Has anyone ever had an allergic reaction to coffee?

[AFwife Claire]

My third son (9 years old) had a bad reaction today--one that required a trip to the ER. He is allergic to tree nuts such as walnuts and pecans (but not almonds, pistachios, or cashews, so not all nuts), as well as peanuts. He was allergic to milk until he finally outgrew it and passed a milk challenge test this summer. He has had plenty of milk/cheese etc. since then with no problems.

 

For breakfast today he had his usual cereal with soy milk (still can't stand drinking regular milk!), and for lunch he had left-overs that he ate the past few nights and had no problems with--a slice of pizza and some "chicken packet", which is chicken and celery, mixed with a little bit of cream cheese in some crescent roll with bread crumbs on it. The only thing remotely different is that he had some coffee (Folgers decaf) during the course of the morning. A friend said that sometimes cheap coffee has chicory as a filler, and that is a nut, but the Folgers can said "100% coffee". Still . . . that's the only thing different, and the reaction was bad (puffy eyes with hives on his face, swollen throat, wheezing, etc.), as if he had eaten and entire peanut butter sandwich or something, not just "my tongue is a little tingly" or whatever. I gave him 3 benedryl over the course of 30 minutes, and that didn't slow or reverse anything. Usually the benedryl works for the reactions he's had in the past.

 

He has had coffee before, although not regularly at all, and not had any problems. We might never know what caused it, but still, I like to play detective. Has anyone else ever had problems with coffee?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Here is a peanut allergy site where the Folger's people responded that their facilities do not use any nut products at any time. http://www.peanutallergy.com/boards/folgers-coffee-and-patna

[rafiki]

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[ChristineW]

One of my friends had an allergic reaction to coffee. Not anaphylaxis but still scary--swollen lips, face and adenoids.

 

Christine W

[sbgrace]

You made the coffee yourself? Any coffee blends made in your home with that machine? I'm guessing you don't do tree nut type blends given his allergies so I'm stumped. How soon after the lunch with the roll was this reaction? That roll likely had sesame trace but without a cashew, pistachio, or existing sesame allergy that shouldn't be a problem assuming he doesn't have a new allergy.

 

I'm thinking trace in something. I wouldn't think Folgers has tree nut/peanut trace but I don't know for sure/had no reason to call the company.

 

That's an anaphylactic reaction (swelling throat, hives alone). I assume they told you that in the ER but ER's are sometimes horrible with anaphylaxis. I'm assuming you never had an ana reaction before and didn't have an epi pen...he needs an epi pen. That reaction should (forbid it ever happen again) be an immediate epi pen and 911 per our allergist and everything I've ever read on anaphylaxis. I'm glad he was ok. My son survived his first anaphylaxis without an epi pen too.

 

:grouphug:

Edited December 23, 2010 by sbgrace

[Amy in NH]

My mother has an anaphylactic allergic reaction to caffeine. She can't have coffee, and has always had a milder reaction to chocolate, but lately is finding she can't have chocolate either.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My third son (9 years old) had a bad reaction today--one that required a trip to the ER. He is allergic to tree nuts such as walnuts and pecans (but not almonds, pistachios, or cashews, so not all nuts), as well as peanuts. He was allergic to milk until he finally outgrew it and passed a milk challenge test this summer. He has had plenty of milk/cheese etc. since then with no problems.

 

For breakfast today he had his usual cereal with soy milk (still can't stand drinking regular milk!), and for lunch he had left-overs that he ate the past few nights and had no problems with--a slice of pizza and some "chicken packet", which is chicken and celery, mixed with a little bit of cream cheese in some crescent roll with bread crumbs on it. The only thing remotely different is that he had some coffee (Folgers decaf) during the course of the morning. A friend said that sometimes cheap coffee has chicory as a filler, and that is a nut, but the Folgers can said "100% coffee". Still . . . that's the only thing different, and the reaction was bad (puffy eyes with hives on his face, swollen throat, wheezing, etc.), as if he had eaten and entire peanut butter sandwich or something, not just "my tongue is a little tingly" or whatever. I gave him 3 benedryl over the course of 30 minutes, and that didn't slow or reverse anything. Usually the benedryl works for the reactions he's had in the past.

