Hi All
Just to add another sufferer to the list. I too am intolerant to Wood Ear mushroom. It took me a while to work out why I used to feel so bad after eating certain chinese dishes. The pain used to be so bad that I had to go to bed to lie down. Finally I narrowed down it down to the wood ear mushroom and did a scientific experiment just eating a small piece in isolation. Almost immediate stomach cramps and a feeling of nausea.
I came across this thread today because I am suffering from my own carelessness. I ate just one dim sum dumpling which unbeknownst to me contained some wood ear mushroom (later confirmed by my wife). Same immediate effect and symptoms. Thankfully subsiding a bit now. It is odd that it so specific to this mushroom because I have no problems with any other type of mushroom, and no other food sensitivities.
As well as the stir fried pork dishes, the wood ear mushroom is often found in Buddhist vegetarian dishes (as found in Chinese restaurants).
I found an article on the probable cause of the sensitivity in this case report from some Japanese researchers:
Can't post the link but google the title:
A case of anaphylaxis due to alpha-mannosidase from Auricularia
Tomoko Kobayashi 1 , Tomonobu Ito 2 , Chizu Egusa 1 , Tatsuo Maeda 1 , Namiko Abe 1 , Yukari Okubo 1 , Ryoji Tsuboi 1
Hope this helps
Best regards
Roger