Is it possible to crave what you're allergic to? — Page 3

With the muffin, I had no clue I was allergic to it. Yes, I should have stopped when I felt the symptoms, but I denied it b/c I didn't think that it could possibly make me sick.

I'm glad to read that about Bush- it really is so important. I found out some sad news recently about someone I went to college with. He was doing very well, working in NYC (I think in investment banking, but I'm not sure) and went out to eat one night. Apparently, he had a peanut allergy and was not aware that it was in his meal. He tragically died that night. I don't know about all of the circumstances, but this was definitely a tragedy.

I had an experience where I told the waiter I was allergic to ginger and soy (I always begin my ordering with that spiel) and he assured me there was nothing in the salad. This was the same restaurant where we had our engagement party and knew the chefs, waiters, managers, chefs, etc. very well. As I began to eat, I started feeling very sick. Fortunately, I had a benadryl and took it immediately (stopped eating too). My husband and I left and the manager and chef ran over to inform my parents there was ginger in the salad. The waiter seriously f-ed up. They were very lucky that I didn't have to go to a hospital (fortunately, my reaction is not that severe yet, but continual exposure will make it worse). Gotta love incompentence!

That's what kills me Em.. Cheese and Ice cream.. there are days that I want them so badly.. I was driving home yesterday wanting Cold stone Ice cream so badly that I nearly couldn't stand it.. I didn't wind up getting any, but I did indulge and had some cheese and made myself so very sick.. Still feeling it today as a matter of fact.. It's my own stupidity.. I know better, but sometimes I just have no will power..

In part you are very lucky that you dont know what you are missing..

As for the incompetence bit, I hate that. I constently ask whats in stuff.. Even when I eat home made food. I ate some soup a whiel back that my grandmother made and got violently ill.. She forgot to tell me that she had put cream in it.

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*shrug* I just can't see being okay with making yourself so sick. I mean, there's more than one kind of substitute for almost anything you can think of. I suppose it just depends on what kind of reaction you have. If I did that, I'd wind up in the hospital for like a week. If I were to just get sick to my stomach, I guess that'd be another story.

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Updated On: 4/14/05 at 02:16 PM

But you're not afraid of being sick, or having it be really dangerous? What you're doing doesn't bug you at all until you feel guilty after it? I can understand that people do things they regret on the spur of the moment, but... it just doesn't make any sense to me why anyone would *ever* do that to themselves consciously. I kind of equate that to cutting your wrists or something; you know it's going to hurt you, but you do it anyway. At least here there's something inherently good that comes out of it, but still... that's a lot of suffering to deal with just for something that tastes good. I have so much trouble buying that it can't be rationalized - of course it *can* be rationalized - there's something you want, so you eat it, putting desires over general well-being and vigilance. I suppose it's hard to know WHY you make the decision you do - maybe just because of totally masochistic tendencies, or maybe ice cream is just THAT good, but I don't understand how the excuse can just be brushed off as "oh, I'm stupid, I'm guilty, everyone does stupid things." To each his own, but why anyone could justify doing that, and be so lax about it just because they want to eat something makes my head spin.

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Updated On: 4/14/05 at 02:28 PM

the effects tend to be cumulative based upon exposure.

It's true, but not universally, since you can outgrow food allergy, too.

I really like Whole Foods.

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I've never had shellfish, just because I don't like eating seafood. Actually, that's a lie. I don't know if I like it, because I literally have never done it. I just have this irrational fear of fish and other seafood... for some unknown reason, I don't eat it. Shellfish allergies are REALLY dangerous, too. Because you can go on eating it and be perfectly fine for years, then suddenly the allergy will manifest itself. Or, you can have a reaction several hours later, even if you think you're fine right then.

Usually the "optimum" times for outgrowing allergies are around when you first start school (so five-ish), puberty/pre-teen, early teenage years, or right around when you start college. So, I've essentially given up hope.

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Joe's Crab Shack?! They have the COOLEST t-shirts.

