Sudden adult onset of food allergies? Specifically, chocolate. . .

[kellyyouse]

Is it possible to develop a food allergy in adulthood that you have never experienced before?  I'm 32 years old and have recently developed unexplained head pain; a CAT scan showed nothing abnormal.

I had a 24-hour respite from the head pain and then it returned.  The only thing I could associate with the change was eating chocolate and can recall an increase in my chocolate consumption over the past two weeks.

Can an adult develop a food allergy from out of nowhere?

Thanks,
Kelly

[lisac16]

These are all things that when we read them, we think, no, no NO!  I don't want to be allergic to anything.  First it was shrimp (anaphylactic) , then wheat (sinus), and most recently, almonds after eating them my whole life.  I stayed nauseated almost continually for 2 months, had tests run, doctor visits, no clues until I stumbled onto a site similar to this.  On just a hunch (actually I prayed for wisdom to discern what was causing the problem), I gave up almonds and almond milk and was completely symptom free within a day and a half.  Now a month later, the nausea is back with a vengeance and I'm back to process-of-elimination.  On one hand, we want to know the truth so that we can fix it, but on the other, it's scary because you don't want to be told you're allergic to one of your very favorite foods.  They say there's no cure for a food allergy, but I wish there were...people weren't always like this years ago.  I read some of your horror stories about suddenly becoming allergic to EVERYTHING.  I don't want that to happen to me!  Was up nauseated most of last night and itching all over...and I eat healthy foods, so whatever I have to eliminate will be something full of vitamins, minerals, fiber.  :(

[Ere44]

I have to ask you guys a question. I am 46 years old and had only a mild allergic reaction to peach when i was a child(hives).
This year i had a flu shot at CVS  two week ago and half an hour after i felt warm , kind of hot flashes  then my throat started to feel  tight. I had a rapid heart rate not too bad but rapid. I started to panic. I was  at Target so I went  to the bathroom to check myself if i have any rash , hives, or swelling and No I didn't hqve any of those ,  no itchy feeling at all. The only symptom i had was tight throat but I was  able to  breath  normal no breathing problems, i drank water i swallowed well.
I went to the  pharmacist and told her what happened and asked  her to check my throat if it is closing? She looked and said she didn't see  anything abnormal my ways were open. I then thought may be this is anxiety, i took
0. 25 mg of Xanax and my throat stabilized and went back to normal slowly in half an hour. Same night i had chills but that was it. Inwas feeling normal. 8 days after i felt like a thumb is pushing to my throat continiusly my mouth was watery saliva  all the time. I was breathing normal and swallowing normal. When i ate and drank water choking feeling went away and came back with in ten minutes again Two days i felt like that. It was a weekend somI could nit go to my doctor butbsent him a text.I finally heard from the doctor  He said that it could be reflux and told me to try Pepcid Control and also added that it could be from my anxiety panic disorder so told me to take Xanax too  I took a very little amount of PepcidControl and i felt way better. I took in the afternoon  again and it reversed Same night i took Xanax and went to sleep. Next day i woke  up without any symptoms. My doctor does not think that this is an allergic reaction but he also put in hisnrcirds that i had thisnreaction after the flu vaccine.  But since then I am terrified to eat  anything. Could throat tightenng without any other symptoms be anapylaxis shock? Or is it really reflux or my panic disorder made  me feel  like this. my doctor didn't think that i could be allergies but h said he put a note to my rcirds that i had this throat tightening b an allergic reaction! I also think that i had coffee after the flu vaccine and when i felt i was choking a week after. Could throat tightening without any other symptoms be an allergic reaction to coffee?  Should i make an appointment to a specialist? Please help me I have panic disorder. I haven't ate much over the last two weeks. Scearred.

[rosywonder]

see your doctor, you may be experiencing a thyroid problem....problably low thyroid.     People do not realize how much is affected in the body when the thyroid is not functioning properly.  I have had this issue and it does take time to get regulated again.  My recommendation is to see an endocronologist who's specialty is the endoctrine system.  The sooner you do this the better.

[Oobydoo]

Antibiotics kill our stomachs system

Simply get a poo transplant .. Yes honest there is a guy here in the UK gives you a poo transplant from a normal healthy person and all goes back to normal.

