Sigh....No more shrimp for me

[Anonymous]

I have lost my voice after eating raw carrots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love shrimp but have developed allergy to it. Severe enough that I had to go to the ER. I do not eat it anymore. I am fine with crab though.

BTW - I learned that you should use Benedryl as well as Maalox, to ease the symptoms. Some ingredient in Maalox also works as an antihistamine (or some sort of suppressor). Learned it in ER - where they gave me both. I have not abused the knowledge to continue eating shrimp. I hope you do not do so either.

Are you sure it was Maalox and not Pepcid, Zantac, or Tagamet? Those 3 meds are H2 blockers (histamine 2). Benadryl and the other typical anti-histamines block H1 (histamine 1). During allergic reactions, it can help to take both H1 and H2 blockers. I'm not saying you're wrong, just wondering if you mixed them up. If it was really Maalox, I'd be so curious as to why it helps with allergic reactions. I'd have to look into that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love shrimp but have developed allergy to it. Severe enough that I had to go to the ER. I do not eat it anymore. I am fine with crab though.

BTW - I learned that you should use Benedryl as well as Maalox, to ease the symptoms. Some ingredient in Maalox also works as an antihistamine (or some sort of suppressor). Learned it in ER - where they gave me both. I have not abused the knowledge to continue eating shrimp. I hope you do not do so either.

Are you sure it was Maalox and not Pepcid, Zantac, or Tagamet? Those 3 meds are H2 blockers (histamine 2). Benadryl and the other typical anti-histamines block H1 (histamine 1). During allergic reactions, it can help to take both H1 and H2 blockers. I'm not saying you're wrong, just wondering if you mixed them up. If it was really Maalox, I'd be so curious as to why it helps with allergic reactions. I'd have to look into that!

LOL. No, it was Maalox. The chalky liquid one. 100% sure of it. My entire family was there as the Dr. had that conversation with us and I was drinking the liquid and my DH and DD freaked out thinking that I would use that knowledge to continue eating shrimp. I did not. I was tempted but I did not.

[Anonymous]

I hear ya OP.

I used to eat McDonald's fish sandwiches all the time, until the day that I got an immediate tightening of the throat seconds after finishing it.

I went to an Allergist M.D. who told me that I had seafood allergies to a particular type of fish. He told me that perhaps the fish I ate that particular time had been cross contaminated w/another type of fish that I was allergic to.

He prescribed me an E-pen just in case.

Sucks for me because I love love fish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have lost my voice after eating raw carrots.

My DS was just diagnosed with a carrot allergy. So bizarre. Do you eat cooked carrots? What do you do about salad bars and such?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lost my voice after eating raw carrots.

My DS was just diagnosed with a carrot allergy. So bizarre. Do you eat cooked carrots? What do you do about salad bars and such?

I can eat cooked carrots, yes! I have no other allergies.

I have to ask for no carrots if I order a salad. Usually salad bars have shaved carrots in a separate container. Knock wood - no issues so far

I just avoid them.

It is so weird! My throat would get itchy and I'd lose my voice - but it had never- thank goodness - closed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love shrimp but have developed allergy to it. Severe enough that I had to go to the ER. I do not eat it anymore. I am fine with crab though.

BTW - I learned that you should use Benedryl as well as Maalox, to ease the symptoms. Some ingredient in Maalox also works as an antihistamine (or some sort of suppressor). Learned it in ER - where they gave me both. I have not abused the knowledge to continue eating shrimp. I hope you do not do so either.

Are you sure it was Maalox and not Pepcid, Zantac, or Tagamet? Those 3 meds are H2 blockers (histamine 2). Benadryl and the other typical anti-histamines block H1 (histamine 1). During allergic reactions, it can help to take both H1 and H2 blockers. I'm not saying you're wrong, just wondering if you mixed them up. If it was really Maalox, I'd be so curious as to why it helps with allergic reactions. I'd have to look into that!

LOL. No, it was Maalox. The chalky liquid one. 100% sure of it. My entire family was there as the Dr. had that conversation with us and I was drinking the liquid and my DH and DD freaked out thinking that I would use that knowledge to continue eating shrimp. I did not. I was tempted but I did not.

Why would you do that?

[Anonymous]

OP - you should go to an allergist and get the full RAST test done. You may now be allergic to all shellfish and other products. "Adult" allergies can pop up later on in life.

[Anonymous]

Benadryl also can mask the onset of a more severe reaction so you really should be cautious.

[Anonymous]

OP, glad you figured it out, and please be careful! My DH has the same issue with a variety of foods and it can be really scary.

I have the weird tingling thing with spinach but only when it is raw. I can eat cooked ok. There must be a protein in it that gets broken down in the cooking process, or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I have no other allergies. But, for about a year, I noticed that every time I ate shrimp, I'd have gastrointestinal issues and, oddly, insomnia. Someone told me that both symptoms could suggest a shrimp intolerance or that I was developing an allergy. (Weird, I know). But we had shrimp with dinner at least once every week to 2 weeks and the correlation was uncanny. So then, I started cutting down a lot but I did notice that my lips would feel funny and I'd get diarrhea even if I ate a couple of shrimp, When we did have it. So now, I had not had any shrimp in the past 6-8 months and I haven't had any of those symptoms....till tonight. I am positive it was the shrimp. I made shrimp for my family for dinner tonight and, knowing my sensitivity, made myself mahi mahi. But I did "taste" one of the shrimp and now here I am.

I took a Benadryl right away and put Benadryl cream in the hives. Then about an hour later, I took another Benadryl. I've also been snacking all night, hoping it would slow down any residual absorption and give the medication a fighting chance. I feel fine now, except for the GI disturbance. Fun fun!

I will try to get to an allergist soon. Thanks for all of your advice and commiseration!

I have a child who was diagnosed with food allergies and the doctor stressed to us multiple times that the most common reaction with a food allergy is gastrointestinal upset. People assume hives and swelling are indicative but it often starts with gi issues.

[Anonymous]

Just to chime in- i have shrimp allergy as well but ok w other seafoods, ie raw oyster, blue crabs, lobster, fish. I also can't eat stone fruits, celery, carrots. I do have seasonal allergy + there're cross antigens w certain trees + fruits.

I don't mind cooking/buying items that i can't eat, but i get annoyed when my in-laws think I'm "high maintenance" even though i never make any request.