Food Allergy Frustration (sinus, my throat, infection, skin)
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I have food allergies to a very long list of items. My signs of allergic reaction come in the form of a very nasty rash to my face and several parts of my body. The silver lining is at least my reactions are not deadly, i.e. anaphylactic shock. The only medication that works for me is diphenhydramine, which includes a dose every 12 hours, 25 MG. Benadryl is a magical medication but I dislike the side effects.
My dilemma is do I become a vegetarian or take Benadryl? Does anyone have the same issue?
I have food allergies to a very long list of items. My signs of allergic reaction come in the form of a very nasty rash to my face and several parts of my body. The silver lining is at least my reactions are not deadly, i.e. anaphylactic shock. The only medication that works for me is diphenhydramine, which includes a dose every 12 hours, 25 MG. Benadryl is a magical medication but I dislike the side effects.
My dilemma is do I become a vegetarian or take Benadryl? Does anyone have the same issue?
You don't say what you're allergic to but as a person who developed food allergies, I gave up the foods.
For a while I went vegetarian but I can eat meat and eggs so now I eat most foods (at first I could hardly eat anything--it was scary) but by avoiding those foods and being very strict, I can now eat more of them. I also used the rotation diet (eat the food once every four days). Are you under an allergist's supervision?
I still try to avoid the most severe: dairy and wheat are my worst. I also avoid junk food but I never ate much of that anyway. I don't know how it damages you, but it does and that makes things worse.
I would never take Benadryl instead of food avoidance. Every time you eat the food you are allergic to you are hurting your body. Then you put a band aid like Benadryl on to cover it up. Benadryl doesn't cure anything. Managing your diet will definitely be your best choice. There are books, there are decent allergists who can help you with diet, or you can just read up on the rotary/rotation diet for food allergies. Avoid the REALLY bad (super allergic) foods and rotate the rest. It's not the easy way out but it does work and is better for you.
Last edited by in_newengland; 05-27-2016 at 11:59 AM..
I have food allergies to a very long list of items. My signs of allergic reaction come in the form of a very nasty rash to my face and several parts of my body. The silver lining is at least my reactions are not deadly, i.e. anaphylactic shock. The only medication that works for me is diphenhydramine, which includes a dose every 12 hours, 25 MG. Benadryl is a magical medication but I dislike the side effects.
My dilemma is do I become a vegetarian or take Benadryl? Does anyone have the same issue?
This medication has been discussed here and also on another health group I'm a member of. I've never taken it and would not but I can only talk about grape seed extract and the 2 decades+ of overcoming allergy/sinus issues I lived with prior to 1995, I'm 78. I have not taken a drug since 1995 nor will I in the future, I can count on that. So FEW know the merits/benefits of grape seed extract...rather sad as I see how many suffer with allergy/sinus issues worldwide..
I take Benadryl when I have to. My allergies are mostly things that I really can't avoid, and generally I can get a steroid shot or take Benadryl when I have a bad allergy problem. Benadryl doesn't cause as many problems for me as the steroid shots do. I've read about the Benadryl/dementia link but honestly, being able to breathe now seems more relevant than dementia in the distant future.
If your allergies are to things that can be easily avoided, that might be a better choice. Allergies can get worse over time too...I used to have minor reactions to lots of things, and now my reactions have gotten worse. For example, I used to get a bad rash from sunscreen, now I can't even be near someone who's spraying it on or my throat swells and I have trouble breathing. And I used to get a runny nose and sore throat from being in a house with cats, now I have asthma attacks. If you're having mild reactions now, that could lead to worse reactions later on.
I have food allergies to a very long list of items. My signs of allergic reaction come in the form of a very nasty rash to my face and several parts of my body. The silver lining is at least my reactions are not deadly, i.e. anaphylactic shock. The only medication that works for me is diphenhydramine, which includes a dose every 12 hours, 25 MG. Benadryl is a magical medication but I dislike the side effects.
My dilemma is do I become a vegetarian or take Benadryl? Does anyone have the same issue?
I have allergies to some prepared foods as well as many pill forms of some medicines, I never knew I had the problem until I hit my mid 40's and my cardio doc then put me on daily baby aspirin and then when it built up in my system, I got hives in many places on my body and the same thing happens when I eat something my body reacts to, I have never found out the exact food cause as I was tested and found to not even be allergic to aspirin or any foods, yet one of the compounds in aspirin and something they put in when cooking in some restaurants, I am apparently allergic to. I am not sure if this might be your problem or not but in my case it is called Angioedema.
Anyway, what has worked for me to prevent most foods from causing me attacks is Xyzal daily and probiotics taken just before pills also seem to help my body to accept some meds that I otherwise would have had an attack from.
