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http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl General Mast Cell Disorders Discussion >> Nutrition >> Food reactions http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1347245657 Message started by kcpatrick on 09/09/12 at 15:54:17

Title: Food reactions
Post by kcpatrick on 09/09/12 at 15:54:17

Just curious how anyone reacts to their food triggers? Is it always itching/swelling or flushing? Or does anyone get just tachycardia/hypotension? Or are most people's reactions gastrointestinal? How soon do you react after a food that triggers a reaction? Does anyone have delayed reactions? Just trying how to figure out how to rule out certai foods! Thanks!

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by Anaphylaxing on 09/09/12 at 21:03:41

All of the above lol. And I can't seem to predict yet what will cause what.

Sometimes it's throat itching and swelling with tongue sometimes too. Sometimes chest pain and short of breath. Sometimes tingling in my extremities, scalp, tongue and face. Sometimes GI upset, or urgency. Sometimes, itching, flushing. Usually PVCs. Sometimes tachycardia and low BP. Sometimes immediate while the thing is in my mouth--in which case I've learned to spit it out and rinse like mad. Sometimes up to 6-8 hours later. Sometimes all of the above happen!! Usually if it's all of the above and rapidly progressive I need to take rescue meds and make sure I'm in a position to get to the ER if necessary.

I usually need to void (urinate) more during reactions and I do overall in general since all of this which I think lowers my intravascular volume and makes me more prone to POTS issues. I try to drink lots but most just goes straight through and then some! This was much worse when I was bed ridden with severe symptoms when standing.

Other factors like heat exposure, stress, scent/chemical exposure can lower my threshold.

Makes it hard to sort things out which is why I went on such a rigid elimination/reintro diet to try and sort out what I could and kept a diary. Even with that it's still hard to know sometimes, but I've definitely learned SO much along the way.

Also, triggers can change with time, at least mine do so that can be confusing.

Let us know how it goes. 8-)

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by Starflower on 09/10/12 at 01:04:54

Knock on wood, but I've never had a life-threatening reaction to food proteins... even to shrimp, which I'm IgE allergic to.

Foods with too much histamine give me heartburn. If it's really bad, I'll wake up around 2 or 3 in the morning feeling dizzy and nauseated.

I also have a few food triggers (gluten, bananas) that mess with my GI system. They give me constipation and sometimes cramps/bleeding outside of my normal menstrual cycle.

Hot liquids are another thing I need to be cautious about. On a good day they're fine. On a bad day they give me dizziness, tachycardia, stomach pain, and diarrhea. My first trip to the ER was caused by a cup of tea followed by a big bowl of hot soup for dinner. For a long time I thought the ingredients in the soup were the problem. Wrong. I can (and do) eat everything that was in the soup that day, no problem.

Heather

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by mommy2seanp on 09/10/12 at 13:09:08

My 4 yr old son has MCAS and presents with various symptoms to food; some immediate, some delayed as much as 12-24 hours. He's on a limited diet of 6-8 foods and we trial one food at a time and watch for reactions. Some symptoms include abdominal pain, swelling, itching (with or without flushing), rashes/ hives, flushing, nausea, vomiting, bp drop, fatigue and pain.

I also have MCAS and usually present with itching (no rash), abdominal pain, nausea, heart palpitations, and chest tightness.

Keeping a detailed food diary of what you eat and reactions can be helpful in figuring out food triggers.

Good luck!
Tina

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by PamH on 09/11/12 at 10:04:46

With foods that are high salicylates or high histamine, I will have throat swelling within a min. or two. That can be followed by they whole blood pressure drop and the big D (anaphilaxis episode) YUK! With lower saliclyates and histaines I will flush and/or hive up almost immediately. Over the weekend I tried an orange slice and within 30 sec. I was flushed and my face felt hot and my chest got hives. So no oranges for awhile! I tried a dab of ketchup and it caused my inner ear to itch as do potatoe chips (Lays all natural).
Dairy products just make me have stomach ache and the big D sometimes! I haven't figured that one out yet!
So it seems like the Big no no's cause big problems and smaller no no's smaller problems.
However stange...I have found that I can eat a pickle spear without too much of a problem, which totally goes against the whole salicylate/histamine thing. It is so individual and hard to figure out. :D
Hope that helped!
Pam

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by Doozlygirl on 09/11/12 at 13:25:34

Pam,
I certainly don't want to add to your increasingly difficult time finding foods, but I have been reading up on sulfites and just last night read some posts on the salicylates forum on sulfites. They mentined Lays and other brands of potato chips. It might be worth checking out those posts.

