Do you REALLY have a food allergy/intolerance?!

quill16

I REALLY have a gluten allergy and it always bugs me when people try to sneak foods to me to see if it will affect me. Then I suffer . Most are understanding tho. I know of some who want to have the latest disease or affliction to gain attention. I can no longer tolerate some of my favorite foods:sad: The substitutes just don't make it.

penrbrown

LOL! I clicked on this thread right away. It seems like it's through the roof! I mean I bought a packet of Almonds and they said "Warning: This product may contain nuts." I'm all like, I f*in hope so!

I don't know. I mean...my sister claims to be allergic to a lot of things and now she says my niece is allergic to both chocolate and bananas and a few other unbelievable things...but my sister is also a known liar...so I'm skeptical.

Do we all want to be special butterflies? I mean THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH THESE PROBLEMS. I don't doubt that.

But anytime someone tells me they're gluten intolerant (not celiacs), I think, have you considered that you might be "pre-diabetic" or type-2? Or maybe they have Crohn's or Collitus (I mean my husband had/has both!) They could "feel bad" when they have carbtastic stuff because they have insulin/sugar problems, not gluten specific allergies. Then again, I suppose if it forces their hand to eat better, who am I to judge? But, I think people need to stop googling their issues and go to the doctor. If an allergist or GI tells you you have an issue, then okie-dokie...

Can you tell I'm conflicted. You know what it is? I don't really care about other people's intolerances or allergies, really, it's none of my concern (I mean I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian who's allergic to Melon *shrug*), it's when other people make it an issue--no peanut butter in bag lunches at schools?! My friend's friend who constantly whines about restaurant choices because they're lactose intolerant. NO. No. I don't make everyone change their plans because of my being a Vegetarian. I have special food needs, I try to take care of it by myself and have a good time. If your kid is THAT allergic to peanuts, it's up to you and your kid to take care of, not changing public policy. Also, it's been proven that sanitizing EVERYTHING your kid touches gives them a weakened immune system, so maybe if we rubbed out kids with dirt and let them touch shopping handle carts without freakin' hand wipes and whatever other damn anti-bacterial bullsh*t is out there allergies wouldn't be on the rise, because their immune systems wouldn't think FOOD was invasive--it's called "germ theory" look it up. I mean I don't whine and B**** and inconvenience everyone else because of a choice or a genetic deficiency.

Oh my...how did that happen. Rant over. Bring it I guess.

For several years mint was banned from our local school. You know why? One of the girls attending was so deathly allergic that the slightest scent of mint would cause her to break out in hives. Nobody doubted it was real because all the kids she went to school with had actually seen her in the midst of allergic reactions.

So while she attended no mint was allowed in school. When she graduated they lifted the ban.

I don't find that annoying. I think it's rather sweet they made the effort to make sure her school environment was safe.

76scenic

LOL! I clicked on this thread right away. It seems like it's through the roof! I mean I bought a packet of Almonds and they said "Warning: This product may contain nuts." I'm all like, I f*in hope so!

HAHAHA, Right! I mean isn't that one obvious.

penrbrown

Almond Milk has a warning that says in bold: CONTAINS ALMONDS
Bags of peanuts (where I work) have a warning that reads: WARNING: MAY CONTAIN NUTS
Water has a label on it that reads: 0 Calories

Food labels make me think the world has gone dumb.

BinaryPulsar

As a mother to a chid with a medically proven and experienced anaphylactic allergy to nuts, I hate that the word allergy is bandied about inaccurately so much by people and confused with intolerance. It makes people in restaurants/shops etc take us less seriously and even doubt the importance of our questions about the food. When you or a family member could die within minutes from inadvertently eating something with even a small trace of the allergen it becomes a very serious issue indeed. To the extent that the rest of our family have also given up foods and restaurants because my son can't go there.

