Food that gives you headaches or other reactions. . .

[nightlina]

That chocolate allergy actually sounds kinda funny My boy sneezes whenever he goes from somewhere dark to light, so maybe you're body is just doing the same with dark to light chocolate

I have a.. something.. with juices and fruit. Specifically apple juice. It dries out my facial skin (especially around my mouth) and makes it very itchy, leading to pimples, and will also make the nail beds on my fingers really irritated and itchy, and I'll also get mouth ulcers. I went all through school with acne and ulcers and had no idea that the apple in my lunch each day was to blame... I always thought it was chocolate and other unhealthy foods, so I turned into a health freak and ate almost nothing but fruit >< Sadly that made it all a lot worse.

Now I just avoid apples and oranges and fruit juice in general, which is a shame because fresh juice is the most delicious thing...

[Amarantha]

Sadly, I'm finding my tummy reacting poorly to chillies, which is kind of a tragedy since my mouth still loves them I've been putting up with it, but it's getting worse, so I might have to give them up entirely (noooooooo!!!). This has already happened to my husband, so at least if I stop eating chillies I'll no longer be teasing him with them.

[PatrickRsGhost]

That chocolate allergy actually sounds kinda funny My boy sneezes whenever he goes from somewhere dark to light, so maybe you're body is just doing the same with dark to light chocolate

I used to do the same thing dealing with sneezing when going into the light from dark places. I remember one time in Fourth Grade standing outside the trailer classroom for Maths, and I had a sneezing fit. We had to wait outside while the Maths teacher's homeroom class came out, and she got everything set up for us. A few students thought I was allergic to the sun, as did the teacher, so she had me come on inside. Even to this day if I feel a sneeze coming on, I'll look into a light source (lamp, sun, flourescent light fixtures at work) to see if it will induce a sneeze. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's really me tilting my head back that causes the sneeze.

I have a.. something.. with juices and fruit. Specifically apple juice. It dries out my facial skin (especially around my mouth) and makes it very itchy, leading to pimples, and will also make the nail beds on my fingers really irritated and itchy, and I'll also get mouth ulcers. I went all through school with acne and ulcers and had no idea that the apple in my lunch each day was to blame... I always thought it was chocolate and other unhealthy foods, so I turned into a health freak and ate almost nothing but fruit >< Sadly that made it all a lot worse.

Now I just avoid apples and oranges and fruit juice in general, which is a shame because fresh juice is the most delicious thing...

It may be the ascorbic acid often found in many fruits, better known to you and me as Vitamin C. You more than likely are allergic to ascorbic acid, which is one of the rarest of food-related allergies. Or you may have an oral allergy often brought on by raw foods, but since you stated that you're also allergic to processed fruits (fruit juice), then it must be an allergy to the ascorbic acid, or something else commonly found in fruits and veggies. Have you tried cooked fruits, like apple pies, applesauce, or any other desserts or dishes containing fruits that have been fully cooked?

[Gentlelady]

I'm lactose intolerant. I try to stay away from dairy as much as I can. But I love ice cream too much.

[nightlina]

That chocolate allergy actually sounds kinda funny My boy sneezes whenever he goes from somewhere dark to light, so maybe you're body is just doing the same with dark to light chocolate

I used to do the same thing dealing with sneezing when going into the light from dark places. I remember one time in Fourth Grade standing outside the trailer classroom for Maths, and I had a sneezing fit. We had to wait outside while the Maths teacher's homeroom class came out, and she got everything set up for us. A few students thought I was allergic to the sun, as did the teacher, so she had me come on inside. Even to this day if I feel a sneeze coming on, I'll look into a light source (lamp, sun, flourescent light fixtures at work) to see if it will induce a sneeze. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's really me tilting my head back that causes the sneeze.

I have a.. something.. with juices and fruit. Specifically apple juice. It dries out my facial skin (especially around my mouth) and makes it very itchy, leading to pimples, and will also make the nail beds on my fingers really irritated and itchy, and I'll also get mouth ulcers. I went all through school with acne and ulcers and had no idea that the apple in my lunch each day was to blame... I always thought it was chocolate and other unhealthy foods, so I turned into a health freak and ate almost nothing but fruit >< Sadly that made it all a lot worse.

Now I just avoid apples and oranges and fruit juice in general, which is a shame because fresh juice is the most delicious thing...

It may be the ascorbic acid often found in many fruits, better known to you and me as Vitamin C. You more than likely are allergic to ascorbic acid, which is one of the rarest of food-related allergies. Or you may have an oral allergy often brought on by raw foods, but since you stated that you're also allergic to processed fruits (fruit juice), then it must be an allergy to the ascorbic acid, or something else commonly found in fruits and veggies. Have you tried cooked fruits, like apple pies, applesauce, or any other desserts or dishes containing fruits that have been fully cooked?

