Not Trying Enough New Foods...scared Of Allergies..

[123glldd]

Since august I have had a very limited diet. I'm getting fed up now and I know i have to add WAY more stuff than i'm trying but i'm scared. Most of which involve nuts. I want the protein...and I want the calcium in almond milk and i'm scared to try. I've heard celiacs can end up having way more problems than just their celiac and i dunno what to do. I'm scared to try stuff. I definitely need more calcium and i'm going to eat greens but it's not enough for me personally. I'm scared to have dairy right now. Is there a way to tell if you have an allergy to nuts..like anaphalactic etc without having to ingest it? I want to have almond milk...eat peanut butter etc. But i'm nervous to re-introduce this stuff...I know I'm being foolish here and overly worried but...*sigh*

[mushroom]

You can do the skin prick allergy testing for things you feel you might be allergic to. Mostly, though, we are just extremely sensitive to foods initially until we can get some healing going. But if you think you might have allergies to specific foods you should consult an allergist and get some testing done.

[123glldd]

I had allergy testing done in 2006 but I dunno if I had celiac back then. I THINK I've had it since i was a child and was misdiagnosed with irritable bowel but i'm not sure. Right now I'm all lean ground beef, salmon, cod, black beans, chickpeas, carrots, cabbage, garlic, onion, broccoli, ore ida fries, minute rice,Kettle brand sea salt chips, sometimes Rice Chex (plain), kidney beans sometimes and i just tried SOME parsnip the other night.

Do I have to watch the wheat skin prick? I don't want to be glutened or anything.....

My husband eats peanut butter and all kinds of stuff and i've never reacted from kissing him.....good sign?

[123glldd]

In general I just find i'm antsy everytime i try a new food. I just tried sweet potato again...just a couple tablespoons and my anxiety is sky high i'm nervous right now. But i felt like this when i tried broccoli and i can have a cup of green giant broccoli florets no problem now. I'm just sick of being scared to try foods because i'm scared i'll have some kind of reaction

[shadowicewolf]

I live with this on a daily basis... even with foods i know are safe for me. A couple of tidbits that i use: I always keep benadryl on hand and in a place where i can easily get to it (i have relatives who have major allergies to things so i know the drill on this one) and i always have some in my backpack and purse.

Skin tests can be helpful.

Another way to test is to take something (such as peanutbutter for an example) and put a bit on your wrist and let it sit there for a while. If there is an issue you will probably hive up in that spot. I've heard this is what mothers do to test their young children for peanut allergies.

Any major allergic reaction will happen within 30 minutes of consumption or so. Anything after that will probably be mild and easy to deal with.

I generally don't retry anything when i'm by myself, for just because reasons.

Edit: you won't be glutened by a skin test (shouldn't anyway).

[mushroom]

What kinds of reactions have you had in the past the makes you so anxious when you test something new?

[123glldd]

Early august my husband made a pizza at home..gluten free on schar crust with tomato paste with mccormicks spices (not blends...just pure spice), cheese....next day i had mucus and diarrhea...wasn't feeling great the night before either. I know it could have just been the dairy but...i've been paranoid about salicylic acid even though i was having a TON of bruschetta for about a month before that happened....and i've heard so much about sooooo many people on these boards having reactions to other things that i've become terrified. I'm terrified of being sick because of stuff that happened to me years ago...it's a major phobia. So you can only guess how great i took it when i found out i had celiac.

[mushroom]

Okay, sorry, didn't mean to pry into personal things. There are things we all have experienced in the past that affect our current reactions to things.

One thing to keep in mind that there are "reactions" and there are 'reactions'. We all react, and have interpretations of our reactions in different ways. For some it is a big drama, for others, well it was a reaction but hey, I'll get over it, it's not going to kill me. So don't listen too closely to other people's reactions, just concentrate on your own. If you get a reaction to a food, does it put you out of action for a long time, or is it something you can manage with a little help. If it's diarrhea and bloating, well it's maybe worth a bit of that to find out if that food is a problem. Just do it on a day when it won't be too much of a problem.

