Posted on 10/20/2015 3:36:07 PM PDT by dennisw
Food allergies are difficult to diagnose. The usual skin test that allergist use often does not work with foods because the reaction may not show up until the food is digested. So the chocolate cake that you ate at 6 pm dinner may not give. you the severe headache until 4am.
My allergist suggested I keep a food diary so when a reaction happened, I could look back and see what I had eaten. It worked well.
I am 75 and I have been dealing with allergies and food sensitives all my life, it's not fun I assure you.
Food allergies are difficult to diagnose. The usual skin test that allergist use often does not work with foods because the reaction may not show up until the food is digested. So the chocolate cake that you ate at 6 pm dinner may not give. you the severe headache until 4am.
My allergist suggested I keep a food diary so when a reaction happened, I could look back and see what I had eaten. It worked well.
I am 75 and I have been dealing with allergies and food sensitives all my life, it's not fun I assure you.
Eventually, I found that I had not just sinus allergies but celiac disease and other food intolerances, which caused decades of ill health until I figured it out in my early 40s. In addition to CD, I have intolerances to a wide range of foods, including mushrooms, rice, and even vegetables and fruits. Some of the problem seems to be due to a leaky gut and episodic bouts of IBS.
You might want to try a low FODMAP diet, which can help to alleviate IBS type symptoms. About 20 per cent of the population suffer from IBS.
In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements may be helpful. Even now, years after I got my CD under control, I still have some vitamin deficiencies, with a vitamin D deficiency the most prominent.
ping
I don’t eat at Mexican or Oreintal restaurants as I don’t care for the over food. Preference. Restaurants I’ve had bad service from don’t get repeat business...ditto goes for those who serve nasty tasting food, or food at the wrong temps. If it’s supposed to be hot in temperature, it best be, if it is supposed to be cold it best be. I don’t do repeat business.
We eat at Chilli’s a lot, as it is the better of the 2 sit down restaurant, Applebee’s is the other, food is always COLD no matter how busy. We order Ribs with a double portion of french fries, thus avoiding the broccoli neither of us like. Have to ask them to leave their over spiced pickles off a hamburger plate. Just as I order my FF’s with no salt, that way I get hot FF’s and none of the over salted ones that may be soggy from sitting to long and are usually kind of cold, or barely lukewarm.
Now I totally avoid sea food restaurants as I am allergic to sea food. When we do eat out I make sure it a place that will sub a food I dislike. Now when it comes to dairy, I know how much I can tolerate, and order accordingly.
Food served in a hospital is left on the tray as inedible. Hubby, brings me a Subway sandwich or a Croissant from BK’s. Solved that problem. Raid the nurses station for COFFEE. What comes out of dietary is lukewarm colored water.
What is so hard about that?
In my medical records it has that I am allergic to ibuprofen. I took it all the time when I was a teen, switching between that and Tylenol and I was taking massive doses as they became less effective until one day I just said no more. I always had bottles of them with me and all my teachers knew, hell some of them would bum some from me.
10 years or so later I did start taking again but never more than the the normal dose and it was rare to use anything.
Then one week I took some and my lips and eyes swelled up. I didn’t realize that was the cause until I took some more later that week. Different brand. The swelling happened even quicker and more areas.
Am I really allergic? Who knows but I have no desire to find out by taking more.
Today I take extra strength headache - aspirin/caffeine/acetaminophen - just for headaches. Can only take 2-4 a day and only 2-3 times a week. I also have issues with aspirin.
Sadly most pain killers don’t work or did work but no longer. And the ones I think might work my doctors wouldn’t prescribe. Gave me other crap that caused major problems but not something I know I wouldn’t have side effects from hell. Topamax(1 month 2011) and Cymbalta (about 6 months 2014) - side effects from hell that still linger after months and years after I last took them.
As for food or additives.
Aspartame gives me massive headaches. I was majorly ticked off when Wrigley changed my favorite gums to add it to gums that were not sugar free.
Found out the hard way and got very sick because I didn’t think to read the ingredients of a product I had been buying for years.
MSG - I can tolerate but if I get too much it does start affecting me.
Soy - is EVIL. I try to avoid.
Sulfites- my mom is allergic - I notice if I get too many I don’t feel so good.
Bananas- mental - used to eat them as a kid but even the smell of them make me sick - no clue why. When I was in the hospital 5 years ago I warned them to not even bring them near me and thankfully I saw it before they could bring it further in the room. When I say sick I mean it. Hate the produce section especially if they are really ripe.
All melons except for watermelon. The smell again.
Drinking plain white milk - mental from an incident in school. Must be sweetened or flavored. I can drink heavy cream with nothing added.
That's kind of stupid. Gluten is not in everything. Do they add gluten to the foods that don't normally have it.
To be honest I don’t care if someone has a genuine food allergy or not, I really don’t want to hear about it anymore than I want to hear about how Viagra changed your life or about your gall bladder.
Amen to that.
pfl
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