Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with allergy

The Case of the Invisible Lice

Andrhia — Sat, 11 May 2013 17:03:04 -0800

What in the world could be causing itchy scalp and neck for three members of the same family... but isn't lice? Oh god please help.

About a month ago, I got my hair dyed. Some week and a half later, I noticed my scalp had become crazy itchy, and I was getting red bumps and sores behind my ears and on my neck. Ah-hah! I thought, I have become allergic to my hair dye at last! (Lot of allergies in this house.)

I mentioned it to my dermatologist while I was there for, uh, cancer treatment, and got a cortisone solution to put on my scalp twice a day. Great! Except... my two daughters started having crazy ichy scalps and necks too... so not the hair dye, huh?

Here are the facts as we know them:

* Itchy scalp, itchy neck, in general itchy places where hair touches your skin. I at least have bumps as well, especially around the hairline in back.

* I have checked the girls for lice a few times, no dice. The school nurse has also checked them at least twice and come up empty. Lice is periodically reported in the school but they've never come home before now.

* We share combs and brushes. We do not normally use the same haircare products.

* Except! One new conditioner, which we all used for about two weeks, which has since been replaced by a conditioner we had all used off and on with no irritation for years before now. The new conditioner and the itching did occur at about the same time. And yet the itching continues now that it is gone...

* In general the girls are conditioner-only; I've been using a new shampoo recently but they're not allowed to touch it.

* My husband is having no similar itching problem. But he doesn't use any of the same stuff we do, not even the combs.

* We all feel better when our heads are wet in the shower, but the itching returns quickly.

* The cortisone treatment helped me at first, but doesn't help consistently. Eg. I've used it three times in the past day and a half and now the itching is worse than ever.

I know I should go back to the dermatologist and drag them to the pediatrician, just my doctoring limit has been overwhelmed by dealing with my (superficial, non-life-threatening, easily scraped away) skin cancer. I will be going back in a couple of day, but meanwhile...

What the heck could be troubling us? And how can we stop the itching? Should I treat us all for lice on general principal? Is there some super hypoallergenic or anti-vermin or anti-fungal shampoo and/or conditioner we should be trying? (Allergies to contend with include peanut, dairy, gluten, lavender.) Extra bonus points for solutions that don't strip the very expensive salon color from my hair. *scratch, scratch*

Can you recommend any well-grounded books or articles about allergies?

Area Man — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:40:56 -0800

I'd like to read some intelligent, well-sourced and scientifically informed books and articles on allergies (including food allergies) and whether the incidence of allergies and food allergies is on the rise. I'm an educated layperson. Can you recommend anything? To provide a bit more context, I feel like I've heard and read a lot about allergies in recent years from news sources and friends and acquaintances, but much of the information seems suspect. To give an example, I've had people pass on information about allergies they got from chiropractors or new-agey sources. I think allergies are a real thing, but it seems like there may be lots of mis-information out there about them. I'd like read about this issue and become more well-informed, but I don't know where to start.

But Honey, Its Just Too Hard!

WalkerWestridge — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:03:49 -0800

I'd like to hear from people who have installed water softeners in their homes. What are the pros and cons, the prices, and the life expectancy of a whole house system? I'm not on a well. I have municipal water so would be most interested in answers from people who are also on municipal water. The other big concern I have is that I have an allergy to salt (yes i do) and wonder if the salt softened water would bother me. I can't get clean dishes at my house. Everything ends up coated in a white film. My old (it wasn't even all that old) dishwasher broke and we replaced it with a brand new dishwasher but the problem persists so its not the dishwasher itself. Also our laundry never feels clean or fresh. Our clothes look grey and dingy and worn out. Our municipal water comes from a lake carved out of limestone and is very hard.
My husband is leery of installing a softening system. He is under the impression they don't make much of a difference and are SUPER expensive. I have tried googling and cant find much information on the cost of installation and maintenance. I have heard that water softeners extend the life of your appliances like dishwashers and clothes washers as well as improve the life of your clothes.
I think I could convince my husband to get the water softening system but I am concerned about my salt allergy. I get a rash from ocean water. I never thought much of that until I used a salt crystal body scrub and my whole body swelled up with burning red wheals. Also I sometimes get hives after a really sweaty work out. Salt and I do not get along. Is the water coming out of the softener really very salty? Anybody have any ideas about how to check my tolerance of it BEFORE getting the whole system installed?