@ the sneezing - my boyfriend's is definitely caused by the light, and he'll do the same thing as you if he feels a sneeze coming on - he'll try to look at the sun or a lamp. I think it's the funniest thing

As to the allergy... I seem to be better with cooked/stewed apples, but I'm not sure what actually changes to the apple when it is cooked - it would retain its ascorbic acid, wouldn't it? I wonder if I could do a pH test on a raw apple and a cooked apple... I also wondered for a while if the allergy was coming just from the apple skin but that doesn't quite seem to be right, since I'm allergic to the juice.

Doing a quick search, it seems that the symptoms usually related to an ascorbic acid allergy are a bit different to mine - I'm not vomiting or anything. Actually, there's an article I've just found talking about allergens from pollen being to blame. Apparently people who are affected by birch pollen will often be allergic to apples, particularly the skin. I hadn't really thought of it as being a pollen reaction but it could also be - thinking some more about it, I do get slightly puffy/sore eyes from the fruit as well...

However I don't think I've ever encountered birch pollen to have a reaction to it :S I never get hay fever or anything like that. Wow.. I think we might be on to something! O_o (source | source 2)

Does anyone else experience an oral allergy like this?

[poxic]

Oh hells yes. Mega hells from the flaming pits of pandemoniacal Hades, yes, I have pollen/oral allergy syndrome.

It started as hayfever when I was 15 or 16. I'd never had allergies before, so I thought I was getting some bizarre sort of cold. I was convinced my eyes were infested with something sinister until I realised that the little cut on my lower eyelid was a tear duct (my anatomy was a bit shaky then). After a few summers of this, my mom announced that I had hay fever and I was to get over it/deal with it/some similar sentiment. (She'd had awful hayfever as a kid but grew out of it.)

Then I started noticing a weird tickle in my throat when I ate carrots. This would have been around age 19. Then it was celery. A year or two later, it was strawberries (@!#$%&*!!!). Over the twenty years since, the list has grown: oranges, lemons, limes, apples, bell peppers, hot peppers, tomatoes, lettuce (!), pears, grapefruit, pineapple, kiwis, zucchini, grapes, walnuts, pecans, avocados (sob), pomelos, plums, tangerines, white potatoes, eggplant, basil, oregano, any kind of tea at all...

Fortunately, there's apparently a chance that I'll "grow out of it" sometime in this decade or the next. I sincerely hope I do. I like broccoli and yams, but seriously...

Anyway, if you've never had hayfever, it's probably not the pollen thing. You could have a problem with citric acid, which I also do, though it doesn't affect my skin that way. Maybe get a referral to an allergist and see if he/she has any ideas. Allergy testing is nowhere near as awful as it used to be -- it's down to ten or fifteen minutes with a bunch of droplets on your forearms, some of them growing mosquito-bite bumps if you're allergic to the substance. (The allergist gives you a soothing cream afterward.)

Edit for some clarity: my reactions are usually not skin-related. My mouth and/or throat itch and get hot, and sometimes my throat swells a bit, when I eat something I shouldn't. If it's cooked or otherwise gets past the first defence, it'll give me a stomach ache.

[SlyReaper]

Apples.

They make my gums tingle and the back of my throat itch. I think I might be slightly allergic.

[PictureSarah]

Hideously long list of foods

Holy crap! What do you eat?!

[nightlina]

Thanks for telling me about that Poxic and I'm sorry that you can't eat so much....

I've never really noticed myself getting hayfever, although I wonder if I just haven't been exposed to the allergens that would give me hayfever? Because other than that, the symptoms do seem to match up. I think I will go to an allergist - the way you described it made it sound heaps better than I'd envisaged.

For now though I'm just avoiding apples and nuts and really fresh fruit in general.

[poxic]

PictureSarah, lots of broccoli. And sweet potatoes, yams, cauliflower, kale, spinach, grains, beans, tofu, mushrooms... There's still enough left to get variety into my diet, though I tend to get stuck on certain combinations for weeks on end. I have to cook for myself, mostly.

Yeah, I've found that the fresher something is, the more I react to it. It's like I'm allergic to healthy green. Not healthy green things, just healthy green. (I plan to never, ever try wheatgrass juice -- I do NOT want my body to decide that wheat = the enemy.)

