Apparently Non-IgE Symptoms of Tobacco Smoke Allergy

Introduction Post

I figured out I'm allergic to cigarette and tobacco smoke in 2004, the day after I sat with a table of smokers for an hour in a music club. The next day I was too sick to do anything. I had sinus pain and pressure, chest pressure and wheezing, fatigue, stomach pain and pain in my arms and legs.

I've probably been allergic to it all my life. I grew up before there were restrictions on smoking and this would explain why I had frequent headaches and fatigue - though my other allergies also played a part.

I love music and dancing and continued to go to music clubs in spite of the symptoms. I would usually spend about 2 hours at a club before the sore throat and sinus pressure made me tired. It would be a day or two, sometimes three, to fully recover.

The symptoms got worse as I got older and I'm very grateful for the smoke-free laws! If smoking was still allowed in music clubs I would have had to stop going and I don't know what, if anything, could have replaced it in my life!

Now a combination of allergy management and lifestyle changes has made it possible to differentiate my smoke symptoms from other allergy symptoms.

I believe it's a non-IgE allergy because it's dose-dependent. If I'm able to avoid all but a little smoke, the symptoms aren't too bad. If I get a lot of smoke - like cigars on New Year's Eve or a punk rock show back in the day - I will be sick for days. Needless to say, I avoid it as much as possible and carry a mask just in case. I don't want to be even a little bit sick if I don't have to!

So I went out the other night to a music event at a small club. People go outside to smoke and some smoke comes into the doorway and the front part of the club. I spent most of my time in the other room - however, I did spend a little time in the front and picked up a little smoke. At one point I stepped outside for a quick word with someone and it went longer than expected, and I got a little more smoke there. The people I was talking to weren't smoking, but the wind blew a little over by us. Then again when I was leaving, a bit more even though I stayed away from the smokers. So altogether, a small but significant amount of smoke. My mold and ragweed allergies may make the exposure threshold a little lower than other times of year.

I didn't notice symptoms at the time. There probably was some congestion and inflammation, but it's gradual and seems like normal allergies.

After I got home, I irrigated my sinuses to help flush out smoke and allergens.

The next day my main symptom was sinus pain that was enough to be bothersome, but not enough to take more than the usual meds. With smoke the pain feels like it's deep in my sinuses, right in the center. Like a knot.

Also my sinuses felt dry and I used saline a few times. There seemed to be a little congestion too. I also irrigated the following evening, 22 hours after exposure. The pain and dryness didn't completely go away until the morning of the next day, 36 hours after exposure.

I've wondered if it's a t-cell reaction, but it's not very similar to my t-cell allergy to dust. It has a delay of less than 12 hours, not 24 hours. The sinus pain from dust is very different in low doses. With a small amount of dust I get an ache around the edges of my sinuses, and more systemic symptoms like fatigue and arm and leg pain. I don't notice this with the tobacco smoke allergy.

Drug companies will do anything

Introduction Post

For about a year I've been having trouble getting the allergy meds I need. Ever since the people who make Benadryl decided it was a good idea to put calcium in the pills. Calcium tears up my stomach. I can't take anything that contains calcium.

It's well documented in Annals of Allergy that people with allergies tend to have acid stomach. It's well known among GI doctors that calcium stimulates stomach acid.
The makers of Benadryl are apparently unaware of this. Their response to my upset emails was basically "come hold our hands and teach us". They don't do research or even read the medical journal in their own field! Since manufacturers copy each other like sheep, store brand versions are the same.

I've been noticing this in other meds also, and even worse. Pseudoephedrine (sudafed) contains calcium now, as does almost every other pill I look at. The few pills that don't contain calcium contain lactose - a wonderful idea when many people are lactose intolerant!

But even worse, the Sudafed brand of phenylephrine (an alternative decongestant) contains vinyl.
That's right, one of the ingredients is known to cause allergies. It's listed as polyvinyl alcohol.

I found a Walgreen's combo that contains acetaminophen with phenylephrine, and another version that also contains chlorpheniramine, with no calcium or lactose. I've been using these since last fall.

This is the only way I've found to get an antihistamine without the garbage that upsets my stomach.

