Multiple Food Allergies - looking for friends!

jakkisr

I just learned that I am gluten/wheat sensitive a few days ago. Not too long ago I also learned that I am lactose intolerant. I have peanut/nut and spice allergies but all my allergies are through my skin and my sensitivities are gastrointestinal.

So I'm still learning how to eat in order to try to avoid these foods. The gluten-free world is totally new for me so if anyone would like to add me, please do!

When you say your allergies are "through your skin" what do you mean? I have a cow dairy "allergy" in that if I eat any cow dairy I get eczema all over my face, ears, neck and upper chest that lasts for 2 weeks. But I do not test positive for an allergy to dairy with the skin prick test.

Hey Erin, in my case when I was eating foods I was sensitive to it would trigger acne and eczema - I'm not allergic to those foods, I was just intolerant to them. If you recognise that it's cow dairy you need to avoid it in any foods for at least 3 months then gradually reintroduce it ( ie eat it 3 days in a row, in moderation) and see what happens. If the eczema flares up, avoid it again for 3 months and try again. Look up exclusion diets for allergies online, there's lots of advice out there. My own experience was 2years of doing this and it paid off - unfortunately I didn't have a sympathetic doctor and had to get on with it, sometimes learning the hard way but learning to listen to my body and notice what was happening. Hope this helps

Erin0164

I just learned that I am gluten/wheat sensitive a few days ago. Not too long ago I also learned that I am lactose intolerant. I have peanut/nut and spice allergies but all my allergies are through my skin and my sensitivities are gastrointestinal.

So I'm still learning how to eat in order to try to avoid these foods. The gluten-free world is totally new for me so if anyone would like to add me, please do!

When you say your allergies are "through your skin" what do you mean? I have a cow dairy "allergy" in that if I eat any cow dairy I get eczema all over my face, ears, neck and upper chest that lasts for 2 weeks. But I do not test positive for an allergy to dairy with the skin prick test.

Hey Erin, in my case when I was eating foods I was sensitive to it would trigger acne and eczema - I'm not allergic to those foods, I was just intolerant to them. If you recognise that it's cow dairy you need to avoid it in any foods for at least 3 months then gradually reintroduce it ( ie eat it 3 days in a row, in moderation) and see what happens. If the eczema flares up, avoid it again for 3 months and try again. Look up exclusion diets for allergies online, there's lots of advice out there. My own experience was 2years of doing this and it paid off - unfortunately I didn't have a sympathetic doctor and had to get on with it, sometimes learning the hard way but learning to listen to my body and notice what was happening. Hope this helps

Thanks. I have avoided any products from cow for 4 years now - but every now and then a restaurant ignores my dairy free request and I end up with terrible eczema. The reaction seems to be getting worse instead of better.

CLFrancois

Allergies-> nuts (all), soy, many herbs and supplements
Sensitive-> corn, lactose, chocolate

Corn is the hardest for me. HFCS is in a lot, but the big one is corn oil. My body HATES me if I have too much..

fox320

wow you have quite a bit!
my allergy: gluten/wheat (we haven't determined if it's gluten entirely or just wheat, but wheat is for sure)
sensitivities: dairy to an extent, soy, and any fodmap foods (LOTS of things, apples, plums peaches, honey, cabbage, chickpeas, lentils, legumes, garlic, onion.. just to list a few, the list goes on)

algebravoodoo

As I read some of these posts, I almost burst in tears. I am not alone! I developed an allergy to citrus fruits, primarily oranges, tangerines and grapefruits, in my mid-30's. It started with swollen eyes, lips and hives. It has now come into full anaphylaxis. I am sensitive enough that when I ate tomatoes that had been handled by the same stock person who had stocked the oranges, I ended up in intensive care with anaphylactic shock. Sharing airspace with oranges triggers at the least hives and facial swelling! I do not even have to touch them!
I carry an epipen and take all the precautions I can, but it is getting dicey at work. I teach high school, so there is a cafeteria that prepares and serves meals for the faculty and students. Obviously, I bring my own food, but just the morning of my return to work after the last episode, guess what they had in the cafeteria?!? ORANGES!!! I left immediately with flushed face and swelling.

Have any of you ever had to take legal measures to ensure a safe work environment? I may need to. I know I have the law on my side, but I hate to go to that extreme. It is just that I made this allergy known when I was hired and it is the repeated exposures at work that have caused the reactions to worsen over time. I love my job, even on days when I hate it. (You know what I mean... we all have those days.)

jakkisr

Have any of you ever had to take legal measures to ensure a safe work environment? I may need to. I know I have the law on my side, but I hate to go to that extreme. It is just that I made this allergy known when I was hired and it is the repeated exposures at work that have caused the reactions to worsen over time. I love my job, even on days when I hate it. (You know what I mean... we all have those days.)

