What unusual allergies have you heard of?

[Soubriquet]

I mean most people know about things like peanut allergies but what else do you know is an allergen?

Someone I know (on here btw so hi if she sees this) her ds is allergic to tomatoes

I’ve never heard of a tomato allergy before so that was interesting

Feathers, nickel, latex, various animal dander and saliva, coconut, erythromycin and the usual tree pollen, grass, certain plants. Fortunately not any particular foods.

And wool/lanolin

@Spillanelle

You say "I’m allergic to water

I have a skin condition where my skin itches terribly, all over my body, after contact with water. Took me until I was almost 30 to get a diagnosis and an effective treatment."

Chocolateisavegetable has already mentioned aquagenic urticaria, but this sounds like aquagenic pruritis. I have both conditions, and have tried for fifty years to find an effective treatment. May I ask what works for you?

I used to get very sick of I ate some things with egg - sauces, mayonnaise, custard, ice cream... (definitely not psychosomatic as I would get the shakes/comity feeling even if I didn’t know it was in something). It started in my teens and only recently stopped (mostly) which is great because I used to eat mayo like it was going out of fashion.

Very odd. I guess an ‘intolerance’ rather than an allergy.

I'm allergic to penicillin and erythromycin, plus a few other antibiotics - I get a horrific itchy rash all over, which once came up just from passing a bottle of children's liquid penicillin to someone. My grandmother, my dad and my aunt were all the same: my dad and my aunt both had anaphylactic reactions to antibiotics. My GP's advice on this - 'Don't get sick.'

I also have polymorphic light eruption and come up in a delightful itchy rash, which takes days/weeks to calm down, if anything other than my face or lower arms catches the sun. I basically slather myself in Factor 50. DS had the same as a toddler but mercifully grew out of it.

@WriteHon - yes, aquagenic pruritus. it’s a horrible condition isn’t it, sorry you’re struggling with it too. I tried a few different over the counter creams on the advice of various GPs but found nothing helped. When I eventually saw a dermatologist she prescribed balneum plus cream and it’s been an absolute game changer for me. I apply it all over once a day after a shower and don’t have any itching at all now. There have been a few times when I’ve run out and not got a new bottle quick enough and sure enough the itchiness comes right back after 2 or 3 days. Maybe worth a try if you haven’t tried it already.

I had a friend who claimed she was allergic to chocolate orange.

In an old job I used to organise dinners and evening events and always hated/found amusing the ‘dietary requirements’ planning.

So many people seemed to think “allergy” = “don’t like”. I could always spot the big diet fad by the exclusions people would ask for.

I'm allergic to plasters and oranges.

Oh and amitriptyline

@justilou1

Sorry! I’m Hopeless!

Not at all. X

My vet told me he once treated a dog that was allergic to humans, poor thing!

@Spillanelle

Many thanks for the recommendation. I've tried topical treatments before, but not that one. It would be great to feel less of a freak after all this time. I expect you too have met lots of people who think you must be lying when you tell them that water, rain, humidity and even your own sweat on your skin brings you out in hives and gives you a vicious itch.

Sympathies too for everybody else whose allergies make life difficult for them, especially if understanding and support from others is not always forthcoming.

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

My vet told me he once treated a dog that was allergic to humans, poor thing!

Oh wow!!

My old dog was allergic to rice, chicken, beef, concrete( he couldn’t walk on it) wheat and any grain.

I'm allergic to peanuts, peas, chick peas, lentils, soybeans, egg white, hazelnuts and latex.

Any contact with latex or peanuts leads to anaphylaxis. The others just give me hives, itchiness, swollen lips and asthma.

beeswax candles and wood/coal fires.
makes me really really tired, bad headache and my face swells up.

@redcandlelight my DD is the same. BBQ season is total shit for us. We can't have any ourselves and have to run round closing all the doors and windows every time a neighbour has one . We never light candles. Can't use any perfumes or sprays in the house. Only one hand wash she's been desensitised to finally and I never change the scent of my deodorant or she has an asthma attack. Life is fun

@EBearhug no we had some ringed from a nest box on the farm. The conservationists invited DD and I to "help" never known so much sneezing

As part of my job I routinely ask people about allergies. I see it has already been mentioned on here but one that struck me as unfortunate was someone who was allergic to vinegar. She told me how many things that you wouldn’t even think of contain vinegar and how limiting it was for her.

I'm allergic (full anaphylaxis, included a respiratory arrest and ICU) to trauma- I had major accident as a kid, and had a spontaneous anaphylaxis due to the stress of the accident. Work with a woman who is exercise induced anaphylaxis- serious exercise will induce a true anaphylaxis response requiring adrenaline.

I have an allergy to roll on deodorant, makes me come up in a rash, so I just use spray and it's fine

Oh and my cat that recently passed away was allergic to plastic, so all his dishes were metal and he couldn't have food from pouches, the allergy seemed to affect his chest the most and he and up with patches of raw akin after he over groomed himself due to the allergy

My DM had a dog who was allergic to beef and wheat.

I was allergic to an antihistamine once. As a child the doctor prescribed me a soluble antihistamine (can't remember what for, hayfever maybe?) and I was allergic to whatever makes them soluble. I had to have adult ones that you swallow whole which I was happy about as soluble tablets taste disgusting!

I’m allergic to some of the ingredients in balneum plus cream ! Any alternative? I am so fed up of itching! Sitting here now after my shower trying not to scratch