Any info much appreciated!

Cat is allergic to Merrick--what should I try next?

rawralphadawg — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:47:38 -0800

Are there non-prescription simpler, yet awesome cat food to try to alleviate his allergies? I inherited a cat from my grandpa in October and I've swapped him over to Merrick food since then. We went halvsies with his leftover food until that ran out and now he's been on Merrick for a few weeks. I don't know what he was on before, but I'm sure it was just some grocery store junk. He had a little hair loss near his ears when I got him, but now he's just scratching himself all up on his head and neck. Judging by some of the pictures of hair loss and allergy-related symptoms I looked at on Google, I'm even wondering if he had a slight allergy to his previous food.

I haven't completely ruled out parasites, but none of my other animals are having a reaction and this at least seemed to correlate with the change in diet. He's white and obviously has no fleas and his ears are very healthy and clear of ear mites. Doesn't mean he doesn't have lice or something else, I suppose, but I'd like to first try diet change to see if it's that simple.

I'm assuming everyone will suggest Evo or Wellness Core, which I don't doubt are great foods. The only thing I'm concerned with is that all of these foods have basically the same ingredients (similar carb and protein sources, and a variety of them) so how am I supposed to figure out what he's allergic to or hope that switching to one of these expensive brands will alleviate the problem? Are there non-prescription simpler, yet awesome cat food?

Wristband allergy?

caution live frogs — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:29:33 -0800

My son has a rash on his wrist (yes, he has seen a doctor). We think the rash might be a reaction to an admission wristband from a local play area. But those bands are made of Tyvek, which isn't supposed to trigger allergies. Any ideas? We noticed the rash just before Jan 1. It's a ring around one wrist, where he wore the band. We initially didn't make the connection between wristband and rash, but after a visit to the play area again this weekend the rash flared up again, on the same wrist, which makes us think the band is at fault - and this time the cream prescribed for the rash doesn't seem to be helping as much. However, the info I can find on Tyvek bands says that they are often used for allergy alert identifiers, because Tyvek is nonreactive. This makes googling info hard (almost all results are for places selling alert bands, not info about potential allergies TO the band) but we cannot think of any other reason why he would have a skin reaction on one wrist only that coincides with when he wore the bands.

Aside from a very brief and mild reaction to peanuts (which he grew out of by age 1) our son has never had any other allergic reactions to anything. The kicker is that he loves the play area, the bands are required for admission, so now we're stuck - concerned about the possible allergy but not looking forward to another doctor's visit and the inevitable bill. Any similar experiences, ideas, or suggestions would be helpful.

I need a real diagnosis on top of my self diagnosis

nerdfish — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:18:05 -0800

I suspect I have a food allergy and would like confirmation from a non-woo medical practitioner. Who is this practitioner? I am deeply leery of all forms of woo (naturopathy, chiropractics, acupuncture etc), but I'm seriously eating antihistamines like they're tic tacs and I'm at my wits end. What's the non-woo process for diagnosing a food allergy and what kind of doctor should I be seeking out?

Perhaps I'm a cow? Why do I regurgitate my food?

HopStopDon'tShop — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:03:46 -0800

YANMD digestion filter: I regurgitate food. Regularly. If I do any vaguely strenuous exercise within 2 hours of eating, or sometimes longer, up come bite-sized portions of my meal, intact, into my mouth. WTF? It also happens if I go to the toilet (for, you know, a bowel movement) within 1 or 2 hours of eating. It doesn't seem to matter whether I ate a lot or a little, spicy or non-spicy, fruits, veggies, meat, whatever. And if I exercise, particularly if there's any abdominal exercise involved, I can count on having to re-chew my food and swallow it again. Does anybody have any idea what could be going on here.

