Nut allergy

[Startingtoheal]

I never had an allergy to nuts until four weeks ago. I was eating some pecan pralines until all of a sudden I felt very hot. The palms of my hands, soles of my feet became very hot and itchy. Soon the rash spread up my limbs. I had to go to the bathroom, wind up passing out, almost hitting the edge of the tub. Then I became conscious, tried to get up, passed out again, hitting the hard plastic wastebasket with my head, and me getting a big cut near my left eye. My husband wanted to bring me to the ER at the hospital but I declined and went to sleep.

A week later I tried to eat peanuts (plant nuts; pecans are tree nuts) and had the same itchiness but no loss of consciousness. I had to stop eating them, eliminated them from my diet and am doing good so far.

I hope this is not permanent.

[CarolineN]

Hi there Startingtoheal

This is probably not good news for you I'm afraid. Nut allergy can be serious - please read this carefully. Tree nuts can cause serious problems for those with allergies to them - it sounds like you had an anaphyllactic reaction, and be aware this can be fatal. You will need to avoid nuts and nut oils altogether.

Please go and see you doctor straight away - don't wait for another reaction. S/He will advise you and probably give you a syringe with adrenaline (epinephrine) to carry with you at all times in case you consume some nuts or nut oils inadvertently and have a reaction. You will have to read labels very carefully and be aware that most Indian and oriental meals contain nuts or nut oils.

Peanuts are a member of the bean family and can be hyperallergenic to some, as can sesame seeds. You'll probably have to be very watchful and when eating out ask for details of the food you order. A friend of my daughter has this problem.

It will probably be a good idea if you start a programme of probiotics (30 billion bacteria comprising Acidophyllus and Bifidobacteria) straight away for at least 3 months to help protect your gut where this process will have started.

I would suggest you see a Nutritional Therapist or Doctor of Functional Medicine who will advise you on how to heal your gut, rebalance your bacteria which are vital to immune function, and look at any other imbalances you may have - from your name I assume you have other issues. This should make a difference for you in avoiding other allergies developing. This is not taught in medical schools.

Sorry to sound so alarmist but you must see your doctor as soon as possible.

Wishing you all the best.

[AdamsMom]

My history with food has been a long and very confusing process. I was born premature (two months early) and weighed three pounds at birth, I had trouble feeding and was always behind my identical twin sister in terms of developmental milestones. I have always suffered with some kind of stomach ailment, being diagnosed with IBS in 2006 after years of digestive issues. I have a laundry list of intolerance and allergies that have changed and stuck over the years, the most recent of which was an allergic reaction to peanuts. I've never been able to eat huge quantities of them as it would induce a feeling of heaviness in my chest but more recently, after eating quite a bit I experienced a reaction similar to that above, apart from passing out, I was stuck on the toilet for quite some time and my reaction only calmed down after taking anti-histamines. Prior to this, the only other nut that I developed a reaction to after years of being ok were pistachios and these brought me out in hives coupled with some trouble breathing, more on account of mucus production than swelling of tongue or nasal passages. Cherries bring out a similar reaction, again I was fine with these for twenty odd years. The remaining intolerance do not bring out such a severe reaction but do wreak havoc on my digestive tract such as mushrooms, oats and ginger (of all things!). The oddest intolerance I had was to eggs, I stopped eating them when I was seventeen due to severe reaction and yet ten years later I unknowingly ate some and I was fine, although I cannot eat more than one at a time as I become very bloated.

I'm hoping someone can help me make sense out of this and recommend what I should do in the future. I have tried to get my GP to send me for allergy testing but they dont seem to be bothered!