Today I went to the Edgewater Walgreen's to get more. Mold is in the red zone and ragweed moderately high and on top of that I have a cold. I need this medicine more than ever. They had one box of the one without chlorphen. The associate told me they hadn't received the one with chlorphen since July 13. They're either discontinuing or changing it. Great timing, at the height of allergy season!

She checked all the other options and they all have calcium or lactose. A few years ago my stomach decided not to digest corn anymore - The Walgreen's brand of chlorphen doesn't have the other stuff, but it does have corn starch, which seems to be another common ingredient of theirs, and is one of the common food allergens.

I think customers are catching on to the meds that are upsetting their stomachs with calcium, because Walgreen's wasn't out of those. Only the ones without calcium.

Very anxious and disappointed, I looked at the sleep aids. They are the same medicine as Benadryl - an antihistamine. They all contain calcium except one. Sominex contains both calcium and lactose.
There is one that doesn't have either - Unisom.

Yay? No! Unisom contains phthalates! It lists "polyvinyl acetate phthalate" as an ingredient.
They are deliberately putting an ingredient that *causes* allergies in their medicine!

I don't know why they can't just use cellulose and iron oxide to make the pills. Why do they think calcium, lactose, artificial sweeteners, phthalates and other garbage are necessary? Are they trying to make us sick?

I wouldn't put it past them.

How to Avoid Phthalates

Introduction Post

As you may have heard, one of the things that appears to cause food allergies is heating food in plastic. This is usually done in the microwave and also applies to putting hot water, drinks or food in plastic containers. 

A review of studies in the June 2014 issue of Annals of Allergy says heat causes a chemical to leach out of the plastic into the food, and this chemical has been linked to allergies and endocrine disruption. (link at the end of this article)

It is also a component of PVC (vinyl) and can come into the environment from vinyl floor or wall coverings, car interiors, shower curtains, etc.

There is research on the site https://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/ca/is_silicone_a_plastic#.WUxHRBPytE4  that indicates silicone may be bad also, especially when combined with heat or oil.

I don't want to be like most writers and put a lot of scary stuff first to freak you out. I write these posts to help. So I'm going to describe the precautions I've taken and which you might take. Then more details of the review for those interested.

People are always saying stuff is bad for you. It comes in fads, "don't do this common thing! It will kill you!" :o

So even though I'd heard mention of not heating food in plastic, I didn't take it seriously until I read the review in the Allergy Journal. It had been published in June 2014, but I didn't read it until a year later.

Since I already have too many allergies, I started taking precautions right away. Some of the things I changed:

1. Store, freeze and microwave food in glass containers, not plastic - I wasn't able to find containers that don't have plastic or silicone lids. I let the food cool before putting the lid on. To reheat food I remove the plastic or silicone lid and cover it with a paper towel.

2. Phthalates are used to make plastic flexible - like in plastic wrap. I switched to wax paper. It's amazing how much fresher my bread is! Wax paper does a *much* better job of keeping bread fresh! I don't know why anyone ever used plastic wrap. Even without the dangers, I would never switch back. 

*The only thing is, use regular wax paper.* "Natural" wax paper is made with soy wax! 

Yikes! If you ever use "natural" wax paper, please make sure that no one who is allergic to soy will come in contact with the food or the paper.

The wax paper does get greasy. I wrap my bread in wax paper, then put it in a plastic bag or container.

3. Plastic is dangerous, and silicone appears to be dangerous. Aluminum is thought to be a factor in Alzheimer's. So the options for cooking utensils are wood, stainless steel, and porcelain. The easiest of these to use is wood. They're easy to get and don't scratch your pans. I have wood spoons, turners, and a wood spatula I use when I make bread.

4. I never liked my plastic dish rack. It got moldy, and I'm allergic to mold. I looked for a while and found a stainless steel dish rack that works well and is much nicer looking too. I also had a plastic colander. Oops! I had some luck and found a nice stainless steel colander at Marshalls. It works well. :) 

Stainless steel is an excellent thing to use! If anything leaches out of it it will be minerals we need anyway, like iron and copper. It's lightweight and durable and easy to clean. If we could put it in the microwave, we'd never need anything else!

