Food Allergy

sarah44254

Hello,

My boyfriend seems to have some sort of food allergy. His abdomen poofs up and there is serious discomfort. He was tested over and over again for kidney issues, colon screenings, and about 6 months of testing for IBS and he was cleared of all things. He is running low on funds for his insurance this year so we can't really send him back to the doctor to ask this quite yet. I was hoping I could get some idea of what to do from the forums (silly, but worth a shot). He can go be tested again for more stuff once the insurance period rolls over.

I suppose we feed him some really bland foods for a week or so, then start to add in foods one at a time to see what upsets him? What is the bland, safe food though?

And how can I make him eat it and NOT eat chili and pizza while at work (he's such a kid sometimes)

Thanks for any help! (ps, there are no allergies in his immediate family - I am not sure if they are hereditary or not)

justdazed

I have dairy and egg intolerences. I went on an elimation diet for 3 months then slowly re-introduced the foods back into my diet.

If you're looking for what he can eat Google Elimation Diet, there are some good resources out there. When they did all the testing did they test for Celiac disease/wheat intolerence?

sarah44254

They did not do a celiac / wheat intolerance test. Thanks for the reply!

zellagrrl

My fiancé has gastroparesis, which is a gastric emptying disorder, for lack of better words, and it took years to diagnose. You can't force an elimination diet on him, but if you're the cook... you can cook to one (which I did when I was sorting out my own issues) I try to keep my kitchen empty of crap, and pack piles of small portions for him to eat over the course of a day at work.

I asked my fiancé to go Paleo with me for 30 days and just try to adhere to it-- he's doing it, albeit grumbling hella much about missing burger buns right now. Just ask him to try it.

kiminikimkim

Cut out wheat and dairy and see how it goes from there.

sarah44254

Thanks. Gluten / dairy seem to be the most common allergies. Seems like an easier start than a total elimination diet.

padraigin67

As a person with anaphylaxsis to certain foods. The first thing you need to do is decide to eliminate one thing. Then slowly reintroduce it into your diet. Second you need to keep a food journal. List everything that is eaten on a daily basis, note when he has a reaction. This helps you narrow the culprit down and helps you find what he is reacting to. Eliminating a lot of things at once just causes chaos. This is what my allergist had me do. Most importantly get checked as soon as possible.

CLD79

I have a similar reaction to soy. My allergy tests do not show an allergy to soy, but my allergist told me that those tests only look for a certain antibody so I could be allergic to it and producing a different antibody that causes the digestive issues. It was hard to diagnose because soy is in everything, but as soon as I eliminated that including soybean oil, the digestive issues went away. Seriously though, the stomach pains are pretty much on par with the labor pains I had giving birth to my son.

KCherry

Eggs, nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish,and dairy, are all common food allergens so I would start with those. Also, keep some Benadryl handy just in case.

sarah44254

Eggs, nuts, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish,and dairy, are all common food allergens so I would start with those. Also, keep some Benadryl handy just in case.

Those little pink pills for when you get the sneezes from pollen? I had no idea it could help reactions to food allergies, too. Whoa, thank you!

spiregrain

A lot of people do get bloating from Celiac. I did.

FYI it is highly recommended that you NOT go on a GF diet without confirming whether or not you have Celiac disease (via blood test, not expensive, you can ask for it). Celiac disease is different from non-Celiac gluten intolerance in that it is an autoimmune disorder and can cause a lot of secondary bad stuff to happen that you would definitely want to get treated for, some of which is invisible (like -- Celiacs need more frequent screening for colon cancer because we are at much higher risk).

When a Celiac goes on a GF diet, their body stops making the antibody that the Celiac test is looking for. So once you're on it, you can no longer find out if you need to be on it. As a result, he may feel like he probably does not have Celiac, or maybe he doesn't, so he might think he doesn't have to be strict unless he gets really sick. If it turned out that he did have Celiac, and he was doing that, it would be bad news, because he would not really be off gluten, so he'd still have a very high risk of complications (some of which are pretty serious) probably an equal risk of someone who took no trouble to avoid gluten. And if he went the other way, and was super strict about following a Celiac GF diet but turned out to be non-Celiac gluten intolerant, he would be pretty significantly turning his life upside-down for not very much of a reason.

I would really encourage him not to go on a GF diet without this test. I am a strict GF diet person and I get sick very easily, but a Celiac does not need to get sick-feeling to BE sick from food. As a result of this diet, I spend a lot more money on groceries every year to get my gluten free food (it's all pretty expensive -- ex.: ready made bread is usually $6-$8 a loaf, pasta $3, add an extra buck or two if you want a sauce in a GF version, etc. -- it all adds up fast) and I pretty much never ever eat at restaurants (many have GF menus, but even at some of the most reliable, and even in a HOSPITAL for pete's sake, I have been served the wrong dish and only escaped becoming very ill because I am incredibly paranoid about checking my food). While there are a lot more options than there were 10 years ago, it is an expensive and pretty lifestyle-changing diet, much more than something like going vegan for example.

Something like 75% of people are lactose intolerant to some degree. If it's that, that is comparatively easy to deal with, but a big bummer about stopping the endless flow of cheese and ice cream. Best of luck to you both! I think the ideal is if it is a food you totally hate anyway... I wish I had been allergic to shellfish instead because I can't even stand to look at them! :P

naiils

I have IBS & Celiac.. I can't eat Fructose (most fruit), Raffinose (lots of vegies), Lactose, legumes,gluten, wheat, rye.. I had to go on a very strict diet which has helped, however, if your man isn't prepared to help himself (eliminating pizza etc) there is very little you can do.

spiregrain

Re: some of your other concerns/questions:

- According to our pediatrician allergies are supposed to have some (but not totally) hereditary components. Having no relatives with allergies doesn't mean he doesn't have them. You can also have a low grade food allergy and not know it, so he might have family members who do have allergies who are undiagnosed. Having a lot of family members with allergies means a slightly higher risk. Eczema and asthma seem to be considered to be things that go along with those allergic genes. (I am Celiac, my husband is allergic to eggs, we just had a baby, so we ask about this obsessively.)

