Has anyone traced typical "seasonal allergy" symptoms to a food intolerance/allergy?

[skimomma]

The title says it all.  

 

I am looking for anyone who has found a correlation between typical seasonal allergy symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes) that do not seem to follow "seasons" to a specific food or foods.  If anyone is out there, I have more questions for you.

[Tap]

I have sjogrens which is an autoimmune disorder that affects my mucous membranes, especially my eyes and nose.

 

If I eat inflammatory foods, my sjogrens gets worse within a day, and I have what seem to be seasonal allergy symptoms.  My eyes itch and are dry.  My nose drips. etc.  The foods that are the worst for me are tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers (nightshades).

 

If I didn't know about my sjogrens, I would definitely think that I was having seasonal allergy symptoms based on food, but it is the inflammation that they cause in my body that is the problem, not the allergic reaction.

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Yes, with DS and it took me forever to figure it out.  He had continual pink eye and nasal congestion and they said it was allergies.  We tested for everything under the sun and nothing came up.  I put him on a strict elimination diet and he would have good days and bad days.  Since we had made some progress by having some clear days, I still thought it was food related.  I actually narrowed his reaction down to when he had certain things and posted here and asked for thoughts.  Some very insightful and experience ladies suggested sulfites (doesn't show on a allergy test).  Very thankful that I asked here because that was it!  If he stays away from frozen potatoes, vinegars, apple juice, etc.  he is fine.  

 

You should try an elimination diet to see.  If can't hurt.  I suggest keeping a very detailed food diary.  That is the only way we were able to narrow it down with my ds.

[ScoutTN]

Not my family, but a friend. They eliminated wheat and allergy/asthma symptoms went completely away.

[skimomma]

Wow!  Thanks so far for sharing!  I thought I might be crazy....  I have had awful "allergy" symptoms that have gotten progressively worse over the years.  I have been trying to manage it with OTC allergies meds with limited success.  I had an epiphany a few days ago when I connected a particularly bad day with having had a couple of beers the evening before.  It had been a long time since I had last had beer and we do not eat a lot of wheat/gluten in general.  I thought it wouldn't hurt to explore this further. So, I have been experimenting by cutting out all gluten just to see what happens (fully realizing it might not be gluten, but wheat or something else common to beer and other foods we eat).  The response has been immediate.  No symptoms at all.  This could be a fluke as I sometimes have gone for days in the past with no symptoms.  

 

Just knowing that others out there have seen or experienced similar situations is another data point int he experiment.  

 

I would love to hear from anyone else who has seen something like this!

 

 

[skimomma]

 

 

You should try an elimination diet to see.  If can't hurt.  I suggest keeping a very detailed food diary.  That is the only way we were able to narrow it down with my ds.

 

This is exactly what I am thinking of doing....as much as I don't want to!  Having seen some "success" suggests I need to look at this more carefully and with more of a systematic approach.

 

If I do trace this to something, a 10+ year mystery could be solved.  My doctors have never been able to suggest anything other than taking medications.  I would have never thought to explore diet until this light-bulb moment.  I have been blaming it on my house/pets for years despite the fact that my symptoms are often worse when traveling.....which usually involves beer and bread!

[Wheres Toto]

I've recently discovered that I'm allergic to raw walnuts.  My eyes itch and water, I sneeze and get a runny nose. 

 

I haven't noticed it with any other foods.

[skimomma]

I've recently discovered that I'm allergic to raw walnuts.  My eyes itch and water, I sneeze and get a runny nose. 

 

I haven't noticed it with any other foods.

 

is it from eating them or from breathing near them?  And how long does it take to feel the effects?

[Upward Journey]

Yes! For me it is gluten, though I imagine it could just be a wheat allergy, as I have tested negative to caeliac. I used to be chronically stuffed up with sinus headaches and migraines. Since going off gluten over two years ago I've gone from having to take sudafed and claritin daily, to almost never. When I eat gluten they come back.

[JumpyTheFrog]

My dad and brother have seasonal allergies that are reduced by 90% as long as they stay off gluten.

[Seasider]

Dairy is also a big culprit. You may want to look into The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin. It is a strict elimination program with instructions for reintroduction. It was recommended to me by two unrelated physicians.

