I think dd (11) is possibly allergic to shellfish/mussels. What do I need to do?

[MicronesiaIsMyHome]

This is the third time dd has had vomiting and diarrhoea after eating mussels. She is also very flushed and feeling very poorly today. Is there anything I can do, do we need to see a gp or just avoid shellfish in the future?
Would grateful for any advice or info.

[Tommy]

just avoid shell fish I would suggest
what would you want a GP to so?

[Tommy]

or even do?

[MrsSquirrel]

I am similar. It took me a few times of eating oysters before I worked out what was going on. I am allergic to shellfish (molluscs) but am fine with crustaceans like crab and lobster.

The main thing is to avoid eating seafood. Bear in mind that it's not only seafood itself but also some cooking sauces (e.g. oyster sauce) can have seafood ingredients.

[MicronesiaIsMyHome]

Exactly Tommy, I didn't think there was anything they can or would do but I just wanted to check really. I am fairly certain that it is the mussels making her ill so we will definitely be avoiding them in the future.

[sooperdooper]

Yeah, just avoid them in future, there's nothing else the GP would suggest, luckily it's not a common food that's added to loads of things to easy enough to avoid

[piggyboo]

The vomiting you describe after shellfish is called FPIES food protein induced enterocolitis. It's a delayed allergy. For the majority of foods its outgrown by age 5 but fish/shellfish FPIES is usually lifelong. visit fpiesuk.org for more info. It's mostly aimed at parents of young children but the symptoms are the same regardless of age. They have a fb group too. Allergy UK has a fact sheet here www.allergyuk.org/downloads/factsheets/childhood-allergy/FPIES.pdf

[ThreeFroglets]

Actually I disagree with the advice given so far - I had a reaction to mussels around five years ago. I had a rash, swelling, D&V, a migraine and felt awful for 6 days.

"What are the symptoms of fish/seafood allergy?

The pattern of symptoms following ingestion of fish and seafood is similar to that reported for other foods, including, nausea, sickness, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, wheezing, rhinitis, flushing, urticarial rashes and dramatic swelling. Fatal reactions have been reported."
( From the Allergy UK website )

Since then, I have gone on to develop an allergy to fish as well as seafood and have been advise to avoid ALL TYPES. I have been prescribed epi-pens and am waiting for an appointment for the allergy clinic. My family can no longer eat fish at home because even if I am no where near it I have a flare up. I cannot eat chips from a chip shop because of cross contamination, the only place I eat out without a reaction is KFC...

Seafood/Fish allergies can be very serious and are unlikely to be outgrown, if it was my child I would be taking her to the GP for their opinion...fish products are found in the most unlikely places that I would not ever have thought of before - dog treats and food, Oyster and or fish sauce in Chinese and Thai foods, Wines and Champagne, Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies and is in quite a lot of pre-prepared foods, fish stock could easily contain mussels.

[ClaireOB]

Agree with ThreeFroglets, if you suspect a food allergy in DD, please see GP and ask to be referred to a specialist allergy clinic for a proper diagnosis, and if positive, dietary advice and assessment as to whether an adrenaline autoinjector is needed. Avoidance is of course key but without a proper diagnosis is not sufficient. Link to Allergy UK has been given above, Anaphylaxis Campaign is also worth contacting, their helpline number is given at the top of the web page (open 9-5 Mon-Fri). This is an extract about shellfish/fish allergies:

"Fish and Shellfish

Allergic reactions to shellfish are rare in young children, and are usually not seen until the teenage years or adulthood. This may be a reflection of the fact that shellfish is not normally a part of the diet of young children.

Allergy to fish, such as cod and other white fish, may begin in childhood and is likely to be lifelong. Allergies to fish or shellfish are potentially serious and there may be a rapid onset of symptoms. ..."

[leekandpotato]

are you giving antihistamine?

have you got medical advice to check that this is still a mild reaction that doenst need any extra observation or medical advice?

ring gp if symptoms dont go away or linger for a long time, or go to hospital if symptoms change for worse.