- A total elimination diet might be like, a lot of rice and boring vegetables. Probably you would be okay to keep eating meat. Skip seasonings other than salt and pepper. Skip oil, maybe? If it was me I'd go ahead and use olive oil or safflower oil but maybe that is wrong. The big 8 allergens are soy, milk, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs. These are hidden in a lot of places (soy is one of the hardest to figure out, because it's in so much stuff, but wheat and corn are pretty bad too.) But, you really need to do this under medical supervision. There is a thing that happens with some allergic people where you eat your allergen all the time and your body is reacting but it's sort of used to defending itself a little -- then you take it away and your body stops defending against it at all (your immune system being exhausted) and when you reintroduce you can have a much stronger reaction.

- Someone else said food log -- that's what I would suggest before doing elimination. You would be amazed at how fast you can find some really weird ingredient that is bothering you by using a food log. Cayenne pepper gives me migraines and a food log is how I figured out what was causing them. If he is sick ALL THE TIME then you might try eliminating just dairy next and seeing what is up, since regular old lactose intolerance is really common.

sarah44254

Great info spiregrain, thank you.

curvykim78

My son has egg/peanut allergies...so cooking and food prep is different now that it was for us beofre although we eat healthier. As far as your bf goes, he's old enough to make his own choices. If he want's to eat crap and feel like garbage, that's his choice. He needs to eat properly if he doesn't want to get sick.

thrld

If he doesn't already track his food in MFP, you should have him start. This way you can keep track of what he is eating and when and maybe figure out what the trigger foods might be. This plus an elimination diet might help.

SkettiGurl

If he doesn't already track his food in MFP, you should have him start. This way you can keep track of what he is eating and when and maybe figure out what the trigger foods might be. This plus an elimination diet might help.

I agree with currently tracking the food. When he does get seriously bloated, record it in the food notes...then look for a pattern.

joanie75

I have had "issues" for years and tried the elimination diet on my own. However, once I was tested for food allergies I had 23 out of 50, so I had to make big changes. I even had a lemon allergy, so my water with lemon was making me sick. Wheat, oats, chicken and pork are my main problems. I say get food allergy tests done and end the pain. I wish I would have done it years ago. I feel like a new person. So much more energy and I am finally able to lose this weight. Good luck!

run2jeepn

DR. took sugar away from me at 3yrs old. I was able grow out of it around 14-15yrs old. It was either drop Sugars and this meant all of them. Dextose, all of the ose Family, Most Fruits too.... It was this or I'd be on Medication for being to hyper.. Called Ritalin...My Parents at the time said no on that. So they pulled all sugars from my life.... I'm glad... I was a great Athlete in School, Good enough for 2 full rides to Div 1 Colleges. Grades were above Avg. I never was sick not once. I never missed a day in school. from Kindergarten to my Senior year.

priorm123

Ask him to try to avoid wheat for a few days and see if he feels any better. Instead of bread, pasta, biscuits etc you eat rice and potatoes instead. All food packaging has allergens written on it so just check the label to see if if has wheat/gluten in (oats contain gluten but not wheat, so they may be ok). If that doesn't help try the same with dairy, cut it out for a few days, go for soya/coconut/rice/almond alternatives, and see if that helps. Just bear in mind it will take a couple of days for the allergens to get out of his system so he may stll have symptoms the first day or two, then they would ease off.

KimmieImmie

I was recently tested for food allergies and have 7. After eliminating those foods from my diet I feel much better and I'm confident that I'll begin to reach my weight loss goals with increased energy and a clear head. Best wishes everybody.

KimmieImmie

Congratulations and keep up the good work.

KimmieImmie

Congratulations. I feel like a new person too after eliminating those foods that were making me sick. All my best.

I have had "issues" for years and tried the elimination diet on my own. However, once I was tested for food allergies I had 23 out of 50, so I had to make big changes. I even had a lemon allergy, so my water with lemon was making me sick. Wheat, oats, chicken and pork are my main problems. I say get food allergy tests done and end the pain. I wish I would have done it years ago. I feel like a new person. So much more energy and I am finally able to lose this weight. Good luck!

vjrose

Since he is such a "kid" at heart the food diary might be the best route to go. Then when he has the reaction you can go back to the log to see what triggered it. If there were several alllergens then progress through cutting out stuff till you hit the right one. Guys as a whole tend to be really resistant to the elimination diet and that can make it tough. If you can scrape the cash for the celiac blood test get it done, since that is a big one, if it's negative then you know you are hunting for something a bit less difficult.

jillianlovesyarn

If he has Celiac it is quite common to have multiple allergies so an elimination diet might be a challenge. I never got tested because it wasn't important for me to know at the time the reason I was having problems with gluten. I used to get very bad hives (amongst other things) and just presumed it was allergies because I have had a few known allergies since I was a child. The thing is, if you live in the US, if you are diagnosed with Celiac you can actually factor purchases of gluten free foods into your taxes. I personally steer clear from most pre-packaged stuff anyway, but it can be invaluable to get that discount because, as others said, it's much more expensive and adds up quickly. Corn is another major allergen that is in tons of everything. If you decide to try an elimination diet first bear in mind you will either have to make *everything* from scratch or you will have to do some preliminary reading to make sure you don't accidentally include ingredients from "hidden" sources. Also, allergies frequently come in families so if you find that he is allergic to, say, bananas, you also need to check how he reacts to avocados and latex. Good luck!