5. Stainless steel water bottles - they are pricey, but will last forever. I invested in three which are going strong. The ones I got have stainless steel inside the lid too, so the water never comes in contact with anything but steel.I like the ones with a wide mouth that are easier to clean.

5. Stainless steel flatware - I keep some in my desk at work to eat my lunch. No plastic forks in hot food for me!

6. Natural cosmetics, hair and personal products, and air fresheners - I had already stopped using non-natural lotions, deodorants, moisturizers because they irritated my skin and I was concerned about the chemicals in air fresheners. The chemical fragrances in many products contain phthalates, which can be absorbed through the skin. Use products with natural scents or unscented.

Lately some scented cosmetics are labelled "phthalate-free". I would still be cautious. They are still chemical scents and may have other things that are bad for health.

7. plastic water bottles - the review says the plastic bottles in which water is sold are for one-time use. They should not be re-used or have water in them longer than a few months. It's best to use your own glass or stainless steel bottle whenever possible.

8. That nasty smell when you unwrap a new vinyl shower curtain is partly phthalates. I've been using PEVA shower curtains. They have no odor and no phthalates. :)

9. Phthalate-free plastics - I gather from the internet that the government banned phthalates in children's toys. Also many companies are offering items made of phthalate-free plastic.This may be safer, but who knows what undiscovered toxins are still in the plastic? I think it's best to avoid plastic whenever possible, especially if it comes in contact with food, and for toys that children put in their mouths. I would not give a baby anything made of flexible plastic even if it's "phthalate-free".

The internet mentions glass baby bottles with silicone nipples. I would look for an alternative to the silicone nipples.

This history site says the first nipple was made of rubber. Before that they used ceramic feeding jars that were small at one end.

http://breastfeeding-mom.com/baby-bottles/ 

This site shows wood, rubber, and cloth teething toys.

https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/safe-product-guides/teethers/ 

It also says silicone is safe, but I would try to avoid it.

I wonder if a baby would teeth on stainless steel? I didn't see any official teethers, but if you can find a small stainless steel item with no points or sharp edges you can try it. :) 

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Here are the technical details...

Phthalates come off of PVC (vinyl) and cause allergies. Vinyl floor and wall coverings can get phthalates on people. This can cause food allergies in small children who touch the vinyl and then put their hands in their mouth. People who work with PVC - for example, cutting PVC pipes - can get occupational asthma from the dust or contact dermatitis (hives).

The article divides the phthalates by molecular weight. 

The higher-weight ones are used as plasticizers to make products like PVC and plastic wrap flexible.

The lower-weight ones are used in cosmetics, medicines, candles, air fresheners, adhesives, solvents, waxes, inks and insecticides.They were found to be common in scented cosmetics and perfumes.

Phthalates are a component of dust and were found to be more common indoors, including inside cars, than outdoors.

Vinyl floor and wall coverings were found to be releasing phthalates into the air. Newness and dampness probably accelerate this.

Phthalates have been found in the systems of pregnant women and their babies while in the womb.

Lab experiments indicate trans-generational health effects from phthalates.

Babies and children ingest phthalates from chewing or mouthing toys and other objects, and phthalates can also be in food that was prepared in plastic and milk, including breast milk if the mother has been exposed to them.

Studies have shown a link between this phthalate exposure and the development of allergies.

Here is the link to the article. The summary doesn't mention most of the details I've listed here. 

http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(14)00197-5/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1081-1206_201406_112_6_&elsca4=Allergy%20and%20Clinical%20Immunology 

Please encourage smokers to switch to e-cigs

Introduction post

This was posted on my Facebook page March 15, 2016.
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I've been allergic to tobacco smoke probably my whole life, but didn't know I was until 2004. Good thing, because there was nothing I could do about it back then.

My health is much better now that it's easier to avoid smoke!

For the last year and a half when I see someone on the street using an e-cig I thank them and say I wish everyone would switch.

I've chatted with more than 10 people this way.

Almost everyone I've spoken with said the e-cig helped them quit smoking.

For the last few years I've been on the email lists of anti-smoking organizations - Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, Cancer Society, Lung Association.

