. Yikes! He had terrible eczema and skin issues, and I waited a long time to introduce solids to him, which is recommended. Anyway... long story short, we ended up going on zyrtec for his skin, having a blood test for allergies and being recommended to a pediatric allergist when he came back positive for peanut, milk, egg, possible corn, soy and wheat, and dog. It's been a tough road... but he now is able to have wheat, soy and corn and most fruits and veggies, loves meats... we are careful with what we try. He can't have anything dairy/egg/milk/peanut. My MIL mistakenly put regular milk into his cereal... ended up in the ER, hives all over his tiny little sweet body, swollen, rash, dehydrated, it was the worst day of my life.. being called home from school and seeing him. I grabbed the epi-pen and him in a diaper and ran out the door. We are extremely careful and read labels religiously. I don't know what I'll do when he goes to school. We are hoping he will outgrow the milk and egg.. doctors say not likely to outgrow the peanut. We just made an appt. to switch allergists and start seeing someone at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania.. we live close to Philly.) Scary stuff!

I hope all of you who posted about your severe symptoms at least have Epi-pens and carry them! (notjustamom... LOL.. be careful!)

 

[JustJeanAnn]

I cant eat foods from the bovine family. meaning any hoofed animal that lactates.
hard to eat out because when you try to explain you cant have dairy, there are ingrediants listed that dont say milk ect so its hard for other people to catch. For instances, whey to most people who see it dont automatically click in as a form of milk so they would tell you no there is no butter or milk in this food item.
I dont stop breathing when I eat foods I'm allergic to. it can take up to 4 days to start feeling like a flu is coming on. my whole body swells alittle and there is alot of pain invovled. Takes up to 7 days or more to feel myself again.

 

[Kaddehawk]

The doctors are now trying to decide if I have a true allergy or a severe sensitivity to the chili peppers. He did say that either way he would consider it life threatening and I should treat it the same. I do carry an epi-pen and benadryl everywhere. What is making it confusing is that I have a mild immune dysfunction. My body does not respond properly to infections and things. So we don't know how much we can trust the tests. I do not form proper antibodies to infections... would I to an allergen?? Either way, strict avoidence is key according to the doctor. This is tricky since chili peppers are often Not on labels. Right now its trial and error and lots of benadryl on hand! lol

 

[Claire]

Better safe than sorry. remember that some topic ointments contain capsacin.

 

[Kaddehawk]

Very true... so for now ointments are suspect... fortunately I don't really use them. I did once, with a capsaicin type, on my hands and then accidently got it in my eye!!!!! so I kinda avoid those kinds of ointments now!