Shellfish allergy question

[LadyyRedd]

Anyone here allergic to only one type of shellfish and not the rest? From what I understand, if you are allergic to one, you are usually allergic to the rest. My sister has always thought she had a crab allergy.....but she eats all other shellfish. This was from the time she was like 12 (she's 27 now). But the other day she happened to mention that she didn't know for sure she had an allergy to crab, just that once when she ate it, she got sick or had hives or something....and she said that it's not something that is tested.

Anyone else?

Kimya

 

[tink_n_pooh]

She could just be allergic to crab and not Iodine, which is what most 'shellfish' allergies are. I'm allergic to shellfish and fish, just regular old fish, but I can eat some fish (like tuna and swordfish are ok) but not others (i can't eat salmon at all).

Could it be something else that she is always eating with the crab?

I'd say to tell her to get tested, it's not going to hurt.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I don't know about shellfish, but I know that I can eat all fish except for catfish.

 

[kctwinmommy]

My dad is allergic to lobster and crab. He found out a long time ago. He got sick after eating one of them. But he wasn't sure at that point if it was an allergy or just badly cooked, so awhile later he had one again and got way more sick, and then he knew. But he can eat shrimp, octopus, and all fish, just not those two.

 

[NMAmy]

DH gets very ill if he eats shrimp but not lobster or crab. Just one of those weird things.

 

[DawnCt1]

When I was working, I had an employee who had a shell fish allergy. I got a call from a co worker that she was laying on the floor, red from head to toe and was having difficulty breathing. She was on the verge of anaphylaxis in the five minutes it took me to get there. I knew she had a shell fish allergy and I grabbed an extra epi pen on my way out of the clinic. Glad I had one. Since she was very aware that she is allergic to shell fish, she is careful about what she eats. Unfortunately GNC ran out of her usual dietary supplement and gave her a different one. No ingredients were listed on the label. It turned out to have oyster shell calcium. She had to sign a variety of forms to get the ingredients so she could figure out what happened to her.

 

[jel0511]

She could just be allergic to crab and not Iodine, which is what most 'shellfish' allergies are. I'm allergic to shellfish and fish, just regular old fish, but I can eat some fish (like tuna and swordfish are ok) but not others (i can't eat salmon at all).

Could it be something else that she is always eating with the crab?

I'd say to tell her to get tested, it's not going to hurt.

I just wanted to clarify some things. If you are allergic to iodine, you are NOT allergic to shellfish. It's one of the myths out there. I'm allergic to iodine, my allergist told me that being allergic to iodine doesn't automatically make you allergic to shellfish, you can still eat it without consequences. I don't eat it because I just don't like it very much.

 

[ducklite]

I'm allergic to scallops (I get hives after eating them) but I am not allergic to other shellfish.

I've read a lot of people on this thread mentioning getting "sick" after eating shellfish. That's probably not an allergy, but rather bad shellfish. Although vomiting can be associated with an allergic reaction, in shellfish the first thing to look at would be bad or "spoiled" food, unless the same symptom occured with the same meal on multiple occasions.

BTW--they can test for shellfish allergies.

Anne

 

[dcgrumpy]

She may not really be allergic or if she is allergic to iodine, that one time the iodine concentration was much higher than usual.

I'm allergic to iodine, I just pump myself with benadryl beforehand and keep an epi-pen handy. Yeah I can die, but it taastes so good.

The only shellfish I've ever had a reaction to is lobster.

I know that I'm allergic to iodine because I had a reaction to a cat-scan with contrast years ago.

 

[NotUrsula]

Same here, just scallops. I can eat other mollusks, and all edible crustaceans, but scallops bring me out in a rash.

As Anne said, a true allergy is likely to cause hives or difficulty breathing; vomiting or diarrhea is probably NOT caused by an allergy, but by spoilage.

Note that if we are talking about very spicy shellfish causing diarrhea, the issue could be the spices rather than the food itself; cayenne pepper can trigger an intestinal flora die-off if you are not used to eating a lot of it, and that will cause diarrhea. I used to see this happen to a lot of first-time visitors to South Louisiana.

 

[liamsaunt]

My nephew is allergic to crustaceans--so shrimp, crab, and lobster. It is a very serious allergy that can result in anaphaylactic shock. You definitely can be tested for shellfish allergies. My nephew had to be tested for the full battery after his first exposure to shrimp, which landed him in the ER. Since it was his first exposure, the reaction was not as swift as the situation Dawn described above. My sister was advised that future exposures would lead to that type of result, and that it is a lifetime allergy that cannot be outgrown (unlike his other allergy-which is to eggs).

The allergy manifests as a swelling of the eyes and throat, leading to obstructed breathing. It can be fatal if not treated quickly. He has to travel with an epi-pen, and there are epi-pens at his school, and at his grandmother's house, where he spends a lot of time.

