How long do food reactions last?

[Kanin]

In his early thirties, DH developed an intolerance to eggs after having been able to eat them with no problems. He  would have some minor digestive distress for a couple days and then feel fine. well, last night he decided to see if eggs still bother him, and boy do they ever. He's had horrible diarrhea all day and feels just awful. This is a much bigger reaction to eggs and he's ever had. I've been giving him bananas, rice, and he had a couple bites of chicken with dinner, and lots of liquids. Are there any great remedies to help him feel better? I feel so bad for him. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by Kanin
Misspelled title

[MEmama]

Idk but I hope he feels better soon! Food allergies are so scary. 😞 

[katilac]

Shouldn't he take an antihistamine if he's had an allergic reaction? Zyrtec, Benedryl.

[Terabith]

That sounds awful.  He should take an antihistamine.  Just so you know, allergic reactions tend to get progressively worse with exposure.  

[prairiewindmomma]

Edit your title...it should say food, not good...

1. That level of reaction is concerning. He needs to leave a message for his doctor. He can have cross-reactions to things such as flu vaccines. (They make egg free versions, but they often need to be ordered.)

2. Give that guy some Zyrtec, and keep that up for a few days. Benadryl is not strong enough.

3. Liquids only for 24 hours would help. Right now his gut is really, really inflamed.

4. Keep an eye out for anaphylaxis. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Forgot to add...6-12 hours for me, but I sometimes get worse and it’s a few days. I would have epi-pens on hand. My anaphylaxis hits my gut as one of my two systems of reaction.

[Junie]

When I have an allergic reaction to food (wheat, in my case), I do best if I go on a liquid diet for 3 to 5 days.  And thus far (12 years since I was diagnosed with food allergies) I've never knowingly eaten wheat.  This is all from cross contamination or trace amounts.  

[Kanin]

26 minutes ago, Terabith said:

That sounds awful.  He should take an antihistamine.  Just so you know, allergic reactions tend to get progressively worse with exposure.  

Is it an allergy if it doesn't involve hives, throat swelling, etc? He has an actual allergy to blackberries with hives, etc. I guess I don't understand the difference between allergies and food intolerances... If there is a difference? 

[Kanin]

26 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Forgot to add...6-12 hours for me, but I sometimes get worse and it’s a few days. I would have epi-pens on hand. My anaphylaxis hits my gut as one of my two systems of reaction.

Oh wow.... I didn't know gut stuff could be an allergy... Rats!

[Kanin]

29 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Edit your title...it should say food, not good...

1. That level of reaction is concerning. He needs to leave a message for his doctor. He can have cross-reactions to things such as flu vaccines. (They make egg free versions, but they often need to be ordered.)

2. Give that guy some Zyrtec, and keep that up for a few days. Benadryl is not strong enough.

3. Liquids only for 24 hours would help. Right now his gut is really, really inflamed.

4. Keep an eye out for anaphylaxis. 

Thanks, I changed it. It's the opposite of good! So far nothing but gut stuff. Ugh. Everyone talks about being "intolerant" to different foods... But I agree this is concerning. Every other time has been just an annoyance.... 

 

[sweet2ndchance]

He definitely needs to see a doctor and get some allergy testing done.

I had an adult onset intolerance to eggs for a while. Once we did allergy testing, it turned out I was severely allergic to tomatoes and shellfish. Once we eliminated those completely from my diet, I no longer had an intolerance to eggs. My allergist said it's not uncommon for things like that to happen but he didn't have a good explanation for it. Testing said I wasn't allergic to eggs but they definitely landed me in bathroom for hours after eating them at the time. Allergies and intolerances are just weird and unpredictable sometimes.

Allergies and intolerances are different but they are treated the same way by avoiding contact with the offending item. An allergy doesn't have to create hives to be an allergy and an intolerance isn't necessarily any less serious than an allergy, if that makes sense. Oh and testing negative for an allergy to eggs doesn't necessarily mean he is not allergic. If he has the symptoms, which it sounds like he definitely does, he will still be told to avoid eggs and treat it like an allergy.

An antihistamine or two will help if it is an immune system reaction causing him to be ill. And you can layer Zyrtec and Benedryl if needed. If one isn't providing any relief after an hour or so, you can take the other as well.

[Kanin]

27 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said:

He definitely needs to see a doctor and get some allergy testing done.

I had an adult onset intolerance to eggs for a while. Once we did allergy testing, it turned out I was severely allergic to tomatoes and shellfish. Once we eliminated those completely from my diet, I no longer had an intolerance to eggs. My allergist said it's not uncommon for things like that to happen but he didn't have a good explanation for it. Testing said I wasn't allergic to eggs but they definitely landed me in bathroom for hours after eating them at the time. Allergies and intolerances are just weird and unpredictable sometimes.