(I've read that this could relate to some sort of allergy but I was hoping there might be someone with experience here - I've spoken to my doctor and he doesn't seem to care much as there's no pain or discomfort, really - there's no bile in there or anything.)

Let there be lips!

jph — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:53:08 -0800

Help me understand what my doctor is telling me about my bizarre new party trick, where my lips swell up to Kardashian proportions. Also, help me be a good patient and actually follow through on the prescribed course(s) of action. You are not my doctor. I am not seeking your medical opinion. I am seeing my own specialist. Yes. All of that. I just need help making an informed decision about how to move forward with those treatments, and my doctor's explanation was a little too flip to be helpful.

So my lips have started swelling. Majorly. (Warning, I look like someone's science experiment gone wrong.)

This started only after I began allergy shot treatments and has seemed to get worse over time. It stared simply enough. One random lip swelling after breakfast one day. But then it kept happening. It never concurred with my allergy shot, and if it was food, the list of things I'd eaten was too long to really ferret out what it might have been. It got more severe and more frequent - up to and including throat swelling. (I've got an epi pen, but haven't ever had to use it because I've never had respiratory distress related to this reaction.)

Before getting allergy shots: nil. Never had this reaction. Didn't even know what throat swelling felt like.

So I dutifully went back to the doctor's office and showed him the photo(s), and he said some stuff about cross-reactive food allergy, or an "enzyme deficiency." The prescribed next steps left me feeling a little confused, and although I asked questions, I think I got the "you're not paying me enough to give you a science lesson, kid" answer from the doctor. I was instructed to have a blood test (to determine if this is due to this mysterious enzyme deficiency), and also keep a food journal.

My questions:

1) First off, what's the deal with this "enzyme deficiency?" It sounds a little woo to me. And also, where the hell would such a deficiency come from? I'm 30. Could someone just become deficient like this? Could allergy shot treatments bring on such a deficiency? What are the treatments for such a deficiency? (When I asked the doctor these questions, I was told "We wont know more until we get the blood test back; the therapy for enzyme deficiency is enzyme replacement therapy." which was tautologically useless.)

2) Cross-reactive food allergy? This also sounds a bit woo to me. I've been wildly disappointed with the lack of specificity where potential food allergies are concerned. I got the whole "sensitive, not specific" nature of food allergy scratch testing. (The whole frigging panel lit up when I had the food scratch done.) I get the concept (that certain environmental allergies could be triggered by non-environmental things), but I'm at the maintenance dose for my environmental allergy treatment. Shouldn't that mean that this is less of a thing?

3) I suppose I should get the blood test done, but I'm concerned that we've created a problem and now we're in search of a solution for a problem that we didn't have to begin with. Is that ridiculous? And not knowing what kind of treatments I'm potentially facing, I'm less than thrilled with the prospects of moving forward with more seemingly-blind diagnostic tests. Do I need to do this? Do I need more/different information? Can I just nix the allergy treatments and go back to life before them where my seasonal allergies were gross but not publicly embarrassing like swollen lips?

4) And finally, a food journal? Really? I'm no man of science, but that strikes me as a wholly unhelpful method of actually figuring out what is going on. Am I not better off going on an elimination diet and slowly introducing foods back in to see if I react? A food journal just strikes me as yet another scattershot approach which may or may not yield useful data. If food journaling is the way to go, is there a way to do this that I'll actually follow through on and which will possibly yield helpful information?

tl;dr Lips/throat suddenly swelling up after a year of allergy treatments. What do I do next?

no dairy no soy no wheat

yarly — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:01:25 -0800

Non-dairy, wheat-free, soyless and quick? I'm eliminating soy, wheat, and dairy from my diet and need really quick ideas for meals and snacks. Obviously hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter will feature, but what are some good combinations? I've seen this askme, but I can still have eggs, and I'm specifically looking for quick things for lunch and breakfast.

