newly diagnosed - tons of allergies

I am so overwhelmed. My last two pregnancies were back to back, which probably sparked this whole thing. I had some crazy symptoms. Constant dizziness, major heart irregularities, generally feeling like I had been hit by a truck. MANY doctors later, I finally looked into food allergies. I was not ready for the results I received. I am allergic to yeast, dairy, gluten, egg, sugar, soy, peanuts, some fish, all meats except for chicken & lamb, some tree nuts, many fruits & veggies & beans. I am breastfeeding my 7 month old baby. She wont eat solids or do formula. How do I get enough nutrients for her and me? Vitamins even have hidden ingredients. I have been eating right for 2 days now and feel like I have been hit by a bigger truck. I don’t even know where to begin.
seacoastfan

What kind of allergy tests did you have done? My son had the skin-prick test done and was told that he was allergic to “everything” except 3 things. He just didn’t believer he was allergic to that many things, so he went a step further and had the blood tests taken where the antibodies to offending foods were checked for, and found out he wasn’t actually allergic to everything that the skin-prick test showed. Also, he is allergic to cows milk and not goats milk or cows-milk hard cheese, so that helps me alot. I guess the whey part of the milk is what he is most allergic to.
You have to think about what you can have, as opposed to what you cannot have and maybe look into a the blood test to narrow things down a little bit. Some people don’t believer that this blood dtest is accurate, but it sure has helped my son.

I had the blood test. I feel my blood test is probably accurate. The good news is that since this was aggravated or brought on by pregnancy, I should be able to reintroduce most of the foods back into my diet later on (except for yeast). On a different note…I feel absolutely horrible since I have been eating right. Is that normal? How long does it last?

My son feels better after changing his diet, so I don’t know if feeling bad is normal or not….and he’s not pregnant. :D
The only thing I can suggest is to make sure that your allergens are not disguised under different names in the ingredient lists. It can be so confusing.
Something else you may want to look into is MSG. It’s in “everything” and it can cause a lot of problems. Do a search for hidden names for MSG.

I have read that this feeling horrible phase can last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. I am hoping for the days time period :-) I am watching for the hidden ingredients. Thanks.
Does anyone know of a good hypoallergenic probiotic? I found a good hypoallergenic multivitamin through Nutribiotic.

Not all of my symptoms are clearing up since I changed my diet almost 2 weeks ago. My heart rate irregularities and muscle aches cleared up, but my constant dizziness/full head feeling has not. I am only eating chicken, rice, some veggies, 1 cup of black coffee, and rice milk. Does anyone know how long it can take to completely feel better? I am looking into doing a detection diet since the food intolerances test results have not always proven to be that accurate. Am I jumping the gun or is there some unknown food intolerance I should be looking into? Any thoughts on any of this?

Hello, I am newly diagnosed as well and its been a struggle, I have been diagnosed with wheat, rye, barley, milk, eggs allergies…as well as almost all of the enviromental allergies. My doctor said that i will have to avoid these things for 6 months then maybe re-introduce them but not everyday like i was eating them before. I have not been eating any of these things for about 10 days now and its very hard to find things to eat. I was glad to have found this website. I have been sick for 2 years and have seen just about every doctor possible before this was discovered. I also have endometriosis too which makes this twice as hard. my symptoms are dizzyness, fullness in ears, nausia, swelling in left hand, tingling in my spine. I hope to feel better soon. Seacostfan, do you have any updates as to how your feeling??? Better i hope!

I am also newly diagnosed with lots of food allergies. I struggle everyday to find foods to eat. I have never been a big fan of fruits but I am having to learn. I am allergic to Wheat, Dairy, Rice, Egg, Soy, Peanuts, Corn, Melons, Beef,Casein, Pork, and Shrimp, and i am also newly pregnant. I have felt AWFUL since I changed my diet. I am glad to know that it is normal. I think I became more sensitive since I got pregnant, because that is when I started having EXTREME hives. I still have them and have gone 12 days without the allergy foods. I am glad I discovered this website. It is very helpful. I am craving breads, so now I might have the option of having some.

