Food allergies

Severe damage was done to DD biome after having to take massive doses of antibiotics for nearly a month. It caused endless problems with her digestive system and made her allergic to milk.

After trying everything that supermarkets and health food shops could offer, she consulted her local pharmacist and he advised a product called Symprove. It was quite expensive and had strict conditions about how and when you took it, but it worked. I think that it can now be prescribed by GPs.

Am very sad to hear of the lass who died because she accidentally are sesame. But am surprised than in all the news items and interviews - and there have been a lot - I've heard nothing about how breastfeeding protects a baby from allergies more than bottle feeding. What a missed opportunity.

Sprue is the old name for coeliac disease.
I never knew that Grammaretto, thank you.
Coeliac disease can be debilitating and can lead to other conditions which are life-threatening. Many people do not understand it at all, but with so many people claiming to have 'wheat allergy' (many of them are not coeliac and in fact haven't even heard of it) there is in fact a greater choice of gf products in the supermarkets now.

We have a young friend who has a severe nut allergy, yet some airlines still hand out nuts as snacks. Even if she sits next to someone on a plane who is eating nuts she is in danger of anaphylactic shock.

varian the same happened to one of my DC - a filthy hospital resulting in what the Sister called 'an infection caught in the delivery room' and consequently the first days of her life on antibiotics.

Re what Michael Moseley recommends - some mothers may pass on a streptococcal infections to their babies via the birth canal.
I find some of his pronouncements very dogmatic.

I agree with MOnica that there are strong reasons to connect allergies and asthma to belching fumes. All the chemicals we consume daily probably compound the problem. I can't wait for a cleaner environment.

Having said that my mother suffered from penicillin poisoning on a couple of occasions which landed her in hospital. She couldn't eat fungi either. An aunt of hers, born before 1900, had sprue so badly she took her own life.

Sprue is the old name for coeliac disease.

One of our DCs inherited the penicillin allergy and came out in huge weals when once prescribed it.

SunnySuzie, your observations about excessive cleanliness and overuse of antibiotics has been highlighted a lot recently. I grew up on a farm with all the contact with animals and muck that goes with it and thank goodness have never been allergic to anything.
Michael Mosely has done loads of research into this and he also believes that children born by C section are missing out on their mothers immunity and should have their faces wiped over with her vaginal secretions at birth. I know, sounds a bit yuk but also logical.
You might benefit from taking a good probiotic Suzy. ProBiob Clinica has some interesting research behind it. Well worth reading.

I remember making coconut ice to replace marzipan on a Christmas cake, because my mother in law didn't like almond paste. It was VERY sweet - but nice!

One of my grandchildren had an infection following her birth. My daughter says that the hospital which is now closed was dirty. She was give a hefty dose of antibiotic when she was just a day old and my daughter suspects this may have damaged her immune system. She is severely allergic to all dairy products, eggs and sesame and is also asthmatic. She went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died when she was a few months old but fortunately they were close enough to a hospital and her life was saved. Now twelve, she carries an epipen all the time and will probably have to for the rest of her life.

My mum used to make "marzipan" with semolina in the post war years when so much eas still rationed. However she did flavour it with almond essence which I think would be risky. Interesting that Tesco are doing a version,

I have several food allergies and food intolerances.

Nowadays, establishments where food is prepared on site should have a printed book that lists allergens and must be available if a customer asks what ingredients are in the food they are purchasing.

Unfortunately though, my more unusual (but severe) allergy of pineapple does not seem to be listed yet pineapple is used in far more foods than people realise as a (hidden) form of natural sweetener.

The last time I had a severe and somewhat scary reaction especially as I was on a remote island in the Indian Ocean was after using a lip balm sunscreen whilst on holiday. Only after getting extremely sick did we realise that it was supposed to be a 'tropical' flavour and contained pineapple flavouring.

Even in the supermarket I have to take extreme care not to venture near the fruit display or a trolley where the green shoots from the pineapple could potentially come into contact with my skin!

I have heard a 'too-clean' theory related to intolerances, not sure about allergies which are somewhat different and more serious. In other words our environments are so clean its not good for us. I think the argument is that because our bodies dont get a chance to react to pathogens, bugs and dirt our immune systems attack harmless things like food instead. I am dairy intolerant, but it only developed about five years ago, suspiciously after I had suffered for nearly a year with a tooth problem requiring a galaxy of antibiotics. When I went to the GP about the effects of the intolerance he immediately told me to go back to the dentist and get him to stop the antibiotics and, if necessary, remove the tooth. I think the antibiotics destroyed my gut bacteria which for some reason have never got back to normal, and now as a result I am unable to digest lactose. I know there is research to suggest people living in very clean environments dont have a broad range of gut bacteria.

We have genetic immune responses against some common disease organisms such as intestinal worms. Some harmless thigs in the environment like pollen grains have allergens on their surface which are similar to, and so cause immune reactions related to, triggers like those worms which are now totally inappropriate.

These reactions seem to be linked to the cleanliness of our modern environments as our immune system doesn't get used to differentiating between the triggers which need immune reactions and those which are harmless and don't.

