Welcome to my blog!
Welcome to my blog!
Suddenly I'm allergic
I'd never heard of "adult onset allergies", but in 2013 it happened to me....
I'd been happily working away in the garden and decided to take a break, so headed into the house. As I sat down to enjoy my cup of coffee the itching started.
I made a joke to my partner about "having flees", then as I saw red patches appearing all over my body I headed to the bathroom to find some antihistamine tablets, assuming that I was having a reaction to a plant I'd touched.
I didn't make it back to the living room.
I collapsed and was rushed to hospital where I was told I was suffering from anaphylactic shock and issued with an Epipen in case it happened again and sent on my way.
Getting a diagnosis
This wasn't easy!!
All the usual allergy tests revealed nothing, so I started trying to find the cause myself by eliminating various foods from my diet.
I spent the next year periodically suffering attacks and being rushed to hospital. It was terrifying. Never knowing if the next thing I ate might be the last thing I ever ate. It was also really frightening for whoever I was with when it happened.
I catalogued everything I ate and kept a diary of what I'd been doing and in contact with every time it happened, but I just couldn't see a pattern.
After much badgering of my GP and working my way through Consultants who didn't have the resources to do anything other than the standard tests, I finally found one to help me.
As soon as I described how, with the latest episode the itching started on my palms & soles she knew exactly what it was - I’m allergic to a protein called Omega 5 Glyadin.
The medical term for the condition is ‘wheat dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis’ (WDEIA).
What a relief to finally have an answer, however at the time there was very little information available about this condition.
The psychological effects I wasn't ready for
Now, up until all this happened I always considered myself pretty indestructible and carefree. All of a sudden that wasn't true. This allergy triggered something that had me worrying about everything, I was finding fear everywhere. I developed the ability to catastrophise every situation not just one that involved food. It seriously messed with my head.
If I was going to survive I had to be hyper vigilant at all times. I had to research the ingredients in absolutely everything. Who would have thought there's wheat in Smarties???!!! and have you ever tried to find out what's in Pimms? It took me quite a while to get an answer.
Being paranoid was the only way forward.
Even now, all these years later, when hyper vigilance is second nature, if I get the slightest itch my brain still rushes to the conclusion that disaster is about to strike. I can't tell you the number of times I've rummaged through a waste bin to find a food packet and check for the 10th time that the product I just ate definitely, absolutely didn't contain wheat.
Vegetarian AND wheat free??!!
Going to someone's house for a meal can get tricky. Coming up with a vegetarian option isn't too challenging for most people, but understandably, the allergy tends to make people very nervous. Also they feel bad when I'm not able to enjoy everything that everyone else is having - when really I'm so used to it now it doesn't matter to me.
Eating out's no fun anymore
Over the years I've found it's easier to say I need my food to be "gluten free", even though that's not technically correct. "Wheat free" seems to throw people into a spin.
I've learned to ask and ask again when ordering food and then check again when it arrives. Even so I've had quite a few occasions when I've had to send food back because it's been decorated with croutons or a slice of garlic bread.
Believe me, I've eaten a lot of dry salad and gone home hungry on many occasions.
Sharing the best places to eat, the best recipes & products
So now I'm on a mission wherever I go to try out, and share details on, cafes and restaurants that have embraced and understand the gluten and wheat free concept.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a wheat allergy, or are looking to understand the diagnosis of a friend or family member, here’s a great resource I found whilst writing this post:
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/wheat-allergy/
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Suddenly I'm allergic
I'd never heard of "adult onset allergies", but in 2013 it happened to me....
I'd been happily working away in the garden and decided to take a break, so headed into the house. As I sat down to enjoy my cup of coffee the itching started.
I made a joke to my partner about "having flees", then as I saw red patches appearing all over my body I headed to the bathroom to find some antihistamine tablets, assuming that I was having a reaction to a plant I'd touched.
I didn't make it back to the living room.
I collapsed and was rushed to hospital where I was told I was suffering from anaphylactic shock and issued with an Epipen in case it happened again and sent on my way.
Getting a diagnosis
This wasn't easy!!
All the usual allergy tests revealed nothing, so I started trying to find the cause myself by eliminating various foods from my diet.
I spent the next year periodically suffering attacks and being rushed to hospital. It was terrifying. Never knowing if the next thing I ate might be the last thing I ever ate. It was also really frightening for whoever I was with when it happened.
I catalogued everything I ate and kept a diary of what I'd been doing and in contact with every time it happened, but I just couldn't see a pattern.
After much badgering of my GP and working my way through Consultants who didn't have the resources to do anything other than the standard tests, I finally found one to help me.
As soon as I described how, with the latest episode the itching started on my palms & soles she knew exactly what it was - I’m allergic to a protein called Omega 5 Glyadin.
The medical term for the condition is ‘wheat dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis’ (WDEIA).
What a relief to finally have an answer, however at the time there was very little information available about this condition.
The psychological effects I wasn't ready for
Now, up until all this happened I always considered myself pretty indestructible and carefree. All of a sudden that wasn't true. This allergy triggered something that had me worrying about everything, I was finding fear everywhere. I developed the ability to catastrophise every situation not just one that involved food. It seriously messed with my head.
If I was going to survive I had to be hyper vigilant at all times. I had to research the ingredients in absolutely everything. Who would have thought there's wheat in Smarties???!!! and have you ever tried to find out what's in Pimms? It took me quite a while to get an answer.
Being paranoid was the only way forward.
Even now, all these years later, when hyper vigilance is second nature, if I get the slightest itch my brain still rushes to the conclusion that disaster is about to strike. I can't tell you the number of times I've rummaged through a waste bin to find a food packet and check for the 10th time that the product I just ate definitely, absolutely didn't contain wheat.
Vegetarian AND wheat free??!!
Going to someone's house for a meal can get tricky. Coming up with a vegetarian option isn't too challenging for most people, but understandably, the allergy tends to make people very nervous. Also they feel bad when I'm not able to enjoy everything that everyone else is having - when really I'm so used to it now it doesn't matter to me.
Eating out's no fun anymore
Over the years I've found it's easier to say I need my food to be "gluten free", even though that's not technically correct. "Wheat free" seems to throw people into a spin.
I've learned to ask and ask again when ordering food and then check again when it arrives. Even so I've had quite a few occasions when I've had to send food back because it's been decorated with croutons or a slice of garlic bread.
Believe me, I've eaten a lot of dry salad and gone home hungry on many occasions.
Sharing the best places to eat, the best recipes & products
So now I'm on a mission wherever I go to try out, and share details on, cafes and restaurants that have embraced and understand the gluten and wheat free concept.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a wheat allergy, or are looking to understand the diagnosis of a friend or family member, here’s a great resource I found whilst writing this post:
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/wheat-allergy/
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