Nightshade allergy.

[tropicalsoul]

Anyone ever heard of an allergic reaction nightshades?  Tomato, potato, eggplant, tobacco, all bell peppers and paprika.  Evidently all of these foods contain a slightly toxic chemicle that causes the body to react violently.  For the past year I have thought that my problem was gluten and once I began to keep a food journal I realized that the one constant food in my diet was a potato.  

I have made gluten free pizza and about an hour after eating it felt horrible.  Could not figure this out and was very frustrated.  Yesterday is when I had this revalation as I scrambled a few eggs and added onion, potato and some chicken.  About an hour later my body hurt all over.  Things calmed down around lunch and I had a grilled steak, new potatos and grilled veggies..no gluten.  About an hour later I was misserable with muscle aches and joint pain.  I was so dizzy that I could not drive and my head felt very foggy.

So for the last week I have had no gluten but still felt like crud.  Today I was mad that I felt bad ALL THE FRICKIN TIME.  I thought WTF..since I feel bad all the time I'm going to McDonalds.  After eating the fries the pain as twice as bad as yesterday.  As I look back over the past 10 years of my life I certainly see a trend here.

Anyway...tomorrow  I will eliminate all nighshades and see what happens. Anyone else experience this.

[caregiver222]

All nightshades contain neurotoxic substances (alkaloids) that apparently have the purpose of killing insects that attempt to eat the plant. They are primarily present in the skins of potatos and tomatoes, for example.

Potato skins, if fed to sheep, will produce the birth defect known as "sheeps eye". Animals born with only one eye.

French fries do not contain skins and therefore no toxins.

[David S. Wilson, MD, FCCP]

Your question is definitely best handled by an allergist