Exposure to an allergen which is repeated at increasing concentration, can develop tolerance but needs to start very low and be carefully monitored to prevent a life threatening reaction.

Eating a wide variety of foods in pregnancy does help to prevent asthma, etc. in the children, as does being brought up on a farm or in close contacts with wildlife. This provides the exposure to many potential allergens and teaches the immune system to recognise the harmless from the disease causing stimuli.

Our grandson is anaphylactic to egg- even just traces.

You just cannot believe how hard it is to keep him safe, for parents, for us grandparents too. When they come to visit, it takes me a week of cleaning, cupboards, draws, all cutlery, plates, utensils, dishwasher, etc, etc. We have two frying pans we keep for their visits.

It means no visits to restaurants- as cross contamination if the kitchen just cannot be garanteed. And at school, he has to have packed lunches - he is now 12- and it is getting even harder, re scout and school trips, etc. So so sad for him- and so hard for his family, and his sister too. He has never been able to stay at a friend's Birthday party- and he only has 2 friends' families that can be trusted to take this allergy really seriously and understand it.

My youngest GD, 6.5 years, is anaphylactic to dairy, pea protein and lilies. She is allergic to Sorbitol, in apples and pears, fish, soya, almonds and walnuts, and has idiopathic, (unknown), reactions as well. She also has hay fever and asthma.
She has to carry TWO epi-pens as well as antihistamines at all times, with laminated instructions, in a backpack that goes everywhere with her.
We read ALL labels obsessively, for her safety and with her brother, 12 years, being gluten intolerant we have to be extra careful.
It becomes a life style, looking for 'safe' food, reading labels, even on known products in case the change the recipe, and making sure that eating out is safe. Fortunately the parents of her school friends will ask what food she can eat, or my daughter provides her with appropriate party food for birthday parties.

My main gripe is having to pay extra for gluten, dairy, soya free foods, like a small loaf of bread costing between £2 - £3.50 and tasting like sandy cardboard!

My Brother had asthma and eczema , then when the first penicillin came out he passed out with a severe allergic reaction, luckily in the surgery and he was forbidden any antibiotics for years , this must have been 70 years ago

aggie many thanks.

Gabriella. Doctors are not sure what the reasons are but air pollution, particularly particulates from diesel are believed to play a major part. Allergies were there. I can remember girls at school, only a couple, who could not eat certain foods, usually something like strawberries.

When my children were small I had a friend with children with cystic fibrosis and they had a restricted diet and party food was planned carefully in advance to accommodate them.

I think when we were young, children with any problem, no matter how mild, were excluded rather than accommodated

I think there have always been mental health issues, it's just that nobody talked about it. Thankfully times have moved on. But I must admit I'm baffled too by the number of people with allergies - I'd never heard of it until recent years. It must be a nightmare for those who suffer. There has to be a reason for it. I wonder if it came with the rise of fast, over processed food? Also there is so much conflicting information these days - what pregnant mums can or can't eat, what babies can and can't eat. One day it's good for you, the next day it isn't. Then a few months later it all changes again!

That poor, beautiful girl, my heart goes out to her family.

Since childhood my lips and mouth always swelled up after eating salted peanuts but I loved them and persevered obviously myself and family being completely unaware of how serious this might be. I now have no reaction whatsoever when eating nuts of any type so maybe something to be said for gentle exposure over a period of time? Have since gone into anaphylactic shock twice but that was as a result of hayfever problems.

I have hay fever type allergies to dust and cats, but the worst and scariest is Brazil nuts, which make my lips and tongue swell immediately. I have obviously always avoided them since childhood, and fortunately they are not as commonly used as peanuts. I had some allergy tests and they said I reacted to almonds too, which I love and eat with no obvious side-effects. I just don’t feel the medical profession knows enough about allergies.

*than, not that.

More food allergies and mental health issues now, that ever before. I never ever heard of anyone in any school I attended, having to have special meals or special measures taken when away on Brownie or Guide holidays or declining biscuit breaks or party food (and there were many parties)
Why is that?

I am very disappointed in Pret's defence - they owe a duty of care to their customers no matter what the regulations require.

I hope Natasha's parents and their other injured customers sue Pret so they take seriously their duty.

Whoops, wrong feed! Sorry.

Whatever property you're selling, it should be clean and fresh. Every room (and the garden) should be clutter free and minimalistic so that prospective buyers can imagine what it would look like when they move in.

At a work meeting recently I met a young woman who has severe allergies to a lot of different foods. The evening dinner was an Indian meal which would contain nut products so she requested something from the main menu. When it came there were mange tout in it - she is allergic to peas (which she'd told them) so had to send it back to the kitchen - the chef said they were mange tout - he apparently didn't know they were peas!! There were so many things she couldn't eat and has to be so careful - she also carries the epipen in case of emergencies. It actually turned out to be quite comical in some ways as at each break during the meeting someone would appear with a huge platter of fruit and look for her

Monica , Tesco do marzipan substitute using Semolina