Actually, there's some kind of theory that says if a pregnant woman eats too much of something, her child is at greater risk of developing an allergy to it. So, maybe you're right... I guess it could work on a self-induced basis, too.

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When I was younger, I met a doctor who has been heavily involved in some really great allergy research, but I thought he was out of his f*cking mind. He wanted me to do one of those challenge tests, and I though it was the most absurd thing in the world. I wouldn't do it, and I still won't. I think the only time I'd consider doing it is if the blood test shows the allergy to have gone down enough in severity that the challenge would show us something useful. Right now, I know that the allergy is strong enough for me to still react very severely, and not be able to eat or touch that stuff. It's not worth it.

There's also goat's milk, Abba, but most people who are allergic to "regular" milk (cow's milk) are allergic to that, too. The proteins are very similar. There's something really obscure called potato milk, that's used a lot as a baking substitute, and then there's rice milk, which is becoming pretty common as a soy alternative.

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But saying that you can't explain it and just blaming it on overt stupidity doesn't make any sense. I know it's really circular to keep saying this, but I just can't see how that's anywhere even remotely near logical. I mean, you enjoy the food, but do you enjoy being sick? If you regret doing it after, which I assume you would after getting so ill, why would you just do it again? I guess it's just frustrating that people can take it so lightly when this is literally something that I could die from, and I know every case is different, but you make yours sound pretty severe. I don't think it's something that you need to be able to explain, or to find rationale for it. I mean, it seems so simple - something makes you as sick as what you say makes it sound like it does, you should just avoid it, no? I don't mean to make it sound like I'm telling you what to do or anything, because I'm not, but I just don't understand. And I don't understand how it can be brushed off with a simple "I do it, and I don't understand why so... ok!" That seems like such a cop-out and I can't figure out why it would be an okay thing to do that to yourself, unless you just like... get a stomach ache. It just confuses me, is all.

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Updated On: 4/14/05 at 04:49 PM

I think there is a Joe's Crab Shack somewhere around here, but this place is called Joe's Stone Crabs. It's an institution in Miami- no reservations and you have to either arrive at 5pm, know someone or be prepared to wait and wait and wait....

I know of the RAST test (I think) and the blood one, although they may be the same thing. Once my new insurance kicks in, I'm going to find an allergist in Miami who specializes in food allergies. The one I went to (who was recommended) was so clueless. She made me take the scratch tests (I can tolerate a lot of pain, but just the thought of it still sends shivers down my spine..... horrible! It didn't hurt, it's just the whole principle of it that bothers me) and of course, nothing showed since food allergies don't generally appear w/ the scratch tests.

Well if it wasn't your place then I wouldn't have said anything to begin with.. I mean I opened the can of worms not you. You are just attempting to figure out why I do it as well as make me figure out why I do it..

"Basic responsibility for action says that you should have SOME inkling of why you do things, whether it be that you don't care about getting sick, or that you just have some sort of death wish."

it's entirely possible that it's a subconcious masochism. As I'm sitting here thinking about it, because I seriously am trying to figure out why I do it. I'm realizing that I only tend to do it when everything else in the world seems to be going wrong for me. and thats more than a bit frightening..

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Em and Abba had both asked why people do it, and since I myself did it just last night and really have no clue as to why. I thought well maybe I'm not the only one that is like that. Maybe these individuals truely do not conciously know why they do it. It was never an intention to downplay or dimish the severity of her allergy.

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There are studies that prove exactly what you said insomniak. Children exposed to animals at a young age do have a decreased risk of developing allergies. However, I think those are more to animals than to food.. but with my genes, I'm willing to help them get whatever immunity to allergens they can get!

When we do decide to have children (probably in a year or two), I will have conduct extensive research about the best ways to not pass on my allergies or at least decrease the chances of them developing food allergies like I have.

[by the way, I looked up RAST on Medline and it says that it is the blood test. I think the scratch test is just known as the "scratch test," but I could be wrong.]