New to food allergies

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rebekahc:
Yes, I'm talking botanically related. If you're allergic to several nuts, it would be more probable to be allergic to those that are "cousins" - walnuts/pecans, cashews/pistachios, hazlenut/filbert/hickory nut. Almonds are related to pit fruits (peaches, plums), and pine nuts are seeds.

So, you test positive to walnuts. The cookies likely contained walnuts. Are you allergic? It's seeming more likely. When you ate nuts every few weeks, we're they usually walnuts or other unrelated nuts? If they were walnuts, then it could be possible that you only reacted this time because your system was primed from the shrimp reaction, but obviously you don't want to test it out on your own! Hopefully you have an allergist who is experienced with food allergies and up to date research and (s)he can help you find out for sure. Since both shellfish/fish and tree nuts are often cross-contaminated, you'll want to avoid all until you know.

A.J.:
I'm back! Thanks for your input/advice/everything - I think I've finally gotten some answers now. I got in to see an allergist and got a Cap-RAST test done, plus a couple food challenges.

At this point, I'm "officially" allergic to shrimp, lobster, crab, walnuts, and pecans, so I'm avoiding all shellfish and most tree nuts right now. I've also been prescribed an Epi-Pen.

I guess at this point what I'm looking for is tips - avoiding cross contamination, etc. I've had a couple reactions in the past few months and I'm trying to find ways to avoid more reactions. Input/advice is welcome! Thanks. :)

rebekahc:
So glad you got it narrowed down and can now focus on an avoidance plan!

There are lots of good suggestions for avoidance in the PA/TNA and Fish/Shellfish sections of the board. Also reading in Restaurants and Manufacturers will give you a sense of which companies are better than others and good dining out techniques. And, as always, feel free to ask questions as they come up!

Were you able to pinpoint what caused your reactions? We can probably help you work through what/how/why and how to prevent the type of behavior/situation that led to the reactions.

Also, did your doctor give you a plan so you know exactly when to use the EpiPen?

Macabre:
Welcome!! I deal with shellfish, and I created a thread that can be easily found to talk about cross contamination avoidance. Here it is:
Tips for Avoiding Cross Contamination with Shellfish