I'm sorry people treat you that way. My twin brother is also allergic to peanuts. There has been a huge increase in this as a very serious, life threatening allergy. A lot of people don't understand this (in fact it is not fully understood why this has happened and people are trying to understand it). When people don't understand why something has changed they tend to jump to conclusions and be all, "When I was a kid....." It is a minor inconvenience to the rest of the population, but a life threatening serious issue for the kids that have the allergy. It's terrible when people can not understand this.

Sometimes allergies are caused by over-exposure. Someone that has an intolerance could develop a serious allergy down the road that leads to anaphylactic shock and people with a mild allergy need to be aware of that (my doctor told me that).

76scenic

Can you tell I'm conflicted. You know what it is? I don't really care about other people's intolerances or allergies, really, it's none of my concern (I mean I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian who's allergic to Melon *shrug*), it's when other people make it an issue--no peanut butter in bag lunches at schools?! My friend's friend who constantly whines about restaurant choices because they're lactose intolerant. NO. No. I don't make everyone change their plans because of my being a Vegetarian. I have special food needs, I try to take care of it by myself and have a good time. If your kid is THAT allergic to peanuts, it's up to you and your kid to take care of, not changing public policy. Also, it's been proven that sanitizing EVERYTHING your kid touches gives them a weakened immune system, so maybe if we rubbed out kids with dirt and let them touch shopping handle carts without freakin' hand wipes and whatever other damn anti-bacterial bullsh*t is out there allergies wouldn't be on the rise, because their immune systems wouldn't think FOOD was invasive--it's called "germ theory" look it up. I mean I don't whine and B**** and inconvenience everyone else because of a choice or a genetic deficiency.

Oh my...how did that happen. Rant over. Bring it I guess.

For several years mint was banned from our local school. You know why? One of the girls attending was so deathly allergic that the slightest scent of mint would cause her to break out in hives. Nobody doubted it was real because all the kids she went to school with had actually seen her in the midst of allergic reactions.

So while she attended no mint was allowed in school. When she graduated they lifted the ban.

I don't find that annoying. I think it's rather sweet they made the effort to make sure her school environment was safe.

I agree with both statements here. As a Celiac I don't force others to eat the same as me around me. I think my issue is my issue to handle. In the same respect I really really appreciate the crap out of those that say, "no no where can you eat?" When trying to eat out together. Or the ones that will bring something just for me on food days at work, so that I don't get stuck just smelling good food all day.
In the end though I think it shoud be voluntary to those around me.

SoDamnHungry

I have IBS. My body is intolerant to being reasonable. I still eat everything, though. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it.

My sister is gluten free half the time and the rest of the time not. She said she *thinks* it makes her feel better. Sigh. Most of the time she doesn't feel better and we're all just inconvenienced.

That is what my doctor kept telling me (IBS), without any real evidence to back it up. I noticed it improved when I stopped eating so many processed foods (ie: MSG added) but never disappeared. Now it is pretty much gone with the reduced gluten diet. I hadn't had an incident in months, until I had a craving for chinese food the other day and went to a food court instead of a restaurant. 15 minutes later, meal was thrown out, stomach was rumbling and the hunt for a bathroom became a race!

Sadly, I've been eating a lot less processed foods and am still having trouble. I can always try reducing gluten and see if it legitimately helps. Not a bad idea! As long as it's really helping to fix a problem, I think anyone's diet is acceptable.

SoDamnHungry

I know many people that have legitimate food allergies. Especially peanuts and lactose intolerance.
I don't know of anyone besides someone with a mental disorder like anorexia that would make up a food allergy? That seems bizarre for an otherwise mentally healthy person to make something like that up.

Seems like an easy reason to explain why you can't eat anything. I could definitely see it happening.

Aeriel

I am allergic to dairy. Yes allergic. Not just lactose intolerant, allergic to Whey and Casein. Officially diagnosed through skin tests, blood tests, the good old food diary test, etc. I get so very frustrated when I mention this at restaurants or to friends and immediately get Oh yeah I'm lactose intolerant too but I just take a pill, why don't you? And I also hear that dairy allergies are something you grow out of and I can't possibly still be allergic to it. It is so frustrating.

