6 ms·

I have red meat allergy (specifically stronger for beef). IgE present for that specific test and all. I've always thought allergic people were over-reacting. I

by rntksi 6y ago

I have red meat allergy (specifically stronger for beef). IgE present for that specific test and all. I've always thought allergic people were over-reacting. I've never had any kind of allergies before, but when I grew up and travelled, I found out that I had this particular nasty reaction with my nose. At first I thought it was pollen allergy. Now I understand more about allergies. This type of allergy has very little scientific materials to read about so I appreciate OP's link. I just want to know more about it: what made me turn from non-allergic to very-allergic suddenly? And why beef?

tt433 6y ago
Allergies are very strange. The skin in my mouth falls off when I eat beans, and there is very little literature about that one either.
- FeistySkink 6y ago
  I have the same reaction to some spice (plus tongue blood blisters) and I cannot figure out which. Usually it's some poor-quality take away.
  - vorpalhex 6y ago
    Sichuan Peppercorns[1] possibly? They're not used typically in Western cuisine even as a flavor enhancer, but they would appear in more authentic Eastern takeout and they have some weird chemistry going on with tongues. [1]: https://www.thespruceeats.com/sichuan-peppercorn-info-694248 https://www.thespruceeats.com/sichuan-peppercorn-info-694248
    - FeistySkink 6y ago
      Could be, as I had it from some Asian takeaway. But I also get it from some cheap pizza.
- rntksi 6y ago
  Its strangeness contributes a lot to scepticism when first presented with it. I have to admit I had this "you're making it up" reaction to allergic people. I literally thought, when I was a kid, that nut-allergy is overblown, people who claim that they're allergic to X is actually just fussy eaters, etc. (Now I know better) As an example, I have contact dermatitis (red rashes, itchy) when I wear leather watches. If the watch has a plastic band or metal band, then it's fine. But leather always does it for me. Part of me is thinking: is this because it's made from a mammal's skin? But another part of me is really thinking: am I taking this too far? Maybe it's something else? The worst thing is there's no doctors that would confirm my hypothesis. Reading online the symptoms of people who have this type of allergy is very different (people always list irritated bowel or skin rashes after eating meat), whereas for me when I eat beef (or even just soup made by using beef bones), it's actually: hard to breathe, my nose runs constantly (and effusively! - I am always amazed at the volume of snot that I can produce during the allergic times) I have this reaction with other types of meat as well, but chicken is fine. It made me think a lot about what I eat. Since the reaction has been mild, I've been adventurous at times, when I really craved steaks. My doctor hearing about it afterwards was aghast: she said I should never, ever do that again and I might die. And really the child in me is still thinking: is this overblown? Would I really die from it? It's so frustrating not knowing -exactly- what can I do or not do. It either goes from: you're going to die, to OK pop these Desloratadine pills and you're going to be fine, to "I don't think it's allergies, you have -X disease-"
  - jacobush 6y ago
    Leather is also cured in all sorts of nasty things.
  - tt433 6y ago
    I have a similar reaction to nickel jewellery/watches, even nickel guitar strings make my fingers blister more than cobalt strings.
  - evilduck 6y ago
    The most common, fastest and cheapest leather making method is called chrome-tanning which uses chromium-sulfate, which is kind of a nasty chemical. Virtually all unnatural colored leather is made this way too (though most brown leather is dyed too). Not that it really changes much for you, but it seems unlikely that it's specifically mammalian skin to blame (I would assume exotic leathers from non-mammal sources probably have the same effect for you) and you might actually be sensitive to the tanning chemicals or any of the other leather conditioners or dyes that the leather has absorbed.
- Afton 6y ago
  Ooh, I get that with pepperoni, especially bad with the 'snack' type of pepperoni stick. Not other preserved meats, just pepperoni. I mentioned it to a doctor and they absolutely just sighed and said "Yeah, well, bodies are weird, maybe don't eat pepperoni then?".
  - jnwatson 6y ago
    Me too. I get it from eating too much beef jerky too. My theory is that I have a sensitivity to nitrates or nitrites. The "nitrate free" stuff doesn't work either, because they really mean artificial-nitrate-free and they use a natural source of nitrate like celery.
secondcoming 6y ago
> what made me turn from non-allergic to very-allergic suddenly? Indeed, one day I took a Lemsip and then face swelled up and I developed a rash. I was suddenly allergic to an ingredient in it.

by rntksi 6y ago

tt433 6y ago

Allergies are very strange. The skin in my mouth falls off when I eat beans, and there is very little literature about that one either.

