Allergic reaction to foods?

HI,

I have lived on the east and west coast. I also have also lived in France in 1993. I do not remember being bit but I have had a history of on and off, rash and flu.

I became allergic when I started on thyroid meds in 2001. It all started when I had had a miscarriage and hemorrhaged. I was in the hospital for a week. The MD wanted to give me a transfusion but I said no. I took a long time to recover. I was so tired, that when I tried to lift my finger up. It felt like it had the weight of the world on it.. This when the MD said I had hypothyroid. I took the thyroid meds for 3 years. At first I did not know what was going on. I was not able to eat raw apples any more. When I did the roof of my mouth would get red and itchy. Then it was carrots too. Over time cucumber, cherries, grapes, almonds, peaches, and plums. I could eat them if they were cooked but not if they were raw, even in juice form. The doctors did not know what to do. Over time the reaction got stronger. The swelling moved into my throat. Making it difficult to breath. If I tried to cut up carrots for dinner my throat would swell.

After taking the meds for 3 years. I had bowel trouble. My stools were coming out pencil thin. I ended up having bowel sugary. Again I hemorrhaged, the surgeon was impressed(he was talking about it all excited). He put me on a diet of blueberry, banana and flax seed shakes. I stayed on this for a month(it was only supposed to be a couple of weeks). I was scared to eat real food. It hurt to poop!
I also went off the thyroid meds. I was amazed at the stuff that came out of me. Knowing that I was not cheating and the only thing going into me was the shakes. My skin cleared up and I felt great. At the end of this time I told my doc that I had been off the thyroid meds for a month. She told me to stay off it for 2 more months and then we would test and see if I still needed them. I was on a small dose of levoxyl.

Over this time I was able to eat some of the last foods that had give me problems.I was so excited! My diet was very limited. When I went back on the thyroid meds the allergies came back. My doctor told me this is not possible. There is no documentation showing that this can happen. I was sent to an endocrinologist who diagnosed my with hashimoto's disease and an allergy to beef. My TSH levels with beef 87, without beef 32. My thyroid test cannot be done with beef. Over the next year we tried several different thyroid meds. They all did the same thing. The endocrinologist did not know what to do with me. So I was told to seek alternative treatment. I was also told if I did not find a way to take the thyroid meds my system would shut down and I would die.

In 2005 I found a naturopath/oriental medicine doc. She did a allergy test and took me off of sugar, dairy, and  soy. She also took me off of gluten. She believed I also had auto immune disease.

I have been off the thyroid meds. The allergies are almost gone. Just in the last two months I have been able to eat carrots. I tried a little apple the other day and was OK. I did not have a reaction! It was covered in sauce. I would not have tried if I knew it was there. I am very afraid of raw apples.

In may of 2009 my Igenex western blot test came back the results were;

IMG        igenex positive
18++      cdc      negative
34++
39IND
41++
58+
66+
83-93+

IGG       igenex positive
31++    cdc      negative
34+
41++
45+
58+
66+

I really don't understand the results.

I am now on samento and lots of supplements. I am taking it slow due to H1n1 in dec, and dengue this month.

I am not sure where this allergic reaction came from. Lyme?

Has anyone had this kind of allergic reaction to foods?

Thank you!

Hi Razzle, What kind of allergies to food do you have?

I am wondering If anyone has the same allergies? It seems like a strange bunch of foods.

Also is anyone allergic to beef? I grew up with asthma. When I stopped eating beef, it went away.

My naturopath/oriental medicine doc has me on selenium supplements. I do notice that when I take them I feel better.

I have read parts of the new to lyme thread but my reading is limited, since the strokes I had mid 2009.

I do audio books now.


Thank for your help,

From thread https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=1715263 I posted the following:

Food allergy tests I've had:

Electro-Dermal Screening (EDS)
NAET (muscle testing)
IgE blood tests (RAST)
IgG blood tests
IgA stool tests for gluten, yeast & casein
Skin prick testing
Skin patch testing
Trial and error (i.e., avoidance & re-challenge)

EDS says I'm allergic to most all foods. I believe it, most foods give me some kind of discomfort.

NAET says I'm allergic to many foods.

IgE blood tests say I have no food allergies.

IgG blood tests say I have about 25 food allergies.

IgA stool tests say I have an immune response to gluten, casein and yeast (probably would show reactions to more foods if such tests existed)

Skin prick tests say I'm allergic to soy, eggs, fish, tomatoes, corn, rice, and tree nuts.

