Question:
I see that there has been some debate over whether the allergic reactions to
seafood is in relation to iodine. I too, thought that iodine was the
culprit. Regardless, I am wondering if my symptoms would be considered
severe and whether or not I should see a dr. I absolutely love seafood,
shellfish in particular. About 3 years ago I started to have a mild reaction to seafood, so I would
take a Benadryl before I ate. Recently, I had moderate tingling in my face
and lips, red blotches on my face, neck, and chest, raised heart rate and
shallower breathing-after eating clams and oysters. I took a Benadryl but
it seemed to have no effect.
Is this life threatening? Is it normal for a food allergy to become worse
as a person gets older? I am 24.
I have also noticed reactions to nuts-especially walnuts, strawberries and
avacados. Pineapple really bothers me too. I also have a strange reaction
to drinking wine, but not hard alcohol. The symptoms associated with these
foods are:welts on the tongue that are very sore. Also a tickling in my
throat.
Anyone who has had similar experiences with the above foods or any links to
resources would be very much appreciated.
Answer:
Have you had apparent allergic reaction to arthropod shellfish (shrimp, crabs,
lobster, crawfish) as opposed to mollusks? What about fish, and what about
vegetarian seafood (i.e. seaweeds)? I've heard about such allergic reactions to shellfish, nuts and peanuts
escalating to the stage of anaphylactic shock. That could apply to bee stings
too.
When I eat Boston mackerel (Scomber scombrus), it seems I get some throat tickle
and chest tightness, developing slowly. Having a herbal brew that includes
green tea or chaparral keeps these symptoms mild, so I don't really know if I'm
allergic. I don't really know if these herbs would work equally well for other
people. Boston mackerel is too much to finish in one meal, and the first meal
is more difficult than subsequent meals with the mackerel the following day or
days. Spanish mackerel seems milder. I don't eat much other fish, don't eat
mackerel very often, haven't eaten meat or poultry since June 1987. All meat,
poultry and fish produce a heavy abdominal feeling to varying extent, but much
less with nonfish seafood such as squid, mussels or crabs. My consumption of
squid is on the order of one 3-pound box per year, not cooked all at once. I
haven't eaten any other nonfish seafood since about 1987. More recently I
noticed a little throat tickle four (?) hours after eating squid at supper, but
with green tea to the rescue, that never became serious. I use seaweeds on a
regular basis in cooking with no adverse effects, none of the heavy abdominal
feeling associated with animal proteins.
Walnuts are a common allergen, I think English walnuts (Juglans regia) might be
worse in this regard than black walnuts (Juglans nigra) or butternuts (Juglans
cinerea), but that's only my personal impression. Abundance of black walnut
trees in this area keeps me away from commercial walnuts for the most part,
though I eat a lot of almonds, filberts, raw peanuts and pecans.
I can eat strawberries and raw pineapple OK, but pineapple is too strong to eat
every meal on a steady basis. Strawberries seem to me to mollify rather than
intensify a throat tickle, but one person's meat is another person's poison. I
believe allergic welts are more likely to itch than be very sore, but again,
different people have different reactions. I am not an avocado fancier, haven't
had one in over a decade; not a wine fancier either, rather afraid of the
ethanol content.
Iodine is also found in many table salts though not in canning salts; are you
having problems with any other salted products? You should see an allergist. Your symptoms definitely warrant a visit. You can
get an allergy at any age; just like you can "outgrow" them, you can also get
new ones. There may be other factors involved here such as cross contamination
with other food products at the processing level. Another factor is the total
amount of the product consumed and its form. Some people handle cooked better
than raw in the offending food. Peanuts and tree nuts are common allergens in children (I am a medical
transcriptionist covering pediatric allergy and have allergies myself).
Strawberries are also a common offender. There are many foods that a person can
be allergic to, and then there are others that have proteins similar to truly
allergenic foods. These similar protein reactions are not true allergies but
can give as much grief. The hives on the tongue and tickling in the throat (which might be hives at that
location) really need to be told to an allergist. You are having some pretty
strong reactions there. While you wait to see an allergist, you must avoid the
foods you know cause you problems. My son is allergic to tree nuts, (walnuts and pecans) his tongue starts to swell
and his throat gets "itchy", he had him tested two years ago (at 5), he has a
allergy plan for school, fatal reaction was noted to these nuts and because of that,
he has to keep Benadryl on hand and everyone who has contact with him (school,
daycare) also have an Epipen in case of digestion. No questions asked, if they
think he's eaten a nut, to just Epipen him, Benadryl and then ship him to the
hospital. His reactions to some nuts have lessened over the last two years but they
can test you with a pinprick, and if in doubt, a blood test. To me, it sounds like
you are very allergic to something, and I wouldn't waste any time finding out.
Especially with nuts, and nut oils used in cooking, or nuts in desserts, hidden
ingredients with holiday cooking, I would be very careful. Make sure you have some
Benadryl in your possession, just in case, before you get tested. Make it a New Year resolution to get allergy tests. It may save your life.
The range of things that affect you suggests you could have a non-allergic
sensitivity to histamine and related compounds (found in all those foods).
If so, that is no more than an inconvenience. But you don't want to guess
since genuine seafood allergy can be lethal - get tested (an ELISA IgE
blood test might be the best bet).
