Talking Allergies

Well DS has had a difficult couple months. Diarreah that got worse and worse and worse until the point he was up at night with horrible stomach pains, he also began sleeping crazy amounts in the afternoon (we just kept saying it was growing, adjusting to school etc.). I called the allergist a few weeks ago and he said to cut out soy as we thought it was that. Yet due to our son feeling so awful it didn't clue into us right away we were also cutting out another food he had only in the summer started to eat...meat!! After taking away all but a few staple foods he was back to normal in less than 2 days, even sleeping less.
Well when the soy was re-introduced with no issue we were stumped. Then we gave him meat and voila....back to gastro issues. Then we tried meat, we've done it in stages, ground beef, steak, chicken, turkey bacon etc.. We thought beef was the worst until chicken 2 days ago, spent yesterday crying his tummy hurt, bad diarrhea and burping non stop. Even our allergist isn't sure if his body is detecting some form of gelatin form even if it isn't true gelatin yet (depends on the cooking process/bones, slow cooked to release the gelatin) or if this is meat for meat.


So I am very thankful that the soy is not an issue (although he now refuses other beans). The kid is an almost vegan by allergy/intolerance.

If this is meat for meat and not related to gelatin....has anyone ever had a meat intolerance turn anaphylactic?

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

So sorry to hear - poor N!
But thank goodness you were able to figure it out.

FYI, in AL's Ask the Allergists column, Dr. Waserman has said that she is seeing more chicken allergy these days. Still not common, but it definitely happens. I'll try to dig up the reference soon, but she said that: some people are allergic just to chicken but not to other fowl. In fewer instances, person might also be allergic to related fowl, such as turkey.

Not sure if N. eats eggs, but Dr. W. wasn't seeing a correlation between chicken and egg allergy. (This was in her practice, not a study as such.)

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

Poor little guy. And poor you too. At least you think you know. How challenging for all of you. to you and your family.

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

I'm so sorry! I wish I had something witty and supportive to say but all I can think of right now it, that sucks!

I suppose it's a relief that he can eat eggs, dairy and fish/shellfish and that it's not soy. I just hate, hate it when another food is taken away...

I'm here is you need to vent.

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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

Oh dear, so sorry to hear about your little man's tummy troubles. It sounds like he has had a very rough go!

We have a cousin with a chicken allergy who can eat duck, turkey, etc. so there is hope that he will be able to eat some meat at some point, though I can't imagine he will want to any time soon!

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Mother of a fantastic little girl with peanut allergy, cat & dust sensitivities

With all the allergies my kids have, we rely on various types of meat a lot to get their protein, and as staples when we have parties, etc.

I myself was allergic to chicken and milk as an infant, but outgrew both at around age 2. DS seems to develop a bit of redness around the mouth/face if he comes into contact with chicken when eating a messy piece (like wings, etc), but doesn't have any issues with consuming it, so we have continued to give it to him. No other experience.

I'm so sorry you are having to add more things to the 'do not eat' list. I hope you find he is able to eat some types of meat!

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

Thanks guys .
Once again I think DS was much more intuitive to this intolerance than we were. When he was very young our allergist even did oral challenges for beef/chicken as DS refused meat. Even if I snuck a teeensy bit of pureed meat into a muffin he'd spit it out and know it was in there. He used to get a red rash on his chest after eating it. But then just this past summer he tried a bit of meat here and there (no rash) and the stomach issues came on so slowly I didn't really even pay attention until he was full blown diarreah, up at night in pain, then pain in the day.

Now I wonder if his body started to gain a tolerance and then after having meat (teeny bit at a time) but about 2x a week his body just couldn't take it and now has a very sever intolerance.

Sigh.....
Well, we have dairy and sunbutter now for major staples of protein. I know he'll get enough protein but still.. this limits another huge food group.

Thanks for the support, i really appreciate it.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

As a nut-free vegan, I have loads of information about protein. You will be happy to know that as long as someone is getting enough calories and is eating a varied diet, the risk of protein deficiency is extremely rare.

Some great sources of protein:
- What about soy? Can he have tofu? Extra firm drained tofu is very versatile and absorbs the flavours of whatever you cook it with. Silken tofu can be used to make pies, puddings, and smoothies. Tempeh tastes like sausage and can be used to make lots of items. (I personally despise the taste of sausage... always have... although everyone I know loves it, even meat-eaters.)
- Oatmeal = 1/2 cup uncooked = 5g protein
- Quinoa = 8g/cup of cooked quinoa
- Seitan = wheat gluten = super high protein - most vegans use it as a chicken substitute. Again, it absorbs the flavours of whatever you cook it with.
- Soy milk has 7-8g protein per cup
- Brown rice has about 5g protein per cup

What beans are included in the pea/lentil legume family that you need to avoid? Black beans and kidney beans are right up there on the protein scale and can be used in so many things.

