Nut allergy

If you have or suspect you have a food allergy, whether it's an allergy to dairy, wheat, fish, shellfish, nuts or something else, ask our medical experts all your questions here.

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Bezzyboo
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Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 9:31 am
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by Bezzyboo on Mon Feb 04, 2019 1:34 pm

Nut allergy

I was diagnosed with a nut allergy in 2001.

No tests were done but my mouth and throat got horribly itchy after eating hazelnuts in chocolate that come in a purple wrapper!

My GP told me I have a nut allergy and gave me an epipen. I’ve been carrying one since.

During the last 18 years I have often felt ‘tingles’ and got an itchy mouth/throat if I’ve eaten foods that ‘may contain nuts.’ I’ve always avoided nuts otherwise which was difficult as I used to eat a lot of shelled nuts. Going from eating every kind to eating none overnight was torture.

I’ve switched to seeds as an alternative at times - sunflower/pumpkin etc, and found I get the same effect if I eat sesame seeds and now pumpkin seeds. Sometimes if people are eating nuts around me the smell is so strong I might get a tingle in my mouth the dry scratchy throat appears and I have to move away.

But how can I find out properly if I have a nut/seed allergy and if I do whether I’m allergic to EVERY nut out there. Things are difficult as I don’t eat much meat fish eggs or dairy and I’m struggling to get enough protein into my body. If I could find out once and for all it may help.

Plus, I’m so fed up of being looked down upon by fellow travellers when I have to tell the airline I have a nut allergy and they announce no nuts can be sold on the flight. I’ve had so much hassle about it. One woman was furious she couldn’t eat nuts sitting next to me on a 2 hour flight and really wasn’t bothered when I said nuts could be fatal to me. I’m hoping for the day they ban nuts as they banned smoking on flights so I wouldn’t have to disclose my allergy and be called out by a whole plane full of passengers!

Any ideas gratefully received. I’ve asked my gp many times for proper testing only to be told I don’t need it.

Jenb2611
Posts: 14
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 12:36 pm
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by Jenb2611 on Mon Feb 04, 2019 5:01 pm

Re: Nut allergy

I’m not able to give you answers just my own experience, my nut allergy is not restricted to peanuts it’s all nuts and coconut, plus any products with traces or smells eg shampoo. This for me has also meant I have to avoid all seeds and grains, pulses, soya - the list is endless. Apparently one allergy is rare there tends to be multiples and within groups so it’s worth doing research. I have found lots of info from allergy organisations in the US, Australia and New Zealand - but I cross check in case of misinformation . I have gotten some answers through pestering my go after year round antihistamines didn’t work and I was having breathing difficulties at work plus regular d&v when eating out. Eventually they sent me to the Dietitian then dermatology. I was told nothing is done until you have at least one anaphylactic attack requiring hospitalisation. Be persistent!

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Dr Kate Swan
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Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:05 pm
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by Dr Kate Swan on Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:40 pm

Re: Nut allergy

Hello. I would advise that you get a referral to see an allergist to have skin prick testing to determine which nuts and seeds you are allergic to or whether you have developed pollen allergies which can cause cross reactions with some of the nuts and therefore an adult onset of food allergies. This would be a very reasonable referral and one that would be accepted and I disagree with the statement from your GP that you do not need testing, on the basis of what you have written here.
Dr Kate Swan
Consultant in Paediatric Allergy

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... e_swan.php

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