Allergies and intolerances are different but they are treated the same way by avoiding contact with the offending item. An allergy doesn't have to create hives to be an allergy and an intolerance isn't necessarily any less serious than an allergy, if that makes sense. Oh and testing negative for an allergy to eggs doesn't necessarily mean he is not allergic. If he has the symptoms, which it sounds like he definitely does, he will still be told to avoid eggs and treat it like an allergy.

An antihistamine or two will help if it is an immune system reaction causing him to be ill. And you can layer Zyrtec and Benedryl if needed. If one isn't providing any relief after an hour or so, you can take the other as well.

I agree with you about the doctor... But I know he won't go during Covid 😕

He realized that he had pizza sauce on Monday and yesterday night, that I didn't have. I kept the leftovers in the can in the fridge... Maybe I food poisoned him??

Interesting about your tomato allergy. DH gets hives and a constricted throat from white potatoes, another nightshade. I've wondered if he should avoid all nightshades. He doesn't love tomatoes unless they're sauce or ketchup.

Ugh! Maybe it's eggs, tomatoes, or I food poisoned him by not storing the sauce correctly 😭

[Pen]

15 minutes ago, Kanin said:

I agree with you about the doctor... But I know he won't go during Covid 😕

He realized that he had pizza sauce on Monday and yesterday night, that I didn't have. I kept the leftovers in the can in the fridge... Maybe I food poisoned him??

Interesting about your tomato allergy. DH gets hives and a constricted throat from white potatoes, another nightshade. I've wondered if he should avoid all nightshades. He doesn't love tomatoes unless they're sauce or ketchup.

Ugh! Maybe it's eggs, tomatoes, or I food poisoned him by not storing the sauce correctly 😭

 

I would avoid all nightshades and eggs.

He should try to have a dr visit - try for telemedicine. 

[Terabith]

2 hours ago, Kanin said:

Is it an allergy if it doesn't involve hives, throat swelling, etc? He has an actual allergy to blackberries with hives, etc. I guess I don't understand the difference between allergies and food intolerances... If there is a difference? 

Digestive system involvement can absolutely be an allergy.  It's not anaphylaxis unless two different bodily systems are involved, but it can be subtle....like diarrhea and sweating or flushing.  Allergies don't always have hives or throat swelling.  

[Kanin]

11 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

I would avoid all nightshades and eggs.

He should try to have a dr visit - try for telemedicine. 

Yes. Definitely! 

[Kanin]

7 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Digestive system involvement can absolutely be an allergy.  It's not anaphylaxis unless two different bodily systems are involved, but it can be subtle....like diarrhea and sweating or flushing.  Allergies don't always have hives or throat swelling.  

Ah.... Thanks for clearing that up. He says he has some slight chills. Normal temp. Finally fell asleep on the couch though. Poor guy.

[prairiewindmomma]

@Kanin, chills happen for me as an allergic reaction also. They are a byproduct of the inflammation. I would be keeping a close eye.

Fwiw, I would push hard on the telemedicine and get him an epipen. He sounds like a trace contamination could get ugly some day. I didn’t have food allergies until my mid-30s, and they weren’t anaphylactic at first.

Edited August 28, 2020 by prairiewindmomma

[sweet2ndchance]

2 hours ago, Kanin said:

I agree with you about the doctor... But I know he won't go during Covid 😕

He realized that he had pizza sauce on Monday and yesterday night, that I didn't have. I kept the leftovers in the can in the fridge... Maybe I food poisoned him??

Interesting about your tomato allergy. DH gets hives and a constricted throat from white potatoes, another nightshade. I've wondered if he should avoid all nightshades. He doesn't love tomatoes unless they're sauce or ketchup.

Ugh! Maybe it's eggs, tomatoes, or I food poisoned him by not storing the sauce correctly 😭

I never cared for tomatoes growing up so I would avoid them if I could. I think I was always allergic to them but it didn't reach a breaking point until I was an adult.

I did complete nightshade elimination. Turns out I don't I have a problem with other nightshades though just tomatoes. It's a good thing too because I use roasted red bell peppers (also nightshade) in place of tomatoes in things like pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce. I can even make a tomato free ketchup that everyone swears tastes like cocktail sauce made of carrots, pears and cranberries lol. I also use my tomato free ketchup as the base for tomato free bbq sauce.

Allergies are a drag to try and figure out. It wouldn't hurt to try nightshade elimination if he already has a problem with one nightshade. I agree with the above, even if it is just telemedicine, allergies are something that need to be addressed sooner than later.

