shell fish food allergy

[anil khanna]

highly allergic to shell fish. even a slight intake by mistake causes high allergic reaction. symptoms are- irritation and tightening of throat muscles, itching and hives on the body, sweating, difficulty in breathing.
in such circumstances i induce vomit and take an anti allergic. symptoms subside in about an hour or two.
is there a way out,as this restricts my travel and outside eating.

[Deeds]

It sounds like you know the signs of when you are having a reaction...Can you carry an epipen and take action when you have to?  There are restaurants out there that do not carry or handle fish products at all...I'd stick to those...I have an allergy to peanuts but, it's only slight yet - I can't imagine how HARD it is to have such severe allergies...I wish you the best of luck!

[lyricallyspeaking]

i have had SEVERE food allergies since i was very little to just about everything:  dyes, preservatives, artificial colors, nuts, legumes, apples, grapes, chocolate, garlic, seafood...which eliminated just about all dining out for me.  it made travel very difficult, as everything had to be made from scratch, so i feel your pain.

the main thing is that when you go to a restaurant, ask them if any of their foods are prepared on the same surfaces or have the potential to be cross contaminated with seafoods.  my suggestion would be to stay away from restaurants that you know serve seafood, even if it does mean your dining choices are limited.  the symptoms you describe with the difficulty breathing, hives all over your body, tightening of your chest, etc. sound like the symptoms of anaphylaxis to me, which i've experienced three times.  have you ever used an epi-pen or been injected with epinephrine at a hospital when this happens?  if not and you've been able to stop the reaction before it gets to that stage, i would consider talking to your doctor and getting an epi-pen that you can carry with you, as your reaction time every time you eat or are exposed to something you're allergic to decreases and can progress to anaphylaxis very quickly, where your window before your throat closes off might be very small.

i don't mean to worry you, but shellfish allergies are usually pretty severe, so i would say it's better to be safe than sorry!

best of luck,
LS

[assured]

I have a shellfish allergy as well.  Recently I went to a chain steak house restaurant which serves seafood as well.  I explained my allergy and was assured that I could order a particular chicken dish safely.  I was told it was not prepared near the seafood.  Imagine my surprise when I bit into a shrimp which was in the sauce over the chicken.  They had no explanation for how that could happen.  It really took away my confidence.  Now I go to restaurants which don't serve seafood because I just don't feel safe.

I agree with the others about the epi-pen.  Better to be safe!  Best wishes to you.

Assured

[marstreis]

There are ways to try to single out specific foods that may be causing your allergies:
"Allergies can’t be cured, but they can be managed effectively. Identifying an allergen is the first line of defense in reducing allergic symptoms.

Sometimes identifying an allergen can be simple. For instance, you might take penicillin and experience a severe, overwhelming reaction. At that point, you know that avoiding penicillin is a must. Similarly, if you develop a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting, you know that you need to stay away from bees and all bee products such as honey and bee pollen.
However, many allergens are not that clear-cut. Many people suffer from allergies due to multiple allergens, making the task of allergen identification painstakingly difficult.

Below are the most common ways you can identify the allergens that are causing you the most grief.

    * Skin Testing. Skin testing is performed in a doctor's office, and involves pricking the skin with allergen extracts to see if they cause a known allergic reaction. Other methods of skin testing include an injection of allergen extract under the skin, or wearing a patch containing an allergen extract.
    * Elimination diet. Foods are taken out of the diet entirely and then re-introduced. Re-introduction of an allergenic food will produce an immediate allergic reaction."

Go here for more info

http://www.jigsawhealth.com/articles/allergies.html

[lilbinx]

I have recently found out I have  allergry to shellfish and now carry an epipen to be safe. But my concern is that if my husband eats shellfish and we have sexual relations will I have an allgeric reaction from his semen since he ate shellfish?  Today I was just emptying leftover jambalya into freezer containers and not even touching the crayfish and I had a reaction! Any ideas or has anyone else had the same concern?