[Mous]

At the beginning of the year, I caught the stomach flu. Earlier that day, I'd eaten funnel cake. Due to the wonders of operant conditioning, now anything fried makes me feel naseous just thinking about it.
Like now.

[SlyReaper]

At the beginning of the year, I caught the stomach flu. Earlier that day, I'd eaten funnel cake. Due to the wonders of operant conditioning, now anything fried makes me feel naseous just thinking about it.
Like now.

I have that with most alcoholic beverages. Overdid it, got ill, now can't think about it without feeling ill. I can still drink beer, but that's about the only alcoholic thing I can still drink.

[lanicita]

At the beginning of the year, I caught the stomach flu. Earlier that day, I'd eaten funnel cake. Due to the wonders of operant conditioning, now anything fried makes me feel naseous just thinking about it.
Like now.

I have that with most alcoholic beverages. Overdid it, got ill, now can't think about it without feeling ill. I can still drink beer, but that's about the only alcoholic thing I can still drink.

The only time I've ever gotten hungover was when I went way overboard drinking Screwdrivers. For 2 months after that, I couldn't drink ANY alcohol, and then for a while after that I couldn't drink orange juice. I've also mostly switched off vodka now because of it.

I have mild lactose intolerance, but like some other people in this thread, it comes and goes. I also have arthritis, which apparently flares up after eating some foods. I know it gets worse when I eat tomatoes and peppers. Apparently dairy intolerance may go along with that so I should probably do something about that, but I haven't actually taken the time to research it yet.

[cerbie]

In the "other reactions" category: I've found that very hoppy beers help reduce my sinus inflammation.

[Chobbes]

Certain types of Cellophane noodles (also known as Chinese vermicelli, bean threads, bean thread noodles, or glass noodles) makes my stomach feel funny...probably indigestion. I find that I can't eat a full bowl of the stuff like I can with regular noodles...very sad because I love the korean-style glass noodles and the bean threads they often use at hot pot restaurants.

[ssbookyu123]

Mangoes give me a rash if I get it on my face or lips but I am fine with it if I just eat it in small peices and unpasurised milk gives me the horrable direa but I am fine with all ather dairy.

[Lithium33]

Artificial sweeteners. I get a stomach ache from them, so I can't drink diet.

[Kyberely]

Chocolate used to give me a headache but I'm alright now as long as I don't eat a lot of it. I'm allergic to the red colouring that they put in Cherryade. I have to drink it through a straw as drinking it normally would give me a red rash line on my top lip for days. When i was a kid I blew bubbles in it and got it all over my face.

[ajbleck]

I love Dr. Pepper but whenever I drink it with anything spicy I get heartburn.

[Clumpy]

I love Dr. Pepper but whenever I drink it with anything spicy I get heartburn.

Plus it makes it taste like battery acid . Dr. Pepper and Mexican food don't mix.

[radioactivemarmite]

Strawberries and milk (not together) make me urinate involuntarily, for about 3 days. Just leaking out. No idea why, I love both strawberries and milk. Oh and chilli makes me vomit- also love chilii .

[PictureSarah]

Pepperoni and salami make me projectile vomit. Sausage has about a 25% chance of doing the same thing. It's not really an issue, though, since I haven't eaten red meat or pork with any frequency in almost a decade.

[ivnja]

Lobster makes me very, very sick. Even the smell makes me nauseous. It makes living in coastal Maine in the summertime a little inconvenient. I don't think it's a general shellfish sort of thing, though, because I'm fine with shrimp, mussels, and clams.

[scrt_rbt_agnt]

In the "other reactions" category: I've found that very hoppy beers help reduce my sinus inflammation.

i find that different kinds of beer affect my sinuses in different ways. hoppy beers almost always cause a sniffle with me though i do love them so.

[Narsil]

When I eat scrambled or fried eggs, I get this feeling all over like I'm covered in grease. It's nasty and then after Sunday breakfasts I usually spend the rest of the sunday feeling gross.

[Enuja]

Parsley gives me diarrhea. It didn't used to, and I make a focaccia I love that's just slathered with parsley and garlic, but now it always gives me the runs. I'm fine with cilantro, basil, mint, sage; any other herb I've tried. I used to buy parsley and put it in everything, but I've become a cilantro person instead. Now I save the parsley for when I won't be traveling and have a serious craving for it.

[PAstrychef]

There are people who have adverse reactions to chlorophyll. So if you don't spend much time in the great outdoors or walking barefoot on grass you might not notice it, until you eat a green vegetable.
Counting my blessings that my digestion seems to remain pretty omnivorous.