Portland date restaurant with no dairy/nuts options

Muttoneer — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:11:04 -0800

What is a good restaurant in Portland, OR for a date with dairy and nut allergies? The preference is for downtown (extra bonus points for near a Max stop). Any cuisine is welcome, but I know finding Indian (for example) without nuts or dairy would be pretty near impossible. This is a first date, and I want to show off some of Portland's fantastic food.

Oil Allergy? Who Do I See?

These Birds of a Feather — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:37:50 -0800

Soy, peanut, cottonseed, sunflower, palm, rapeseed, and coconut oils make me super sick. Which doctor do I see? Over the past six years I've grown increasingly more aware that I have stomach and skin problems after I eat any food prepared with the following oils: soy, peanut, cottonseed, sunflower, palm, rapeseed, and coconut. Hydrogenated and fractionated oils produce particularly bad skin reactions (bizarre cystic acne, weird hives, etc). I do not have problems with canola oil or olive oil and can eat both freely.

Lately my sensitivity to the aforementioned oils has been much more pronounced and prolonged and I frequently have debilitating cramps and stomach issues that I have a hard time treating. The stomach reactions occur within 10 to 20 minutes of eating foods prepared with any of the above oils; the skin issues occur within a few hours. This is starting to really frustrate and embarrass me as I can't tell if what I have is an allergy, a sensitivity, or a sign that something else is wrong and this is just a tip of the iceberg.

If I were to go to a doctor, who would be more able to help me identify what's going on? Would I fare better with an allergist or a gastroenterologist? I have limited ability to take time off work right now so I'm trying to be strategic about the appointments I do make.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, particularly if you or someone you know also has problems with these oils.

Onion-free, garlic-free, tomato-free tasty soups, please

sillymama — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:07:19 -0800

Freezable, tasty soups or stews without onion, garlic or stewed tomatoes. Is this possible? I've started making and freezing soup for workweek lunches. Love! Italian sausage and kale, spicy cabbage soup, chili, chicken taco soup, peanut chicken stew, all so tasty. My husband, however, doesn't get to share in the joy of all the soup ever, because good soups seem to require sauteed onion and garlic as a base and/or the addition of tomatoes in various forms.

The onions and garlic give him indigestion, and we're not sure what the problem is with the tomatoes--possibly the seeds?

I have so far made this carrot and lentil soup which was yummy but not particularly hearty.

Can you please recommend to me your favourite soups and stews that do not require onions, garlic or tinned tomatoes? Slow cooker recipes are also welcome. I have all the necessary kitchen gadgets and a well-stocked spice cupboard.

Recommended anti-histamines for year-round allergy sufferer?

Hawk V — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:47:49 -0800

Allergy filter: I have year-round allergies. Loratadine works wonders for me, but I develop an immunity in about a month or so. Which other non-drowsy antihistamines would you recommend? I believe I've read and re-read all the allergy posts here on Metafilter, and they've helped me manage my allergies. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to cats and dust, not sure what else. I do have a test coming up, but it's not for a while.

So what seems to work out well for me is a daily low dose of Nasonex + 10 mg of Loratadine. Loratadine takes away the brutal post-nasal drip and eases the irritated throat (although I still often take cough drops and must watch humidify levels). Nasonex keeps the nasal passages open and clear, although I still have to sleep upright because it feels like my nasal passages like they're collapsing each other if I sleep in a completely flat position. I don't have sleep apnea, but nasal problems and sleep apnea runs in my family.

The last time I developed an immunity to Loratadine, I tried 10 mg Reactine (Zyrtec for you Yanks), but I found it ineffective. Should I up my dosage next time of Reactine and see, or should I try Allegra, or another OTC anti-histamines? I know it's really all trial and error, but they're not cheap, and money's a bit tight. So I'd like to streamline this process as much as possible. I'd like to hear your anti-histamine recommendations!

(And my question is specific to anti-histamines. I have the other parts of allergy management down: cleaning like a maniac, no carpets, Neti pot, etc.)

Is there a connection between the Pill and food allergies?

Ms. Toad — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:12:00 -0800

Could there be a connection between a food (yeast) allergy and birth control pills? YANAD. I plan on talking to my doctor about this, but I'd like advice/background that would help me know how to approach him.

