Nut Allergies - Traces

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Laura42012
Laura42012 Posts: 180 Member
in Food and Nutrition
If you have an allergy to "nuts" (mine is treenuts - specifically hazelnut, pistaccio and almonds), what kind of reaction do you have? Is there a mild/moderate/severe depending on how much you ingest?

I've had reactions that have taken me to the ER with my throat closing up needing an epi pen but the other night, I got a latte....the guy at starbucks, I swear, he was higher than a kite......at the time, I wasn't thinking about how careful he would be in that state....I was more amused by his behavior while high, then I found myself having a pretty moderate reaction to a regular latte that shouldn't have had any nuts in it but I'm assuming he wasn't careful when he made it....next thing I know, the room was spinning, I was sick to my stomach, I felt like I couldn't breathe and I couldn't "stand up" without help.....my throat didn't close up and the hives were mild so I didn't use the epi pen or go to the ER....it was just very confusing....so I'm assuming it was trace amounts?? that I reacted to?

I've only had the allergy for a little over a year so I'm still figuring things out.

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  • GracefulDancer4Christ
    GracefulDancer4Christ Posts: 419 Member
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    I don't have an allergy to nuts but I do to total cereal. the reaction I had was: going in and out of consciousness , all people could see were the whites of my eyes, hives all over my body. it put me in the ER for 6 hours. that is possible for it to be trace amounts that were found although its really hard to tell.
  • workaholic_nurse
    workaholic_nurse Posts: 727 Member
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    Food allergy reactions can run the gamut from mild to severe. I suggest checking out the web-site www.foodallergy.org for more information. They are an excellent resource for all food allergies.
  • NutritionDivaRD
    NutritionDivaRD Posts: 467 Member
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    Yes, you can have a reaction to trace amounts. You can also have a reaction simply from cross-contamination which is very possible in places like Starbucks with employees who are not educated about allergic reactions to food and how to avoid cross-contamination (allergens can be left behind on surfaces, even when cleaned). Almond extract is a common flavor enhancer so beware of this ingredient when dining in public.

    Individual reactions can vary widely among those with nut allergies. It doesn't sound like you have anaphylaxis, which would require you avoid nuts all together (these individuals will typically react to both the nut oil and the raw nut and their reaction is severe and has a rapid onset).

    When you visit Starbucks or any other public food venue, please make sure someone knows that you have a nut allergy. Be sure to ask if what you are purchasing is nut free (and has no added nut extracts). Do keep an epi pen on you and do make sure friends and family that are often with you know that you have an allergy and that you have an epi pen. It is important to educate the people that are close to you. This even includes co-workers! :)

    I don't have a nut allergy myself but I am a registered dietitian and am educated on this. You'll learn as you go but you do need to ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid to mention this in public! Restaurants are accustomed to making adjustments for food allergies, trust me. ;)

    Best wishes to you!

    ~Angela
  • Laura42012
    Laura42012 Posts: 180 Member
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    It doesn't sound like you have anaphylaxis, which would require you avoid nuts all together (these individuals will typically react to both the nut oil and the raw nut and their reaction is severe and has a rapid onset).

    Thanks for the help!

    I only went into shock once (the allergist told me to stay away from all treenuts after that) and it was clearly in the sauce used on what I ate, which is why I thought this was possibly trace amounts.

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