allergy or just sensitive?

[lph]

As far as I know I'm not allergic to any foodstuffs, but I've gradually developed an over-sensitivity to milk since I drink it so seldom (my dh is allergic, my son doesn't like it much). Cheese, yoghurt and lactose-reduced milk is fine, but the real thing in any sizeable amount makes my throat thicken up and gives me a mild stomach cramp.

But I've noticed recently that I must be reacting to something else. I eat salad at work for lunch every day, but every now and then my throat just goes inexplicably completely thick and I spend the next 20 minutes coughing and snorting and talking funny .... Salad is usually raw vegetables, plenty of beans and peas, no cheese, but some mixes with grilled vegetables, rice and couscous. Oil-type salad dressing.

What should I be looking for? What's the most likely allergen, and is this a real allergy or just a sensitivity to something? It's getting a little annoying since I can't pinpoint it. Any starter tips?

Oh, and it's not nuts (I think). I eat them by the handful at home and feel nothing.

[ny biker]

I think I've developed a sensitivity to cooked tomatoes. My symptoms were all digestive-rated -- nausea and diarrhea. There did not seem to be any histamine-related symptoms, like hives, sneezing, or difficulty breathing.

I googled food sensitivity and found some good sites that explained things.

Regarding the salads, you might try eliminating ingredients one at a time to see what causes the problem. Although since it's not a regular occurrence that might not work.

I used to have a similar problem with salads and it turned out the problem was the Newman's Own Italian dressing. I don't know exactly what ingredient caused the problem.

[Crankin]

There could be sulfites in the salad dressing. Do you have the same reaction when you eat salad at home?
I woke up one day last week feeling like my throat was closing. I took a Claritin and a Zantac and then tried to figure out what it was. My skin was slightly red and my scalp was itchy. So, the best I could come up with was that I had worn wool 2 days in a row. I bought 2 new merino sweaters, not from Ibex, more fashion type sweaters. One seems very itchy. I also had worn my Shak around this time. Last March I seemed to develop the same type of thing, but even worse, so I took Claritin for a couple of weeks, and then eventually it got warmer, so I was wearing less wool. Since I am not giving up my wool, I now know to give my body a break from the wool that seem to set me off more than others. I also was not feeling well, in general, so it might have just been my usual strange response to illness.

[OakLeaf]

Sulfites would be my guess too. Do you react to wine?

Sulfites would most likely have been used to treat the vegetables - not in the dressing.

[Owlie]

At some point I developed the itchy-throat thing with raw carrots and celery, so it could well be one of the veggies.

[lph]

Sulfites! I'd never heard of reacting to sulfites - and am not quite sure what they are Down for some reading.

No digestive issues, and no hives or scratching, just that I suddenly feel like I'm on the tail-end of a cold, the back of my throat and nose fills up. Gone after 20 minutes, so it's minor. I'll try with just plain olive oil as salad dressing for a week and see if that helps. No reaction at home (except once in a while a mild reaction to beer) but I don't drink much wine because it makes me very drowsy. Actually there might be something there.

As for the itchy thing - I once, and only once, got awful hives on my torso from something and spent an infuriated 2 or 3 weeks scratching myself, re-washing all my clothes in hypoallergenic washing powder, wearing just cotton, the lot. Gradually faded away and never came back.