I started PPIs three years ago without any food allergies whatsoever and over the last three years as I've eaten and been exposed to lots of high protein sources, I have developed food allergies to almost every food source that contains large amounts of protein except for chicken and beef which are some of the least allergenic sources of protein because of their structural similarity to our own body's protein.
The first food I developed an allergic response to on PPIs was soy (which I had been eating lots of at the time but had been as well for previous years with no issue), then I became allergic to dairy (after eating greek yogurt regularly), then eggs (after just two egg whites), then all tree nuts after eating lots of almonds, then peanuts after eating tons of those thinking there was one nut I could still eat (peanuts are a legume not a nut hence allergy to tree nuts does not include peanuts), then peas, then sardines, then oats, then lentils which had become my new primary protein source after soy and nuts were out, then sesame seeds, then sunflower seeds, then kidney beans, then black beans, then hemp, and even chia etc... I'm sure I'm leaving out a bunch but the names aren't the key. The key is I was reacting to any food I consumed in fairly large quantities that had a sizeable amount of protein (except for chicken and beef)
What are my symptoms you might ask? I get much worse reflux from foods I'm allergic to, however, by far the most noticeable side effect is my overall body's inflammatory response which in my case often causes severe back/joint pain a few hours after ingestion of the protein and the pain lasts for about
15-24 hours on average. It is important to note that I have an autoimmune joint condition (called undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy) which is medical terminology to basically say I have my own unique autoimmune disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis and I have had this since before the PPIs.
Interestingly, the way I often discover I'm allergic to a food is my joint pain will go through the roof and become absolutely unbearable even with taking anti-inflammatory supplements. I can also get itchy eyes, shallower breath, runny nose, upset stomach. All of this will reverse within 24-36 hours after elimination of the allergen. Another interesting phenomenon is when I take a break from eating something I'm allergic to and then eat it again, my response at first is much less inflammatory than if I eat the same food I'm allergic to for two-three-four days in a row. It's almost as if with food allergen exposure, the immune system primes itself to respond even more powerfully the more you are exposed to the allergen as it ramps up its resources to counter what it thinks is a pathogen which is in reality a harmless food protein.
Bottom line, I'm getting the LINX procedure done for GERD ASAP to get off PPIs, doctors who are in the know will tell you they are much more harmful than Big Pharma lets us believe, and I'm 100% convinced of the food allergy link to PPIs. Like I said I had zero food allergies in 26 years and as soon as I got on Pantoprazole (Protonix) a roughly 2x stronger version of omeprazole I developed food allergies to nearly everything that will significantly reduce my quality of life for the rest of my life. The only major protein sources I can eat are chicken, beef, and pumpkin seeds. All fruits are ok and most vegetables are as well but protein is an essential building block of life, and as someone who would like to eat vegan as its best for human health, the animals, and the planet it's pretty unfortunate to only really be able to eat meat. I won't continue eating pumpkin seeds till after the LINX because I'm confident that I will eventually react allergically to them the more I eat them just like what occurred with lentils (it took months to become allergic to lentils).
Also I feel pretty confident it's the daily use of PPIs and the use of the most powerful PPIs that give you the highest risk of developing food allergy. I also think some people are more susceptible than others to developing food allergy, I have had asthma and dust allergies since I was a kid so that might make me more susceptible despite not having any food allergies up to that point.
Another point I should clarify is I don't have typical IgE food allergies as I failed to test positive for IgE food allergy to any of the above food antigens on a skin prick test but my immune system clearly responds in a very inflammatory way to the foods I've become allergic to. So I think it will be important to understand the different types of food allergy as time goes on. It's been established that there's such a thing as IgG allergy to foods but I think there may even be more ways to be "allergic" to foods than just IgG and IgE responses, our immune systems are so complex and we're only really just touching the surface in our understanding of it and food allergies. My hope is that in the future there will be a cure for all food allergies in our lifetime.
Post Edited (Harrison S) : 5/5/2015 12:04:26 PM (GMT-6)