Lyn

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by PamH on 09/12/12 at 13:05:28

Lyn,
Not cool!! 8-)
I was on a low sulfite diet, infact it was my first diet...I will look at it again, from memory a lot of the sulfites were also falling under the salicylate list, but this was a year ago and I am so foggy, I could be way off!
Thanks, I will look into it! Could explain the pototoe chip itching thing!
Pam

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by kcpatrick on 09/15/12 at 07:31:43

Thanks for all the replies. I went to vanderbilt this week for my follow up appointment and the doctor ended up admitting me directly from the clinic since I have had no improvements. They did medication trials which SUCkED and pushed my body to the edge. My doctor does not feel that I have MCAS because my flushing is so sporadic (maybe once a week maybe once every two weeks) and my only reactions to foods are fatigue and a slight BP drop which she attributes to post prandial hypotension because of the severity of my POTS. My physician back home was supposed to run a n-methyl histamine on a 24 hr urine they did last time I was in the hospital. Which I got back and they tested for everything under the sun except that! Ugh. I'm not totally convinced my reactions are just that. I have been very carful with what I eat at home but while in the hospital I really ventured out to try to produce a reaction for them to see. I ate things like bacon, cheeseburgers, wheat toast with cream cheese, rice crispies with milk, baked potato chips, chicken and ham sandwiches of which none really produced any of my symptoms I have at home (doesn't it always seem to go that way) not even a flushing episode from all of the stress!! No reactions to alcohol swabs either. Crazy When the smallest things trigger them at home sometimes. I follow up with my doctor at home next week and will drill him on why the n-methyl histamine was not run when I clearly had a flushing episode from the stress of going through the ER and I feel that they would have shown up then if they were there. I appreciate the responses and encouraging words. I will continue my low histamine diet at home with my "safe" foods until I have been given a definite all clear on the MCAS stuff.

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by PamH on 09/15/12 at 08:54:51

kcpatrick,
Sounds as if your environment at home could have you on edge. Any chance of mold in your home? I only ask because mold is my nymasis and I believe started my whole downward spiral. Perhaps the environment is keeping your bucket full and a little of this and a little of that is taking you over the edge?!
Just a thought,
Pam

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by brigitte on 09/15/12 at 09:16:05

I am currently wondering the same thing.....does my house have black mold???? We have had several pipes burst over the years due to copper piping that is not compatible with the boron we have in our water here. I am wondering if because of all that, we still have mold?? I was telling Pam in a pm that like her, I have a hunch mold started all my problems as well. Our family moved into a beautiful, but old (built in the 30's) house when I was in 3rd grade. We were always having plumbing issues. A few years ago, a dreind of theirs bleached out some of the black mold he found under the house. But im sure that what he got was just the tip of the iceburg. To this day, I can smell mold when I walk into my parents house. Since all these shinanigans started, I've tried to stay away for their house as much as possible. I am interested in having someone come out to test our house. More $$$$ out the door!!!! :D

Title: Re: Food reactions
Post by PamH on 09/15/12 at 09:35:21

Brigitte,
The mold does not have to be black mold. However black mold can be deadly by itself and cause all kinds of problems. We had an intesting mixture of mold. We did find a small amout of black mold in the attic and we had to have it remedated. The remedaters told us that bleach does NOT kill mold it will make it dormant for awhile but will not kill it. YOu have to use a mold killer, you can buy this at Lowes or Menard. The DIY stores carries different brands. Just read the label and use precautions, mask, gloves ect.
Pam