Anyone developed food allergy midlife?

[DollyMatrix]

My first reaction was to a mix seed bag at breakfast, hives and burning all over, puffed up face, scratch throat, inside ears and private parts stung the worse. It was terrifying as I had no idea what was happening and how it will end. Life long sees and nut lover. It was at height of COVID. By the time I got through to someone on 111, symptoms have started to subside.

I have had it a few more times since, still not sure what triggers it - it’s after peanut butter or seeds or nuts, which despite the risk I eat daily in great variety. Take an antihistamine and ride it out.

But I don’t get how this has come on aged 42 after eating these things without previous issues?

Yes... strawberries make my lips tingle and swell. Had no isue before and now nearly 40yrs old.

I just avoid them now sadly.

You can develop an allergy at any time. My Dad developed numerous non IGE allergies in his early 70s. As yours is an IGE allergy you need to go and ask the GP and ask for allergy testing as it can get worse with each exposure. If it’s nuts and seeds it maybe cross contamination from on variety to another rather than the actually variety you were eating.

Yep they can come on at any age.

You can become sensitised to a substance and develop an allergy at any point in your life, even if you’ve previously been able to eat it/use it/whatever it without issues. Repeated exposure to an allergen can increase the chance of having a serious reaction eg anaphylaxis, which would be life threatening.

I definitely think you should see your GP, especially as you aren’t sure what triggers it. A food/symptom diary
might be useful to help you identify it, but once you suspect a certain food is causing a reaction I really would stop purposefully eating it, especially as you’ve described your face swelling in the past.

That's called oral allergy syndrome or something. Yes I can't eat dried fruit anymore it's so strange.

So many later life allergies.
Strawberries, kiwi, pecans, most shellfish, latex, chlorhexidine
It gets more every year

My pencillian allegry started in my 20s. My SIL prawn allergy started in her 40s with minor symptoms which got worse with each exposure until she had her first severe reaction and she now carries an epipen.

Yes, I noticed kiwi fruit made my lips tingle then my whole mouth over a few times of eating last year so now I avoid. I'm 43.

Yes it can happen

In do think to need to see your GP OP as this sounds potentially dangerous

Yep after DD2 was born. Jojoba oil, wine, lemons, mango’s and tomatoes. I can now tolerate bits of the food but jojoba oil even a tiny bit is still terrible.

My sister had a huge reaction to strawberries in her early 50s. No issues until then and was sudden. She avoids them now like you.

Yes I became allergic to cows milk, wheat, soy, oranges and crab in my 40's

Chinese food after I was pregnant, I'm guessing it's the MSG. Or a really bad sensitivity towards it.

I started reacting to pistachios and cashews last year - I was 50. I now have an epipen.
You should see your GP about this and ask for a referral to an allergist. You need to know what your allergy is so you can have treatment in place, but also it can affect the medicines you take as well.