Adult Food Allergies

The peanut thread has me curious...How many of us have adult food allergies? I'm talking a full blown, diagnosed, need to carry an epi-pen allergy.

I know a few people that think they have them because they did as kids & are afraid to try the food/don't want to be re-tested to see if they've outgrown them, so I'm going to include an option in my poll for that...

If you don't mind sharing, feel free to post what it is that you're allergic to and/or a little background!

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I'll go first! I'm allergic to 2 food items.

The first is casein (aka whey or "dairy")...true "dairy" is primarily made up of 2 components: lactose & casein, with casein being the dominant component. My allergy is pretty bad, but I've found that my reaction depends on how the dairy has been processed. For example, things like milk, sour cream, yogurt & most cheeses have the potential to "do me in," but butter for some reason doesn't affect me too much. I can also eat products that contain small quantities of milk in them, like breads & baked goods, so I guess it isn't THAT bad yet...

The other item is as of yet unidentified. Once every 5 years or so I'll eat something that doesn't contain casein & I'll have an anaphalactic reaction. We haven't been able to identify the ingrediant yet because it hasn't been present in each of the things that set me off. Weird!

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I am allergic to shrimp. Not any other seafood, just shrimp. Prior to age 9 I had shrimp all the time. When I was 9 or so I got violently ill. My mouth got itchy, I vomited, had severe stomach cramps for about an hour afterwards. I tried shrimp 2x after that and the same exact thing happened. I will avoid shrimp for the rest of my life. I know my grandmother had the same allergy. I am very careful to make sure when I go out that nothing has shrimp in it like the occasional crab cake... I have an epi pen but don't carry it with me unless I know I am going out to eat at someplace that serves seafood. I do always carry Benedryl, I know not epi but makes me feel better.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I'm allergic to almonds, butternut squash and I'm pretty sure shrimp, but since I don't eat it anyway, I haven't bothered to go back and get tested. I should though. Growing up, I was allergic to milk and peanuts. Outgrew both.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I'm allergic to pineapple and eggplant. I was diagnosed around the age of 10. I was retested every two/three years after that, and now I'm almost 30 y/o and still highly allergic to pineapple, but my eggplant allergy is still there, but not as severe as it was.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

Re: Adult Food Allergies

DH has a carry-an-epi-pen peanut allergy (since childhood) and is currently being re-tested for other allergies.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

i am DEATHY allergic to ALL seafood. Even if seafood TOUCHEST my food I will have a reactio. I carry an epi-pen in case.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I was allergic to eggs as a baby (and couldn't get some vaccine because it contained egg in the serum) but grew out of it ...

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I have celiac, its an autoimmune disorder however its most known as an "allergy to wheat" which is just the surface
its a pain in my arse.. but had it all my life just diagnosed in the past year

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I'm allergic to some fruits.

Grapes, Apples, Pears, Peaches and Cherries.

I get an itchy tounge, my lips blow up, and my throat feels like it's closing. I do have an epi-pen, but don't carry it. I usually take a benadryl if I feel it coming on. I'm afraid of the epi-pen.

ETA: I did not have this in my childhood.

Message edited 2/17/2009 8:40:50 PM.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

I carry 3 sets of Epi Pens.

My DH has 1 set for his treenut allergy

My 2 DD's for their multiple food allergies (peanuts, treenuts, dairy, eggs, etc.)

Re: Adult Food Allergies

Iam allergic to some seafood (I get terrible stomach cramps) and then recently I've been getting hives, and the allergist thought it was peanuts, but I think its actually the detergent or something. I am still getting them every so often on my face neck and hands.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

Im not allergic to anything but a coworker of mine recently developed food allergies to so many things she needs to carry an epi pen with her. Its crazy that all of a sudden it happened and not just to a few foods its seriously a whole list of foods.

Re: Adult Food Allergies

Wow - based on this post it's looking more and more like it can be hereditary to me. I'm highly allergic to so many non-food items, I have bad allergic asthma & the food allergies. I'm going to do some research...I worry for my future children. I wonder if there's anything that I can do to reduce the likelihood of passing it on (i.e. I heard that breastfeeding helps reduce the chance or severity of allergies)?

Re: Adult Food Allergies

None that I know of.

My sister has a reaction to: bananas, mushrooms, and I forget the third... but the bananas just make her SO sick -- she gets a migraine and a stomach ache real bad while the other two make her face blow up - all puffy!