If you had hives or swelling from eating something, it is worth getting tested. The first reaction is never the big one, but if you are truly allergic in the way that my nephew is, there is always a chance that your reaction will escalate. Stomach-related "allergies" are a completely different issue.

 

[Art Vandalay]

I am allergic to clams, but have eaten tons of shrimp, lobster and crab with no problems. After a serious allergic reaction, the doctor said best to avoid scallops, mussels and oysters as well. But I've continued to eat shrimp, lobster and crab with no problems.

 

[drag n' fly]

I am exactly the opposite. I can only eat shellfish but have a severe allergy to any fish with a tail fish. I do know a few people who cannot eat some shellfish though and can eat others. My dh always jokes I am conveniently not allergic to the expensive stuff

 

[Mkrop]

Ate all kinds of shellfish except mussels until I tried one on a date with my now DH. My tongue blew up like a ballon. We went and got some benadryl and it eventually went down, scared me though. Then at the dinner where my mom met his parents, I was so nervous I did not read the menu for the pasta and seafood and it turns out there were chopped up mussels in the sauce. My tongue felt all tingly, luckily there was a pharmacy across the street.

Well he still married me and to this day I can eat all other shellfish but I refuse to eat mussels!

 

[Beth76]

I've read a lot of people on this thread mentioning getting "sick" after eating shellfish. That's probably not an allergy, but rather bad shellfish.

Really? Now, I've never been tested but I believe I'm allergic to scallops. Twice I've had scallops (one or two) and had a severe "reaction" (I threw up violently--sorry TMI) within minutes of eating them. No one else eating the scallops got sick. One time it was at a party, one time it was just me and DH. I can only assume that was an allergic reaction, but I really don't know. Either way, I won't be eating scallops anymore. I've had no problems with any other seafood/shellfish.

 

[drag n' fly]

Food allergy reactions can vary. For 15 years I thought I had IBS. When I was finally sent for allergy tests the allergist told me that 75% of people who think that they have IBS actually have food allergies and they mimic IBS. When I removed the foods from my diet that I was allergic to my IBS symptoms that I had lived with for 15 years completely disappered. These allergies were not anaphylactic like I am to eggs and fish (requires epi-pen) but mild allergies that gave me terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.

 

[Mermaid02]

My son is allergic to shellfish. His throat gets scratchy and describes a feeling of "someone shoving their fist" down his throat. He tested positive to shrimp, scallops (had NEVER had a scallop) and haddock. We were told to avoid all shellfish and fish. He has since outgrown the haddock allergy and enjoys that now. Hopefully he will also outgrow shellfish and peanuts.

 

[LadyyRedd]

Food allergy reactions can vary. For 15 years I thought I had IBS. When I was finally sent for allergy tests the allergist told me that 75% of people who think that they have IBS actually have food allergies and they mimic IBS. When I removed the foods from my diet that I was allergic to my IBS symptoms that I had lived with for 15 years completely disappered. These allergies were not anaphylactic like I am to eggs and fish (requires epi-pen) but mild allergies that gave me terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea.

What foods did you remove from your diet to clear up the IBS?

Kimya

 

[Poohnatic]

I just wanted to clarify some things. If you are allergic to iodine, you are NOT allergic to shellfish. It's one of the myths out there. I'm allergic to iodine, my allergist told me that being allergic to iodine doesn't automatically make you allergic to shellfish, you can still eat it without consequences.

You sound a lot like me. I am allergic to Iodine, and find I can eat shellfish in moderation (except Lobster for some reason). I get varying reactions from shellfish as a result of the allergies-my worst was head to toe hives that lasted about two weeks.

When I went through the lovely skin patch testing, I had a HUGE positive for iodine, but shellfish was negative. The allergist suggested I monitor myself for eating it, but he also said that I didn't have to eliminate it from my diet.

Suzanne

 

[ahutton]

You sound a lot like me. I am allergic to Iodine, and find I can eat shellfish in moderation (except Lobster for some reason). I get varying reactions from shellfish as a result of the allergies-my worst was head to toe hives that lasted about two weeks.

When I went through the lovely skin patch testing, I had a HUGE positive for iodine, but shellfish was negative. The allergist suggested I monitor myself for eating it, but he also said that I didn't have to eliminate it from my diet.

Suzanne

I am also iodine allergic. Lobster was the first thing that gave me trouble, from early on. Then I had something that had a trace of crab in it and my mouth got swollen and blistered (TMI - sorry), then I started reacting to shrimp. Now I've been told to carry 2 Epi-Pens and avoid it completely. Apparently ongoing exposure makes it worse. The iodine in the lobster shell is the strongest of the choices, so I reacted to it first.

Such a bummer - I really love crab and shrimp.