Did Menopause Trigger my Food Allergy?
Today we share Jean’s story, she is a member of our Facebook community. She is keen to raise awareness that food allergies can begin in adulthood and that there may be a possible link between allergies and hormonal changes such as the menopause.
Jean, pictured with her husband, was diagnosed with food allergies as an adult.
I noticed my allergy for the first time in August 2011, at 54 years of age. I ate a small piece of a seed bar made by a work colleague. I felt an immediate tightening in my throat making swallowing difficult. Having never experienced anything like this before, I enquired about the ingredients but wasn't unduly concerned. I did wonder however if I might have had an allergic reaction to sunflower seeds. I didn't go to the doctors as I didn’t know that an allergic reaction could be severe and turn into a life-threatening condition. I really thought that a Piriton tablet would suffice.
Two months later, I was at a friend's house for the weekend, and I ate a small brown roll for lunch. The roof of my mouth started itching, and checking the ingredients, I found that the roll contained sunflowers seeds. I had a dose of anti-histamine, thinking it would deal with the problem. Both my husband and I thought that the reaction would pass or that we would manage to get to a hospital in time if needed. However, the antihistamine didn't work - my symptoms got worse.
My friend phoned my GP, who advised we phone the Emergency Services immediately. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived in under 2 minutes, by this time I was experiencing a full anaphylaxis attack. I was injected with adrenaline by the paramedics and blue lighted to hospital. There I was kept under observation for seven hours and then released with five days' worth of steroids. Thank goodness for our NHS!
If the GP hadn’t been so on the ball, and if the ambulance hadn’t arrived so quickly, I would definitely not be here today. As an otherwise extremely healthy person, I had been in self-denial, thinking my body would just recover by itself. Because I was pretty sure that I knew what my allergy was, I was tested at the GP surgery for allergy to sunflower seeds which came back positive on the RAST score. I was issued with two EpiPens which go everywhere with me. But I was still left with the question…
Why has my food allergy started in adulthood?
Jean was given EpiPen Auto-Adrenaline Injectors for her food allergies.
I think the enormity of my allergy came in stages. I thought sunflower seeds would be relatively easy to avoid. I was careful. At that time, the labelling of food products was not as good as it is now, so I just avoided anything with sunflower seeds. I wasn't aware of any possible sunflower derivatives used in foods but they gradually showed their face.
A few months later, after eating a packet of crisps, my throat started to feel uncomfortable and swallowing became difficult. I took a dose of Piriton which reduced the symptoms, thankfully I didn't need to use my EpiPen. Crisps which I like to snack on, are often cooked in sunflower oil so I went back to my GP but was told there is no specific test for sunflower oil. I had to start also avoiding all foods that contained sunflower oil or even generic oil, as at that time oils that contained sunflower were only listed as 'vegetable oil'.
Throughout this journey I have had to do a lot of my own research. I found that oils, including sunflower oils, are processed using very high temperatures which made them okay for me to eat. However, cold-pressed oils tend to retain their proteins, so they are dangerous for me. It's strange to think that in over 54 years of my life I hadn't had to think of any foods as being 'dangerous'. Now I avoid all sunflower oils to be safe as there is no way of knowing how the oil has been processed.
But my food allergies didn't end there...
Sometime later in 2011, during a sponsored walk, I ate a very shiny apple from a fruit display and my face swelled immediately which lasted right through to the following day. The apple looked like it had been shined especially for the display and I knew nothing about the wax coating. Fortunately, my throat didn’t react this time.
It wasn't until an allergic reaction to a second apple, that I started researching possible causes and I found that apples can be coated in beeswax. I deduced that the beeswax could be produced by bees that have visited sunflowers. I've since had allergic reactions to peaches and grapes too. Although these haven't been severe, they have been very uncomfortable. It's always worrying not knowing how far a reaction will go. Now I avoid fruit that isn't peeled first as I've no way of telling what has beeswax on it. Waitrose sell labelled unwaxed limes and lemons which is great. I wish all supermarkets did this. Honey in cosmetic products has also given me allergic reactions.
The discovery that hormones may have triggered my allergies...
My whole family and I started researching allergies. We hadn't found any information about allergies being affected by hormonal changes but I had a chance conversation with a work colleague with a dairy allergy and I learnt that her allergy disappeared when she was pregnant with both of her children but returned each time after she had given birth! We started researching hormones and allergies and learned that my allergy may have started due to my age. It was possibly triggered by the menopause!
As the years have gone by, and the food labelling in this country has improved along with the introduction of Natasha's Law, it has become much easier for me. I am not everyone's first choice to have over for dinner and there is so much I can’t eat from a café or restaurant as I have to avoid all cakes, pastries, etc. because so many margarines used for baking contain sunflower oil.
Eating out has however become marginally better. I've found that when I say I have a food allergy, restaurants give me their allergy menu but it only lists the top 14 allergens. That isn't useful to me. I've also had some say that they won't serve me food at all because I have food allergies and this of course excludes not just me by everyone with food allergies. I don't trust anyone enough to understand that my allergen (sunflower seeds and oil) could be hidden in margarine or found in wax on fruit so I now prefer to decide by myself what I can eat and what I can't.
Natasha's Law, the new labelling law has helped me tremendously regarding purchasing pre-packaged foods. It has meant that I don't usually have to go without lunch anymore - I can now pop into a café for something to eat when I’m out because I can read all the ingredients.
What I wish could change…
I wish there was more medical research to understand why allergies in adults occur. For instance, I had no clue at all about a possible hormone link. I would like people who have been newly diagnosed with allergies to be given an appointment with a dietician to educate them on what foods to avoid. It’s dangerous leaving this to patients to research on the internet. Apart from obvious sunflower seeds, I have only found out about other sunflower derivatives by having allergic reactions which is unsafe.
It has only recently come to my attention, through Natasha’s inquest, that should you have to inject a second Epipen, or AAI, it might be wise to do it in the other leg. I’m sure there are still people who don’t know this. Medical care should be more joined-up, with no one falling through the cracks, not knowing really vital information about their allergies. Such information can save lives - we need much more to create a safer world.
Were you diagnosed with a food allergy as an adult? Please show Jean the support of this wonderful community, in the comments.
If you would like to share an allergy story, poem or video like so many people in this brave community have done, please get in touch by emailing yourstory@narf.org.uk