Skin patch testing says I'm allergic to beef, turkey and chicken.

Trial and error agrees with EDS and tells me I have trouble with most foods, most sources of water, and 2 preservatives (Sulfites, TBHQ).

My current diet consists of some potato products, sunflower/safflower oil, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, blackberries, agave nectar, organic raisins (can't do regular raisins due to sulfites), and a few rice products (I know I'm allergic, but I don't have many options and organic rice bothers me less than regular rice). I also supplement my diet with an amino-acid based elemental formula (meal replacement formula). I do best with organic foods. Sometimes I try to throw in an organic carrot or zucchini, but my system doesn't tolerate it if I eat vegetables regularly.

Allergy symptoms range from bleeding gums (apples) and mild nausea to hives to outright anaphylaxis (sulfites, soy), and everything in between. Most often, aggravation of GI motility problems (reflux, slow stomach emptying, constipation) is the culprit behind the GI allergy symptoms (diarrhea from gluten & soy; constipation from dairy, apples, and many other things).

Yes, I'm allergic to beef - as seen on skin patch testing. And eating beef (& other meats) makes me feel horrible...that's why I stopped in 1988...I've been a vegetarian since then.

I don't digest what I eat very well. When I went to the hospital unable to swallow in 2008, the ER told me they didn't think I had been eating anything other than protein because of how deficient I was in so many things...despite taking tons of supplements. And an endoscopy/colonoscopy done in 2007 showed flattened villi in my lower small bowel (from inflammation - I think it is GI Lyme), which inhibits absorption of nutrients.

Yogamom,

Here is a description of what each number means:

Western Blot Bands description:

9 cross-reactive for Borrellia
12 specific for Bb
18 unknown
20 cross-reactive for Borrellia
21 unknown
22 specific for Bb, probably really the 23/25 band
23-25 outer surface protein C (OspC), specific for Bb
28 unknown
30 unknown; probably an outer surface protein; common in European and
one California strain
31 outer surface protein A (OspA), specific for Bb
34 outer surface protein B (OspB); specific for Bb
35 specific for Bb
37 specific for Bb
38 cross-reactive for Bb
39 is a major protein of Bb flagellin; specific for Bb
41 flagellin protein of all spirochetes; this is usually the first to appear after a Bb infection and is specific for all Borrellia
45 cross-reactive for all Borellia (sometimes people with Lyme who have
this band positive also have the co-infection Ehrlichiosis)
50 cross-reactive for all Borrellia
55 cross-reactive for all Borrellia
57 cross-reactive for all Borrellia
58 unknown but may be a heat-shock Bb protein
60 cross reactive for all Borrellia
66 cross-reactive for all Borrelia, common in all bacteria
83 specific antigen for the Lyme bacterium, probably a cytoplasmic membrane
93 unknown, probably the same protein in band 83, just migrates differently in some patients

It seems like I was on the same path. I wonder if there is some sort of interation that happens. That causes the allergies to food. After I stopped the tyroid meds my allergies to raw food went away. It took a long time but I can now eat all the raw food( except apple maybe). Though I dont do soy, wheat, dairy, and beef. The raw food allergies where much more instant.

Mind you I am now typing this as I sit here feeling horrble. I was not able to take my suppliment for two weeks due to the dengue fever. I started trying to take them a couple days ago. Now I am having pain in or around my liver. My head is very fuzzy.


CajunGrl This would be my teast result right;

IMG igenex positive / cdc negative


18 Lyme-specific
34 outer surface protein B (OspB); specific for Bb
39 is a major protein of Bb flagellin; specific for Bb
41 flagellin protein of all spirochetes; this is usually the first to appear after a Bb infection and is specific for all Borrellia
58 unknown but may be a heat-shock Bb protein
66 cross-reactive for all Borrelia, common in all bacteria
83 specific antigen for the Lyme bacterium, probably a cytoplasmic membrane
93 unknown, probably the same protein in band 83, just migrates differently in some patients

IGG igenex positive / cdc negative


31 outer surface protein A (OspA), specific for Bb
34 outer surface protein B (OspB); specific for Bb
41 flagellin protein of all spirochetes; this is usually the first to appear after a Bb infection and is specific for all Borrellia
45 cross-reactive for all Borellia (sometimes people with Lyme who have
this band positive also have the co-infection Ehrlichiosis)
58 unknown but may be a heat-shock Bb protein
66 cross-reactive for all Borrelia, common in all bacteria

Maybe when my head is clearer this will make more sense.

Thank you so much for chatting with me.