 

He has had coffee before, although not regularly at all, and not had any problems. We might never know what caused it, but still, I like to play detective. Has anyone else ever had problems with coffee?

 

Oh dear, the reaction you described should be treated with epi-pen and a call to 911 according to my ds's allergist and the research that I have done.:grouphug: I was instructed that anything more than a skin reaction requires the epi-pen. I would ask your ds's allergist about this IMHO.

 

As for the coffee, I never heard of this, but did realize that some coffees have nut additives. I am thinking there must have been some contamination of the coffee. I would definitely ask your son's doctor. Does he like tea instead as a possibly safer alternative?

 

Lastly, I would consider staying away from all nuts since they are often cross contaminated.

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/

Edited December 23, 2010 by priscilla

[AFwife Claire]

Yeah, we have an epi pen--it was my dh who didn't want to use it, for some reason,and he was the one who took him (along with the unused epipen?!) to the ER. The ER is only 5 mintues away, and they got him in and treated right away, but yeah--I wasn't thinking too clearly, because I totally should have insisted we use it. I knew it was anaphalactic.

 

The weird thing is, the reaction didn't start with him actually eating or drinking anything. It just sort of started out of the clear blue sky, which is another reason why it's all so puzzling. Whenever he's had other reactions, they've never been delayed, especially bad reactions. And he's never had any reactions from cross-contamination, only from actually eating something. He's gotten a lot less sensitive the past few years (probably another reason I was not thinking clearly about the epi--it was just so weird to be dealing with it after years of only having little reactions, ones that immediately responded to benedryl).

 

We'll call to make an appointment at our military hospital tomorrow, and then hopefully be able to be referred for another appointment with his allergist (who he just saw in August, so isn't due to see again til next summer), but the wheels of military medicine move slowly, LOL. I'm not holding my breath for any fresh insights! Oh well.

[AngieW in Texas]

I'm allergic to coffee, but I've never actually had it as a drink. Smelling it always gave me a headache, but I assumed I just didn't like the smell. I did allergy testing when my oldest was 2yo and that's when I found out. When they pricked me with the coffee test, it felt like somebody had thrown acid all over my back. My entire back swelled up, itched, and burned.

 

I can stand next to somebody who is drinking coffee and be just fine. My problem is with inhaling the particulates when coffee is ground.

 

One summer Starbucks had some new coffee they were grinding a lot of. It hit me so fast I barely got past the entryway of the Barnes&Noble and I had a pounding headache for three days.

[sbgrace]

You might tell hubby that case studies have shown that kids who die got epi pens. They just got them too far into the reaction to stop it. I can't remember the time frame for it to work but it was much, much shorter than I would have thought. It really hit home for me why the allergist is so adamant that you do epi rather than wait to see if it's really bad and that you do it even before you call 911. In doubt, epi...that's the take home. I'd talk to your husband about it because he may be alone with him with another reaction and you couldn't insist on epi pen.

 

I drove my son to the ER in biphasic anaphylaxis. It was the middle of the night in pouring rain and I had a 20 minute drive. It didn't occur to me to call 911 (we didn't have an epi pen/this was first reaction) even after the doctor on call said he needed to get to the ER. He should have screamed at me to call 911. I felt very thankful my son was ok given my mistakes. My friend's son fell out of a barn loft to the ground and had a head fracture. They drove him to the ER too. She said she was in shock. I think that's part of why I responded so wrong as well.

[Cricket]

Chicory is actually the root of a of the chicory plant, not a nut. I wouldn't think it would be in Folgers though. Usually coffee with chicory is marketed as New Orleans-style and is more expensive. It is possible to be allergic to it and I guess coffee also...wow. I hope you figure out what it was! Scary! :grouphug:

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Yeah, we have an epi pen--it was my dh who didn't want to use it, for some reason,and he was the one who took him (along with the unused epipen?!) to the ER. The ER is only 5 mintues away, and they got him in and treated right away, but yeah--I wasn't thinking too clearly, because I totally should have insisted we use it. I knew it was anaphalactic.

