HELP- I think I've found an allergy!

[PinkBikini]

I've always thought I was lactose intolerant (like, for the past 10 years almost) because I had tummy cramps and other tummy issues I won't detail here. But then I gave it up a few years ago and don't drink milk. I did occasionally eat ice cream. Tummy cramps were pretty much over and I didn't have much of it to make sure that I was free of problems.

Anyway, I cut it out of course for atkins. Had cheese daily with no problems always limiting to 4 oz at max. Then a few weeks ago I brought it back. A glass of milk here, a half cup of cottage cheese there, a sugar-free ice cream bar occasionally... No stomach problems. About a week ago I got a wheal (a red raised bump) and thought it was a contact dermatitis rash or something. I itched it before I knew what it was so I have no idea how big it was when it started. I drank milk the rest of this week, pretty much daily, or had cottage cheese.

The wheal has not gone away. It's itchy. IT's red and raised. Today it occurred to me- maybe it's an allergy??? I was only having 4 oz milk or a half cup cottage cheese each day... but maybe its a milk allergy?

About 4 days ago I got diarrhea and wasn't sure what caused it. Progression of dairy perhaps to new symptoms?

Anyway, I did dairy for approx 3 weeks and now I'm on nuts this week on the increased carb level from last week. So now I'm like, well, I think this came BEFORE I started the nuts. But I was just a little afraid cause nuts are a popular allergy item. I COULD BE ALLERGIC to those too I guess.

So if you have an allergy... what do you do? Do you have to stop the moving up of the rungs? Take benadryl til the wheal subsides? How long do you wait till you reintroduce something? I'm giving up on dairy for awhile anyway (wasn't having any this week anyway due to some increased anxiety and cravings).

I look forward to any suggestions you have!

Thanks

[*Emma*]

The first thing you need to do is find out exactly what it is that you're allergic too, then chop that out of your diet, you can add this back in, in the future.

i would personally now cut out all the things it could be until your symptoms go away, when its gone, add one of those things back in, work through until you find your culprit.

For example, i was at the berries rung when i developed huge red marks around my neck, i looked like i had a very hungry boyfriend! i finally narrowed it down to strawberries, i cut them out, the marks left, after about 2 months i gradually added them back in to my diet, just once a week at first, then upped it slightly, i had no allergy symptoms anymore but i do stall whenever i eat them, but at least i know i can have them when i'm in maintenance!

[PinkBikini]

WOW???? Could you eat them everyday if you want to? Or just like a few times/week? Cause I'm afraid that may have been what happened...it might have crept up in the week I was having dairy daily... haven't done that in several years...

[*Emma*]

i could eat them every day if i wanted to but i wouldnt lose any weight, i tend to stay away from them now and only have them as a treat if need be, mine was quite a simple method of elimination, dont rule out all dairy, its probably just one thing thats getting you. you just gotta work out what it is!

[PinkBikini]

Thanks for taking the time to respond Emma. You're a gem!!

[not2late]

Originally Posted by PinkBikini

The wheal has not gone away. It's itchy. IT's red and raised. Today it occurred to me- maybe it's an allergy??? I was only having 4 oz milk or a half cup cottage cheese each day... but maybe its a milk allergy?

About 4 days ago I got diarrhea and wasn't sure what caused it. Progression of dairy perhaps to new symptoms?

Anyway, I did dairy for approx 3 weeks and now I'm on nuts this week on the increased carb level from last week. So now I'm like, well, I think this came BEFORE I started the nuts. But I was just a little afraid cause nuts are a popular allergy item. I COULD BE ALLERGIC to those too I guess.

So if you have an allergy... what do you do? Do you have to stop the moving up of the rungs? Take benadryl til the wheal subsides? How long do you wait till you reintroduce something? I'm giving up on dairy for awhile anyway (wasn't having any this week anyway due to some increased anxiety and cravings).

I look forward to any suggestions you have!

Thanks

In terms of the itchy wheal on your arm---see a doctor. That wheal can be due to anything. And if it is due to a bonafide allergy, you really need to be under the care of a doctor because the worst symptom of an allergy is anaphylactic shock.

In terms of the Diet, drop the food(s) you think are causing your problem and see what happens. If your weight loss resumes/continues, then you can move up the rungs and avoid those problem foods until your doctor figures out what is causing the wheal. Just because one rung gives you problems, doesn't mean you can't try out the other rungs. Likewise, just because one food in a rung gives you problems, it doesn't mean you have to throw the towel in on the entire rung. I cannot eat wheat, because it makes my asthma act up. However, I can eat other grains like rice, oats, barley and rye without any problems.

[PinkBikini]

It's just that I've never had allergy symptoms before... another part of me wonders did I develop an allergy from all my eggs (I easily eat a dozen a week now whereas before I would only eat a few at a time) or who knows... I haven't had bonafide milk in approx 2 years (since a couple weeks ago when I had my first 4 oz 3x/week and then last week where I had it prob 5x/week. So maybe it's the reintroduction of dairy... but like you said, it could be anything.

I went through extensive testing about 20 years ago and got a clean bill of health. Allergy-free. But we're changing seasons here in VT and its possible its environmental reaction to the COLD too... most wheals are undiagnosable... I'm taking my benadryl, cutting out the likely culprit (milk, cottage cheese) and watching it.

I may get myself retested for allergies next year though...first, my husband is getting his wisdom teeth pulled. One med expense at a time