allergies accumulating

[adge2159]

I am a 21 year old male who never really had an allergy problem or reaction to anything but last November I began to develop itching/ stinging sensations whenver I was doing a physical activity.  Since then it has gotten worse to the point where I get small red marks on my skin and the sensation is unbearablly painful.  My allergy doctor got my blood work done and said I have an abnormally high IGE number and he did an allergy test where he found some things that I was allergic to like foods and then he put me on xolair.  But some of the foods I am allergic to I have been eating since I was a kid, could I still get allergic reactions to them as late as now?  I never really notice a difference when I do eat those foods but I still get the reaction when I don't eat them... And can it be that due to the number of foods that I am allergic to, can they accumulate to cause me to break out in these hive like reactions?  If I don't eat these foods, can that help lower my IGE? thank you

[adge2159]

Sorry to bombard you with more questions but I appreciate it...
I'm going back to see my allergist next Wednesday along with getting my xolair shot, for about 2 weeks I have not eaten anything I've tested to be allergic to but as of right now my condition is still the same...If it ends up being the same by next Wed. what should I tell my doc?

My condition has felt different at times but it still comes out in the same situations.  I don't know that much about cholinergic urticaria but I don't understand why this happened to me, I eat healthy and I used to exercise often but I don't know....

thanks for being so helpful

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Wheat and barley are two different grains. Both contain gluten. If you have gluten intolerance, then you probably have celiac disease or Non Celiac gluten sensitivity. There are blood tests called celiac test to detect gluten intolerance. If you have gluten sensitivity then you need to avoid all gluten containing food items like wheat, barley, oats, rye etc. However since you have been found to be allergic to barley and not wheat, then you can consume wheat safely provided you do not have gluten sensitivity.
You can read more about this at: http://www.gluten.net/downloads/print/glutenintoleranceflat.pdf
Hope this helps. Do let me know if there is any thing else and keep me posted. Take care!

[adge2159]

I have another question but I'm not sure if you would know the answer to this: I have been tested to be allergic to barley but I am not allergic to wheat.  My question is if I can eat something that has wheat flour or is that the same as barley flour?
thanks

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
If you are allergic to a particular food item, you will get a reaction to them even if you do not exercise. If you get reaction only when you exercise, it is because of the cholinergic urticaria. However if you have been tested positive for certain food items, then it is best to avoid them. Reaction can start at any time—you may not have it a few times and then all of a sudden one day you find yourself in trouble. So its best to avoid.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[adge2159]

Hey, I just have another question: if I eat those certain foods that I am allergic to but don't get a reaction to them unless I do physical activity, does that mean I am allergic to them?  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for keeping me posted!
I am sorry to say, but this may not go away completely. However if you avoid those food items and your IgE level comes down then along with Xolair to further reduce the IgE levels, the frequency and severity will definitely improve.
Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[adge2159]

Yes, I do have cholinergic urticaria.  My doctor told me I had it and I notice it comes out when I try to exercise or even take hot baths.  It angers me that I never felt any effect from any of these growing up but I guess it just happens.  Do you believe this will ever go away if I avoid those foods or other allergies and continue on xolair?  

thanks for helping yall,

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
Yes, it is possible to develop food allergies at any age. It’s equally common to develop allergy to a food that you were not allergic to earlier. Make a complete list of things that cause allergies and avoid them. Avoid buying and consuming things like tinned and processed food that have those ingredients—check all labels before buying. IgE levels are high in people who have allergies. Avoiding food items that cause allergy, can lower the IgE levels but they will still remain high.
Many a times an allergy starts in reaction to heat or cold. What you also have is probably cholinergic urticaria. Exercise, hot baths, tight clothes, spicy food, emotional stress and fever can all cause this. Once this is identified, avoiding the reason can take care of the problem. Sometimes rapid cooling of the body can prevent an attack. Antihistamines also help.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your allergy specialist. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[FurballsMom]

If you test positive for specific foods, you should definitely avoid those foods.  I don't know if it will lower the igE amount to the foods you tested positive for, but there is always a chance of having an anaphylactic reaction to these substances.  Yes, you can develop food allergies at any age any time.  I know someone who didn't develop gluten intolerance 'til she was in her 80's.  I am much older than you, and I didn't have all the food issues I have 'til I was much older than you are now.  

You can even have food sensitivities that don't show up as true allergies, meaning your igE tests show negative for a specific food, yet you can still have a reaction to the said food.  For example, I test negative for lettuce allergy, but if I eat it I will still vomit.  My allergist will speak about an anonymous patient who tests negative to milk allergy, yet if said patient were to drink milk in front of the doctor, the patient would still have a reaction to the milk.  Such sensitivities aren't always called "true" allergies, but are sometimes referred to as hidden sensitivities.

I don't know how one lowers the igE test results.  I do know that if you did test positive, you definitely need to avoid those foods.