[lilsister]

There are people who have adverse reactions to chlorophyll. So if you don't spend much time in the great outdoors or walking barefoot on grass you might not notice it, until you eat a green vegetable.
Counting my blessings that my digestion seems to remain pretty omnivorous.

That's interesting. I've never had any problems digesting vegetables, but in the past year I have trouble eating lettuce. Most lettuce and some other vegetables make me instantly gag - it's like my mouth can automatically tell if it's not the utmost fresh. The only time I can eat lettuce is in ceasar salad, but no real salad works for me. I can't have vegetables on a sandwich because it's too soggy. It's gotten so bad, that I just avoid vegetables. And it's not just the queasy salad bar at school - I can never seem to find good, fresh vegetables that my body won't reject. It's not at all like an allergy, so this is weird.

It's been really interesting to hear your guys' observations on food reactions. It seems we don't think about this enough in our culture, but just paying close attention to these signs can answer a lot of questions and make us healthier. Outside of the food spectrum, I'm allergic to cigarette smoke and pet dander which I've come to realize is a blessing: I can instantly scope out if a certain location is safe for people and won't settle for less.

[brakos82]

Coffee. Even a sip of it will instantly start bad headaches for at least the next 15 minutes, so none for me. I'm pretty sure it's the caffeine, but teas of various shapes and sizes don't start the headaches right away - maybe it's because my coffee is usually brewed stronger than my tea, but who knows.

I'm on the same boat as you are from the coffee standpoint *gags*, although teas never do that to me though.

[01000011]

Quorn (Vegetarian food thats made to taste like meat) gives me really bad bloating.
Orange cheese makes me feel like I'm going to be sick along with porridge and things that contain a lot of milk. Even tea.

[animeHrmIne]

I'm pretty sure I'm mildly lactose intolerant, but that's never bothered me much.

However, whenever I eat meat, even lean meat like chicken, within 30 minutes I'm exhausted. As in, I feel like I'm going to fall asleep. It's never with processed meat, or with lunchmeat, or smaller portions, or soups/stews. But if I have a standard helping of a meat dish (by people standards, not health standards), I feel like I'm just going to drop. Which is horrible in my family, where meat is a huge part of our meals, and my favorite part. By myself I can eat a 16 oz steak, or a half rack of ribs, and still want to eat all of the sides. I just crash 30 minutes in, so I have to eat quick.

[Stumped]

I cannot start the day with cauliflower. Like, if for any reason I don’t eat breakfast, and the first at lunch I have is Cauliflower, I will have a painful stomach ache for the rest of the day. I love cauliflower otherwise. I could eat it for lunch, just after something else. I can’t start with it.

[sweet_concorde]

If I have anything sweet for breakfast (like grape soda or lucky charms) it makes me nauseous. Too much of anything in the morning will make me feel sick to my stomach, but I can't tolerate sweet things in any amount.

Mints make me sneeze, especially Altoids. I've heard the sneezing b/c of sunlight thing is because of the way your tear ducts are hooked up. I have the same thing. I suspect the mints making me sneeze is a similar issue.

[folkhero]

If I have anything sweet for breakfast (like grape soda or lucky charms) it makes me nauseous. Too much of anything in the morning will make me feel sick to my stomach, but I can't tolerate sweet things in any amount.

Just the thought of drinking grape soda for breakfast is making me nauseous, and this is from someone who likes grape soda.

[Bakemaster]

It's healthiest to stay away refined sugars first thing in the morning, anyway.

[ginadagny]

A few weeks ago I made a nice veggie & dip platter that consisted of red peppers, carrots, cucumbers and snap peas. I began munching on my veggies, leaving the snap peas last. I ate a few pods and I felt my mouth getting itchy and my throat swelling up. I made haste to the doctors office and he told me that I have oral allergy syndrome. I had to take a single dose of prednisone to reduce the swelling in my throat. Thx snap peas.

[thesilv3r]

Oranges make me feel hot and I start to break out in a minor sweat, even when I'm just slicing them. No other ill effects other than that, and I can eat it fine, just a hot feeling, a quick rush and a slight sweat. I'm fine with other citrus fruits, so its just weird to me.

[Rinsaikeru]

Acidy things right in the morning make me feel ill. I avoid orange juice or acidy fruit for breakfast because of this. Usually bananas in the morning and oranges etc. later in the day.

I wish there was a litmus style test for gluten in foods---would be handy at restaurants.

[ojno]

Mango juice, for some inexplicable reason, gives me heartburn. Which is a shame, because <3 mango juice.

[Decker]

I don't think it's that unusual, but greasy foods such as sausage or bacon make me feel ill if I eat them right when I get up.