Well, I am very discouraged lately. My heart rate and palpitation problems have cleared up since my diet change, but my full head/dizziness symptoms are still full force. I am only eating chicken, rice, rice milk, water, oatmeal, spinach, zucchini, squash, cucumber, and lamb once a week. I am not even taking my vitamins, probiotics, and glutamine thinking it could be contributing to the problem. I feel there has to be something left in my diet that is doing this. What in the world can I cut out?!! Then I think well some books say I wont feel right for about a year. So does that mean I can start reintroducing even though I feel bad still? Then I get freaked out when I read not to keep eating the same foods because you can become intolerant to those foods. AAAHHHHH! I don’t have enough foods left to rotate. I even tried to add a little fruit in this past weekend and my symptoms got worse. Do I go see a nutritionist? or a ND or what? I actually was diagnosed by a ND. I think he is a little freaked out by me. He told me my results are the worst he has seen (hopefully he has a small patient population :-). He wont even return my phone calls. I wish I had better news. I am just frustrated and solely looking to the Lord right now. I am also glad this website is here. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one!

I have also been recently diagnosed with food and environmental allergies. I am allergic to peanuts, soy, wheat, corn, and berries. I also just found out I am allergic to grass and most of the trees in my backyard at home. I am a freshman in college and it has been very hard living in a dorm, but I have found some help when eating out to look up the restaurant and a lot of them list ingredients for common allergies. My doctor said I have some intolerances rather than allergies but I think the feeling bad and non-stop fatigue is rather upsetting. Also, Central Market stores are very helpful and it is true that organic foods are much easier to sort through. My doctor said people with corn allergies can have high fructose corn syrup and people with peanut allergies can have peanut oil…can anyone confirm that from experience? I have also found that using recipes you once did and substituting only what you are allergic to, if possible, results in much better tasting food. I have come across many disgusting snacks and products but I have found decent ones and also spent many hours experimenting in the kitchen at home. I also heard Central Market stores will take back the products if you are not satisfied.

I was told by my doctor not to eat ANYTHING that has Corn anything or Peanut anything, but maybe since you have the intolerances versus the allergy you can tolerate. I am just steering clear of anything I know has any words of corn or peanut. Good luck to you

My son was diagnosed as having allergies to dairy, soy, wheat, rice, eggs and just about everything else and he’s only 1. He tested negative for everything on the skin prick test and the blood test but his doctor’s still say allergies so it’s hard to tell on those tests. HIs doctor says they give false positives and negatives a lot. But as to the corn and corn sryup, my son is allergic to soy and he’s very allergic to soy oil so I would def watch out for those kind of similarities.

I was diagnosed a year ago with 37 food sensitivities and food additives (ALCAT test: http://www.alcat.com/). Some of the things I’m sensitive to are: eggs, vinegar, oats, chocolate, gluetin, many fruits, MSG, aspartame, food colorings and the list goes on. For the first three months I tried hard to give up all of these foods and though I didn’t eat much besides rice, chicken and veggies for a while I did feel much better. You could tell from the thinning of my face that this had been my problem all along. The problem was that I couldn’t keep it up. I traveled a lot last year and it’s hard to live with allergies on the road. Since last September I’ve been trying to get back on a plan but I’m so tired of eating the same things over and over. I know I should be on a rotation diet but just trying to put one together is difficult. I’ve met with a nutritionist who specializes in food intolerances but she wasn’t much help. I was told that after 6 months that you can start to reintroduce some of the foods, one by one on a rotating 4 day basis back into your diet. The reason you create intolerances is because the typical person eats the same 35 foods all the time and never gets variety beyond that. So your body builds up an intolerance to it.

