Adult onset food allergies?

FAS has upgraded our forum security. Some members may need to log in again. If you are unable to remember your login information, please email food.allergy.supt@flash.net and we will help you get back in. Thanks for your patience!

Macabre:
Peg! :bye: It's great to see you, but I'm sorry there is a need for you to be here for yourself.

I don't know how to help--just wanted to say hi!

Snerdguy:
I am 54 and, until last year, I had no noticeable food allergies. Then, one day after eating at a pizza buffet, I had a bad reaction. My hands and feet started itching and turning red, then I started itching and turning red all over and started swelling. I had never such reaction before and it was scary. I took a few Benadryl and that calmed things down after a few minutes. I thought maybe it was something on their salad like a sulfite preservative. But, it had never been a problem when I ate there before. Then, I ate at a different pizza place and it happened again.

So, I quit eating salads at buffets and didn't have a problem for a while until I ate at a buffet last week. I didn't even eat salad, just some pizza and a piece of a sub and little mac and cheese. Then , it start happening again, my feet and hands started itching and turning bright red. I grabbed some Benadryl I had in the car right away and got it under control. After nearly having to go to the ER the first time, I keep it in the car and jump as soon as I notice anything.

I'm at loss to understand what is going on. Now, I can't eat at that restaurant at all. Yet, I can eat pizza from other places and frozen pizza without a problem. Someone suggested they may make their pizza with holy water and I'm to far the other way. lol

rebekahc:
I'm sorry you've experienced these reactions - I know how frightening they can be!

It's hard to narrow down what you might be reacting to without knowing exactly what you ate or any other factors that might be unique to the times you had the reactions.

FWIW, Benadryl is for comfort only and should not be used to treat a serious allergic reaction. It will not stop nor prevent anapylaxis just as Tylenol may reduce your fever but won't actually help whatever is causing your fever in the first place. I would suggest talking to your doctor about the reactions and possibly getting a script for rescue meds (EpiPen, etc.) and a plan when to use it. Here's a link to the plain English version of an anaphylaxis grading chart http://the-clarkes.org/stuff/ana.html . (The page has been slow to load for me lately, but I can usually get it with a few tries.) This can help you determine the severity of your reactions. A very basic rule-of-thumb would be if two or more body systems are involved it constitutes an emergency.

ETA: Here's the same chart I linked to above, but in clinical terms (scroll down to Table 2) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/111/Supplement_3/1601

GoingNuts:
Hi Snerdguy!

This sounds terribly frustrating and confusing for you!

I second Rebekahc's recommendation to see an allergist - try to find a board certified allergist who is knowledgeable about food allergies (many aren't). If you give us a general idea of where you live (US or Canada, northeast, south, etc.) we may be able to recommend some resources for you.

And yes, you should be carrying an Epipen for the reasons Rebekahc gave.

Good luck, and keep us posted!