As e-cigs became popular I noticed these organizations were up in arms against them.

They call them tobacco products when in fact they don't contain tobacco.

They claim they don't help people quit (ridiculous, anyone can see they do) and try to make them sound as bad as cigarettes.

They encourage the same restrictions on them as cigarettes.

But wait - aren't e-cigs much less harmful than cigarettes? Wouldn't it be a great thing if smokers switched to e-cigs? It certainly would be for me and other allergic people, since the vapor doesn't contain tobacco!

I looked up the studies and confirmed this - e-cigs are much less harmful. They aren't healthy, but they are ~95% less harmful than tobacco.

I wrote emails to the associations, the mayor and Chicago aldermen.

They didn't listen.

I understand that governments want the tax revenue from treating e-cigs as if they were as bad as cigarettes.

I understand that no one wants teenagers to begin using them if they are not switching from cigarettes.

Teens: e-cigs contain the addictive nicotine and the liquid has a few harmful chemicals. If you are not already using tobacco, please DON'T start using e-cigs. 

It's always better not to be addicted to anything!  :)

Why are the health associations trying to demonize e-cigs? 

They say they care about public health.

Don't they understand each smoker who switches is a benefit to public health? If every smoker switched, billions of lives and dollars would be saved!

They continue to not listen.

I was going to gather some studies to post here, but an article came through in the February Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology that has done that for us. 

The link to the article is farther along in this post.

Leaving out the technical details, here are some quotes from Counseling Patients with Asthma and Allergy about Electronic Cigarettes: an Evidence-based Approach:

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"There is sufficient body of evidence that...health care professionals and public health authorities should encourage smokers who [can't or don't want to] stop smoking to switch to e-cigs."

"[the demonization of e-cigs] is possibly deterring smokers from making a switch that could save their lives."

"the damage done by conventional cigarettes comes not from the nicotine, but from the process of burning tobacco and inhaling thousands of toxic chemicals in the smoke."

"at normal vaping conditions, the aldehyde emission levels are far lower than in cigarette smoke."

When a study was done on smokers with asthma, "it was confirmed that regular e-cig use ameliorated lung dysfunction, [symptoms and indicators], with beneficial effects persisting in the long term."

"Taken together, these findings provide emerging evidence that harm reversal from tobacco smoking can be achieved in patients with asthma who switch to exclusive e-cig use..."

"under normal conditions of use, vapor toxicology is far less problematic than that of conventional cigarettes. e-vapor products are at least 96% less harmful compared with combustible cigarettes."

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If e-cigs are good for smokers with asthma, they're good for non-asthmatic smokers too!

> I hope everyone who uses e-cigs, and everyone who is thinking of switching, and everyone who wants to encourage smokers to switch, will join together to spread the truth and fight the forces who are trying to prevent this big improvement in our lives and public health. 

Please share and spread the word! <

Here is the link to the Annals of Allergy article. You can read the abstract (abstract is like a summary). If you're not a subscriber you have to pay for the full article. 

http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(15)00697-3/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1081-1206_201602_116_2_&elsca4=Allergy%20and%20Clinical%20Immunology 

Here is a national association that might help

American Vaping Association

http://vaping.info/ 

If you want to do further research, don't look at association or other biased sites. Get the actual study and read it yourself. There are people who don't understand the difference between what they wish is true and what is actually true, and they publish on the internet. Be careful not to use them as sources. Use only peer reviewed journals and responsible sites like PubMed, NIH, and Mayo Clinic. 

Whatever the source, a responsible author gives sources and references. A statement like "e-cigs are less harmful" will have a source study. Don't waste your time reading anything without sources.

Non-IgE Egg Allergy and the Egg-Free Flu Shot

Introduction post

Last fall I was able to get the new egg-free flu shot and I had no symptoms at all! As I've posted before, from the regular shot I got bothersome sinus pain and pressure, chest pressure, upset stomach and fatigue that lasted a few days.

With the egg-free shot I didn't get any of these symptoms. The only symptom, if you could call it that, was a little soreness at the injection site. I wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't been watching for symptoms.