Then there’s MSG. Just looking on the label for anything that says MSG is not all that it takes. The nutritionist has informed me about so much more on the topic of MSG. I encourage everyone to visit the websites: http://www.msgmyth.com/ and http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ which gives a ton of info on MSG and our food supply. It’s no wonder people are suffering. And go to your local Blockbuster and pick up the documentary King Corn http://www.kingcorn.net/ it’s such an eye opener. Put it all together and you can almost connect the dots as to why we have food intolerances.

The best advice it to just eat whole foods that are unaltered. Make everything from scratch – which I admit it very difficult. For the person who was talking about corn syrup – avoid anything with corn syrup. Once you see King Corn you’ll know why.

There’s a good book on Amazon called: 5 Years Without Food: The Food Allergy Survival Guide : How to Overcome Your Food Allergies and Recover Good Health. You might want to check it out.

Thanks for letting me vent. Sometimes the more info I uncover the more hopeless I get about getting better. But I just keep trying to find some recipes that both my husband and I will eat. Hope this site can help.

Forgot to add:

Seacoastfan – if you have a sensitivity to yeast you should also stay away from anything fermented – vinegar, alcohol, cheese, chocolate, coffee, tea, wine, etc. My nutritionist made this connection for me since I should stay away from brewers yeast, vinegar – she thinks anything fermented as well. This is also a relation to MSG. Also there was a probiotic that the Vitamin Shoppe used to carry that was free of everything but they’ve since changed the formula and added a bunch of chemicals :(

jwsoccr13 – corn is a big problem. You can’t just stay away from corn on the label because there are so many different names for it. See this link and try not to be overwhelmed: http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

Hi All—You may want to look into the Blood Type Diet. Although it does not focus specifically on allergy symptoms, the theory is that certain foods cause negative build-up or other effects in the body over the long term, while other foods actually promote health and rebalance. For instance, would you believe it is suggested that some blood types (B, AB) should completely avoid chicken? Through reading about this diet, I have actually discovered some “hidden” allergies that did not show up on my allergy tests.

Also Seacoastfan—If you can find a decongestant that’s safe to take while pregnant, this could reduce your “full-headed/foggy” feeling until you figure out what’s causing it.

Oh no where to start. Seacoastfan – without knowing exactly what all you tested postitive to, its nearly impossible for anyone to recommend anything. Hypoallergenic anything, isn’t always allergy-free for all as they have to make it out of something so if you have an odd allergy it may not be safe for you.

jwsoccr13 – I have a corn allergy and I have to say that I nearly got sick to my stomach on hearing that your allergist said HFCS was safe, and peanut oil is safe for a peanut allergy. It honestly varies per person how sensitive they are with their allergen. I know people with a peanut allergy that have to use an EPI if they get even one drop of peanut oil in their food. I know much many more people with a corn allergy that have major problems if HFCS is in their food. Corn allergy can be a really scary allergy to have, as its everywhere! Please see the link provided above with the corn allergen list.

I was just diagnosed with having allergies to wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, corn and some other things. All of this came up because of my newborn little girl, she would refuse to nurse and when she would it would only be for a few minutes. So, I started to cut things out of my diet and things have gotten better for both me and her. I cut wheat out about a month ago and she’s gained 2 pounds and has grown 2 inches in a matter of 4 weeks. Her doctor thinks that I’m nuts for thinking that she’s allergic to these foods because she states that she’s to young to have allergies but she would get sick at every meal. Does any have any advice on infants with allergies? I’m having her tested in about 5 weeks, just to make sure that when we start giving her foods that she not allergic to any of them.

seacoastfan, I had back to back pregnancies as well and I too felt like I had been hit by a truck. I think that the birth of the 2nd child made my allergies come out more but I have had problems most of my life with the same symtoms that you have. In the last 4 months I have had to change the entire way that I eat and it’s not been easy to do. After I cut wheat out of my diet I lost 11 lbs in about 2 weeks! Not because I was not eating but because I was finally eating the right foods. Has your baby been tested for allergies? I just that I’m looking for any help that I can get right now, since my doctor doesn’t think my baby can have any problems at this age since I’m nursing her.
As for a hypoallergenic probiotic, I currently am using the brand SolaRay, Baby Life which is for infants and nursing mothers. Have you tried Similac Alimentum, ready to feed formula? This is the only one that my daughter will take. It’s a hypoallergenic formula that is corn free.

