Just had a scary reaction to a kiwi fruit :o(

[wangle99]

I'm presuming it was an allergic reaction, scared the hell out of me as I was driving with DD home from school.

I eat kiwis all the time but this time I ate some of the skin, within five mins my lips were really tingling (to the point of being painful) and they looked all shiny and red, my tongue was itching, my face started hurting and it felt like I was trying to breathe through something (like it was an effort).

Lips are still tingling now but breathing is fine and tongue is fine now.

Does it sound like an allergic reaction to it?

I would say it is. My DD had a similar reaction to kiwi fruit after she helped to peel one when making a fruit salad at school a few years ago. Her hands became red and sore and her face and lips swelled up where she's touched them (she didn't eat it). I've since heard of several other people having a similar reaction. I don't think it's anything to worry about but I always put that she is allergic to kiwi now on forms etc.

yes. Kiwi can be a nasty allergy, especially in children. Any reaction that involves swollen lips should mean a referral to a consultant for some decent advice on risks and whether an epipen is desirable. Also to test for latex allergy and other possibly related allergens.

Liquid piriton should be caried by anyone who risks a serious allergic reaction and doesn't have an epipen.

Was it ripe, because under ripe food can have this effect as well. I had a similar reaction to an under ripe persimmon and a plantain and sometimes very mildly bananas.

It seemed ripe, it wasn't rigid like under ripe kiwis can be but it wasn't squishy (i consider squishy ones over ripe lol).

My lips are still tingly today and don't feel right but my tongue is fine and my breathing is fine again.

Kiwi and bananas can both be related to latex allergy. Be aware if blowing up latex balloons. I've heard of similar reactions preparing for parties.

It definitely sounds like an allergic reaction to me. I used to love kiwis but developed an allergy to them in my 20s . I think you need to go to your GP and ask for a test and until you know for sure that it wasn't an allergy avoid kiwis. My reactions (3of them) got progressively worse til I got the message.

Luckily though, kiwi allergy is one of the easiest to deal with as you can avoid them pretty easily - just check contents of tropical fruit juices and smoothies as they sometimes crop up in these.

I had a big reaction to kiwi once and have been told to avoid them now and have to carry an epipen incase i react to anything else. Its a reaction to the seeds in it that causes these effects on you. My advice is stay away and carry piriton incase you get feelings like this from anything else. As for going to the doctors mine said that there is no test for a kiwi allergy and that a food diary when having this kind of reaction will show a pattern in what you are sensitive to. Mine showed citric acid.

Expect hay fever in a few weeks. Kiwi allergy also related to birch pollen allergy, and I have both (although no other fruit causes this reaction)

I only reacted once, when I was 17, and not even very strongly, but it was unpleasant and it scared me!

It's not as rare as people think. Everyone says "Oh, that's a weird one - no, in fact it would be a lot more common if kiwi was eaten more often here!

PS avaid prepacked fruit salad, even if no kiwi is in there - all it takes is a seed. Also, check (bizarrely) yoghurts and anything fruit flavoured.

DON'T eat it again "just to see" - the chances are your reaction will be much worse

I would never trust doctors saying there is "no test" unless you have checked it out with someone like the anaphylaxis campaign. We were told by a NHS paediatrician there was no test for lupine flour unless we took some in. Rang the AC and their doctor was "surprised my gp did not know there was a test available" and told me what they needed to request. I sent the information on to the consultant ( without changing the wording ) and we got the test done.

my daughter has allergic reactions to fruit, and gets the same sort of reactions as you. she is allergic to most fruit and some veg, which is kind of hard to eat healthily.

sounds like oral allergy syndrome. most common if you have early (tree pollen) hayfever. I have this and am allergic to most fresh fruit some veg and some nuts. It's ok when cooked. Makes it very difficult to eat healthily.

my little boy (almost 23 months) has just had an allergic reaction to kiwi fruit today. He has loads of other food allergies but i (stupidly?) hadn't written kiwi on the list for nursery. We didn't know he was allergic until they gave him some today but had always avoided them because i knew they were high up there on the list of potentially allergic food. Could kick myself that i hadn't informed them of this. Think i just 'assumed' that in the same way you wouldn't give an allergy prone child peanuts that they would be as informed as me the poor little thing had swollen lips and came out in an awful nattle rash all over his chin, under his neck and onto his chest. They gave him 2.5mils of chlorphenamine and by the time i got there 30 mins later the swelling had reduced much more and the rash had disappeared. We didn't give him any more anti-histamine before bed because he seemed fine but im worrying now after reading these posts that i should have immediately seen the gp about one of these epi pens which we dont have.......????