[Pen]

 

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

  It's not anaphylaxis unless two different bodily systems are involved

?

 

 

[Terabith]

https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF Documents/Libraries/What-you-Should-Know-about-Anaphylaxis.pdf

[Kanin]

Perhaps a bit better here today. Still having diarrhea, bit not quite as bad. Possibly because he's not eaten much for the past day and night. Still hydrating, eating bland things. Might try plain yogurt. 

I appreciate you all more than I can express! 🌻

[Junie]

39 minutes ago, Kanin said:

Perhaps a bit better here today. Still having diarrhea, bit not quite as bad. Possibly because he's not eaten much for the past day and night. Still hydrating, eating bland things. Might try plain yogurt. 

I appreciate you all more than I can express! 🌻

I have a hard time with dairy until my digestive system has completely healed.

[Junie]

My favorites:

chicken or beef stock

juice

warm (unset) jello -- this is a really good calorie boost

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Dairy is a no-go for me too...broth, applesauce, bananas are my first food. I would stay away from meat and dairy for at least 24 hours after last diarrhea.

[kbutton]

 

13 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said:

He definitely needs to see a doctor and get some allergy testing done.

I had an adult onset intolerance to eggs for a while. Once we did allergy testing, it turned out I was severely allergic to tomatoes and shellfish. Once we eliminated those completely from my diet, I no longer had an intolerance to eggs. My allergist said it's not uncommon for things like that to happen but he didn't have a good explanation for it. Testing said I wasn't allergic to eggs but they definitely landed me in bathroom for hours after eating them at the time. Allergies and intolerances are just weird and unpredictable sometimes.

Allergies and intolerances are different but they are treated the same way by avoiding contact with the offending item. An allergy doesn't have to create hives to be an allergy and an intolerance isn't necessarily any less serious than an allergy, if that makes sense. Oh and testing negative for an allergy to eggs doesn't necessarily mean he is not allergic. If he has the symptoms, which it sounds like he definitely does, he will still be told to avoid eggs and treat it like an allergy.

An antihistamine or two will help if it is an immune system reaction causing him to be ill. And you can layer Zyrtec and Benedryl if needed. If one isn't providing any relief after an hour or so, you can take the other as well.

OP, you might also add an H2 blocker like Pepcid to his meds for a few days.

I agree with all this, except maybe caution on the bolded. Anaphylaxis is IgE mediated, which is testable, though testing can be a little bit open to interpretation--as I understand it, the gold standard is to do both skin and blood testing if things are unclear (as in, you get sick but the scratch test shows nothing, or you test as allergic to "everything"-- on the skin test, but not everything makes you sick). Apparently my tests are interesting--I tested as allergic to a couple of things that never bother me (eggs and milk) on one arm but not the other. I tested as allergic to no foods via bloodwork (and they tested quite a few other substances by skin and blood test that CLEARLY bother me). Many years ago when I went for skin testing for environmental allergies, I had zero food allergies then either, nor did I have any identified food sensitivities. It's all weird!

12 hours ago, Terabith said:

Digestive system involvement can absolutely be an allergy.  It's not anaphylaxis unless two different bodily systems are involved, but it can be subtle....like diarrhea and sweating or flushing.  Allergies don't always have hives or throat swelling.  

So, there is also pseudo anaphylaxis that can be caused by other things or not be really well explained, seem like the real thing, and yet not be life-threatening.

The OP's DH really, really needs testing because food stuff can be hard to tease out (was it the eggs or something delayed), but also, you can have GI upset, sweating, flushing, itching, weird throat feelings, a swelling ear canal, etc. and NOT have anaphylaxis. That is me, ATM, and additional testing has been put off by COVID. I am technically not allergic to any foods, and I don't need an epi pen.  didn't believe the first allergist when he told me this, but he was kind of a jerk about it. I still work with an allergist (the new one is great), and I still take a boatload of antihistamines (and H2 blocker and Singulair and nasal spray and...). There are a lot of weird and semi-weird explanations. It could be mast cell related, or it can even be a dysautonomia symptom.  https://vimeo.com/ 246313546 is a great presentation--the space in the address is not really there, but I put it there because it's trying to embed the video but not working.

 

OP's husband needs to know if these are life-threatening problems or not, and you have to do skin and/or blood testing to tell and sometimes other testing. 

I would try to avoid high histamine foods for a while, and no, the lists of what is high histamine don't all agree, lol! But it's worth taking a look at them.

I would also try probiotics if you can google some that metabolize histamine but don't increase histamine. I take saccharomyces boulardii. It's a beneficial yeast. I think it's made a big difference for me.