Talking Allergies

Hi there,

I didn't know where to post this so I hope this is the right place! I've tried to find some information on this but I can't seem to find anything and I feel like I am going crazy!

I am around 25 years old and I am very allergic to egg--- in addition to having asthma. When I was a child I was allergic to dairy, red dye, eggs, oatmeal, msg, sulphites, whole wheat, bounce dryer sheets, etc.. I also remember not being allowed to eat whole peanuts, but peanut butter was OK.

I have outgrown all of these allergies except eggs, but is it possible for one to return?

Two weeks ago I had an allergic reaction of some sort and my steroids and benadryl weren't helping. I figured I had eaten egg and that was that. After getting some chest pains, I went to emerg got a 5 day prednisone bump and I just finished it yesterday.

Despite all of the steriods, I took another reaction to something last night/this morning. Over the past two weeks I haven't had a stitch of egg so it must be something else. I have been eating dairy, oatmeal, and peanut butter.

I'm really feeling miserable and frustrated that I have been so careful and this is still happening! I *really* don't want to go back on prednisone again!

So my question is, is there any way to figure out at home what might be causing these reactions? It will take awhile to get a doctor's appointment.

Make the appointment with your allergist. Can you get put on the cancellation list?
Stop eating the foods you suspect of causing the reaction.
Keep a food/activity/ symptom diary...it could be anything.
The only way to be certain is for the allergist to test you against controls.


That's a new one to me!

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

Yeah, it was a long time ago! Maybe I wasn't eating peanut butter either Either way it wasn't a super bad one.... but it's my prime suspect now.

Thanks for the reply!

Hmm... Adults and allergies haven't been studied much at all.

But I know that when it comes to peanut allergies, the good news of the past few years has been that up to 20% of kids will outgrow this allergy. The one caveat? That some people might relapse into peanut allergy.

That's why for kids who have outgrown, it's considered important to start eating peanut products regularly. It's supposed to help avoid re-sensitization.

Given what's said about peanut, it might be possible to re-sensitize to another allergen. I haven't researched this area much, though. This is one to discuss with an allergist, and you do want to get tested again, as Susan suggests.

Other advice: Try to keep cool, I know it is alarming. When I've had "mystery" reactions, I'll cut back to plain foods I know I'm ok with and rice, then add a food per day, while awaiting the allergist's appt. My GP advised this; seems to work. It just takes a little disciplline.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Yeah I'll have to go the plain foods route. I just called and it's going to be over a week until I get to see a GP, let alone an allergist.

I became allergic to Shellfish, Pork, and Oatmeal as an adult. I had been eating these items and one day had a bad reaction to shellfish, since I had been eating it, I just thought it was some kind of food poisoning. (reaction was stomach pain and I spent hours getting sick) Only when it happened again did I think I may be allergic to it, but my mouth did not feel funny and I did not have any hives. When I went in to be tested I was told of my pork and oatmeal allergy but I already suspected they were a problem, I had not had a bad reaction to these items just every time I ate them I had this nagging feeling I should not be eating them. Then just a mild sore tummy.

When I was a child I could not have dairy and wheat.

I guess you can grow out of and into allergies.
I have just always been allergic to peanuts, treenuts and coconuts.

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Me-Allergic to Peanut, Tree Nut, Coconut, Shellfish, ASA and Asthma
My Husband and Children No Allergies

My mums allergies have definitely changed over the years. Her's are not food allergies, but they are environmental and drug allergies.
My husbands allergies have also changed over the years. He has food and environmental allergies.
My mum had really bad asthma as a kid, it pretty much went away when she was in her teens and then came back with a vengeance when she was in her thirties.

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Married mom of 4 living children and a baby girl in Heaven.
Between myself, my husband, and our children we have way too many allergies to list.

Thanks for all the info!

Yeah, I definitely think in my case it's new allergies. The past 3 days have been hell. My throat has finally stopped spasming so I think I'm through the worst. Luckily my airway wasn't too bad. I don't have an epi-pen so I was nervous for awhile.

Are there any specific blood tests I should be asking for when I see the doc? My mom (who is a nurse) said there really isn't any good way to test for allergies...

I've lost my dog allergy several years ago (probably due to living with one) and most recently during a skin test was seen to have lost my nut and grain allergy.

I'm still very cautious and awaiting blood test results before I do anything like celebrate with pistachios and beer!