OAS - does it always get worse?

[Mmmcoffee]

I was listening to a phone-in on the radio yesterday, they were talking about Oral Allergy Syndrome and I was gobsmacked, I'd never heard of it but I apparently have it.

I always had hayfever, from primary school age, and then turned out badly allergic to horses, and then to other animals. Then about 10 years ago I got an itchy mouth when I ate melon, I've avoided it ever since. Over time I've found I have to avoid plums and peaches, and then all other fruit with a 'stone' in them. I just thought, huh, another allergy. No big deal.

But this woman on the radio had almost exactly the same allergy history as I do, and now carries an epipen and has been in hospital with anaphylactic shock.

I googled OAS and found a load of stuff, and I figured I'd try and see what I'm allergic to so I started with the first thing on the list and ate an apple, and straight away noticed tingling and itching in my mouth and my lips swelled up a bit - but I think this happens loads of times, with lots of things I eat - it's just I was LOOKING for it this time, IYSWIM.

So now I'm starting to panic a bit, does this sort of thing always get worse over time? Or can you just stay at the same 'itchy' level - if that makes sense? I have visions of living in a bubble by the time I retire. TBH I'm scaring myself silly and probably wildly overreacting.

bump

Hello from America. I was diagnosed by an allergist as having OAS last summer. I went to see him after having a bad experience eating a fresh peach. I was traveling and had stopped at a roadside stand to try their peaches. My boyfriend had 1/2 and I had the other. As soon as I took the first (and last) bite, my tongue felt like it had been cut with razor blades. I tried to wipe my mouth and tongue as best I could, but didn't get to the sides. My boyfriend looked at my tongue and there were several areas that were cut. It was very painfull. When we returned home a couple of days later, I went to the doctor. I told him that I hadn't been able to eat pineapple since I was a young for this reason, but thought that was due to the acid. The previous year I had noticed I couldn't eat apples with out the same thing happening, but I had never had this happen before. The incident with the peach was immediate though. The allergist tested me for fruit allergies, and tree allergies. I had been to an allergist several years ago and had not really had reaction to anything other than mold. This time it was immediate. I reacted to the trees and several fruits. I was given an epipen due to how quickly my reaction had been. During Autumn I had a few mixed nuts (no hazelnuts as the doctor said to stay away from them) after about 6-8 nuts I started feeling my tongue hurt. I immediately brushed my teeth and tongue and rinsed for several minutes. Then I started wheezing. That was scarry as I had never had that happen before. I think it was the cashews (they hurt my stomach),almonds, or Brazil nuts. A few weeks after that I was eating raw sugar snap peas and the same thing happened after about 5 of them. So now this has gone from a tingly numbing when I eat garlic, to swollen itchy lips and a sore tongue when eating apples, to a peach that is incredibly painful to my tongue, to the pain and wheezing with nuts and sugar snap peas. I am keeping the epi-pen with me at all times now. Sorry to hear you may have this too. It limits me on what I can eat and is disappointing that foods I really like I can no longer have. You really have to read the labels. I had cereal today for breakfast with my boyfriend, and didn't realize there were sliced almonds in it as it was covered with milk. Driving to work I started feeling like I was clearing my throat, I took an antihistimine right away (I keep water and the pills in the car at all times). When I talked with my boyfriend later we determined there were almonds in the cereal and I think that was what had been the problem with the mixed nuts in December.

BTW- the only way to know for certain is to see an allergist who will test you with fresh fruits. I took in several fruits (strawberry,orange,pineapple,blueberry,raspberry,blackberry,cantalope,cherry,apple,plum,etc.)My boyfriend peeled and cut up each fruit, with a separate knife and put them in individual bags so there would be no cross contamination. The doctor said to make sure the fruit was ripe. They took a very small amount, put it on the end of a needle and inserted it just under the skin on my arm. Waited a few minutes to see what reacted. I had problems with strawberry, pineapple, blackberry, cherry, apple, plum and of course peach.

Oh yes, I almost forgot...I had a problem with soy milk on plain cereal. I had the soy 2 days in a row, and thought I felt something the first day but ignored it. The next day when it started tingling, I checked in the mirror. Had to brush my tongue immediately. Looked online and sure enough soy is one of my problems. I have the allergy to Birch trees and my body thinks these fruits, etc. are a pollen of birch.

I don't know if it always does but it does have the potential to. I noticed a couple of years ago that oranges, grapefruit, apples and tomatoes made my mouth and lips tingle. This only happened during the hay fever season. Since last summer I noticed that eating pasta with tomato sauce would upset my stomach. Just after christmas I had a bad reaction with hives to a pasta sauce so avoided tomatoes until I forgot that they are on pizza. Within 15 mins I'd got flushed with hives, stomach cramps with intense nausea, had a bit of hay fever and felt really strange. So now I never not ever will eat a tomato.

Bernsgyrl I know the 'clearing the throat' thing, I have that a LOT, I just never connected it with any particular thing.

I'm trying all the foods on the OAS hitlist; I'm keeping a note of what reaction I have to them, and when I'm done I'm going to the doc to ask for a referral.

I hope DD doesn't inherit any of this...

Hello MmmCoffee. If the allergist confirms that you have OAS, there is really no treatment other than to stay away from trigger foods. My doctor said I might start allergy shots, but that is because I work at a garden center which makes my tree allergies go into overdrive for several months. He said it may help some with the OAS, but more than likely it won't make enough of a difference that I could eat those foods without some type of reaction. I only had this start when I was in my early to mid thirties. That's when I remember having some food with garlic at work and not feeling quite right. It wasn't until 10 years later that I went to a doctor, and I only did that because I knew I had no problems with peaches the previous summer. My DD also said she hopes she doesn't get this as she loves fruit and vegetables. I know allergies are hereditary, but I don't know if this reaction is. No one else in my immediate family has this problem, yet they do have allergies. If your DD has allergies (and allergies can develope later in life)she just needs to be aware of symptoms to look out for and then avoid those foods. Same for you of course. Don't eat the foods if you get a serious reaction and if you are clearing your throat already after eating something I'm not sure I would continue trying foods from the list. I would just let your doctor know this has happened and ask to be tested. I was worried they were going to make me eat the fruits and that would be very painfull, but it was only a skin test. It was itchy but didn't hurt. Afterward I was allowed to take an antihistimine to help calm things down. Remember not to take any antihistimine for 72 hours before the test (I didn't have any for a week before), so as not to throw off the results. Good luck!

Hello Kitty. My doctor had told me that if the fruit/vegetable was cooked or canned then I shouldn't have a reaction. He said I shouldn't eat raw apples, but could have applesauce as it is cooked in processing. The applesauce is fine, but I had an apple pie dessert from McDonalds and that caused a reaction to my tongue. The put maybe 2 tablespoons of apple filling in the pies, but I don't think they are cooked long enough to be considered "cooked". As far as the canned fruits being ok, I am staying away from them also as I have had reaction to canned pineapple.