Yay!  :)  :)  :)

Update of Non-IgE Egg Allergy and the Flu Shot

Introduction post

Two years ago I posted about my non-IgE egg allergy symptoms from my first annual flu shot. Symptoms from my second shot in 2012 were not as bad. I got my 2013 shot on Friday Nov. 1st and the symptoms were as bad as in 2011.

As in 2011, beginning 2-3 hours after the shot I got very bothersome sinus pain, some chest pressure, and some achiness. The sinus pain finally cleared up late morning on Monday. Monday afternoon could feel the pressure clearing out and thought that would be the end of it.

However, Tuesday I had very bothersome fatigue and fuzziness around my sinuses. Why did this feel so familiar? Oh yes, it's an egg symptom. I used to get this frequently before I figured out I'm allergic to egg, and I got it from the flu shot in 2011 but not in 2012. When it happens, the fatigue and fuzzy sinuses last about a full day, and the fatigue clears up gradually the next day.

The sinus pain is so bothersome I wonder if I should have gotten a medical exemption instead of beginning the flu shots, but I was concerned about catching the flu from patients and visitors in the hospital I work at. As I mentioned in another post, I wasn't able to get the new egg-free flu shot this year. I hope I can next year!

Julia Baresch

Chicago

Flu shot not dangerous for egg-allergic? Let's think for ourselves.

Introduction post

I saw a news article saying there is now an egg-free flu vaccine. Yay! Now I won't get sick from my non-IgE egg allergy when I get the flu shot required for my job.

Turns out it's not so easy. The distributor of the shot is taking orders but it hasn't shipped yet, and I didn't find a provider who will get it and give it to me. My primary offered to let me order a package of 5-10 vaccines, but it is too expensive.

When I talked to my allergist she said they don't have the egg-free vaccine because the regular vaccine is safe for people, including children, who have severe IgE egg allergy. I said that can't be safe and she said it's been well studied.

I looked it up and found this Medicine Net article that says thousands of egg-allergic children have been studied and tolerated the vaccine with no reaction.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=174223

And here is the recently published study referred to in the Medicine Net article. 112 severely egg-allergic children were administered the vaccine and showed no allergic reaction.

http://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(12)00681-3/

This is a time for us patients and those with allergic children to think for ourselves. No matter how many studies there are, I will never believe there is no risk to a person with severe IgE egg allergy. It's common sense! The risk may be rare, as it says in the Medicine Net article. But there is a risk.

If I had severe IgE egg allergy, I would not get the flu shot. But if I did want one for myself or a child with severe egg allergy, I would insist on getting it from an allergist and having them observe us for at least 30 minutes in case of a reaction. If the allergist did not agree to that, I would find one who did.

I have non-IgE egg allergy and do in fact get symptoms from the flu shot. In 2011, I had symptoms for 3 days. In 2012, 1 and 1/2 days. This year is worse than last year. I got the regular shot two days ago and the symptoms haven't cleared up yet. Looks like it will be at least 3 days. I think weather may be a factor. It was damp and cloudy when I got the shot and I get symptoms in that weather anyway.

The allergy establishment does not address non-IgE allergies at all. They didn't acknowledge the existence of them until 2009. They don't teach medical students about non-IgE allergies. MDs, including allergists, are not trained to understand or treat them. Those who are interested in non-IgE allergies learn about it independently.

If I had waited for the allergy establishment to address my symptoms instead of figuring out my own non-IgE food allergies and learning about them from others in the medical field, I would have had a miserable life of illness. How long before they accept and begin using information and diagnostic tools that have been available for decades?

I wish they would at least mention non-IgE allergies in medical school so I could stop explaining the term "non-IgE allergy" to every MD and nurse I talk to. My allergist and my primary doctor are the only ones I can discuss this with.because they are smart, receptive, understand my history and respect what I've learned about my non-IgE allergies.

Thank you,

Julia Baresch

Chicago

Is yeast a culprit?

Introduction post 

Someone I know used to get 2- and 3-day headaches whenever a storm came in. In this climate that means at least 2 or 3 times a month through spring, summer and early fall. I also got symptoms from storms, but not as bad as hers. Last winter she read a book by someone who believes wheat is bad for people because it's been cross-bred and hybridized since the early 1900's, and she stopped eating wheat products.

