Welts appear after eating

[O so Positive]

I have been adhering to a high protein diet for quite a long time. I have celiac disease (gluten intolerance) so I generally never eat grains. Recently after eating I have been getting welts on my skin. Generally my face. I do eat eggs every day and usually have walnuts or peanuts as a snack. Could these foods be my problem?

[Shadow]

Food allergies can be caused by a multitude of things :). IMHO, short of allergy testing, your best bet is to drop the one(s) you think might be causing the problem. Then if the welts do not appear, you can add back ONE item for a while to see if the welts stay away. If you're still getting welts after dropping them, you'll have to delve deeper into what you're eating to see what else might be a problem.

Peanuts, which are actually legumes, are something a lot of people have problems with. I, personally, can eat peanuts (small quantities, of course, since they're higher carb ;) ) but cannot eat more than 1/2 walnut at a time or I get hives on my tongue. Some people have a problem with egg yolks but I don't know if hives are associated with them or not.

Bottom line, hives are not good ;) so you need to drop any suspicious food until they disappear and/or you can get tested.

[O so Positive]

Thank you for your input. Today I cut out eggs and the hives have slightly subsided, but I also took a benadril pill to help with the itching. I am going to eliminate them to start and make an appt. to get tested. You are right your body does tell you. I love eggs and have had a feeling for a while, I just don't want to give them up. I eat them almost everyday for breakfast.

[Frank Hagan]

I get hives from some fillers in food ... Hebrew National hot dogs have a soy protein that gives me hives (I found this one out before I went low carb). I think my sensitivity has increased a bit, because there are a couple of other foods, including a mega vitamin, that also causes hives (or sometimes a rash).

[Shadow]

O so P - I am so glad you're going to go for testing :). I know it's a pain but sometimes it's nice to have a definitive answer ;).


Frank - Unfortunately, if I've read correctly, we tend to develop more allergies/sensitivities as we get older :rolleyes:. I wonder what it is in the vitamin. My best friend is allergic to the nickle they put in most multi vitamins (and jewelry, adhesives, etc).

[deb79fl]

Welts for me, too! I lost a lot of weight following a low carb diet (with breaks every so often) when I just "had" to have some of my trigger foods or needed an emotional break.

Anyway, over the last few months, due to severe financial problems, I started eating more pasta dishes, more bread, etc. to stretch our family food dollars. Of course, that starts more triggers for me - wanted to eat more! But, what I now have is two symptoms that I believe is either wheat or gluten sensitivity. When I consume these products, I itch. Also the next morning, my eyes are very swollen (like I'd been crying for hours), then within 2 days I get a rash - usually on my neck (that lasts for a week). I have to eliminate these products from my life, but it makes me sad to feel like I don't have a choice. I know there are alternative products out there to fill the void.

I would love to go to the doctor, but no insurance, no extra cash (haven't worked in months), so I am self diagnosing.

My question is - what meals or combos of foods can anyone suggest that are budget friendly and fit the bill for possible food allergies?

Thanks for letting me vent!

[gitfiddle]

Welts for me, too! I lost a lot of weight following a low carb diet (with breaks every so often) when I just "had" to have some of my trigger foods or needed an emotional break.

Anyway, over the last few months, due to severe financial problems, I started eating more pasta dishes, more bread, etc. to stretch our family food dollars. Of course, that starts more triggers for me - wanted to eat more! But, what I now have is two symptoms that I believe is either wheat or gluten sensitivity. When I consume these products, I itch. Also the next morning, my eyes are very swollen (like I'd been crying for hours), then within 2 days I get a rash - usually on my neck (that lasts for a week). I have to eliminate these products from my life, but it makes me sad to feel like I don't have a choice. I know there are alternative products out there to fill the void.

I would love to go to the doctor, but no insurance, no extra cash (haven't worked in months), so I am self diagnosing.

My question is - what meals or combos of foods can anyone suggest that are budget friendly and fit the bill for possible food allergies?