My son is the same way with dairy and has been since I introduced food to him. He breaks out in hives and water blisters if someone has dairy on their hands and touches his skin. Vomiting and hives all over his body if he eats any trace of dairy or eggs (started about 18 months old, after flu shot). I too get tired of explaining the difference between lactose intolerance and milk protein allergies, but at least my family and friends understand it and his school is fully supportive now that he will be attending there starting next week.

Aeriel

I have IBS. My body is intolerant to being reasonable. I still eat everything, though. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it.

My sister is gluten free half the time and the rest of the time not. She said she *thinks* it makes her feel better. Sigh. Most of the time she doesn't feel better and we're all just inconvenienced.

That is what my doctor kept telling me (IBS), without any real evidence to back it up. I noticed it improved when I stopped eating so many processed foods (ie: MSG added) but never disappeared. Now it is pretty much gone with the reduced gluten diet. I hadn't had an incident in months, until I had a craving for chinese food the other day and went to a food court instead of a restaurant. 15 minutes later, meal was thrown out, stomach was rumbling and the hunt for a bathroom became a race!

Sadly, I've been eating a lot less processed foods and am still having trouble. I can always try reducing gluten and see if it legitimately helps. Not a bad idea! As long as it's really helping to fix a problem, I think anyone's diet is acceptable.

I haven't had to eliminate sauces,etc, but just cut down on breads, baked goods etc. I still eat it occasionally, but I feel uncomfortable afterwards.

plantgrrl

Can you tell I'm conflicted. You know what it is? I don't really care about other people's intolerances or allergies, really, it's none of my concern (I mean I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian who's allergic to Melon *shrug*), it's when other people make it an issue--no peanut butter in bag lunches at schools?! My friend's friend who constantly whines about restaurant choices because they're lactose intolerant. NO. No. I don't make everyone change their plans because of my being a Vegetarian. I have special food needs, I try to take care of it by myself and have a good time. If your kid is THAT allergic to peanuts, it's up to you and your kid to take care of, not changing public policy. Also, it's been proven that sanitizing EVERYTHING your kid touches gives them a weakened immune system, so maybe if we rubbed out kids with dirt and let them touch shopping handle carts without freakin' hand wipes and whatever other damn anti-bacterial bullsh*t is out there allergies wouldn't be on the rise, because their immune systems wouldn't think FOOD was invasive--it's called "germ theory" look it up. I mean I don't whine and B**** and inconvenience everyone else because of a choice or a genetic deficiency.

Oh my...how did that happen. Rant over. Bring it I guess.

For several years mint was banned from our local school. You know why? One of the girls attending was so deathly allergic that the slightest scent of mint would cause her to break out in hives. Nobody doubted it was real because all the kids she went to school with had actually seen her in the midst of allergic reactions.

So while she attended no mint was allowed in school. When she graduated they lifted the ban.

I don't find that annoying. I think it's rather sweet they made the effort to make sure her school environment was safe.

I agree with both statements here. As a Celiac I don't force others to eat the same as me around me. I think my issue is my issue to handle. In the same respect I really really appreciate the crap out of those that say, "no no where can you eat?" When trying to eat out together. Or the ones that will bring something just for me on food days at work, so that I don't get stuck just smelling good food all day.
In the end though I think it shoud be voluntary to those around me.

Exactly. You're more eloquent then I. My husband eats meat and LOVES seafood and steak types places, but he won't go to them with me, even though, he knows that I will eat whatever the token meatless dish at the restaurant is. I love him to death for that, even though I really wouldn't care once in a while. It's great when other people are considerate of those needs. It's just that it shouldn't be view with entitlement issues. It's up to you as an individual to take care of yourself, not everyone else.

My husband doesn't go around telling people that he suffered for years with UC and had his colon removed ("cure") and now has Crohn's. Because it's his thing. Some foods don't process well or have caused him issues in the past, so he'll order something without them, or pick them out if it's not an option. I just want people to take responsibility for themselves I guess and be gracious when other people accommodate them, not get pissy when the world isn't looking out for them.

MrsR0SE

This is a very emotive topic for me and obviously some others here so I just feel I have to respond once more before switching off the computer and going to bed. All I can say is, why is it such a bad thing for some people to be unselfish and slightly inconvenienced for the sake of another child's safety? If my child's primary school hadn't had a no nut and no sharing of lunches policy I would have been terrified to send him to school every day when he was too young to read labels on food or understand his allergy for himself. I make him packed lunches, spend ages reading packaging, websites and menus and am forced to ask questions about polices and ingredients in restaurants to ensure his safety, not to mention educating him from a very early age about what he could and couldn't eat, taking special food to other children's birthday parties etc. How on earth could I hope to protect him in school without the co-operation of the staff? Now he's in secondary school there are no restrictions in the school, but he's a very sensible 12 year old so doesn't need that extra protection any more.

Having said all of that, obviously we are very polite and non-confrontational when we do have to query things whilst out, because as you say it's the choice of the restaurants whether they accommodate us or not. And it our choice whether to eat there or not - but it does become quite limiting sometimes!

KelseyDawn84

I am allergic to bivalves. I projectile vomit when I eat them, so I don't eat them.

I have some fantastic digestive pyrotechnics when eating mussels too. I'm told I will likely develop other shellfish allergies in the future.

marijasmin

I lack the enzyme to digest albumin: raw egg white! But can have eggs cooked when the protein is deanimated. So it's no big deal!

aubreykkkk

Yes, lying about food allergies and the like is widespread throughout the Pro Ana community as a trick to get away with eating less!

seamonkey789

I don't have any allergies or intolerances, unless you count some things being migraine triggers. I'm still trying to figure out what they are though, so I haven't cut anything out

ncthomas09

back when I could order a half of a menu from a place and not gain a pound I played that card a couple times. There were a couple restaraunts (including fast food places) that always always got my order wrong. Either I got something comepletely different from what I ordered or they gave my order to me incorrectly.....I hate loathe and DESPISE onions and mushrooms....so when I went to these places I told them no onions/mushrooms I am allergic! But they finally got the point.

But I never did it to "diet"

capriciousmoon

I do sometimes play the allergy card, but only because with some people that goes over a lot easier than saying you are trying to avoid certain foods for ethical reasons (especially since I fail at times). I don't lie for weight loss or food avoidance reasons though and to a certain degree it is the truth, because some of the foods I avoid don't digest well and leave me bloated and smelly for a couple days after eating it.

MichelleLaree13

I just tell people I am dieting and counting calories so no I can not have a tiny piece of that homemade whatever (that you lovingly baked a billion calories into). I think it is very rude when people push beyond that.

RealWomenLovePitbulls

i actually never really thought about it, but i guess that could be a way for some people to explain away their weigh loss... hmm.... i am slightly lactose intolerant (didn't develop it, but have always been) but i still eat cheese, sour cream, ice-cream, etc. and deal with the consequences. i usually try not to eat a ton of it at a time, and don't really have many issues from it (occasionally an upset stomach, but when u want some ice-cream, it's worth it!) and i don't drink milk at all (not even chocolate milk) mostly cuz i just never developed a taste for it because i never drank it (it was soy milk for me as a baby) i've tried a sip a couple of times to see if i like it any better, but last time i checked, i still just don't like it.

i have other allergies, like horseradish - which i didnt find out about until i was 17 because i had never had it - but i break out in hives... turns out i don't like it anyway. i keep benedryl around in case i eat something new and get hives, then i try to figure out what i had that was different so i know not to eat it again