 

 

ETA: This diet takes you off of the 7 most common problem foods - gluten, dairy, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is marketed as a diet book but it is very helpful in uncovering food allergies.

[skimomma]

Dairy is also a big culprit. You may want to look into The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin. It is a strict elimination program with instructions for reintroduction. It was recommended to me by two unrelated physicians.

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

I was vegan for many years and the symptoms persisted through that entire period so I doubt it is dairy.  We now with little exception only consume raw, local diary....most of which is cultured.  But I would like to do a systematic elimination diet to rule out anything that I might be missing.

[Seasider]

Dairy is also a big culprit. You may want to look into The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin. It is a strict elimination program with instructions for reintroduction. It was recommended to me by two unrelated physicians.

 

 

ETA: This diet takes you off of the 7 most common problem foods - gluten, dairy, corn, eggs, soy, peanuts, sugar and artificial sweeteners. It is marketed as a diet book but it is very helpful in uncovering food allergies.

 

 

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

I was vegan for many years and the symptoms persisted through that entire period so I doubt it is dairy.  We now with little exception only consume raw, local diary....most of which is cultured.  But I would like to do a systematic elimination diet to rule out anything that I might be missing.

 

Didn't want you to miss the edit.

[skimomma]

Yes! For me it is gluten, though I imagine it could just be a wheat allergy, as I have tested negative to caeliac. I used to be chronically stuffed up with sinus headaches and migraines. Since going off gluten over two years ago I've gone from having to take sudafed and claritin daily, to almost never. When I eat gluten they come back.

 

How long do your symptoms last after eating gluten?  Do you think and/or suspect that gluten is "damaging" your body in any way?  I guess what I am really asking is do you sometimes "cheat" knowing you will suffer the consequences but it is "worth it" to you to have that slice of pizza once in a while?

 

My dad and brother have seasonal allergies that are reduced by 90% as long as they stay off gluten.

 

Wow!  I am so excited that this might be a possibility!  Thanks for sharing.  As much as I cannot imagine life without a craft beer here and there, I would love to know what is causing this and that I just might NOT be crazy.

[skimomma]

Didn't want you to miss the edit.

 

Great.  Thanks!

[Rachel TX]

Yes, with dairy. We eat gluten and dairy free. Any time someone has unexplained symptoms, I wish they would try a gluten-free diet for a week to see if it could help.

[kbutton]

My allergies and asthma are still present, but eliminating gluten has helped tremendously. I also have some yeast issues too that can cause inflammation and allergic responses. I recommend an elimination diet also--I had no idea gluten was a problem for me until I did an elimination diet. I had already been tested for food allergies (basic panel to go with seasonal allergies), and I didn't test allergic to the biggies.

 

I have a family member that has chronic problems like you describe but no allergies either. I wish he would do an elimination diet.

[Ann.without.an.e]

I have also had several friends who had their seasonal allergies greatly reduced or eliminated by removing gluten and dairy.  Just to ditto that too.  

[sbgrace]

My son has that, and worsening asthma numbers though no attacks, with wheat. It's not celiac but an allergy w/positive allergy tests. I never connected it, though, until the allergist clued me in. In my mind food allergies were hives or similar.

[Tammi K]

Birch trees cross-pollinate with lots of things. So, when it is pollen season for the birch tree there are lots of fruits that cause me to have a reaction.

 I found this chart that is helpful. It might give you some ideas about what/when to avoid certain foods.

[Tap]

Wow!  Thanks so far for sharing!  I thought I might be crazy....  I have had awful "allergy" symptoms that have gotten progressively worse over the years.  I have been trying to manage it with OTC allergies meds with limited success.  I had an epiphany a few days ago when I connected a particularly bad day with having had a couple of beers the evening before.  It had been a long time since I had last had beer and we do not eat a lot of wheat/gluten in general.  I thought it wouldn't hurt to explore this further. So, I have been experimenting by cutting out all gluten just to see what happens (fully realizing it might not be gluten, but wheat or something else common to beer and other foods we eat).  The response has been immediate.  No symptoms at all.  This could be a fluke as I sometimes have gone for days in the past with no symptoms.  

 

Just knowing that others out there have seen or experienced similar situations is another data point int he experiment.  

 

I would love to hear from anyone else who has seen something like this!