 

The weird thing is, the reaction didn't start with him actually eating or drinking anything. It just sort of started out of the clear blue sky, which is another reason why it's all so puzzling. Whenever he's had other reactions, they've never been delayed, especially bad reactions. And he's never had any reactions from cross-contamination, only from actually eating something. He's gotten a lot less sensitive the past few years (probably another reason I was not thinking clearly about the epi--it was just so weird to be dealing with it after years of only having little reactions, ones that immediately responded to benedryl).

 

We'll call to make an appointment at our military hospital tomorrow, and then hopefully be able to be referred for another appointment with his allergist (who he just saw in August, so isn't due to see again til next summer), but the wheels of military medicine move slowly, LOL. I'm not holding my breath for any fresh insights! Oh well.

 

As a reassurance, epi-pens ingredient of epinephrine is a natural hormone the body produces in flight or fright responses. It is used all of the time in emergency situations safely. Our allergist told us not to be afraid to give the epi-pen for the wrong reasons. He said what hurts allergy kids is not giving the epi-pen soon enough. Also, I even accidentally gave it to myself when I was teaching someone how to give epi-pen:001_huh: and it did not hurt me:tongue_smilie: I did feel like I drank 10 cups of coffee:D I did not even know I gave myself the shot until afterwards since I thought I was using the trainer.

 

The moral of the story is that it is better to give the epi-pen when it is not needed than to delay it when it is needed. Every minute counts in anaphylaxis. Also, anaphylaxis can occur up to 2 hours after ingesting an allergen.

[AFwife Claire]

Chicory is actually the root of a of the chicory plant, not a nut. I wouldn't think it would be in Folgers though. Usually coffee with chicory is marketed as New Orleans-style and is more expensive. It is possible to be allergic to it and I guess coffee also...wow. I hope you figure out what it was! Scary! :grouphug:

 

LOL, yep, you are absolutely right--I did some internet research last night and discovered this little fact! I guess I can't believe everything my friends tell me! : )

[mcconnellboys]

Has the coffee he's drunk in past been decaf? Was it the same brand? Coffee is decaffeinated using a variety of solvents (perhaps different for different brands), so I'm wondering if it might be something related to the chemicals used in the decaf process....

[Omma]

My ds is 10 and he is allergic to all nuts and soybeans. I have never had him tested for the vanilla bean, but we believe he has an allergy to that, too. Now I am wondering if he will also react to the coffee bean. His reaction to nuts has been more in the way of intestinal distress and even vomiting, rather than anaphalactic. And he gets a rash from soybeans (I am hoping he will outgrow this one).

 

Brenda

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

My ds is 10 and he is allergic to all nuts and soybeans. I have never had him tested for the vanilla bean, but we believe he has an allergy to that, too. Now I am wondering if he will also react to the coffee bean. His reaction to nuts has been more in the way of intestinal distress and even vomiting, rather than anaphalactic. And he gets a rash from soybeans (I am hoping he will outgrow this one).

 

Brenda

 

Vomiting can be a sign of anaphylaxis. I would check with your doctor. I have heard from allergy moms about anaphylactic reactions that started out with vomiting, GI distress and then later skin reactions and respiratory symptoms:(.

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/section/a

[Dana]

Vomiting can be a sign of anaphylaxis. I would check with your doctor. I have heard from allergy moms about anaphylactic reactions that started out with vomiting, GI distress and then later skin reactions and respiratory symptoms:(.

 

http://www.foodallergy.org/section/a

 

It was with our son's anaphylaxis. Started with scratchy throat but no visible symptoms. We were questioning him. Progressed RAPIDLY. We were on way to ER - just in case - when he vomited and I gave the Epi. His allergist had said vomiting with reaction meant Epi. There were NO hives and still no visible symptoms. Hives didn't appear until the second phase about 4-5 hours later and after IV Benadryl and another adrenalin shot at ER. (We got the biphasic reaction - yea :glare:).

 

20 min from ingestion of cashews to giving Epi in car on way to ER. Got lectures on calling 911 instead and going to closer ER rather than pediatric one. Never saw resp symptoms - but he was on heavy meds relatively quickly.

 

Seriously - worst day of my life. Carry the Epis, know how to use them, and better give when not needed than not give when needed or delay too long. I feel very very lucky that he's okay.