Food Allergies

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Histamine Reaction to Added Sugars

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gramanana
gramanana Posts: 767 Member
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I went gluten free 14 months ago and in the last 2 months I think I've discovered a sensitivity to added sugars. When I eat certain foods my sinuses fill up immediately along with swelling/tingling of mouth, lips, and palms. I had an allergy test which showed no specific allergies, but 1 non-specific--unidentified. So now when it happens I've started reading labels and found that the products all contain some sort of added sugar--from sucaross to dried corn syrup.

I've just started doing my research this morning, so any ideas, suggestions, etc., would be appreciated.

Thanks.

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  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
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    Most added sugars are corn-based, so it may be a corn allergy.

    Or you may be allergic to multiple things, and you are not able to figure it out because there are several different things. Even though you have not tested positive for allergies, that doesn't mean that you don't have any. The tests are not 100%. You can have a negative scratch test and yet still have an anaphylactic reaction when you eat it.

    Oral allergy syndrome is a possibility, with the mouth symptoms. In that case you would probably react to a number of different nuts and fruits, particularly during high-pollen seasons/days.
  • Eve23
    Eve23 Posts: 2,352 Member
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    I have my own issues with sugar and did some reading. I wonder if it is a chemical sensitivity that you are reacting to. All sugar is treated with chemicals in the processing. Beat Sugar processing has actually one or more extra chemicals used. I no long buy the sugar beet sugar which is generally cheaper. You could try to use a more organic sugar to see if it relieves the reactions.

    Secondly I agree that it could be a corn based issue.

    I know that I am chemically sensitive and it can be difficult to narrow the products down who use them.
  • gramanana
    gramanana Posts: 767 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice and ideas/suggestions.

    I know it is not a corn allergy because I can eat corn flakes without a problem. I've never made the connection between high pollen days and reactions to the foods I eat and I will have to check that out because it doesn't happen all the time. It could be some sort of chemical reaction that I never thought about either.

    I will continue to pay attention to what I'm eating and my reactions. Then try to figure out what I'm combining that food with or how much of it I'm eating. I do know that allergy tests are not conclusive because I had a 2nd cousin who was an allergist and he didn't trust them either. He figured out from some of my symptoms that I was allergic to lemons (and possibly all citrus) because of a reaction I had in his presence to lemonade. I think he was also the one who told my mom I had an allergy to wheat (but there wasn't much you could do back then.

    So thanks again for the advice/suggestions/ideas. All information is helpful and makes me look at the combinations of food that I eat more carefully.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    You should keep a diary on a calendar of days when you have reactions. You can backtrack here and look at those days and see what you were eating.

    You may not show an allergic reaction to corn BUT you may have an issue with Corn Syrup. I know also that if you're eating a lot of sweets, you can end up with something called Candida and that can trigger problems. It's a bad yeast build up in the blood. The sugars cause it to grow. Were you tested for Candida?
  • gramanana
    gramanana Posts: 767 Member
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    I have had Candida, along with many other yeast issues in the past; not so much since I turned 60. I'm planning to start tracking weather, moods, allergic reactions and such after the grandkids go home and life settles down. Right now there doesn't seem to be time to do anything except log my food and move on to the next activity. I used to track all that stuff because of mood swings, but stopped; obviously, I need to start again.

    Thanks for the advice. I'm taking everything into consideration.

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