 

It takes 24 hours for me to react to tomato so it was hard to figure out at first. Another thing that made it hard to figure out, is that If I am really good for about a month, and then splurge, I can get away with about one day of being bad before I have a reaction.  If I have even tiny amounts along the way, I cannot splurge without a major issue.  So, when I was testing my theory, I didn't react the first time I reintroduced the offending items.  But then the next day when I kept eating them, I did finally start reacting again.  LOL 

 

I do react some beers but not all. I can drink Widmere's Hefe beer with no problem at all, but react slightly to some other bottled beverages like Amber beer (my previous fave) and Mikes Hard Lemonaide.  I am guessing it has to do with which malted grain they use and the yeast in the Hefe, but I am not sure.  

 

 

[lots of little ducklings]

Birch trees cross-pollinate with lots of things. So, when it is pollen season for the birch tree there are lots of fruits that cause me to have a reaction.

I found this chart that is helpful. It might give you some ideas about what/when to avoid certain foods.

This is me -- I've always had tree allergies but developed certain raw fruit/ raw nut/ raw veggie allergies as an adult. Finally saw an allergist last year when the usual itchy throat began to also react with swelling. It's called Oral Food Allergy, and can affect anyone with tree allergies (not just birch). If I understand it correctly, it's not really about cross-pollination; it's just that the proteins in certain foods are very similar to certain pollens, and some immune systems begin to react to both. Cooking can break down the proteins so many are only affected by raw, uncooked foods (though I was told to avoid all tree nuts, cooked or otherwise, because those proteins don't break down as quickly). Quick home test my allergist recommended: just prick your skin, apply the raw food, and watch for any results. It can help you narrow down the lists of potential foods you may react too.

 

And it stinks. (Sigh.) I looooove raw fruits/veggies/nuts.

[Excelsior! Academy]

When my nephew stays away from peanuts his asthma symptoms are greatly reduced. 

 

 

 

Soy is known to trigger asthma symptoms.

[Wheres Toto]

is it from eating them or from breathing near them?  And how long does it take to feel the effects?

 

Eating them.  The reaction is pretty quick, definitely less than 30 minutes, which is why I started to realize that was my problem.  Nothing else had changed.  I'm trying to find out if this reaction is likely to get worse (anaphylaxis) so I should completely avoid them or not.

[lavender's green]

My seasonal allergies completely disappeared when I cut gluten.  I didn't even realize it was allergy season that year until I heard everyone complaining about how it was an unusually bad season for it.  I was never the wiser! :)  Now I eat limited gluten again and the extent of my seasonal allergies is a sneeze or two.

[ThelmaLou]

My husband has seasonal allergies that get better when he eats Atkins or Paleo style (no grain, dairy, sugar, primarily)

 

[laundrycrisis]

It's not seasonal, but I have an allergic reaction to tobacco smoke - it triggers asthma attacks for me.  I have observed that the more dairy I have in my diet, the more likely I am to have this reaction to even a slight exposure to tobacco smoke.  If I've been eating a lot of cheese, just walking behind someone whose clothes smell a little like cigarettes is enough to start an attack.  When I am avoiding dairy, I have had times when I was directly exposed to smoke by someone who was smoking, and not had an attack.  The dairy seems to make a big difference in how congested and reactive my chest is.  

[Upward Journey]

This is me -- I've always had tree allergies but developed certain raw fruit/ raw nut/ raw veggie allergies as an adult. Finally saw an allergist last year when the usual itchy throat began to also react with swelling. It's called Oral Food Allergy, and can affect anyone with tree allergies (not just birch). If I understand it correctly, it's not really about cross-pollination; it's just that the proteins in certain foods are very similar to certain pollens, and some immune systems begin to react to both. Cooking can break down the proteins so many are only affected by raw, uncooked foods (though I was told to avoid all tree nuts, cooked or otherwise, because those proteins don't break down as quickly). Quick home test my allergist recommended: just prick your skin, apply the raw food, and watch for any results. It can help you narrow down the lists of potential foods you may react too.

 

And it stinks. (Sigh.) I looooove raw fruits/veggies/nuts.

I also have this quite severely. And it does stink! :( going off gluten did not help it at.all. In fact, the OAS is what prompted me to initially go off gluten thinking that maybe it would help (celiac and OAS are both autoimmune problems). At least my seasonal allergy symptoms are gone :) so in that respect life got easier.