A few weeks later, in February, a very low-pressure, very damp storm came in and I wasn't feeling well. I asked her if she had a headache and she said no, she felt fine. She said she had stopped all wheat products except breaded items like fried chicken. She hadn't had any bread. She was yeast-free.

I was so impressed I decided to try avoiding yeast and stopped eating yeast breads. I found that many crackers also contain yeast. I ate yeast-free crackers and corn pasta. After I few weeks I began eating wheat pasta again with no ill effect except it seems harder to digest than rice, my other starch. (I recently learned that wheat and white flour contain chains of fructose molecules, and sugars upset my stomach. So now I'm trying a wheat-free diet.)

I've noticed a big difference with my yeast-free diet! My sinus symptoms improved by about 70 - 80% and my sensitive stomach got a bit better. The nagging sinus pain I've had frequently all my life is almost gone - I've only had it a few times since February.

With summer and hot humid weather I noticed sinus pressure and pain from mold allergy, but not as bad as usual. So far it's 70 - 80% less than when I was eating yeast. And now that it's ragweed season that percentage is holding - I notice symptoms from the ragweed but much better than before.

Is it too much of a coincidence that both I and someone I happen to know would be allergic to yeast? Is there some other mechanism involved in this? Is it a common reaction? How could we tell when every American eats yeast bread every day from babyhood? Any reaction would seem normal and the symptoms attributed to other causes, like my mold allergy.

I'd like to find out. So far I've learned the same yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is used in both bread and beer.

Back in the day I used to get sinus pressure after drinking beer. I eventually stopped and since there are no ingredient labels on alcoholic beverages I couldn't determine the cause. Now it seems it may have been the yeast. I've known others who got symptoms from beer - they could try avoiding yeast and see what happens.

S. cerevisiae a unique organism with a structure unlike that of other yeasts or of any known organism.

Antibodies against S. cerevisiae are found in 60–70% of patients with Crohn's disease and 10–15% of patients with ulcerative colitis (and 8% of healthy controls).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_yeast 

A specific antibody to S. cerevisiae is ASCA, a marker of intestinal inflammation. It is elevated in certain schizophrenic populations.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22446142 

I wonder if it's elevated in other populations, such as those of us with allergies?

A concentrated dose of S. cerevisiae modulates immune system response involving T-cells and Natural Killer cells (lymphocytes) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21501093

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21501093 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16285232 A 6-year-old boy had allergic reactions only to fresh-baked bread and pizza (yeast in the pizza crust).

Commercial breadmakers add cysteine to bread to have it rise in ten to twenty minutes instead of three to four hours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Saccharomyces_cerevisiae&action=edit&section=9 

Does the cysteine do something to change the way our immune systems respond to the yeast? I don't have time to make homemade bread and try it. It would be interesting to see if a person who gets symptoms from commercial yeast products gets symptoms from homemade bread made with unaccelerated yeast. 

I'm so happy with the big improvement in my symtoms! Wheat and yeast are relatively easy to avoid, unlike my other allergens. I'm hoping to learn more, and I hope this preliminary information is helpful.

Julia Baresch

Chicago

Dairy in guacamole

Introduction post

A few months ago I was eating at a Mexican restaurant and asked for my food with no dairy. Then I asked for guacamole and the very smart, very alert server told me they put milk in their guacamole. What? That's insane!
He explained that they put a little milk in it to keep it from turning black. The chefs apparently didn't know that leaving the avocado pits in it will keep it from turning black. I've seen guacamole with pits sit outdoors for hours on a warm summer afternoon without turning black, so I know this works. And it doesn't endanger people with dairy allergy! Or lactose intolerance.
I'm sure dairy is the last thing most people expect in guacamole. It usually contains avocados, onions, peppers, and salt. Some add tomatoes or other vegetables. But milk? That's crazy! Since people don't expect milk in guacamole they might not refrigerate it, which could cause food poisoning.
This is discouraging because I had thought it was one of the few foods I could count on to be free of my allergens of soy, dairy, egg and sugar.
A few weeks later I was at another restaurant and the guacamole they brought me was smooth and flecked with green herbs. It turned out to be made of avocados and sour cream. A better name for this would be avocado spread or dip.
Let's try to stop this craziness from spreading. If you work in a restaurant or food preparation, please don't contaminate the guacamole with dairy! If it contains avocados but isn't guacamole, please don't call it that. :p
Thank you,
Julia :-)