Try going to an immunologist to be tested for all different types of foods but unfortunately that did not help me but I hope it would help you.
I take Benadryl when I have to. My allergies are mostly things that I really can't avoid, and generally I can get a steroid shot or take Benadryl when I have a bad allergy problem. Benadryl doesn't cause as many problems for me as the steroid shots do. I've read about the Benadryl/dementia link but honestly, being able to breathe now seems more relevant than dementia in the distant future.
If your allergies are to things that can be easily avoided, that might be a better choice. Allergies can get worse over time too...I used to have minor reactions to lots of things, and now my reactions have gotten worse. For example, I used to get a bad rash from sunscreen, now I can't even be near someone who's spraying it on or my throat swells and I have trouble breathing. And I used to get a runny nose and sore throat from being in a house with cats, now I have asthma attacks. If you're having mild reactions now, that could lead to worse reactions later on.
A friend taking grape seed ex now about 7 yrs+ takes less asthma meds and breaths better and is so thankful for this antioxidant and has her husband on it for general overall health and anti aging support...both are well over 60.
An earlier poster asked for my list of allergies. Here is my list:
- Onions, there is significant skin reaction (SSR)
- all dairy (SSR)
- nuts(minor reaction)
- fish (minor skin reaction but breathing is compromised (mirrors sinus infection or breathing through a tube)
- Eggs (SSR)
Funny part is that I took the allergy test and passed. Even my wife said "what!" Since that test my skin reactions have increased to my face. Like I said before, I avoid the aforementioned foods then my skin and breathing clears up.
I have to look into grape seed idea. Thanks for the ideas so far.
The friend I mention above has many food allergies and she needs to take a pill if she wants to eat some foods...I know eggs for sure are one issue. She definitely is overall improved re: asthma since taking grape seed ex.
I am surprised your doctor did not tell you that allergies can build on each other and then there will be one that topples the whole mess and causes a dangerous reaction. I would avoid all things that cause allergic reactions.
I had to give up citrus including citric acid for years. Gradually was able to tolerate most minor amounts but even after decades, several glasses of orange juice over a couple of days starts the allergic reaction again. Not worth the risk of hospitalization or death.
An earlier poster asked for my list of allergies. Here is my list:
- Onions, there is significant skin reaction (SSR)
- all dairy (SSR)
- nuts(minor reaction)
- fish (minor skin reaction but breathing is compromised (mirrors sinus infection or breathing through a tube)
- Eggs (SSR)
Funny part is that I took the allergy test and passed. Even my wife said "what!" Since that test my skin reactions have increased to my face. Like I said before, I avoid the aforementioned foods then my skin and breathing clears up.
I have to look into grape seed idea. Thanks for the ideas so far.
It's best to avoid those foods and those that cannot be totally avoided, you eat only once every four days. As my allergist explained to me a long time ago, allergies can "spread." What she meant was that if you are allergic to onions, you will probably become allergic to anything that's related to onions.
Classification-wise, these two herbs belong to the Lily family. Together, they’re classified under the Genus Allium, which also includes the likes of chives, leeks, and shallots.
Same with your other allergies. We were given a large handbook that contained lists of the different food families so that we could avoid anything that was related to what we were allergic to.
Dairy, for me, means EVERYTHING with dairy in it and that includes milk, ice cream, cheese, EVERYTHING.
For many, many years I avoided it like the plague. Now I will occasionally eat ice cream. But I mean only every once in a while.
Nuts and eggs are common allergens. What we were told to do by this excellent (and I guess I was very lucky to have her) allergist was to cook AT HOME, take our food with us if we had to be out of the home when we needed to eat, and learn to use substitutions for what we were allergic to.
The rotary diet probably saved my life--by the time I found this wonderful doctor I had become allergic to many foods and no one had told me what to do about it. It was just about to the point where I couldn't eat anything at all.
On this allergy rotary diet you eat a food ONCE and then wait until the 4th day to have it (OR any food that is related to it).
I think you need to buy a few books. You might buy a special allergy cookbook that gives you things to substitute for an egg when cooking or for dairy. For instance, I use almond milk or rice milk, never cow's milk. You can't use almond milk because you are probably allergic to almonds but you can use rice milk. BUT don't use it every day. Alternate it with hemp milk or coconut milk so you do not build up an intolerance and become allergic to rice milk too.
Bottom line is you really need a list of food groups so that you will know which foods will cross-react with what you are allergic to. You also need to strictly use the rotary diet and combine it with the food groups so that you eat an item from that food group only ONCE within four days. They figure FOUR DAYS gives it time to get out of your system.
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