I've had an allergy to yeast in food - especially beer/wine, and foods with yeast extract - that came on several years ago. I chalked it up to aging and natural changes to the body, and have altered my diet to accommodate it.

But, recently, a relative went on the pill and within a couple weeks developed a severe reaction to alcohol, especially beer. She went off the pill again after a couple months and the reaction disappeared.

After hearing about this, I recalled that I might have switched the type of pill I was on around the same time that this allergy developed. I know birth control can alter yeasts in the body, but could there be any connection between the pill and a yeast allergy in food? Anybody have any similar experiences or suggestions of research I can do about this before I approach my doctor?

How to tell if you're allergic to medicine without re-taking it?

msleann — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 19:59:27 -0800

How to tell if you are allergic to medicine without re-taking it? I was prescribed a codeine-based cough syrup for bronchitis. I woke up an hour after taking it (and the antibiotic) itching like mad. I kept up the antibiotic with no itching. I would like to know if I'm allergic to codeine without having to re-take it, and being itchy for hours. Is there a way to safely do this?

Make. It. Stop.

Melismata — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:41:53 -0800

Lady-filter: ladies, have you experienced formication (not fornication, alas) possibly due to perimenopause? If so, how did you treat it? Itching is making me crazy!! I have major formication on my head and neck, and sometimes on my arms, and it seems to be getting more frequent. (Am in my early 40s.) A year ago, I first high-tailed it to the dermatologist when I thought it might be lice, but she checked and found nothing, not even dandruff or a rash ("the only thing I see is a few red marks where you scratched," she said).

So she tested me for 29 allergens, and found nothing. (I had already switched to an anti-allergen shampoo; nothing). She then sent me to an allergy specialist, who tested me for 100 more allergens; nothing. They prescribed *peering at labels* Clobetasol, Betamethasone, and Triamcinolone; nada.

So doing some research, including here on Metafilter, I'm thinking that it could be due to perimenopause. Ok, fine. BUT HOW DO I GET RID OF IT?! It used to occur only every few days, but now barely a half-day goes by without scratching like crazy, and go I nuts at work meetings trying not to scratch.

I've just made an appointment with my gyno, and hopefully he'll have a solution. The two dermos, and my GP, all seemed to think that it was just an allergen that hadn't been discovered yet, especially since it's limited to my head and neck. But the research I've done, such as this article, seems to say "well the good news is, it'll eventually disappear." Aaaagh!! Anyway, before I see the doctor I was hoping that the hive mind would have some wisdom, or experience, on this subject. Was there a certain medication that helped? Did you try a different approach, such as acupuncture?

Oh, and one other data point: I'm on birth control pills, the same ones for 20+ years. The last time I went to the gyno I discussed other possible perimenopause symptoms I thought I was having (weird memory lapses, darker, stranger periods), he said that that was weird because the pills should mask all perimenopausal symptoms due to their hormone content, or something. So maybe the formication is something else, I don't know. I just want it to stop.

Thanks, Metafilter!

Fragrant and glycerine-free hair care tips needed!

reverend cuttle — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:08:18 -0800

What are some fragrant, glycerin-free options for shampoo and conditioner? I am asking on behalf of Mrs. Cuttle, who has recently discovered her perpetually itchy scalp may be due to a definite glycerin allergy. Almost every shampoo and conditioner has glycerine in it, so she will not use those.

So far, her best option has been a solution of baking soda and water applied in the shower every night for cleaning, with an occasional rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar to remove residue buildup on the hair. The only problem with this technique is that her hair doesn't exactly smell pretty--neutral at best--and on nights when she uses the vinegar, she can smell downright like a marinade.

Are there other options to either add pleasant scent to her existing routine, or try something else entirely.

Possibly pertinent data:
Her hair is thick straight and coarse.
She is a brunette with some silvered tinsel.
She is an excellent dancer.

I am allergic to something in my home that isn't pollen, dander, or mold.

bosco_costanza — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 13:35:29 -0800

I am allergic to something in my home. The symptoms only show up while I'm at home. I don't know what it could be. Is there something or someone that can figure out for me? In July of this year I moved into my first own home. Prior to this I lived with a relative in a house 5 miles away. I had no allergy problems at that house.

I have year-round allergies that are controlled with prescription medication and regular use of a neti pot.

My new-to-me home was built in 2004 and had 2 previous owners. It is a traditional ranch type home in the southern U.S. The kitchen has tile, the living room has laminate wood flooring, and the bedrooms are carpeted. The previous owners did not have pets as far as I know, and they lived in the home for 3 years. The neighborhood is less than 10 years old, so there isn't much mature vegetation.

I have had the carpets professionally cleaned, and had an indoor air quality inspector check the house. He also took air samples to check for toxic mold. The lab results for the air samples indicated that there was no mold in the home.

My symptoms include:

Thickening of the throat/needing to clear my throat before speaking
Restriction of the airway just slightly to be inconvenient but not life threatening
Persistent nose itch (where you feel constant little tickles right outside nostrils)
Eye irritation over time
Skin itchiness
Inner ear itchiness
Poor sleep quality
When I am outside my home, I feel like there is a "buildup" of some not so pleasant smell inside my sinuses that gradually goes away each time I blow my nose (hard to explain)
My sneezes are different. It's like they aren't as effective or satisfying.

I have noticed that I often feel temporary relief after taking a long hot shower, although I think there are too many things that play into this.

I have cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed as much as is humanly possible and have noticed no improvement in symptoms.

I have been trying to keep the windows open as much possible to circulate air, but this does not seem to help. I still have the above symptoms. I have aired out the home for 24 continuous hours at a time and still had no improvement in symptoms.

The HVAC system does not seem to be responsible. I actually have not been running it and am still noticing symptoms.

As crazy as it sounds, I feel like I am allergic to some THING in the house, whether it is the paint or the woodwork or the countertops, etc.. The difficulty is that I live here now and everything in the home is "new" to my body, so I can't eliminate the possibilities.

Is there some service that can essentially capture a volume of the air inside my home and analyze everything in it? I feel like if I at least knew what was in the air, I could narrow down the sources one by one.

Excuse me, Doctor... but are All The Drugs right for me?

aristan — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:10:47 -0800

I've decided to actually use my medical insurance as it was intended, rather than waiting for some body part to fall off. I have my first ever physical scheduled in 2 weeks. How do I bring up health concerns with my doctor in a way that doesn't make me sound like a hypochondriac with an internet connection? I know you're not my doctor, but I want to know how to bring these things up without looking like I'm self diagnosing, drug seeking, or anymore crazy than I actually am.

I want to come in prepared, but not look like I've spent the time preparing a top 10 of my favorite diseases.

I have a few concerns that I want to look at, but i don't know how to bring them up.

Possible Gluten or Wheat Allergy: I try to keep a low carb diet and I've noticed I feel a lot better when i cut my carbs. I feel like crap if I get carbs from things like pasta, breads, etc... but I feel fine if I'm getting them from fruits, vegetables, or even rice.

Adult ADHD: I'm late for everything, I'm either super focused on the wrong thing or trying to do too many of the right thing at once. I show a lot of classic signs for having ADHD.

Problems with my antidepressants: I need to know how to bring up to him that when i take my antidepressants and don't forget to take them regularly, I lose the ability to have an orgasm. I have no problem getting or maintaining an erection... but I just keep missing the best part, giving up before I actually reach it. Hell, sometimes I "forget" to take my Celexa just so I can get off.

I have some other issues, but these are the main ones. Any suggestions on how to broach the subjects in a constructive manner?

A recipe better than a pile of

shortyJBot — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:06:28 -0800

Can you recommend a particular recipe for a gluten, soy, dairy, artificial sweetener, and corn-free cake and pizza? My awesome workmate is having a birthday in a couple of weeks, and she is on an elimination diet to determine food sensitivities that may be affecting her restless leg syndrome.

Corn, soy, wheat/gluten, artificial sweeteners, and dairy are not allowed at this time for her. She is allowed to have stevia drops and some natural sugar in moderation. She can also have nuts, eggs, and fruit.

I have googled for recipes and have found many that have only *1* of the forbidden foods, but haven't had luck finding recipes for pizza or a cake with *none* of the above foods.

Can you recommend a specific recipe for either or both? My workmate is awesome and deserves these favorite foods for her birhthday! Thanks, guys!

save me from possible death by puppy

elizardbits — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 08:35:02 -0800

Help! I think I'm badly allergic to my new puppy. New puppy! He is adorable and I love him to bits, even when he poops under the couch! (He was so proud of himself, omg.) But everywhere he touches my skin or licks me, I break out into hives.

It was a mild irritation at first, and one that went away when I washed with a mild soap. But it's getting worse and worse, and new hives are appearing on top of old ones. Washing the licky touchy parts isn't doing much and allergy pills don't seem to be having any effect.

I thought maybe it was from his food - I'm feeding him taste of the wild prairie puppy formula (he loves it and has no digestive issues with it) but I read the ingredients and there is some fish meal in it (I am pretty allergic to all seafood). Thus far some super unscientific experimentation (I taped some wet, mashed-up dog food to a hive-free section of the inside of my arm for 2 hours) has not shown any concrete proof that the food is the culprit.

I also thought it might be from ragweed on his coat, and he's been carefully (and hilariously) bathed with gentle puppy shampoo, and all his toys and blankies washed with hypoallergenic soap. So far no success.

Is there anything else I might be missing? Or am I just allergic to my new little huggy squeezy most precious puppy? Even as I write this the hives are spreading up my neck in a very alarming fashion, which is making me a little nervous. I no longer keep an epi-pen in the house because I don't make a habit of cuddling shellfish or bees, dammit.

(photo requirement fulfilled!)

N.B. I have owned dogs before and never had an allergy issue with them, though I am allergic to cats (sneezing and eye issues and hives). No cats were present in the dog's household prior to me getting him.

Some of my favorite parts are VERY unhappy right now.

SMPA — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:40:56 -0800

Clothes Detergent Filter! What are good and easily available fragrance-free detergents that work well when hand-washing garments? This is all going to sound really "Princess and the Pea" esque, and I'm sorry to put you through this. Not that sorry, though, because I feel like I may be keeping the aloe vera/oatmeal/Desatin business fiscally solvent these days.

I got severe contact dermititis from Woolite Complete, and the local stores don't seem to carry Woolite Delicate anymore. Plus I'd like to have more options than just the one.

I need recommendations for detergents that meet the following characteristics:

Required

Fragrance-free
Effective at actually getting clothes clean (especially in terms of removing sweat, blood, tears, and other organic substances - these are bras we're talking about, not sweaters.)
Appropriate for use in hand-washing garments
Rinses away really really well (this is part of the "appropriate for hand-washing" thing.)
Not going to make me gag when I use it (please, don't tell me to wash things in vinegar.)
Basically colorsafe, gentle on the clothes, etc.

Highly desirable but not required

Dye-free
Actually backed up by dermatologist surveys or whatever
Doesn't smell anything like Ivory Classic Scent liquid dishsoap, Dawn Classic Scent liquid dishsoap, or any variety of Cascade Complete (I don't want to smell like my dishes)
Carried by Wal-Mart or Meijer in Ohio/the American midwest

Totally irrelevant

All-natural, organic, etc. - I don't care. I don't want to spend a fortune or truck out to Whole Foods, however.
Whether it can be used in washing machines - I have good solutions for that.

I am extremely sensitive to all kinds of things - I even get rashes from Aveeno Ultra "Calming" products, and occasionally from my dish soaps (on my hands/arms.) Please, confine your suggestions to things that are actually fragrance-free if at all possible; I know of whence I speak.

