Shrimp allergy

Hi Josh's mom,
Sounds like a shrimp allergy to me. I don't think there's any difference between shrimp or peanuts as far as reactions go. I think shrimp is more likely to cause adult-onset allergy than other allergens.

The cross contamination issues are the same for shrimp as for peanuts.

I would hot-foot it to the nearest allergist!

Good luck - and let us know what the allergist says!
Adele

Hi,

This seems to be cropping up in a lot of adults here. I used to only have GI symptoms from my allergies, including shrimp. Then I started to notice congestion/coughing after even being around shrimp (such as just having a baked potato at Red Lobster). Benadryl or Allegra would work ok at first, but my symptoms progressed. I always carry an Epi Pen now.

Please do as Adele said and high-tail-it to an Allergist. But until then, avoid shellfish altogether.

Will bump up the Anaphylaxis Symptoms and Grading Chart. Print a copy out to keep with you. Good for you, and your child.

Daisy

My aunt developed an adult-onset shellfish allergy some years back. She does not experience hives or facial/throat swelling, what you would consider a typical reaction. Her only symptom is an almost instantanteous drop in blood pressure. She becomes very faint and shaky.

She carries her epi-pens when she dines in restaurants.

My mom always ate shrimp. When she was in her late 50's she had her first anaphlatic reaction. She was already carrying an Epi due to bee stings. She injected herself (before auto injects) and my dad drove EEEKKKKK her to the hospital a few miles down the road!!!! She was in terrible condition and had to stay at hospital a few days. Then about 5 years later she clearly told a waiter not to put shrimp in her salad and low and behold the salad arrived with shrimp. The guy (idiot) took the salad back to the kitchen and picked the shrimp out. My mom had the most terrible reaction 4 hours later and we almost lost her. She reports "seeing the light"> The guy no longer works at the restaurant. I personally think she should watch the cross-contamination a bit better. She eats at seafood restaurants frequently and it is usually fried right along with the shrimp products. Go figure.

PP

If you go to the GI reactions thread in the Adults board, I believe you'll find a pretty detailed account of my anaphylactic reaction to shellfish. And there's even a recent thread (this past week) about GI symptoms in the Main board I believe.

But quickly: Mine is adult onset (first reaction one year ago, and I just turned 40), like Daisy (and Adele, although she's not SFA, right?)I have GI symptoms. I've not had hives. My symptoms appear either 20 minutes or 2 hours later. I experience a spaciness first. Painful stomach cramps, diarrhea. I took the epi when I experienced chest pains. Afterward experienced uterine contractions. I had a protracted reaction with symptoms for 4 days.

If you are shellfish allergic, here are restaurant tips: avoid anything grilled unless they have a dedicated grill (Chili's does--see my "cried in front of manager" thread in OT). But really, no one else does. They'll say they don't grill shrimp typically but will on customer request. My ana reaction resulted from tongs that were used to turn my beef that was cooked in a clean pan and not on the grill that had been used to turn shrimp. The only thing I get at that restaurant now (go there for business meetings quite a bit) is a fruit plate.

Avoid anything fried at a restaurant. I had one reaction after eating two french fries my husband brought home from a fast food place--happened to be Long John Silver. Yuck anyway, but the reaction was not a happy thing.

If the restaurant makes shrimp enchiladas, I avoid eating enchiladas altogether. If there is a shrimp version of anything, I do not eat a beef or chicken version of it. The risk for Xcontam is too great.

I was tested for white fish, molluscs, and cephalopods. Could technically eat them. But as much as I want to (well, fish and maybe molluscs), I am terrified to because of Xcontam in the grocery store. They are too close to each other, and I've seen mistakes. I want to find a Kosher grocer where I can buy fish. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

There are Kosher restaurants, too. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

And oven cooked things have been good choices for me. Roasted things.

There are several here who are SFA or who have kids that are. I did a SFA roll call in OT last year, and there are enough posts around to glean other stuff.

There's a SFA board at Allergic Living. I haven't found another resource though like pa.com for SFA. Good luck.

My husband was having reactions like that and his allergist surmised that he might be reacting to the sulfites often sprayed on seafood to keep it looking white.

Of course, then he was tested for what he thought he reacted to (scallops) and he had a negative RAST. He tested positive for the stuff he didn't think he reacted to (shrimp, lobster, crabs). The doctor recommended he avoid crustaceans because a seafood allergy often strikes without warning and a positive RAST is a warning bell.

He hasn't had scallops since thinking he reacted. It's just safer that way. The doctor said he's free to try them, but understand that hubby just isn't comfortable with 'em. It's not like they were a huge part of his diet.

ygg

My husband's cousin made her mom's anniversary & B-day party - 150 people --at a nice country club entirely nut-free because of my son. I did not even know she was doing this. She called me up upset thst the cateres could not gurantee that the lemon cheesecake was free of nuts (bakeries).
The reason for her graciousness? She was at a party and someone there died from eating shrimp -- they had adult onset -- never knew they were allergic - so no EpiPen.