Well my situation has changed a little. I went to a specialist in New York. Yes, I have many food intolerances, but not as many as first thought. I am still staying away from yeast, dairy, gluten, egg, sugar, soy, peanuts, some tree nuts, some fish, and all fruit. I am able to eat more meat and some more veggies. But here is the rest of the situation…I have found out that I also have a mild form of adrenal insufficiency, a systemic yeast or fungal infection, and possibly Lymes disease (find out in 2 weeks).
I do not think it is crazy to think babies can have allergies/intolerances at this age! If her tests come back inconclusive or fine, I would just adjust your diet based off of her symptoms and not worry about the formal diagnosis. My baby had MAJOR reflux issues while nursing and I am convinced it was my diet. Unfortunately, I had to wean her (due to my health problems) before I could figure out the diet issues. Now she is doing well on a soy formula.
Hang in there. You are not alone. Jesus is in control!

I guess this is where I’ll start. I’m glad to have “stumbled” upon this site! I’m a 40 yr old female, that developed a simple allergy to shellfish at 35. I had never experienced a severe reaction to anything. Back in Dec. 2007 I had an allergic reaction to almonds (I think) and needed a CT scan, to which I had an analphlatic reaction to the dye. (and yes, I did tell the tech I had a shellfish allergy) Apparently, the dye damaged my MAST cells. 3 wks ago I had an anaplatic reaction to a fresh caesar dressing at Uno’s (it had fresh eggs, and oyster sauce..who knew that?). Since, I’ve now become analphlatic reactive to any sensitivity, including egg, dairy, fruit, wheat, nuts and environmental (tree and weed, dust and mold) I was never so happy after a week to find Trader Joe’s and Whole foods. Now with a steady regimine of Singulair, Clariton, Prednisone, Asmanex, Nasonex and Gasrocrom my “flare ups” are minimal. I can tell you this is the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced and have a whole new appreciation for allergies. My friends and family have joked about putting me in a bubble, but I’m thinking it’s a better alternative. I have had palpatations, anxiety, suicidal thoughts…this really is crazy! I’m afraid to go anywhere, for fear of enviromental reactions. I’m educating myself, as best I can. But I’ve resigned myself to being forced into Veganism. I’m also Diabetic so my new diet and meds are raising “H” with my glucose levels, and I’ve been taken off all my regular meds. (Actos and a multivitamin) due to the allergy risks. I’m looking for people who can relate and steer me to healthy and spiritual alternatives to driving myself nuts. I’m surrounded with people who care but really have no idea how difficult this really is. Thanks…Kathy

kkenney3: Yes, your anaphylactic reactions sound very scary to experience, and I can see how the fear of potentially having a reaction can become debilitating in itself! Please keep in mind that some of your anxiety, heart palpitations, scary thought patterns, etc. may in part be side effects of the medications you are taking, and/or side effects from your allergies themselves. In addition, blood-sugar drops can really affect your mental and emotional patterns. In consideration of the types of food allergies you have, as well as your diabetic condition, I would highly recommend you NOT go vegan/vegetarian, as many of the foods you might eat on a vegan/vegetarian diet are ones you are allergic to, and which could cause blood-sugar instability if not balanced with adequate protein. You may instead wish to consider focusing on moderate amounts of organic, high-quality chicken and beef (not ground meat, as this may contain fillers) at each meal, combined with organic vegetables and fruits that you know you can tolerate, and perhaps organic brown rice. If you can stick with a simple diet long enough to clear out your system from residual allergens, you may eventually be able to add a few more foods (that are not on your anaphylactic list) to your palate without having severe reactions. As for a spiritual alternative to “driving yourself nuts”, try prayer: whatever your current beliefs may be, you can still ask God to show you who He is, why this is happening, and how He wants to work with you through this trial. Have hope!

kkenney3: I know for me that Jesus alone has helped me through everything that life has thrown at me. Lean on Him and He will comfort you. I definitely agree with happywheather’s diet plan for you. Keep us updated on how you are doing.
Update on me…no lymes. Basically, my systemic yeast/infection has caused all of my problems. Hopefully if we fix the yeast, we will fix everything else.

