Strange food allergies?

Question

I am allergic to the most random things. Most of the foods just make my throat feel strange and my chest gets tight or itchy It often feels like something didn't go down all the way or like I need to burp, but the feeling is much more distinct and uncomfortable. Some of these foods are:

Cantaloupe (the worst)
Cucumbers
Baby snap peas in the pod
Lettuce and greens in general
Raw carrots
Bananas (tingly tongue/throat, swelling maybe...)
Tomatoes
Zucchinni

The strange thing is, it's not all the time. I had an organic granola bar and it triggered my chest reaction somehow, but I'm not allergic to nuts normally and it only had granola and cranberries in it other than that.

Basically I can't eat vegetables... how do I eat well like this?? What can I do to ease these reactions when they occur since I never know what will trigger it?

I think V8 tastes a little too veggie-like but V8 Fusion is ALWAYS in my fridge. It's sadly my biggest source of vegetables!

Answer 1

Have you had food allergy testing done? If not, go go go.. :)

It looks like you don't really have an allergy to vegetables (you can drink liquid forms such as V8 Fusion), but it does look like you have trouble digesting high fiber foods.

There are a couple reasons for this, but you should definately talk to your doctor about it. You may also want to have Celiac testing done, its easy and simple, since Celiac untreated causes major intestinal damage which can simulate allergic reactions to foods.

That said, some of the foods you mentioned have things in common.

Melons, Cucumbers, Zucchini are all closely related foods, and if you're allergic to one, you may be sensitive to them all. These foods can also be problematic for people with severe mold allergies, especially cantaloupe.

Lettuces and greens generally come from 3 families, all which contain a lot of fiber.
1. Lettuces, artichokes, sunflower seeds are one family.
2. Arugala, Cabbage, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Radish, Greens are all together in another family.
3. Parsley, Carrots, Celery, Cilantro are all together in yet another family.
(Spinach is in separate family from these three).

That you react to all three families of "green" veggies, but can drink V8.. makes me think that this is a fiber related issue, or you have a problem with the sprays used on fresh vegetables.

Banana allergy problems are also prominent among people with corn intolerance or corn allergy.

Tomatoes & Snap peas.. these aren't "related" really to anything else you mentioned. The peas in the pod... again fiber? Tomatoes.. you drink the V8 fusion, so I doubt its an allergy to the actual tomato.

I'd defintately recommend that you go see your doctor and have some tests run, to rule out some other physical condition that may be causing you problems..

In the meantime, start a food journal and keep track of what you eat and when you get a reaction. Eventually you may find a common thread between things that you didn't see before.

PS.. I forgot about this.. but you may want to look into a salicylate allergy
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/salicylate-allergy
http://users.bigpond.net.au/allergydietitian/fi/sal.html

Answer 2

Do you mainly react when the food is raw or not well cooked? You may have oral allergy syndrome. I used to have that. I was allergic to all the things you mentioned, plus several more. I only had a problem when the food was raw. Oral allergy syndrome is associated with pollen allergies. After I was on desensitation shots for five years, my allergy to raw fruits and vegetables went away.

Answer 3

I can't eat Shrimp I get hives same thing with Stewed tomotoes.

I can't eat Jif peanut butter either I get itchy all over. But any other peanut butter I don't get itchy.


What about drinking V8? That has vegetables in it. I drink that all the time and I don't eat alot of vegetables.