I've just seen a GP about my not-food-allergies-but-intollerances

[LaCerbiatta]

I've been really suffering with my allergies, horrible rash all over my face, and I'm really stressed with the fact that I don't know what's causing it, so decided to try the GP again. So saw this horrible woman who basically after speaking to me for 30 seconds was absolutely sure I didn't have a food reaction, since these in most cases can't be proven anyway, and all I have is a stress related urticaria!!! Don't you just hate that? When the doctor finds a way of justifying your symtoms with stress just because they can't find a scientific explanation for them? You can always see it coming, 'oh, you have a new baby and are working, you must be very stressed!'.

Anyway, I told her I was 100% sure that my rash IS food related and although she wasn't convinced she pretended to be a little bit more sympathetic and told me that because so few people have food allergies / intollerances there's very little research on them and there's yet to be found a way of testing for intollerances. I asked her about the York test and she said that it has been scientifically proven not to be reliable and people who get better because they avoid something that came back as positive is because of a psycological effect!

So there... I left the clinic feeling more depressed and stressed than before so obviously my rash will really flare up now!

Wow....nice doctor
Just wondering, have you any idea what maybe causing it?
I.e. have you tried avoiding certian foods and reintroduced them?

I recently had a very bad reaction when I started with Juicing, and needed antihistamin and all that...I stopped Juicing and then started re-introducing it bit by bit...not yet found the bit that I am allergic, too...must have beeb one of the fruits then, as I have only done veggie ones, really!

I know it's frustrating.
Did she give ou Antihistamin and creams, etc...to at least get rid of the raash?

Yes, it's very frustrating... I think I may have to try an elimination diet, but I'm not too convinced it will work. First, I don't always react to a certain food in the same way. For example, I know that chocolate causes a reaction, but sometimes a tiny bit is too much and sometimes I can eat lots and not have anything... And also I suspect I'm allergic to some artificial additives, vit C being one of them, I can't really see how I can introduce each E number one by one abck into my diet.... I'll just have to avoid processed food altogether....

I think avoidiong processed foods is a very good way to go!
You say sometimes chocolate causes a reaction othertimes it doesn't...is that the exact same chocolate or you just generally talking about all chocolate....I know my SIL finds that thew only chocolate she can eat, without making her ratty and plain nasty is Galaxy...all other chocolate, and well..you simply best stay away from her..lol...

vitaminc?

how did you identify that?

are you sure it is food

the doc is right iut is very difficult to identify sources because it is impossible to know what the time lag is for example

different products when processed will have quite a range of different ingredients

have you ruled out cosmetics, toiletries, washing posder etc etc?

Oh yeah, must admit, don't think I have heard of a Vitamin C allergy/intolerance...but know people that are allergic agaisnt some or all Citrus fruit...etc...!
And of course cosmetics, etc...can also be the cause...however, if something comes up with eating something, well, it's bound to be in the food, eh!

Keep a food diary, in whihc you document the reactions or non-reactions...maybe that will be able to pin point it better!

you might find this interesting

ooooh I'm not sure about anything anymore..... My mother is very sure about one brand of vit c from when i was little, but that might be because of the orange flavourings, colourings it has. I convinced myself it was true because when I drink apple juice with ascorbic acid it gets worse, or maybe it was going to get worse anyway???

Maybe I do have stress srelated urticaria?? Maybe it's all in my head? I'm so convinced it's not though....

Will wait for this to clear and will introduce massive amounts of my suspects tos see what happens....

Thanks everyone. Going home now.

oh, I took it as you are allergic to natural Vitamin c...lol...now makes sense, lol!

sorry you had such a negative experience. I have had this reaction from GP as well ("oh, its obviously all in your head, pull yourself together") very helpful just before my Final universtiy exams.

you really need tests, trying to figure stuff out by elimination is v difficult because (a) psychological effect can kick in and (b) your physical reactions to different foods may change.

the Lee-Miller test that I mentioned before does estimate intolerances as well as allergies I think. I would recommend it.

sorry you didn't find it helpful but what you describe doesn't sound like an allergy. It could be a food intolerance but if it is you probably haven't yet identified the right cause. It's very hard to identify what does make you feel ill without doing an exclusion diet and exclusion diets are very tough.

Have you considered things like soap powder residues/ cosmetics/ drink as well as food?

A book like this one may help www.amazon.co.uk/Allergy-Bible-Definitive-Understanding-Intolerances/dp/1903845440

I haven't ruled out drinks (do you mean alcohol, I never got a reaction from it but I don't drink that much anyway), but I'm pretty sure it's not on my skin, i.e it's not contact. In one episode the rash will move evryday from places where there are no cosmetics to places where the washing powders don't touch... looks pretty much from within

i had a load of rheumatism symptoms a while back and decided that I had a tomato/potato/pepper (ie nightshade family) intolerance

cut them all out and it went off

introduced them back and it didn't come back; now I get it sometimes, sometimes not, regardless of what I eat

not saying that this is the case in your situation but I was convinced at the time - I think because it made me feel I was in control of the symptoms which were getting me down. Think probably it was just coincidence

it is worth looking at other reasons even if you rule them out eventually

that is classic urticaria for the rash or swelling to move around from one place to another

I had something like that in pregnancy. No-one could help till I saw a midwife from Norway who was doing some training over here and she immediately said, it's too much citrus. I cut out all citrus stuff and it went away. Now, if I have too much OJ and citrus fruits, I can feel it coming back.

The GP was right about the York Test - it's not medically proven (there's an article on the BBC site where they sent 2 identical blood samples and York sent back 2 different results!).

Even if it was a stress thing, you'd think the GP might have given you some tips!

Best and gold standard test for food problems is to exclude and then reintroduce so do you can do your own tests and see what happens.