Thanks for letting me vent!Deb, here (http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319)is a thread that explored low carb on a budget. I hope you can find something that will help!

[deb79fl]

Thanks Carol! I will check out that thread.

The one thing I know for sure is that stress eating/carb overload are not good for me or my waistline!LOL!

I'm also researching more on the allergy connection. It's hard to understand how a person can develop sensitivities after a lifetime of eating something, but I understand it does happen. Even harder is making my hubby understand it. He sees everything as black or white, no gray areas.

[O so Positive]

Deb79fl, I have celiac disease,which is a gluten/wheat intolerance. I also had the same reactions at first. Eating low carb helps avoidance since you don't eat bread, but it is hidden in everything. I willl tell you that since I got diagnosed I feel a lot better. There are many other side affects that can come with it. If you need any more information on it feel free to ask. Would love to help.

[O so Positive]

So I called today for an appointment and they had a cancelation for Thursday morning. I couldn't believe it. At least I will have some answers soon. Will lett you know once I get the results.

[deb79fl]

Thanks "O" for your information, as well.

My biggest obstacle will be myself, as usual! I've got to wrap my head around a new way of life instead of the old "well, I can have this or that, within reason"

I haven't had wheat for a few days, but have been pigging out on rice and all of it's evil versions" rice chex, sugared rice cereal, etc." Who am I kidding? No wonder I'm hungry all day.... I know what this type of carb overload does to me!

I have to get clean and get back on track. Time to dust off my book and refresh myself.

Congrats on your early doctor's appointment, I hope you get a quick response to your health concerns. Keep us posted!

See everyone tomorrow!

Deb

[Frank Hagan]

Frank - Unfortunately, if I've read correctly, we tend to develop more allergies/sensitivities as we get older :rolleyes:. I wonder what it is in the vitamin. My best friend is allergic to the nickle they put in most multi vitamins (and jewelry, adhesives, etc).

I think that's true; I do seem to get more sensitive to certain things as I age. I have read that some people have a vitamin B2 (riboflaven) allergy, and the mega vitamins I was taking had more than the "RDA" (and I'm probably getting more of it from my diet as my protein has been increased.) My wife thinks it is probably a soy binder used in the pills rather than the B2.

O so P - it may take a while for them to identify the culprit. Having a list of all the foods, vitamins, etc. you take will help them narrow down the choices. A digital picture of the hives may help as well. The testing isn't hard or traumatic, but it can take some time as they rule out things. It would be great if they can determine what it is during the visit!

[gitfiddle]

It's hard to understand how a person can develop sensitivities after a lifetime of eating something, but I understand it does happen. Even harder is making my hubby understand it. He sees everything as black or white, no gray areas.Trust me, it happens. My DH very slowly became unable to eat any form of onions (except onion powder) and he gets severe abdominal cramps from even a hint of onion in one bite of food. No histimine reaction, so it's not technically an allergy, but certainly an intolerance. I also lost my ability to eat shellfish over a ten-year period. I've heard that's fairly common.

I wouldn't be surprised at anything anymore. :rolleyes:

[Mitra]

I recently started getting an itchy mouth and throat when I eat raw or lightly cooked egg yolk (like mayonnaise). I was a wreck after eating Caesar salad last month :(. Things do change.

[Frank Hagan]

I asked my doctor, and he said its common for people to try and figure out what they are doing new that is causing an allergy. But its common for allergies to develop over time, and it makes it much harder to diagnose.

BPP ("before Protein Power") I ate Costco hot dogs for years. All of a sudden one day I broke out in welts, and I found quite a few people who are allergic to Hebrew National brand hot dogs (all beef, but they have a soy protein filler that is evidently the culprit). I can repeat the experiment any time, but repeating it once was enough for me to start bypassing the dog stand!

[gitfiddle]

I think you have to be your own detective when it comes to additives and such. My doctor warned me against diet soda (I don't drink it) because he read that bulking agents made out of "-oses" are used, like dextrose. Who knew!? :jawDrop: