Ugh

[draperygoddess]

Hi everybody,

I have been off the radar for awhile--things got really busy, and my husband gave us a scare with a seizure, which required an ER trip and many follow-up tests. Amazingly, I got through all that just fine, but now something else has derailed me. I got some Sunkist Fruit Gems last Sunday--they were labeled as gluten-free, and the only allergen listing was that they were processed in a plant with peanuts. I'm sensitive to peanuts, but not enough to worry about cross-contamination, so I thought I was good to go. By Tuesday I was feeling a little off, but not enough to tie it to the candy I'd been eating for the past two days (or maybe I just didn't want to admit it!). By Wednesday night I knew I was in trouble: pounding headache, nausea, stomach cramps, fatigue. Sometime around then, my fingers broke out in tiny flesh-colored bumps. Since then, I've had some D, not terrible, but I hadn't had it in quite awhile. I stopped eating the candy, obviously, but I'm still not able to eat normally. Tried coffee this morning--Norman, but lots of stomach pain, so I didn't try to eat anything else until late afternoon. Had chicken, rice and veggies, but I overdid it and had some Udi's granola (I was starving, haven't eaten much in days!), and this afternoon I had D worse than the past few days. Finally broke down and took some Immodium since I will be travelling tomorrow and don't want any surprises.

So, do you think the candy is the culprit? Anybody else had a problem with it? I thought maybe it could be the citric acid, but that doesn't explain my fingers...

[tex]

Cynthia,

Sorry you're reacting so badly. You may be allergic to one or more of the flavorings or dyes in that product. It contains a heck of a lot of them. With 15 ingredients, I would be afraid to touch them.

INGREDIENTS: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Pectin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Natural Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Lime Flavors and Artifical Colors, FD&C Yellow #5 and #6, Red #3 and #40, Blue #1.

I hope your husband is doing well, and I hope that you'll be feeling up to traveling, tomorrow.

Tex

[Rosie]

Cynthia, I would highly suspect the "natural" flavors. Many of them contain soy oil, and it's not listed as an allergen on the label. I avoid all natural flavors unless I can check with the manufacturer about it. For example, when I checked with Stash tea, I was told that some of their natural flavors contain soy oil, and they didn't label it as an allergen. That's because the oil isn't the soy protein, so it isn't required. But we know that many of us react to soy oil. So I just avoid all flavored teas. The soy oil is used because some natural flavors are oils and need to be diluted in an oil or alcohol, while others are water soluble and so don't need the oil. Here is a link to a major manufacturer of "natural flavors" and you can see what I mean.

http://www.bickfordflavors.com/cpack_2.asp?id=144

I hope your husband is OK now!

Rosie

[draperygoddess]

Thanks for the advice, Tex and Rosie! I should know better by now--the more ingredients something has, the more suspect it is--but I guess there is still a part of me that misses dessert!

Hubby is fine--nothing serious, just freaked me out! Tests confirmed that he has a very narrow chest cavity and his heart is literally squished between his sternum and his backbone, leaving it no room to expand properly when his blood pressure drops and it needs to pump harder. It doesn't hurt the heart, but in the right circumstances it can cause him to pass out. The funny thing is that he's a competitive runner, has been for years, and it never happens when he's running!

Managed a cup of tea and a slice of Pamela's bread this evening with no ill effects--we'll see how things go in the morning!

[Lesley]

I hoped you had disappeared because things were going really well! Sorry you have had such a rough time!

Desert - I can't do without it. For candy I eat rock candy. Just sugar and water. I have to suck on it to prevent the acid. I go through a lot.
And coconut milk ice cream. I go through a lot of that too. Just 4-5 ingredients depending on flavoring. The ice cream keeps me from feeling too deprived.

Glad hubby is OK. Take it easy. You'll get it back soon.

[Polly]

Cynthia,

Sure sounds suspicious. I think citric acid is usually corn-based. The bumps may not have been D.H. (the typical gluten rash). Were they itchy?

How about other stuff besides the usual allergens? Artifical colorings, flavorings, preservatives, etc.? I am sensitive to certain dyes (yellow #5, red #40, and green #3) according to MRT.

Hope you are over the hump now. BTW, how is hubby? Hope all of the tests were OK.

Love,

Polly

[humbird753]

Welcome back, Cynthia. I have been wondering how you were doing.

I am sorry to hear you have been reacting so badly, but I am sure you'll find your answers here.

Paula

[DebE13]

Hi Cynthia,

I found a similiar problem with jellybeans that I thought would be ok. I don't even like them, but dessert it soooo nice. Ate a few last night and again today- got a stomach ache and ill feeling both times. I wonder about the dyes and natural flavors too. I didn't react like you but it sure does put a damper on things. I hope you're feeling better soon.

