Increasing food allergies--any ideas?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi!
I'm lost and confused....I am 50, and in the last year I have developed 5 new food allergies--soy, stone fruits, onions, coconut and casein. Does anyone know why such an avalanche of allergies would happen so late in life and so quickly? My GYN says it's not related to perimenopause. My GP says "allergies can happen any time..."
But this seems not only very strange, but also leave me fearing I'll soon have nothing to eat.
I didn't know where else to turn. Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.
1 like, 8 replies
Aberzerk72 maddysmom2015
Posted
Though not the cause, perimenopause can aggravate or increase ones sensitivities.
I had a nut allergy for 25 years and now I’m not allergic to any of them!! Sadly, I still won’t eat any do to a long term fear/brainwashing. Lol
I am now allergic to dander, tea tree oil, ginger, latex, and a few others.
Allergies run in my family and may or may not run in yours. We don’t always know our entire family tree.
Simple avoidance of your allergens is primary. Second, having allergy pills or an epi-pen is essential.
maddysmom2015 Aberzerk72
Posted
Thanks so much for writing back! I am new to this forum and really scared that my body is breaking down.
It is a relief to hear that perimenopause can aggravate or increase sensitivities. I am hoping that when my hormones settle down, I can get a fix on the things that bother me and then avoid them.
Some of the foods I am allergic to, like stone fruits and apples, are cross-reactive with birch pollen. Would it help my food allergies to get allergy shots for the pollen? My GP didn't know and my appointment with an allergist is a few weeks away.
Does leaky gut syndrome affect allergic reactions? I guess what I am asking is, do probiotics help a little with food allergies?
Sorry so many questions. My health anxiety is through the roof right now. And thanks again!
Aberzerk72 maddysmom2015
Posted
Many things like allergies to nuts or fruits with pits are cross reactive with trees yes.
Sometimes fruit without a peel causes throats to close up because of the pesticides sprayed on them. This seeps into the fruit, regardlesss of washing them.
As for leaky gut, many people who have allergies to gluten or excess sugars/alcohol cause inflammation to the digestive system and therefore toxins enter the bloodstream causing a variety of symptoms. Some believe this is a yeast overgrowth which attacks one systems.
Allergies change over time, so it’s good to recheck your blood every 5-7 years.
yeep63334 maddysmom2015
Posted
I am 51 and suddenly this year I was plagued with severe allergy to dust mites! All these 51 years of sleeping in beds, why suddenly now? I have slept in some dingy places in the past with lots of dust mites for sure but the allergy only hit me severely this year. It was so bad that I needed a nasal surgery. I believe that the hormonal changes we experience during this stage in life has much to do with it. If you google Menopause allergy, you will see some claiming links between hormones and histamine. So I do believe that this late onset of allergy has something to do with peri menopause or menopause.
The key is to manage the allergies. For my dust mite allergies, I am undergoing sublingual immunotherapy. Perhaps you can check if there is a way to help your body not react to these allergens also through immunotherapy... if you can’t address all the food, at least address the key ones...
I hope this helps.
maddysmom2015 yeep63334
Posted
Hi Yeep!
I am so sorry you are suffering too. Surgery is a painful ordeal--and I imagine quite unexpected. But I must say I am also quite relieved to find a kindred immune system! I feel so odd sometimes.
The mid life surge in allergic reactions must have something to do with perimenopause, even as a contributing factor--despite what my Gyn says. I had one food intolerance--milk--before I was 45. Then full blown allergies to seemingly everything! Even things that aren't genetically modified like eggs.
Do you ever just get sick of managing? Do you ever just cry because you can't live like a normal person? (I am feeling particularly sorry for myself today!)
I have an appointment with an allergist. My GP has handed me off since the allergies are increasing. I'll ask them if I can have some kind of immunotherapy. I'd love to get the foods back that cross react with birch pollen. Who lives, I mean really lives, without onions?
Thanks again. This forum is amazing!
betterMonica maddysmom2015
Posted
Don't be so surprised - allergies do happen all the time and in any part of persons' life. My mom lived in a city with really bad ecology for almost 20 years (she migrated there when she was 21) and then she suddenly received an allergy for ambrosia. I am sorry to admit this
maddysmom2015 betterMonica
Posted
I didn't realize that the local ecology could play a role as well. Thanks for that insight!
I was wondering if my probiotic could play a role? I have noticed in the year since I have started taking it, I have acquired a new food allergy each month. It could be a correlation without a cause; but I am going to experiment by not taking any probiotics for 8 weeks or so and see....
Guest maddysmom2015
Posted
Hi maddysmom. Indeed, sadly, allergies can happen any time in life . I'm 28 and developed a severe allergy to animals around 20 even though I had many pets growing up. This is a pain because I work with animals and have pets. Also developed allergy related asthma. So even though I don't have food allergies I can confirm this. Living with allergies is a source of anxiety for me as well. Do see an allergist and see if there's treatment for yours. Pollen injections seem like a long shot but they may have something more specific.