STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Metric · Gucci

I am so frustrated!

Elle · Hermes

I had a similar experience many years ago, but with milk. Only milk, no other dairy products, which all of the sudden resulted in a 3 day stomach flu -like sickness.

All the doctors I saw absolutely refused to say that I was allergic to milk .

I was indeed allergic to milk obviously, and the problem was eliminated by drinking goats milk instead of cows milk. The allergy dissipated as quickly as it had come - I was only allergic from 3 yrs to 11 yrs of age.

Sometimes doctors don't have a clue, despit their years of training - you're the one who is living in your body and frankly sometimes you're the one who knows best! You're obviously allergic to shellfish! Who freaking cares if they're fancy tests couldn't see it - Next time take a shrimp to the doctors office with you and rub it on your arm in front of them! Allergic reactions tend to get worse with each exposure - in the future I'd definitely try to avoid shellfish as much as possible, and get an epi pen to carry around with you in case you get a bad reaction again.

luckylily · Gucci

That is scary! Allergies can develop and dissappear very quickly tho.

Can you try another doctor? Shellfish allergies can be really dangerous, and it is seriously concerning that your doctor would call it a run of bad luck. He should have at least offered you an epi pen prescription in case you have and anaphalactic reaction at some point.

cc · Marc Jacobs

Wow that is really frustrating! Is there any way that you can get a referral to see another allergist? What kind of tests did they do - the skin prick ones? As far as I know those are really accurate but some things can throw them off - had you taken an antihistamine recently? Sometimes it is just a fluke though - I didn't react to one kind of pollen when I had my most recent tests done so they did that one over and sure enough I reacted the second time. Maybe the fluid didn't really get under the skin that time or something.

I'm no expert (I'm pretty much allergic to everything except food) but those symptoms definitely sound like an allergic reaction to me (as opposed to an intolerance like people have to lactose). As the other girls pointed out allergies can come and go but many food allergies get worse each time so if I were you I would get a second opinion and a second set of tests before accepting that the past 4 years were just a random blip of shellfish reactions.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

I have food allergies too, and I've noticed something similar. But I think the problem is that I'm allergic to a pesticide used on that product, or a preservative added to it, rather than just the food itself. For example, I get sick every time I eat grapes, but I'm not allergic to them. There's so much added to our food that we dont' know about though. Even supposedly fresh fruits and vegetables.

blubirde · Chanel

My bf and his mother are allergic to shellfish (although not mollusks). I did a lot of research on it when he had his first reaction and apparently an allergy like that can come and go, strangely. For instance, my bf has eaten shrimp as long as I've known him. Probably 2-3 times a week but all of a sudden he had an allergic reaction one night. He hasn't had shrimp since then but he's had peanuts (something else he's supposed to be allergic to) and other shellfish and he's been fine.

Allergies are such weird things. Forget the doctors. If you know you get reactions everytime you eat shrimp, don't eat shrimp. You know your body better than anyone else. And if you decide to try shrimp again to test the waters, eat it for lunch and on a Monday so you can go to the doctor if need be. Oh and get an epi-pen. Those things are seriously necessary to people with allergic reactions.