Oh - and if the answer is Dreft, All Free Clear, Ivory Snow or Tide Free & Gentle, please show me the documentation that says you can actually use the product when hand-washing things, and tells you how much to use. Everything I've been able to find suggests it's all formulated for washing machine use, and I don't want to spend $8 on something that won't work. :(

(I'm provisionally willing to give both Dreft and Ivory Snow a try despite the fact they are not fragrance-free, if someone can prove to me that they can actually be used for hand-washing, because I am under the impression that the pickings are slim, but I'd really rather not, because the only way Dreft worked for my siblings - using washing machines - was to do an extra full wash cycle, with just water.)

Thanks in advance!

Gluten, soy, casein and eggs, oh my!

gilsonal — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:35:37 -0800

No gluten, soy, casein (milk), or eggs for me. Sad face. Please share your amazing recipe sources for somebody with a bunch of allergies. I've had some testing done that suggests I need to cut gluten, casein, soy and eggs out of my diet. Which as far as I can tell, pretty much leaves me with veggies, meat and fruit. Lots of options, but I don't have many recipes that comply with my new rules.

Are there any other food allergy victims out there? Blogs? Cook books? Brilliant suggestions?

I love to bake but the egg thing really has me stumped. I'd love all your favorite meal ideas.

Aubergine Allergy?

zarq — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:38:21 -0800

Is it possible to randomly develop an allergy to eggplant / aubergine in one's late 30's? I've had meals containing eggplant four times in the last month and a half, and have felt ill after each. I flush bright red, break out into a sweat, feel dizzy and nauseous like I'm going to throw up, and then somehow manage to keep my meal down.

The symptoms slowly fade over a period of 60-90 minutes.

What I've eaten:
* Pizza with Eggplant
* Eggplant Parmigiana
* Eggplant Risotto (twice)

The pizza and parmigiana were from different sources. The Risottos were from a third restaurant.

I eat eggplant regularly -- perhaps once or twice a month. Have never had a problem. I'm allergic to a couple of things -- shellfish and sunflower, but they give me migraines, not stomach upset. I am sensitive to MSG salt, which also gives me migraines. So this is not a typical food allergy reaction for me. And from searching Google, it doesn't seem to be a typical allergic reaction for eggplant, either: people mostly seem to report itchy mouths.

Is it possible that I've suddenly developed a random allergy to eggplant? Can that even happen? If you have any insight into what might be happening here, I'd welcome it.

Chicken thighs, you are so tasty, but I will regret this later!

wholebroad — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:33:16 -0800

Why does (dark) chicken meat sometimes (but not always) make me feel ill? Slightly TMI descriptions inside. Sometimes when I eat dark chicken meat, it makes me feel stick to my stomach later (usually starts about a half hour afterwards, lasting for a few hours). This means I feel queasy/naseous, with some stomach cramps and maybe heartburn, but I don't experience any more severe GI effects (ie, no vomiting or diarrhea).

This has started in the last few years. I typically have a pretty tough stomach - the only other thing that typically causes me gastro distress is gluten (I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity). I have no trouble with chicken breasts or other kinds of fatty meat - dark turkey meat is fine, as are red meat and fattier cuts of pork. It's just dark chicken that's the problem.

This doesn't always happen with dark chicken meat - maybe about half the time I eat it. Some examples of dishes that have made me feel ill later:

- Chicken satay from a Malaysian restaurant.
- a whole chicken cooked in a slow cooker (the breasts were fine)
- Grilled thigh meat from a Thai restaurant
- Sadly, this recipe for street cart-style chicken and rice.

Examples of dishes that have recently NOT made me feel ill:

- Chicken I roast myself, or rotisserie chicken from a supermarket.
- Braised chicken thighs (ie, chicken adobo or cacciatore), made myself

The only thing I can think of is that some of the dishes I've had that made me sick seemed (but were not) a bit undercooked when I ate them, so it may be a psychosomatic, "ew, gross" thing. I know it's not sneaky gluten, because this happens sometimes when I cook for myself, totally gluten-free - and anyway, it's a different sort of reaction.

I'd like to figure out what's causing this so I can avoid it - whether that means I just stop eating dark chicken meat altogether or figure out how I can cook it so it doesn't make me sick!