 

i.e. Gone in the sense that I no longer experience them everyday all year long. I do still have seasonal allergies.

[Upward Journey]

How long do your symptoms last after eating gluten? Do you think and/or suspect that gluten is "damaging" your body in any way? I guess what I am really asking is do you sometimes "cheat" knowing you will suffer the consequences but it is "worth it" to you to have that slice of pizza once in a while?

 

 

Wow! I am so excited that this might be a possibility! Thanks for sharing. As much as I cannot imagine life without a craft beer here and there, I would love to know what is causing this and that I just might NOT be crazy.

I do sometimes cheat, usually it's because I'm lazy. My OAS is so severe that I MUST cook EVERYTHING before I can eat it. That means that standard, easy gluten free fair (fresh fruit, veggies, seeds or nuts) are a no-go. Prepared GF food is expensive and full of sugar.

 

It is possible that my celiac test was a false negative. If it was then yes, the gluten is damaging my body every time I eat it. I do not maintain a GF kitchen and my family is not GF. I always regret it when I do eat gluten. The symptoms usually last from 3-5 days (migraine, sinus problems, stomach/intestinal issues, brain fog, fatigue and depression).

[Tiramisu]

Wow!  Thanks so far for sharing!  I thought I might be crazy....  I have had awful "allergy" symptoms that have gotten progressively worse over the years.  I have been trying to manage it with OTC allergies meds with limited success.  I had an epiphany a few days ago when I connected a particularly bad day with having had a couple of beers the evening before.  It had been a long time since I had last had beer and we do not eat a lot of wheat/gluten in general.  I thought it wouldn't hurt to explore this further. So, I have been experimenting by cutting out all gluten just to see what happens (fully realizing it might not be gluten, but wheat or something else common to beer and other foods we eat).  The response has been immediate.  No symptoms at all.  This could be a fluke as I sometimes have gone for days in the past with no symptoms.  

 

Just knowing that others out there have seen or experienced similar situations is another data point int he experiment.  

 

I would love to hear from anyone else who has seen something like this!

 

My face gets very puffy the day after having just one beer. I won't have more than that. I rarely drink and when I do I can only drink German beer because of their purity laws. People often connect wine with sulfites, but beer can also contain sulfites and sulfites make me wheezy. German beer doesn't, so I'm relatively safe but not completely since I puff up.

 

If I were you, I might try German made beer which is pure beer. If you have a reaction to that, it's probably something in the beer. If you don't, it could be a preservative like sulfites that are in other beers. I'm not sure if they actually add them to the beer or if they just use them to "prepare" the bottles.

 

I get an immediate reaction from just a sip of Guinness stout. Not sure why. I've also felt puffy from white wine which I don't think contains sulfites.

 

One year I cut out dairy in the spring and my sinuses felt much clearer.

 

FWIW, I have gone strictly gluten free for many months and I did not feel any better. When I re-introduced, I did not feel any worse.

[Tiramisu]

When my nephew stays away from peanuts his asthma symptoms are greatly reduced. 

 

 

I have heard that peanuts often contain mold.

[skimomma]

You all are awesome!  Thanks for sharing.  I have a lot to think about and work with!

[GSOchristie]

My mom, she used to have horrible seasonal allergies which have improved with allergy shots for five years.  If she eats certain foods (popcorn is the only one I can think of right now, but there are others) she starts sneezing and coughing like crazy.  

[KarenC]

Dd can't eat yogurt when her seasonal allergies are bad.  it gives her stomach cramps. 

 

Karen

[mommymilkies]

I haven't been able to smell or breathe right for most of the past decade.  I wish I could figure out what it was.  I know dust is a big one, but otherwise I'm at a loss.

[Amy in KS]

I haven't been able to smell or breathe right for most of the past decade. I wish I could figure out what it was. I know dust is a big one, but otherwise I'm at a loss.

This sounds like nasal polyps. I've had them. Unfortunately, they needed to be removed surgically (day surgery). I would say they are certainly worth removing. I can breathe so much better and have far fewer sinus infections.

[mommymilkies]

The docs and NPs haven't found any. I have bad post-nasal drip, and itchy irritated eyes. Plus hives every time I shower.