FeistySkink 6y ago
I have the same reaction to some spice (plus tongue blood blisters) and I cannot figure out which. Usually it's some poor-quality take away.
- vorpalhex 6y ago
  Sichuan Peppercorns[1] possibly? They're not used typically in Western cuisine even as a flavor enhancer, but they would appear in more authentic Eastern takeout and they have some weird chemistry going on with tongues. [1]: https://www.thespruceeats.com/sichuan-peppercorn-info-694248 https://www.thespruceeats.com/sichuan-peppercorn-info-694248
  - FeistySkink 6y ago
    Could be, as I had it from some Asian takeaway. But I also get it from some cheap pizza.
rntksi 6y ago
Its strangeness contributes a lot to scepticism when first presented with it. I have to admit I had this "you're making it up" reaction to allergic people. I literally thought, when I was a kid, that nut-allergy is overblown, people who claim that they're allergic to X is actually just fussy eaters, etc. (Now I know better) As an example, I have contact dermatitis (red rashes, itchy) when I wear leather watches. If the watch has a plastic band or metal band, then it's fine. But leather always does it for me. Part of me is thinking: is this because it's made from a mammal's skin? But another part of me is really thinking: am I taking this too far? Maybe it's something else? The worst thing is there's no doctors that would confirm my hypothesis. Reading online the symptoms of people who have this type of allergy is very different (people always list irritated bowel or skin rashes after eating meat), whereas for me when I eat beef (or even just soup made by using beef bones), it's actually: hard to breathe, my nose runs constantly (and effusively! - I am always amazed at the volume of snot that I can produce during the allergic times) I have this reaction with other types of meat as well, but chicken is fine. It made me think a lot about what I eat. Since the reaction has been mild, I've been adventurous at times, when I really craved steaks. My doctor hearing about it afterwards was aghast: she said I should never, ever do that again and I might die. And really the child in me is still thinking: is this overblown? Would I really die from it? It's so frustrating not knowing -exactly- what can I do or not do. It either goes from: you're going to die, to OK pop these Desloratadine pills and you're going to be fine, to "I don't think it's allergies, you have -X disease-"
- jacobush 6y ago
  Leather is also cured in all sorts of nasty things.
- tt433 6y ago
  I have a similar reaction to nickel jewellery/watches, even nickel guitar strings make my fingers blister more than cobalt strings.
- evilduck 6y ago
  The most common, fastest and cheapest leather making method is called chrome-tanning which uses chromium-sulfate, which is kind of a nasty chemical. Virtually all unnatural colored leather is made this way too (though most brown leather is dyed too). Not that it really changes much for you, but it seems unlikely that it's specifically mammalian skin to blame (I would assume exotic leathers from non-mammal sources probably have the same effect for you) and you might actually be sensitive to the tanning chemicals or any of the other leather conditioners or dyes that the leather has absorbed.
Afton 6y ago
Ooh, I get that with pepperoni, especially bad with the 'snack' type of pepperoni stick. Not other preserved meats, just pepperoni. I mentioned it to a doctor and they absolutely just sighed and said "Yeah, well, bodies are weird, maybe don't eat pepperoni then?".
- jnwatson 6y ago
  Me too. I get it from eating too much beef jerky too. My theory is that I have a sensitivity to nitrates or nitrites. The "nitrate free" stuff doesn't work either, because they really mean artificial-nitrate-free and they use a natural source of nitrate like celery.

secondcoming 6y ago

> what made me turn from non-allergic to very-allergic suddenly? Indeed, one day I took a Lemsip and then face swelled up and I developed a rash. I was suddenly allergic to an ingredient in it.