Anyone else with oral allergy syndrome?

cranberrytape
cranberrytape Posts: 29 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
I have oral allergy syndrome. I'm allergic to most uncooked vegetables and many raw fruits. The reactions are severe enough that I can't simply eat the foods and ignore it, and allergy shots do not work for this condition. I really want to start eating more fresh produce, though. Steamed/cooked veggies get kind of boring after a while. I crave that crunchy, fresh taste and I want to have snacks that I can eat easily on the go like celery and carrots. My question is, does anyone else have this problem, and have any of you tried a mild, non-drowsy antihistamine like Zyrtec? Does it work? Pretty much every other antihistamine helps with allergic reactions but makes me crash so it's not worth it, but I haven't tried something like Zyrtec.

Replies

  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    I suffer with a lot of allergies, and it doesn't seem sensible to me to do something which you know will cause a reaction, just because you think cooked veggies are boring. You can steam/roast/boil/fry/mash most veggies, and most fruits are delicious cooked. Yes it's a shame you can't have raw ones, I get what you mean about the crunch and freshness, but as allergies can suddenly exacerbate to the level of anaphylactic shock (definitely spelt that wrong) I think it'd be silly to tempt fate.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    How much do they have to be cooked? Would blanching them work? Green beans can still be crunchy if blanched and chilled, for example.

    I only have an oral allergy to walnuts. I avoid them.

    Don't push the boundaries of your condition. My sister has a bad oral allergy to walnuts as well, and her symptoms have gotten progressively worse over the years with accidental exposures.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    Why not ask your doctor's advice on what medication you can take?
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    As someone with several food allergies, I would recommend talking to your doctor and not the interwebz about stuff that could, you know, kill you.
  • phys72
    phys72 Posts: 66 Member
    I have oral allergy as well and I get what you're saying. Honestly I would not try the zyrtec as an alternative. I know it stinks. I would love nothing more than to grab and apple as a snack. Heating it up to be mushy apple just isn't the same.

    I have severe anaphalactic allergies to other foods in addition to the oral allergy. When I try a bit of an apple or other fruit it is the same beginning symptoms that I get with an ana reaction. It's too scary to me to even attempt that with a zyrtec so avoid all. My allergist didn't seem to have any solution and said allergy shots have only a small percentage of helping with oral allergy. A naturopath might have other ideas but I haven't come across any yet.
  • sevenswallows
    sevenswallows Posts: 3 Member
    I have oral allergy syndrome and react to everything in the birch family (stone fruits, apples, almonds, hazelnuts, etc). It really sucks and I would do anything to eat a fresh summer peach again. My allergist said oral allergy syndrome doesn't go anaphylactic and I find that taking an aerius or Claritin helps a little, but I still typically avoid the usual triggers in raw form.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I have this (in a lesser degree) and I didn't even know it had a name. Thanks and good luck, it sucks not to be able to healthy eat food you like.
  • EJand94
    EJand94 Posts: 55 Member
    Blanching some veggies work for me!! I myself am allergic to carrots and celery, among 25 other foods, but I've found blanching helpful. I learned in my nutrition class, however, that when you boil veggies, most of its healthy properties get sucked out, and is left in the water. My professor told me I could use that water to drink, so I can get the vitamins and minerals that have been leached out from the boiling process.
    I've also been getting Allergy Shots for over a year. My doctor said they may not help my Syndrome immediately, but it has been SOOOOO WORTH IT for my allergies in general.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    My daughter has oral allergy syndrome due to a severe birch allergy, and has to be careful what fruits she eats. She only eats her veggies cooked, so it's not an issue there.

    I would experiment with different cooking methods on your veggies, find ways to bring variety to them. If your reaction isn't severe, you could try the Zyrtec, but otherwise, I would consult your allergist.
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