If you had been eating a lot of tomato you might have really overdone the tomato and that could be what caused the problem. That's what kept happening to me, the more I cut out the more I would focus in on one particular food, and then I would eat so much of that food that I became sensitized to it. So, to the best of your ability, it is best to rotate your foods as much as possible.

It also sounds like you still have a leaky gut and you could probably utilize a good probiotic, some pancreatic enzymes to aid digestion, and some L-glutamine to help you heal. But if you do try these, try one at a time to make sure you do not have a reaction to any of them. Healing the gut and helping out your poorly functioning digestive system with enzymes is the best way to get back on track that I have found.

Be aware, too, that there is more bio-available calcium in greens than there is in milk. You might try hemp milk from Trader Joe's (one place I know that carries it) instead of the almond. It is also deliciious.

[123glldd]

I've heard too many stories of trader joe's products having cross contamination that i pretty much won't try them. But, my big fear is nausea...stomach ach...throwing up. It's a major fear. I can deal with loose bowels but i also felt sick to my tummy. Having anxiety about that it really has messed me up to this day. Only now have i calmed down a little from earlier after trying the sweet potato. After giving up foods that started bothering you did you find you could re-introduce again after a few months or anything? I really want to be able to eat tomato and peppers again.

[tarnalberry]

So I'm going to be the crazy one who suggests talking to a psychologist about this phobia.

If you do not have a family (or personal) history or allergies (and the reaction to the pizza you describe is NOT an allergic reaction), then this is not a rational phobia (<-- haha, I wasn't intending to sound quite like that), and it's negatively impacting your life.

Quite frankly, food allergies are NOT common. And 90% of food allergies come from the top 8 allergens. Broccoli is not on that list, nor is sweet potato. (The top 8 are: wheat, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shell fish, soy, and egg.) The vast majority of allergies to food are NOT anaphylactic. And you do not cite any personal history with food allergies. There is also no scientific evidence (that I'm aware of) that celiacs have a higher incidence of food allergies.

You do hear a lot about folks on this board deal with having to eliminate other foods. But the vast, vast majority of those are not food allergies, but other intolerances, and intolerances do not lead to anaphylactic shock.

And, finally, this board is NOT representative of the average state of health of celiacs. Those who are the most motivated to make changes and get additional information are not the people who are the healthiest and have the least problems to resolve. So we get here a collection of people (though absolutely wonderful and helpful!) that far over-represent the more difficult, complicated, complex cases, including things that have nothing to do with celiac. Those of us on the board who are fairly simple - just celiac or just celiac and one other common food avoidance - heck, even we don't post all that often; we're boring.

But I'm guessing you know these facts, and that doesn't make you feel any better. Nor does knowing all these facts make you more inclined to try new foods. Nor does knowing all these facts make you feel less anxious when you do try something new. And so, I would suggest that you talk to a psychologist who is trained in helping people with phobias.

[123glldd]

As for still having leaky gut..i only cut out gluten in may so i really wasn't far into this. I was just baffled because i was eating everything i wanted to eat..amy's food's and everything without issue for those months between may and august.

[123glldd]

Tarnalberry..my fear comes from hearing people say that you are more likely to develop other food allergies if you are celiac. Actual allergies. But I am also scared of other intolerances but allergies are obviously very scary.

[tarnalberry]

Tarnalberry..my fear comes from hearing people say that you are more likely to develop other food allergies if you are celiac. Actual allergies. But I am also scared of other intolerances but allergies are obviously very scary.

But there is no evidence you are more likely to develop actual allergies.

Heck, I haven't even heard that on here. (Intolerances, yes, not allergies.)

And if it's a fear that is making that big of an impact in your life, it's important to confront it and learn how to manage it. Heavens knows I would need help with that too! (As I have about other things.)

[mushroom]

Some people describe celiac as an allergy too. A lot of folks when they talk about foods they react to call them allergies when they are actually intolerances. Diarrhea and bloating does not come from an allergy. An allergy will cause hives and rashes and anaphylaxis and you will definitely know if you are allergic.

