New fish/shellfish allergy

[MrsVictorUbogu]

After eating all sorts of fish and shellfish for years without any problems, I have now developed an allergy/intolerance to them.

I february DH brought home some mussels. I prepared and cooked them, we sat down to eat them and DD2 splashed some of the creamy sauce on my chest. I wiped it off with a serviette, and started to eat. After a couple of minutes DD1 looked shocked as she said I had a bright red rash coming up on my chest. I thought maybe it was the bright colours on the serviette (left over Halloween ones ) that had given me a reaction. (I'm allergic to loads of things, washing powder, perfume, metal, make-up, face packs, creams, etc. as well as house mite dust, animals, oranges, pineapple, get the weird tingly mouth from celery. I've got asthma and allergic rhinitis, had some basic allergy testing many years ago)

Anyway, I washed the area that the sauce had splashed onto me, and took an anti-histamine tablet. I ate a few more mussels, and started to get itchy tingly lips, red and itchy rash on my neck, cheeks and chin. I got a bit scared and so did not eat any more.

Two hours later I was in the bathroom in agony with horrendous D&V. That went on for the rest of the night, and most of the next day. I KNOW the mussels were safe to eat (ie. not bad) because I prepared them and cooked them myself, as I have done millions of times in the past!

The D&V triggered a migraine, and I was in bed for three days, eventually got GP to come in as I felt so bad. He said it was an allergic reaction and it could come on out of the blue, just don't eat mussels for a few months before trying them again, but I might get the same reaction. I asked about other fish and seafood, and he said it should be fine to eat those.

I haven't tried eating them again as I felt sooo bad last time and it has put me off for life, lol. However, I have eaten fish (cod, monkfish and a tiny bit of salmon), and prawns, and had the same rash, tingly lips and followed by D&V. I stopped eating any fish at all, until last week when I had four prawns....and a rash, tingly lips and D&V. Now I am scared to eat any more fish, even though I really miss it. Do you think it would be worth asking for allergy testing again (last time I went, the hospital had run out of most of the things I was meant to be tested for, and it was a long wait) or should I just accept that I can no longer eat fish??

Also, not sure if it is relevant, but I have IBS, and if I eat any Fox's biscuits, hot dog sausages, BBQ flavouring in any food/sauce I have a pretty violent D&V session afterwards (though I obviously avoid these at all costs, even if I could murder a Crinkle Crunch biscuit!!)

Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the reply PixieOnaLeaf, I will ask the GP about testing then. Can I ask, what treatment would there be? I was assuming it would just be a case of avoiding, or do you mean treatment on accidental contact?

when I was in my mid-20s I developed a similar (but less spectacular) reaction to bivalves (mussels, scallops, oysters etc) but am still ok with fish, prawns, crab etc

My GP had no idea so I will watch with interest as I have been avoiding them for years and miss them...

I developed a seafood allergy when I was pregnant. I am still gutted about it as I love shellfish and can no longer eat it without throwing up. My mum also developed an allergy to seafood in adulthood (about 8 years ago, so when she was in her early 50s) and hers is so severe that if my dad eats, say, prawns, he can't kiss her as she gets a reaction. She has been told that seafood is the most commonly developed allergy in adulthood. Boo hiss.

I'm glad I'm not the only one to miss food that obviously doesn't agree with me, Mrs Badger!!

My daughter also had a reaction to fish, at eight months I gave her some tuna mayonnaise and as it was a hot day she was just wearing a nappy and a bib. The tuna had dropped down onto her tummy as she was feeding herself and where it had touched, she got a scarlet rash, as well as on her hands and face. I literally put her under the tap asap, and phoned GP. They said take her to A&E, but it had gone down by the time we got there. The doctor thought I was nuts for giving something 'grown-up' to a baby her age, so we got very little help. I was told not to give tuna again, but rub any fish in the future on her arm before feeding, and if she got a rash, then don't let her eat it. No clinic testing or anything. She did get a rash from halibut, but now,at 10, can eat any fish without problems.

Ahh, EvilTwins, how interesting that is is common in adulthood. Your poor mum too...

This interesting as I too seem to have developed some sort of intolerance as an adult - I don't cook fish a lot at home and don't have any major problems when I do (mild indigestion sometimes) but have had quite severe reactions when eating fish in restaurants over the past few years.

A very rare night away with dh was spoilt by a D&V type reaction a few months ago. I started to feel unwell at the restaurant & checked what had been in the fish pie - no shellfish, just fish. Had mussels on holidays recently with no problems so it seems to be fish rather than shellfish...

I developed an allergy to prawns and related crustaceans in my thirties. I'm a mildly allergic/asthmatic person. I was told it could pass in a couple of years or it might be life long. I ate a bit of a fish cake containing crab some time later and felt queasy so have not eaten any since. I don't know if mine extends to mussels but I was advised to assume it did. I am fine with fish.

I keep thinking I should try eating a prawn in the A&E waiting room!

Thanks, PixieOnaLeaf, will definitely speak to GP then.