Best of luck. Whilst it isn't fun to lose a food group, there are lots of yummy alternatives.

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anaphylaxis to tree nuts and peanuts; asthmatic, dairy intolerant, vegan
other family members allergic to to dairy, egg, peanut, peach, banana, sesame, environmentals

Ok, so I"m now sitting here bawling. Our allergist wondered about the way I'd cooked the chicken and the part of the chicken I used so the only way to know was to use a boiled in water, plain, boneless chicken breast and give DS a tiny bite.

I just tried that and this is NOT an intolerance. He had instant rash/hives over his face, arms, chest, back. No futher symptoms so I gave benadryl per our allergiest and am watching him BUT this most likely means beef also now is an 'allergy' and not an intolerance.

I feel very sad right now.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

Oh, I never thanked you Space Canada.
Brown rice is a good option and ds eats home made porridge every morning. Sunbutter has 7g of proten for 2 tbsp.
DS is refusing beans now so our allergist doesn't want us to push the issue as his last sp started to show beans (ana to all peas/lentils already). Soy is fine in foods but our allergist also wants us to stay away from pure soy such as tofu or soy milk to see if we can curb the bean (soy inclusive) issue.

Is Quinoa a grain? I have heard of it but never really looked into it?

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

I'm so sorry, BC. Huge huge huge hugs to you. It is so frustrating to add more allergens when we are hoping to eliminate them instead.

It was so disheartening to discover DD's sesame allergy, and more recently the lentil and chickpea allergy, as we had relied on those for some non meat protein, and the kids had really loved green lentils that my mom would make them.

Quinoa is a grain, and is so healthy. I add it to soup now instead of using rice. It has a great flavour, too. Our superstore (Loblaws) has small packages of organic quinoa in their health food aisle.

Good luck. I hope your kids have a great halloween weekend. Take care.

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DD 2004 Allergy to peanuts, egg, sesame, and new: lentils and chick peas
DS 2006 Allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, kiwi fruit, eczema

I feel so sad for you. I'm really so sorry to hear that your son is not able to eat meat. It is so disheartening to add something further to his list. This is simply not fair. I know you will adjust to this as you have to the other allergens in the past, and you've always had such a positive attitude on the chat, so I know you will adapt. But I feel so sad for you right now, and it's so crazy to think about how to feed your precious child. Can you seek a dietician's advice that specializes in food allergies? At least your son can still eat fish, eggs and some forms of soy. The most important thing is to get through this initial adjustment, and you will find a way to make this work. I have confidence in you! In the meantime, your Allergic Living family is here for you. to you and your family.

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14 yr old daughter: no health issues
11 yr old son: allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, sesame, sunflower, mustard, poppy seeds, green peas, some fruits, instructed to avoid all other legumes (except soy & green beans), pollen, cats, horses

Thanks
I have really struggled this afternoon and DH even asked me why I am so upset, especially as DS didn't even eat meat until recently. So I've unraveled my feelings and realized it is not as much the frustration/ sadness about loosing a food group but I've realized tonight that why I really am so upset is that it is another few foods could in a life threatening way harm my child.

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DD 12 yrs -no allergies
4 yr old DS - asthma/eczema Anaphylactic to Peanuts, all tree nuts, sesame , all pea/lentil legumes, gelatin.
Allergic to trees, grass,ragweed, feathers, dander, mold and dust.
Outgrew eggs, fish, shellfish

M, so sorry to hear of your struggles.
Big hugs to you.
Understandable you feel this way.

Can the allergist give you any idea if his allergy is as severe as the peanut, etc.?
Am hoping for you that it's not; although realize that wouldn't change the need to avoid.

We're here for you, girl. And young N. has a great mom.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

He's thinking business as usual and your thinking N's gastronomic world is shrinking. You're both right. Don't fight, be kind to each other.

You're right that N is clever. Don't make him eat something he doesn't want to because there might be a good reason for it. Some Dr's say, if they tolerate it, let them have it, some say don't give in case they develop an allergy...?

I always thought it was the least restrictive diet...

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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