Talking Allergies

anyone else out there with a potato allergy? if so, did your doctor say anything about it? is potato allergy part of oral allergy syndrome?

I was kind of in denial about this allergy for awhile---an allergy test clued me in. The hive was almost as big as the one for peanuts. After cutting potatoes out of my diet for awhile before reintroducing them, my throat got itchy immediately---so I knew I was definitely allergic (and this explained some of my mystery reactions).

My theory is that the allergy developed because I was eating so many potatoes after the wheat allergy diagnosis.

Hi Helen,

I think I am mildly allergic to raw potatoes, simply because I sneeze a lot every time I peel them. I can eat them cooked and have no problems. I have oral allergy syndrome and cannot eat a lot of raw fruits or carrots, but am fine once they are cooked. So I assume that the potatoes fall into the same realm. I am also allergic to nuts, but feel that potatoes are similar to carrots, being a root vegetable, so think it may fall into the area of oral allergy syndrome for me.

Obviously my allergy is nowhere near as severe as yours; I'm sorry you suffer so much.

Soccermom

thanks for the response---I'm guessing that my allergy went from just reacting to the raw potatoes to reacting to the cooked as well. I now have slight problems with cooked carrots sometimes too but I can still eat carrots. Potatoes are out, however.

My oldest is allergic to potatoes (hasn't had them for years, but vomited with cooked and did projectile vomiting with raw, and then skin tested positive). He also has oral allergy syndrome.

Our doctor just said he was allergic to potato. No one make a specific connection between that and OAS, but obviously potato is on the list of potentially problematic foods with OAS. But my oldest is definitely "allergic", and I know others on other forums who are also allergic to potatoes.

Tips:

- You might be okay with potato starch. My oldest is, not that we give him lots, but he's gotten it with the odd cracker and not had problems.
- If you are severely allergic, you should be aware that maltodextrin is sometimes derived from potatoes.... but it can also derived be corn or other.
- Sweet potatoes/yams are not in the same family so should be okay. We make sweet potato fries a lot, and I actually like them better than regular fries.
- Some things we've used as a sub for things like mashed potatoes on top of shepherd's pie inclue pre-cooked millet (pretty good, actually) and cous-cous (which I guess would be out for you with a wheat allergy - sorry).
- I've recently seen plantain chips that are really good, if you ever have a craving for "potato chips".

And I think that's it for my potato allergy tips...

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Thanks so much for the tips, Karen. I have issues with potato starch---I've used it in baking before. I'll have to try millet as a subsitute for potatoes---I do eat millet (Oak Manor). (By the way, my mom has discovered that cooked millet is an excellent substitute for breadcrumbs + egg in meatloaf. I know you're okay with bread, but millet actually does a better job at binding everything together without egg.)

I'm not sure that I would be able to try plaintain chips---plaintain is a type of banana as I understand. I haven't experimented to see if I'm okay with cooked banana, but raw banana is definitely bad news.

It's interesting to know that there are other people in your group allergic to potato as well--I didn't realize that potato allergy was all that common.

You're right about banana and plantain - http://www.uga.edu/fruit/banana.htm says it all.

I have a great meatloaf / meatballs recipe that I will post in which we use oats (can you have oats?) and olive oil to replace the egg. Super easy and super yummy. But good idea to use millet too.

I have also seen sweet potato chips (at my local corner store of all places) that were quite yummy. If I ever see them again I will write down the name of the brand. You could always make your own if you're ever in the mood...

I think if I used a lot of potato starch my son might not be okay with it, but for any crackers he's had, it's always been fairly far down on the list of ingredients so I figured it wasn't there in large amounts.

I don't know how common potato allergy is (it's another, international online forum where I've seen the most posts about it), but I'm pretty sure there's at least one other family in my local group dealing with potato allergy.

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Oats? I'm not sure. I'm definitely not doing well with the plain Quaker's instant oats in the little packets--but that could be guar gum or some additive. I seem also to have some GI trouble with oats....but I'm not sure if there is a cause-effect relp there. I'm going to ask my allergist about whether I should avoid them on account of wheat cross-contamination (they are x-contaminated with wheat).

Thanks!

If you can't do oats, it sounds like cooked millet might be the thing to stick with. Or if you can have Rice Krispies, we've used that as a replacement for wheat flour too. Depends on whether you can tolerate the barley malt or not that I believe is in them.

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Hello,

WOW, I finally found other folks with the same allergy, potatoes!

If I eat anything more than a small bite of potato I get severe stomach cramps, inching palms, ears and feet and then breathing becomes very difficult. As a child I spent 4 days in an oxygen tent from 3 french fries. If the dose is small, say a topping of crushed chips on a casserole, then my main reaction tends to be severe stomach cramps and head-to-toe visible hives. Benadryl help a little with this reaction.

While I'm pretty content not eating potatoes (there are plenty of other starchy tubers and vegetables that substitute well) my biggest hurdle has been that I'd love to be a chef. I like being a graphic designer as well...no allergies there. C'est la vie, sans patate!

Anyhow, glad to know there are other in the world like me. Glad to find you all.

Sincerely,

JR

I'm glad you found us too, JR!

We are big fans of sweet potato fries - do you ever do that? My oldest, who is the one allergic to potatoes, has finally decided that he loves them (after almost 5 years of saying "no thanks"). So we make them quite a lot these days.

There is even a company on the market that makes frozen sweet potato fries. See http://www.allergicliving.com/forum/vie ... php?t=1292 for more details.

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

Hi K,

Actually, yes. I've tried both deep fried and baked fries. Chips, too! Just slice them thin on a mandoline and drop them in a pot of hot canola oil until they change color, drain and dust with salt. chili powder, or cinnamon. Yum. I have also found frozen sweet potato fries at Trader Joe's and most major groceries carry TERRA brand chips in their health food sections (not to mention beets, taro, batata, and parsnip chips.)

Thick sweet potato chips (1/4 inch) are great to grill as well. you can cut them into spears as a variation. The great thing about the sweet potato is that it can go sweeet or savory depending on the spices.

Instead of looking at my allergy as a disadvantage, I think it's more of an awakening to other possibilities. But then, I love to cook and I'm a very adventurous eater, so it's partly a challenge for me. I also like to "awaken" white potato eaters with new tastes by sharing my discoveries with them.

I'd be happy to post more no-potato recipes as well, if anyone is interested.

Be Well,
JR

For sure - post them in the Recipes forum, if you don't mind.

Those ideas sound good - I should take the time to try making some home made chips. Just ... need ... more ... time...!

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

I know this topic is on the old side, but I was quite surprised to see more people with potato allergy. My son is allergic to potatoes (found with skin prick test). He was tested at age 2.

_________________
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.

When my son first reacted, I was flabbergasted. I had NO IDEA you could be allergic to something that seemed so benign and universal as potatoes.

Of course now, years later, I know better. You can be allergic to ANYTHING!!

K.

_________________
Karen, proud Mom of
- DS1 (12 yrs): allergic to cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts, potatoes, some legumes, some fish, pumpkin seeds; OAS
- DS2 (1o yrs): ana. to dairy, eggs, peanuts; asthma

potato is the newest allergy for us. My oldest has it. I need to ask though, what is millet and where can I find it. Rice is really starting to get old and the boys do not like cous cous.

My mother-in- law says that my husband was allergic to potatos as a child but it was through her own diagnosis. He is not allergic to them now though.

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Amanda
Patrick ana. eggs, oats, nuts, peanuts and allergic to penecillin and erythomycin. Excema and asthma
Preston ana. to eggs,nuts, peanuts, soy and oats, allergic to penecillin. Excema and asthma