Wheat, peanut, dairy and egg intolerant

[emlouba]

Hello!

I'm coming here for my sister, as she's found out she's intolerant to all the above!

Has anyone got any recommendations for substitutes or good cook books for some ideas of what to eat?

Thank you x

Has she found this out by reputable medical allergy tests or registered dietitian or by an alternative testing outfit which are known to be random and unreliable?

@AnnaMagnani hello no she went to a specialist who specialises in allergies, she had her bloods taken and they told her!

Mmm, I would be very wary that the "specialist" is indeed qualified. My NHS dietician told me it's not possible to diagnose most allergies so easily.

There aren't blood tests for peanut and egg allergies. Wheat could be diagnosed but then she should have been told she has coeliac disease.

I would be very wary of this diagnosis at all, especially as it is leaving her with a very limited diet she would need specialist help to manage.

Does she have reactions to all these foods? I assume she had some symptoms to go to an allergy specialist in the first place. But blood tests alone aren’t that reliable in identifying food intolerances.

If she does have to avoid all these foods she should see a dietitian. It’s very easy to end up with micronutrient deficiencies when you have to limit your diet this much.

@AnnaMagnani - yes there are. My Ds is tested every year for his peanut allergy by blood test. His latest to see if he’s eligible to start peanut desensitisation at the hospital was another blood test and they look for allergy level and the components of peanut protein he’s allergic to in particular. All by blood tests.

I think she should try to get tests on the NHS, not because of costs but because of the regulations etc.

She could also do an elimination diet, with supervision, or just stick to simple foods, like veg/fruit/meat/poultry/fish/pulses rather than anything pre packaged or prepared. I know that’s not as practical/easy as it sounds.

Thanks all, I will let her know your answers! Feel so sorry for her as she's so limited to what she can eat. But she's felt so unwell with tiredness all the time and bloating, feeling sick and also dodgey tummy - she's been to doctors to have bloods to rule out anything serious, all clear. Her daughter has celiac disease- she's very sensitive to any gluten. Xx

OK so I simplified - but allergy testing should be done and carefully correlated to symptoms and food history by a properly qualified specialist.

You can't just do a blood test, announce someone is intolerant to a load of major food groups and leave them to it.

A friend was told she was allergic to a pile of stuff by one of these people. Turned out her symptoms were nothing to do with it and delayed her real diagnosis by years.

@AnnaMagnani really! What did your friend do in the end? Just so that I can advise my sister do to the same! Xx

You can definitely test specific IgE to peanut, egg (yolk and white separately), wheat, and a host of other things. And for peanut, there are also the subclasses that give you an indication of likelihood of a more severe reaction.

I would advise your sister to see her GP again stressing the bloating and nausea.

Friend turned out to have humungous ovarian cyst.

If your sister is really worried about intolerances then a private allergy consultant, a doctor on the GMC Specialist Register for Allergy - will probably be working out of BUPA or Spire or a private wing of an NHS Hospital.

I'd also recommend this book - tells you absolutely everything you ever needed to know about allergies

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Allergy-Penguin-Life-Expert/dp/0241527880?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I'm not going to comment on whether she is or not.

I'm vegan (lactose intolerance) and one of my family is coeliac.

When we are all eating together we eat:

Rice and veg curry (various curries, check out vegan Indian cooking)

Moroccan tagines with gluten free bread (again, lots of tagine recipes online - I like a chicken and olives one which I change to be tofu and olives)

Risottos (pea and mint, mushroom, etc)

Jacket potato and chilli/ratatouille/home made baked beans

Pad Thai/Thai green curry

Egg fried rice with mixed vegetables
Stir-fry with rice noodles and veg

You can get gluten-free pasta and do vegan sauces - tomato and basil, roasted veg, vegan sausages etc.

Ok thank you all so much 🤍 you've all been very helpful xx