Ginger Allergy

[LisaMarina]

Has anyone experienced the onset of ginger allergy (such as what I describe below) to find it eventually go away?  

I was adding and consuming 1" piece of organic fresh ginger and turmeric to fresh made greens juice 0-4 times a week (it was only later that I found out ginger was the cause of the described problems.)   After a few months of the juicing, I developed facial skin problems - dermatitis, dryness, wrinkling, eye inflammation, then after about 2 months of these problems, also swelling, especially around the eyes and mouth.  It was when I increased the ginger to try to relieve the above symptoms but they instead severely worsened and the swelling started - clearly an allergic reaction - that I finally diagnosed myself the cause of the problem (doctors, dermatologist, food intolerance expert - none of them had pinpointed source. or even that the dermatitis was an allergic reaction.)  

It was only after having the subsequent swelling that I told a local health store employee "I think it might be ginger." Her response that ginger is "very drying" helped me to finally diagnose the source of my problem.

The health store employee recommended stinging nettle extract - an eye dropper full upon rising, midday, and before retiring (while symptoms were acute) and it really helped alleviate symptoms.  Within 5 days my skin was velvety soft, and I literally looked 10 years younger with the flaky, wrinkling, patchy, swollen condition completely gone.

But I'm not out of the woods yet:  after two weeks of beautiful, rejuvenated skin my condition returned, about 66% as bad.  I had chai tea while out and also used an extract called Breathe Easy by Gaia while having a cold.  I hadn't looked at ingredients and both had ginger.  

I have looked into cross-allergic reactions to other things in the same family as ginger:  arrowroot, turmeric, and cardamon.

I now realize I must avoid ginger completely and give up eating a food I love, Indian cuisine.  I must now avoid cuisine with ginger.

Has anyone experienced the onset of ginger allergy (similar to what I describe above) to have it eventually go away?  Any tips out there?

Lisa

[RobinSee]

Sometime I will have sore throat, ulcer,  flu after accidentally consume food spice with ginger.

In serious case it cause diarrhea for a few days.

Do notice if ginger was consumed in the evening will cause more reaction.

[Marie4849]

LisaMarina and Isra,
I have the same swelling around my eyes and red itchy skin on my face when have eaten ginger or drunk ginger tea recently. Symptoms are severe for 3 days and then disappear after about a week. Did you find out if ginger was the cause? If so did you find a solution? Thank you.

[Bgeorge12]

I believe ginger in part is the reason I develop a type of helpless feeling. Makes me so lethargic I cannot turn over to plug my phone in before I fall asleep. I honestly believe it is the root cause of most of my issues. When I just have a hamburger and fries. No problems whatsoever but when I have orange chicken or spaghetti or anything else with ginger thats when I start to avoid healthy habits. Feels like Im going crazy. Id like to know what it is in ginger that does this to me.  

[Diana756]

I suspect the key to your issue with ginger lies in your initial statement indicating your daily use in your smoothies. I also love ginger and would like to see that you are able to resolve this. I would suggest going without it for 3 months then try reintroducing it. If you do not react, be sure to allow 3 days between your subsequent attempts and monitor for symptoms. You may have sensitized yourself to it by your daily use. Also, try investigating leaky gut syndrome which is fairly common. Once a leaky gut has been healed foods will no longer be able to enter into your bloodstream prematurely and in a form that is not expected (not having been fully-digested) causing your body to perceive it as an invader and thus mounting an allergy response, esp. when consumed frequently.

[TheLightSeeker]

  Doctors and Health professionals trained in Dr. Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) may be able tohelp you clear this reaction to ginger, without necessarily having to eliminate ginger and possibly other cross-reactive spices/foods from your diet.
It is worthy of consideration. I had a severe allergy to fava beans that I managed to completely clear using "Allergy Antidotes"
(I am an Allergy Antidotes practitioner) which is very similar to NAET.
Now, I can enjoy fava beans w/o worrying about choking ,lol!

Hope this helps.
Niko

PS. BTW, I love both ginger and Indian food-I'm not from India though-
and I cook Indian food every week.

[Isra85]

I am experiencing a similar reaction since almost two years now. It is only affecting my facial skin as you mentioned. I am getting dry patches mostly around the mouth and hives only on the face. I have been to multiple doctors and dermatologists to find a treatment but no luck from them. I really believe it is due to a food I am consuming as I have tried changing my skin products multiple times and even stopped using all products with no difference seen. I am starting to think that it is ginger as I eat it daily in my cuisine as I am Indian. In a way I'm hoping it is not as it will really affect my diet however I would also love to know what is the cause so i can avoid it.