Navigating Food allergies as an Adult

We all hear scary stories in the news about children with food allergies, but what is it like to navigate food allergies as an adult?

I have 2 dangerous food allergies. I’ve been sensitive to dairy since my late teens, and some time in my early 20’s the allergy worsened to a severity that requires I carry an epi-pen. The other allergy cropped up when I was pregnant with my second son and I busted out with hives from filberts or hazelnuts. Avoiding these two foods, and honestly most nuts, is relatively easy. My other food sensitives make most processed food a no-go due to labeled ingredients. With hazelnuts, I have to ask the question “Have you ever made hazelnut coffee?” to figure out if someone’s well-meaning offer of a cup of coffee could turn into a few weeks of hives.

The last two times I was “tagged” (as I call it) with dairy, I can admit that I made mistakes, or that I was less than vigilant as I normally am. 

Long run selfie, before all this happened. 

This past Sunday night was different. I was relaxing, happily in the state of “eat all the things” since I ran a long 7 mile run that morning, when I realized one of my safe happy comfort foods, potato chips, tasted distinctly like a sour cream and onion chip.

The whole situation is comical now, I paused and my husband looked at me funny. As I grabbed a tissue, spit out the food, and went to start rinsing out my mouth, brushed my teeth, and drink a ton of water. In an attempt to remove any lingering trace of the dangerous allergen.  I took a rare for me, benedryl, contacted a paramedic friend who has to deal with their own serious allergies. Then came the hard part, as I had to try to not panic, and pay attention to all my symptoms.  To make sure that I made the right judgement calls. I didn’t want to over react, and use my epi-pen, or drive to the ER and bog down the nurses from patients with real emergencies, but I also didn’t want to minimize my own health crisis and put my life in danger.

In the end, I was ok. I’ll most likely develop some hives and I’ll have general muscle/joint aches for a week or two, I’ll need to be extra careful with food.

Have you ever opened a box of crackers or cookies and discovered a surprise something else. Maybe it was the bonus onion ring in your fries?

Potato chips are one of my comfort junk food. The bag is clearly labeled with the ingredients and no warnings about trace amounts of other foods, or shared equipment.  I will say that this time, I accept zero fault in this mistake. It could have only been avoid by not eating potato chips or by inspecting each and every chip before putting it in my mouth.  

I share this because mistakes happen, the people working at the factory didn’t cross contaminate the line thinking “I’m going to try and kill that runner in south Nashua”. The store that stocked the bags, didn’t sell it to us which any malicious intent to harm me. Mistakes happen.

No more chips for me.
Image from Pixabay

Which is why, if you offer me food, I may ask very detailed questions about it, or to see ingredient lists. I may say “sounds good” and then look at the food and change my mind. Truth is a day before I thought there was something off about the potato chips, but I ignored it because I didn’t want to admit that maybe I was going to be adding potato to my food sensitives. Please do not take offence if I bring my own food to your cook out, or pass on your cooking. I know my friends are not trying to cause harm to me, but being polite and having a little could cause me weeks of discomfort while I recover because one time last week someone stirred the milk into their coffee, and then put the wet spoon into the sugar bowl.

Do you struggle with food allergies? Share your stories or maybe some of your survival tips.