Food intolerances

auntstephie321
auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone have any experience with food allergies or intolerances? I've recently discovered that grains or gluten or something else in bread and other grain products cause swelling in my throat and sometimes numbing in my face.

Today though I ate mung bean pasta and sauce with meatballs and I had the same reaction. I've eaten the pasta before earlier this week with no problem and the sauce and meatballs were home made.

I take a benadryl each time it happens and that helps.

I know it's nearly impossible to know what might be bothering someone you don't even know but I'm just looking to see if anyone might know what direction to go to help me figure this out.

I've tested negative for celiac and have been tested for allergies (not food allergies) and all tests are negative.

I did test a small piece of my boyfriends regular pasta to make sure it was done but my throat was already starting to swell at that point.

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    See a doctor. That doesn't sound safe.
    Make a list of each time its happened, ALL of what you were eating and drinking, and when.

    Good luck.

    ps: sounds more like tomatoes than gluten, but have a doctor check.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    Thanks I'm logging all my food and put notes in my log when it happens so I'll have something to show my Dr.

    I had pizza yesterday though with no problem.

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    See a doctor. That doesn't sound safe.
    Make a list of each time its happened, ALL of what you were eating and drinking, and when.

    Good luck.

    ps: sounds more like tomatoes than gluten, but have a doctor check.
  • marmaladepixie
    marmaladepixie Posts: 83 Member
    Stbarber1 wrote: »
    Does anyone have any experience with food allergies or intolerances? I've recently discovered that grains or gluten or something else in bread and other grain products cause swelling in my throat and sometimes numbing in my face.

    Today though I ate mung bean pasta and sauce with meatballs and I had the same reaction. I've eaten the pasta before earlier this week with no problem and the sauce and meatballs were home made.

    I take a benadryl each time it happens and that helps.

    I know it's nearly impossible to know what might be bothering someone you don't even know but I'm just looking to see if anyone might know what direction to go to help me figure this out.

    I've tested negative for celiac and have been tested for allergies (not food allergies) and all tests are negative.

    I did test a small piece of my boyfriends regular pasta to make sure it was done but my throat was already starting to swell at that point.

    the blood test for celiac will not tell you if you have an allergy to wheat. It can also be inaccurate. The only way to be positive it to get the colonoscopy. I agree that it could also be the tomatoes. I definitely would not rely on benadryl to prevent what could be a future, potentially anaphylactic reaction.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Go and get an epi pen straight away. It can be fatal. I've had anaphylaxis but luckily I was in hospital at the time. The antibiotics caused mine.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Do not rely on the Benedryl -- with each reaction the body's response can get worse. Get an epi pen and stick to very safe foods.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I'm going to have to get to my Dr for one. My sister and her kids have serious issues with reactions to foods. So I know how bad it can be, this is a fairly recent development for me though.

    I thought I was sticking to safe foods :( I've sort of been testing it the past few times to see if it was just an isolated incident. I didn't think anything at dinner would cause an issue.

    I feel so frustrated now
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Eat at home from now on so that you know exactly what is in the food.
    Stuff from restaurants could be anything -- you won't be able to figure out a pattern from eating at them anyway because you won't be safe until you figure out what the allergens are.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Throat swelling reactions are nothing to mess with.

    Doctor now. Especially an allergist. You need to be properly tested and have an epi-pen on hand.
  • beachhouse758
    beachhouse758 Posts: 371 Member
    mockchoc wrote: »
    Go and get an epi pen straight away. It can be fatal. I've had anaphylaxis but luckily I was in hospital at the time. The antibiotics caused mine.

    This. Absolutely!
    My family has a lot of allergies. And my aunt once had an anaphylactic reaction so severe that the neighbor found her unconscious on the kitchen floor. (She had "mild" allergies to seafood in the past)

    Please make an appointment with an allergist, and as suggested keep a food log. They will initially test you for the most common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, wheat, shellfish, eggs and a couple of others. Then you should continue to keep a *detailed* food log, in case you have other reactions. So then your doctor can do more tests.

    It is a huge pain in the butt to keep a log and get tested. But it can save your life. Don't mess around with it.

  • ForbiddenFruit
    ForbiddenFruit Posts: 62 Member
    My dad developed a shellfish allergy in his 50s, having eaten it at least weekly for his whole life with no problems. 1st time he had a reaction his lips swelled a bit. He took a Benadryl, not thinking that it was the shellfish, and it went away. 2nd time, he came out in a rash over his body. Again, he didn't link it to the shellfish, took Benadryl and it went away. 3rd time, he ended up being rushed to hospital, having been given adrenaline and antihistamine in the ambulance, where he ended up on a drip and breathing tube as his throat had completely closed. The doctors warned him that there wouldn't be a 4th chance to recover.

    Please do go to your doctor and ask to be tested. As others have said, throat swelling is not to be messed with.

    Good luck
  • lilithsrose
    lilithsrose Posts: 752 Member
    I have a similar reaction to cinnamon. My tongue gets numb and my throat begins to swell a bit and makes breathing difficult. If you think you're having a reaction to something, definitely go to a doctor about it and try to remove that food from your diet.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Throat swelling is definitely an allergy which needs a doctor's appointment. Food intolerance is more tummy problems and not feeling so good.

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