ETA: Tarnalberry and I were posting together. I agree with her that it might be useful for you to get some help with your food anxieties. Sorry you are going through this {{{{hugs}}}}

[123glldd]

My husbands aunt also talked about allergies to asperin (she has celiac too) and said that allergy testing will often not show everything and be masked by the asperin/salicylic acid allergy. So I'm confused what I should do. Say screw it all and just....drink some almond milk? lol

[123glldd]

But since starting to read different topics on this forum i most certainly have seen the allergy thing pop up. But perhaps they were misusing the phrase I dunno.

[mushroom]

Quite a few posters see an allergist for skin testing to find out what foods they are sensitive to. It doesn't mean they are allergic to them all - depends on how strong the reaction is. Twenty years ago I tested sensitive to soy and corn. Didn't take much notice at the time, but I definitely am, but not allergic.

[shadowicewolf]

Actually, allergic reactions can be more than just hives/swelling/throat issues. Another sign is full on body burning. That is what i go through with tomatos, though when it happens its mainly isolated to my head/face/neck/sholders (which i later got a hive reaction to doing a skin test). I spoke with the head of the allergy department at the hospital i go to and he stated that that was indeed one. Yet another is numb tongue and lips. It varies from person to person, but they are indeed rare.

[123glldd]

I guess a better way of describing what happened is this....

I had my reaction....and after that I was getting a lot of upper tummy pain and just generally not much appetite for about week. I tried having ketchup with fries after that and got really heartburny. So I figured tomato would probably be a no no at the moment. But I ended up going so long not eating certain things...i'm scared i'll go back to them now and have a reaction to things i didn't even have reactions to before you know?

[123glldd]

I was on a limited diet so long i'm scared i'm suddenly sensitive OR allergic...pick one. lol

[123glldd]

For instance..i really want to try making tahini to get more calcium along with greens. I don't think i can eat like 3 cups of greens a day realistically. I know sesame seeds are high in it...but...i hear so many people have problems with them...i don't THINK i ever had issue with them? But....who knows. I just really want to be able to eat healthy again.

[alex11602]

To be perfectly honest here, food scared the heck out of me (like panic over trying a new food) and I am beyond terrified of being nauseous or throwing up, this went on for over a year until one day I looked at my kids and decided I didn't want to teach them to be afraid of food. For me, I just had to bite the bullet and try it, at first I would make sure my oldest was at her grandmas and the bathroom was freed up (youngest is still in diapers) and after eating the food I would panic. After multiple times of not having a reaction to every new I tried I am getting a bit braver. I still have some issues I'm working through when it comes to food panic, but there is definite progress.

I guess I was hoping this may encourage you some and when you decide you are ready to not let food panic have the control just make sure you have a plan, that way it won't feel so daunting at first. Also remember that after being scared of food, it will take time to not be afraid of it anymore.

[mushroom]

Yes, once you have started reacting to a food like tomato you had best leave it alone for about six months. I haven't actually tried any in a couple of years but this summer, from my own garden, I am having a BLT This is why (from experience) I recommend that you rotate your foods and don't eat the same thing every day (if you have enough safe foods to do that ) Which is why you need to deal in some way with your fears, IMHO, so you can add some additional foods into your diet. If it is not something you have ever had an issue with, give it a try - don't worry about what others have issues with.

[shadowicewolf]

Welcome to my life

Chocolate is on my no-go list at the moment due to a weird reaction to ice cream with it (dry mouth/throat for 4+hours with no relief). I thought about trying it when i was at home last week, but was too sick, so sweet potatos took that place.

As of right now i'm not eating:

spinage (gave me massive "D", i think it was mainly because my system was taxed after a stomach bug)

green beans (adored these as a child, made my tongue numb twice, so yeah no more for me)

My doctors know of my issue with food and just tell me to try. Baby steps, baby steps.

[123glldd]

So I'm eating beans for protein each day....sometimes i have meat but don't wanna overdo it especially with beef....should i not be doing this then?