Gosh! you've really got a tough one there! It seems all you can possibly do is avoid them wherever possible. As to the legal side, i'm no expert but to be honest I think your employer only has to make 'reasonable adjustment' ... I'm not entirely sure that it could be considered reasonable to ban oranges from an entire school - I mean how would you stop the pupils? its healthy, why would they want to? It sounds a bit harsh but you might have to reconsider your working options to reduce risk to yourself

algebravoodoo

Have any of you ever had to take legal measures to ensure a safe work environment? I may need to. I know I have the law on my side, but I hate to go to that extreme. It is just that I made this allergy known when I was hired and it is the repeated exposures at work that have caused the reactions to worsen over time. I love my job, even on days when I hate it. (You know what I mean... we all have those days.)

Gosh! you've really got a tough one there! It seems all you can possibly do is avoid them wherever possible. As to the legal side, i'm no expert but to be honest I think your employer only has to make 'reasonable adjustment' ... I'm not entirely sure that it could be considered reasonable to ban oranges from an entire school - I mean how would you stop the pupils? its healthy, why would they want to? It sounds a bit harsh but you might have to reconsider your working options to reduce risk to yourself

According to a January 2013 ruling under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, employers are obligated to make reasonable accommodations, which to me would mean that signs are posted at all entrances, cleaning products and times are arranged to reduce my risk (ie mop after I leave) and stop serving whole citrus fruits in the cafeteria (serve fruit cups or other whole fruits). I realize they cannot prevent any and all contact. We are a poverty district so very few students bring lunch from home (as in ONE student brings his every day and another some days), so if the offending fruits are not offered on the premises, that would eliminate 95% of the problem. The signs would limit the school's liability and actually do more to help them than me, although the kids are pretty understanding of the matter.

I had a conversation with my principal today but I am not really sure where things are going to go from here. I really do not want to quit working and go on disability, but that might be the only real option.

tho68

I wonder if anyone has tested food sensitivities between organic and non-organic foods or between GMO and non-GMO foods. i.e., Corn - GMO vs organic? Soy - GMO vs organic? Wheat - GMO vs non-GMO, etc...

Does anyone have issues with Carrageenan? LUSH cosmetic products? Canned tomato products vs fresh, organic tomatoes?

If one has a sensitivity to "citrus" does that include all the sub-catagories (lemonene, citric acid, tea tree)?

Thanks for sharing!

algebravoodoo

I wonder if anyone has tested food sensitivities between organic and non-organic foods or between GMO and non-GMO foods. i.e., Corn - GMO vs organic? Soy - GMO vs organic? Wheat - GMO vs non-GMO, etc...

Does anyone have issues with Carrageenan? LUSH cosmetic products? Canned tomato products vs fresh, organic tomatoes?

If one has a sensitivity to "citrus" does that include all the sub-catagories (lemonene, citric acid, tea tree)?

Thanks for sharing!

That's a good question about the GMO vs non-GMO.

In my case, canning actually denatures the offending proteins, as in I have no problem eating canned orange slices but cannot eat fresh as they are almost impossible to not contaminate when peeling.

A citrus allergy is a very individual thing. It does not mean I can have no citrus. I eat tomatoes and cantaloupes all the time and they are considered citrus in the sense that they are a source of Vit C. Lemons and limes do not cause anywhere near as severe a reaction as oranges and grapefruits. Citric acid is no problem for me; it is the oil in the peel. I sprinkle citric acid on my sliced apples to munch on at work. I make it through about a liter of my beloved Hefeweizen before my tongue begins to swell (some are made with orange peels.)

ddslowly

allergies - chicken and chicken eggs (duck/quail/goose are all fine), fennel
sensitivities - fake crab, too much of any oil
the only meat i eat is seafood/shellfish
i'm also ridiculously lactose intolerant but i just take lactaid so it's hardly worth mentioning.
i try to go out to eat at places with vegan options if not, i just explain my allergies to the waiter. they're usually quite helpful.
as far as going to social events, it depends. things like weddings or large parties, i just eat before and plan to eat after. for smaller things, i'll either bring my own food or offer to make something to share with everybody. it took some adjusting but i hardly think about it any more.

RockinTerri

While I've never been actually tested, I'm near certain that I am allergic to both corn and citrus fruits (pasteurized orange juice is okay though). And I'm sensitive to tomato sauce - I can eat it, just not in the quantity or at the frequency that I used to.

therunningirl

hi everyone, i cant have dairy or soy and struggle with fructose malabsorption and a few minor allergies and have sent a few of you friendship requests for foodspiration. feel free to add me everyone (:

i have recently read, that due to protein denaturation while processing soy, some people can have tofu or soy products, that have been cooked for 30min and stored for at least 4h after this. has anyone tried this? i would be so happy to have homemade soy yogurt again..

algebravoodoo

I know this is an old thread but my internet has been down for a while so I am ODing LOL

Update... we got a new principal at my school and he had such a simple solution to my citrus allergy predicament that I am ashamed to have thought of it myself. Have the cafeteria workers slice the oranges into wedges before serving. Students still get the great food and no one slips the slices into a pocket to carry around the school. Also, my class load was rearranged so that I do not have students during the lunch block. PROBLEM SOLVED! I have had nothing more than mild itching the entire school year so far! The kids are being really great about checking perfumes and lotions too.