Don't take antibiotics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fecal_bacteriotherapy

[fuman409]

Wow, I've just read all of these comments and I truly understand and sympathize with everyone here.  I am a type I diabetic since I was a child (sudden onset  2 days after my first dental filling!) Toxicity and metals will alter your central nervous system and immune function!! Our entire food/water supply is contaminated and the air you breathe is also contaminated with various chemicals that your immune system reacts and adapts to on a daily basis. You all have inflammation and every cell of your bodies has receptors for cytokines/histamines/hormones etc.  You have UP-regulated those receptor sites and you're all SUPER duper sensitive and reacting to everything. It seems like a runaway process...
Let me tell you something your doctor will never tell you EVER.  Ready for this??   If you drink your morning urine it can DOWN REGULATE all these receptors that are making you overreactive.
read about this...they did this 100 year ago to kids with autoimmunities and asthma, etc. It calms your immune system. It's a way of inducing self-tolerance.   I want all of you to research this. If you tell your doctors you are doing it you will be straight up laughed at, -I was!...until my bloodwork came back and my glycohemoglobin went from a 7.6 to a 6.5 in 3 months! (In the past 2 years it's never been below 7.2 and a normal non-diabetic reading is between 4-6!)  Remember, I'm not a fat Type 2 diabetic, I'm an athletic, healthy, 130 lb, straight up autoimmune, longstanding Type I).
I know it sounds gross, but if it helps, and if you get better do you care?  Hold your nose and drink it, first thing in the morning. Wait 30 mins before eating any food.
...if little old guys in china who are 120 and look like they're 50 can do it, I figured I could too.  I have the same problems as all of you.  Incredibly allergic to wheat and dairy, nuts, chocolate, bananas, alcohol.  Major hypersensitivities, couldn't eat a damn thing. And now that I"ve  eliminated everything that was causing reactions, whenever I DO get exposed to something I can immediately feel it. Inflammation, raised blood sugars, cramps, bloating..the works.  I eat a much simpler diet now and take massive amounts of food grade vitamin C (not the ascorbic acid crap...take raw camu camu powder) ...start detoxing yourselves.  
Humans are not supposed to eat grains and dairy milk. Do you want to be fat like a cow???? No, eat meats and veggies.  Your body can heal itself and your urine is a living/structured food that is perfectly tailored to you. It's a way of self vaccination.  No one else is going to heal you.  Pay attention to your body...it's telling you something. the FDA is not paid to heal or protect you, nor is the medical industry.
Good luck and be strong everybody!

[Iapree]

All I can say to all the pain and confusion that everyone here is expressing is "I understand".  I never had allergies until 2 years ago (age 48) when I got lupus like flares and happen to find out they were triggered by gluten, alcohol and dairy, all of which I ate with impunity before.

My sister (who lives in another state) and I developed similar symptoms after a long emotionally stressful family event we came together to help with. My flares have gone away with behavioral changes but hers have progressed to include neurological implications.  

We have both had loads of tests from IM's, Rheumatologists, Gastroenterologists etc. Ruled out Celiacs, Crones, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, candida.  Both our sedimentation rates and body inflammation markers are high. I think what I am doing is making the difference between my symptoms becoming more like hers but of course I can not be sure.  It is extreme but it might help someone if I describe what I've found to be important so here goes:

I'm eating a mostly organic, vegan diet and slowly losing the extra weight I've been carrying. I do have 2-4 small servings of lean organic meat on the weekends but make sure I get 1/2 cup of rice and 1/2 cup of beans every day.  I've stopped eating sugar, saturated fats, white and any other processed foods, chocolate (I sometimes have carob when I'm desperate). I no longer drink any alcohol, nor eat any wheat, barley or oats as they trigger the lupus like episodes in me. I even only eat whole grains (quinoa, teff, millet) sparingly trying to follow an anti-inflammatory diet. No dairy or soy though I do drink unsweetened almond milk regularly as it doesn't cause me any problems. (just as much calcium). Mostly I eat vegetables and fruits.  I rarely eat out, make my own lunches and big batches of soup, or one pot meals to put in the freezer to reheat for lunches and dinners.  I try to have at least one big green vegi salad each day (with balsamic, wine, or cider vinegar and pepper for dressings). I try to eat half my vegetables raw and half cooked every day.

I also have rid my life of as many environmental toxins as possible.  I've changed all my personal care products, cleaners or anything that might contain any toxins over to the least toxic versions.  I don't wear perfume, use vinegar and castile soap to make and use unscented products anywhere I absolutely have to buy something.  We don't eat canned goods, I have learned to can my own soups, stews, beans etc. It's taken me a couple of years to make all the changes and I am still coming across things I need to find replacements for but it has all been worth it.

I know all of this sounds extreme but it does seem to be helping me and my sedimentation rate has dropped from 50 to 40 (30 and below are normal). The upside is not only have I not had a return of the lupus like episodes which were really painful and lasted several weeks but it really helps in losing weight.

I don't know if this will help anyone out there but I hope it will encourage you all to keep trying.  Go back to eating and living more like your great grand parents and it may help.  If they could do it we can too. And if it makes us healthier and happier isn't that really the goal?
Good luck to all of you.