I am also fighting a systemic yeast infection that appears to have been caused by hidden food allergies (including yeast!), antibiotics, and diet. Who knows how long I’ve had this yeast overgrowth, as the harder I try to figure out when I started feeling so terrible, the further back in my life I end up going. In any case, I have been on a seriously limited diet for about a year, and while the initial die-off symptoms from the yeast in my body dying was AWFUL (Candida yeast releases all sorts of neurotoxins and poisons when they die), I am feeling much better now. I am still quite clearly not 100% symptom-free, but this is due to the intensity and length of my yeast problem before it was diagnosed. The overactivity of the immune system is responsible for the numerous food allergies that develop when fighting a systemic Candida yeast infection. Check out the forum at www.wholeapproachforums.com. This site has been the BEST resource, and the people using it are wonderfully supportive. The moderator is a nutritionist and she is absolutely awesome. You can ask any questions that arise during your healing journey, and search for “safe” recipes too. I would not be where I am today without this site, so I highly recommend you give it a try.

yeastbeast26, thank you so much for the information. I am trying to find out as much as I can about the systemic yeast infections which I have probably had for many years. I have run into a “small” obstacle in the road. I am pregnant and I am afraid I can’t get enough nutrition for me and baby. I am only eating chicken, beef, brown rice, spinach, squash, carrots, and bell peppers. My insurance will not cover nutritional counseling. I am still in full blown yeast treatment (oral Nystatin capsules 4 times a day, other homeopathic pills, and controlled diet). Anyway, God is in control. Thanks for the website and the reassurance that there are others out there like me!!!

Hello to everyone. My daughter was diagnosed with wheat, egg, nut and cat allergy when she was 4 months old, after doctors persistently tried to convince (without giving her an allergy test) that she’s allergic to diary. I was breasfeeding for the first 7 months of her life and we didn’t know why she was screming so horribly nearly all the time for long stretches of time. The doctors refused to give her an alergy test insisting that she’s too young to be tested and also insisting that they know what she’s allergic to just by looking at her. Her eczema and dermatitis were so bad that her whole body, esspecially her face and trunk looked like she was burned with something. After confirming my sispicions that she wasn’t in fact allergic to diary by getting her blood drawn in a different state (we were visiting family so I thought I would give Arizona’s doctors a shot) and excluding all that she ’s allergic to from my diet (I breastfed her) her skin improved a great deal, and today, at 15 months she’s doing wonderful, thank God. All this is my way of tellilng everyone to listen to their instincts and not to put so much faith into doctors these days. You have to research everything yourself, because, as in my case, doctors are wrong many times. My daughter didn’t have to suffer for the first 7 month of her life and I am hoping that all those problems have not harmed her psychologically. I’ve read that wheat allergy gives bad stomach aches, which means my baby was in pain and the stupid doctors didn’t connect the dots and kept on with their arrogance and refused to take into consideration anything that the mother of the child was saying. I’ve read your posts above, and I feel how strong all of you must be because you are dealing with even more allergies than my daughter has and I want to tell you to hang in there. This life is nothing but a test of our faith, and it’s like a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Also, it may be of some comfort to you, depending on on level of your faith, that not even tiniest bit of suffering in this life will happen to us without God compensating us with Goodness in afterlife. So, think of all this struggle as your way to earn “bonus points” for afterlife. God bless you.

Hello all, I was just diagnosed with beef, egg, and soy allergies. The doctor told me to avoid them completely. Does a beef allergy include dairy? Does and egg allergy include chicken? I’m so confused I’m afraid to eat anything except fish, fruit and vegetables…I’m not a great fan of fish. Can someone help me?