Anyone else with a sulfite intolerance? I would love to hear from you!

The best way to find out if you really are sensitive to sulfite (sulphite in UK) is to keep a good food log.  I like to use a calendar with a page for each day.  Write down everything you eat and drink, all medicines, the time you consumed them, and your reactions, with times.  People who get migraines can get reactions up to 2 days after eating their toxic dose.  For me, with mainly a gastric reaction that can trigger tachycardia, the reaction is usually about a half hour to 2 hours after I make my mistake.

There are sensitivities to other things, like MSG, where a lot of the foods are the same.  So don't jump to conclusions too quickly.  Working with an experienced allergist helps too.  Mine was the person who set me on the food journal.  She also had me do "challenge testing" after I had a list of foods.  I had to eat increasing portions of the ingredients in a suspect food.  That's in the threads in the search box too.

Some people have a true allergy, not just a sensitivity, to sulfites.  That will give you true allergy symptoms, hives, closing throat and such.

You can get a skin reaction to sulfite preservatives in lotions, things used to clean skin for surgery,  immunizations, etc.

You probably have a level of sulfite that triggers your reactions.  It's not usually like a peanut allergy, where the tiniest bit causes symptoms.  So don't get hysterical and avoid everything!  Some of the links will lead you to finding out how much is in certain foods.  I can tolerate about 2000 mcg (micrograms) a day, and even get a slice of pizza now and then.  I particularly like the http://www.learningtarget.com/nosulfites/index.htm. link to find out how much is in processed foods.  Example: Once you figure out that processed corn products have a certain amount in ppm (parts per million) you can calculate from labels if you have to avoid the food.

Best wishes.

I've had a relative who had a gastric bypass.  She needed loads of vitamins.  You have to watch biotin - heavy on sulfite!  Vitamins don't cause the allergy, but that one can cause a reaction if you are allergic. 

Read the book I recommended a couple of posts up.  It will tell you how to calculate how much sulfite is in foods and meds.

Best wishes.  Let us know how it's going!

rmtmoom: Doesn't sound quite right for a sulfite intolerance. You sound very knowledgeable. I'd guess you are following with a good doctor. Avoiding processed foods is a good route for all of us. At least we know what's in our diets.
Instead of onions and garlic I use single spices in moderation - tiny pinch! - never any mixed spices! Fresh is best, but dried ones are OK. Pepper has sulfite! I don't use much salt, don't need it with the right spice! (except beef) My mom made up a real neat chart. It's taped inside my cupboard. Here's part of it:
Basil - chicken and tomato soups, beef, pork, lamb, chicken,green beans, tomatoes, squash.
Dill - carrots, cauliflower, peas, potatoes, cottage cheese, chicken, rice dishes, tomato soup.
Marjoram - avocado, chicken and potato soup, burgers, beef, pork, lamb, fish fillets, zucchini.
Oregano - vegetable juice, stews, burgers, chicken, boiled eggs, broiled seafood, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes.
Rosemary - chicken, pea, spinach soups, beef, game, poultry, scrambled eggs, fish, lentils, peas.
Sage - chowders, chicken and bland cream soups, cold roast beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, poultry, fish fillets, Brussels sprouts, Lima beans, squash, tomatoes.
Thyme - gumbo, borsch, roast, poultry stuffing, scrambled eggs, tuna,chicken salad, carrots, potatoes.

Post Edited (Alcie) : 12/15/2011 4:26:16 PM (GMT-7)

Oh, and yeah, taurine isn't good because I think I remember reading something about it getting converted into cysteine or something like that...not sure.  But I know taurine is on the "no" list for sulfite intolerance.

Feel free to email me if you have more questions - click the envelop icon under my name on the left side of this post...

Take care,