[draperygoddess]

Hi guys,

Over a week now, and I'm still not back to normal. Not exactly D, but loose and floaty and "slippery," if that makes sense--mucous, I guess? I took it really easy Sunday, tried to eat a late lunch yesterday, but I think I'm back to soup today.

I'm still trying to figure it out--Polly, you raise a good point with the dyes. I have never been able to pinpoint whether they affect me or not. Maybe it's a quantity thing. I don't think the rash is DH. I did some research and I think it may be dyshidrotic eczema. I only get it on the sides and tops of my fingers and occasionally the sides of my hands. The bumps are very tiny, and they do itch, but not horribly. The bumps eventually start to peel (which is the stage I'm in now). It's not quite in the same category as true eczema, but it's usually associated with an allergic reaction. This brings back the question of whether I may be developing some mast cell issues, since I have some symptoms outside the digestive tract and seem to be collecting food intolerances instead of getting rid of them. I have had to eliminate practically all legumes over recent months, and I don't seem to be digesting beef terribly well--it doesn't exactly make me sick, but if I have a steak I am almost guaranteed a bellyache the next day.

Lesley, I do envy you your coconut ice cream--I can't eat the store-bought kind, but maybe this summer I'll drag out my freezer and do some homemade!

I would appreciate any insights you all have! It's been awhile since I had this long a stretch where I couldn't get things under control.

Thanks for all the concern regarding Matt--he's doing great, all tests were fine. The echocardiogram showed that his heart, although squished, is very healthy, no blockages, which is great news. EEG was negative for seizure activity, as expected.

[Martha]

Dear Cynthia,

I'm so glad your husband is okay. So scary when you're going through it.

I hope that you improve soon.

Love,
Martha

[tex]

I only get it on the sides and tops of my fingers and occasionally the sides of my hands. The bumps are very tiny, and they do itch, but not horribly. The bumps eventually start to peel (which is the stage I'm in now). It's not quite in the same category as true eczema, but it's usually associated with an allergic reaction.

That reminds me of a problem that I had forgotten I had. I've always been allergic to many plants, including a lot of vegetables, and anytime I worked in the garden, (or in grain fields) I had to wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves, or I would regret it afterwards. I assume it's a form of simple allergic contact dermatitis, but I never bothered to see a doctor about it. The worst offenders are sunflowers, pigweed, okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, etc., and even peach fuzz, and the fuzz on corn leaves and shucks, can cause it. I assume I'm still allergic to all that stuff, but I haven't touched any of them in years, 'cause I learned to avoid them a long time ago.

And, yes, problems such as this are certainly mast cell-related.

Tex

[Zizzle]

I am wildly sensitive to tomato plants (but I can eat tomatoes, go figure).

Yellow #5, tartrazine, causes alot of allergy and sensitivity issues for people. 2 members of my family have to stay clear of it.

[draperygoddess]

Tex and Zizzle,

I have been reading posts from some other mast-cell sufferers, and it appears to be difficult to find a doctor to deal with this. Can you suggest a course of action? The little I know about mast cell issues is from this forum, and I have no idea where to begin. Should I begin with eliminating certain foods, or with taking a histamine blocker?

I don't recall doing any gardening before this past Saturday, and the rash started way before then...I'm more inclined to think it was something I ate, not something I touched. When it showed up, the first thought I had was, "did I use any new product? New cleaner?" and I couldn't come up with anything.

Oh, what would I do without you guys?! Thanks for your help!

[Lesley]

So are you going back to the simplest so as to see what could be the culprit? What sort of soup? This disease is so insidious!
The coconut ice cream is SO easy to make, and really delicious. The fact that I can eat it helps me live with such a horribly restricted diet. Makes me feel like I am eating something fresh.
You should do it. Helps to have something like that!

[tex]

Cynthia,

I would try an antihistamine, if the problem is persistent. In my case, as long as I stay away from the antigens, I don't have any problems. If I get a rash, it will soon fade away in roughly a day, so long as I don't get re-exposed.

Just walking through grass or weeds, for example, (or even corn, wheat, or grain sorghum fields), before the dew dries, will cover me with a rash, up to whatever level my clothes gets wet, (it will even put big welts on my rib cage, that tend to burn more than itch). IOW, clothing will protect me from dry leaves, stems, etc., but moisture will carry the allergens through the clothing. There's probably a clue there, somewhere, but I don't recognize it, other than the fact that it tells us that the allergens are water-soluble.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that if you had this same issue, it would be possible to become exposed when you're doing the wash, simply by handling clothing of any member of your family who has been rolling around in the grass, or some other contact with various plants. Of course, as you say, it could also be associated with something in your diet.

Tex