Non-IgE Egg Allergy and the Flu Shot

Introduction post

Note: This article is about Non-IgE allergy, a different type of allergy than the one that causes the dangerous reaction of anaphylactic shock. If you or your loved one has IgE allergy to egg - determined by a positive skin test reaction within 30 minutes - you have potentially dangerous reactions and should receive your flu shot only from an allergist with experience in this. Terminology of Allergies

I got a flu shot once in the 1990's, before I knew I'm allergic to egg. I was sick for three days with fatigue and congestion. After that I never got a flu shot again.

Now I have a great job in a hospital and a flu shot is mandatory. Last year I considered getting a medical exemption, but I'm as concerned about catching the flu as my employer is about having it spread. I don't work with patients, but I see patients and visitors in the hallways. My allergist wanted me to get flu shots ever since she did skin tests for egg allergy in 2006, which were negative.

I discussed this with my allergist and she told me the amount of egg in flu shots has been greatly reduced since the old days and that many patients with egg allergy tolerate it well. I decided to go ahead and get one.

I planned it so I'd have time to be sick - I got it at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon with no plans for the weekend. Since non-IgE allergies are not very well understood, I'm recording my symptoms here to help others with allergies and to use for research.

- 1/2 hour after the shot, I felt lightheaded for a minute or two. I was just wondering if I should leave work when it passed.
- 2 hours after the shot, I had sinus pressure with a little pain.
- That evening I had sinus pain and pressure, fatigue, and stomach pain. These symptoms continued into the next day (Saturday).
- Sunday (2nd day) the the sinus pain was gone and the fatigue was much better, but the sinus pressure was still noticeable.
- Monday (3rd day) the sinus pain and pressure were gone but I still had some fatigue and drainage.

This fatigue from egg allergy is worse than ordinary fatigue from being tired, it is very hard to do things and makes me want to sleep all the time. It's one of the symptoms I was noticing when I identified my egg allergy in 2001.

I've done a search of the internet and looked in my immunology text, but although there is lots of information about what one cell does to another, I haven't found any about global symptoms related to immune reaction types. I know my egg allergy is not Type I (IgE) because the test was negative. I know it's not Type IV (T-cell) because I have that with dust and cigarette smoke and the symptoms are different from my egg reaction.  Also a Type IV reaction has a 24-hour delay and my egg symptoms don't. So it's either Type II or Type III, both of which feature the activities of IgG and IgM mediators. I will keep looking for information about symptoms...

This year I'm getting my flu shot next weekend. Something to look forward to! :p :-)

Remember, this is a description of Non-IgE egg allergy. If you have IgE allergy with a positive skin test reaction in 30 minutes or less, a flu shot is potentially dangerous and you should only get one from an experienced allergist.

I hope this is helpful!
Julia Baresch
November 4, 2012

Soybean oil in hand lotion

Introduction post

Hi everyone,

I have some recent experiences with hand lotion and soybean oil to share.

As you know, I'm allergic to soy. By the symptoms it appears to be non-IgE allergy. About 2 months ago I was in an office and used a little lotion that was by the sink. It worked very well and I thought I might buy some for myself - but on checking the ingredients it contains soybean oil. I had sinus pain for the rest of the day, probably from the oil.

A few weeks later I was at another place and used a little of the fancy scented lotion in the bathroom. Then I remembered my earlier experience and checked the ingredients and it also contained soybean oil. This time I washed it off and didn't get any sinus pain.

I've been using the same types of natural soy- and camomile-free lotions for a few years, and I hadn't looked at other lotions. I don't remember soybean oil being such a common ingredient. But maybe it was and I thought it didn't matter since I wasn't eating it.

When I first learned I have IgE allergy to ragweed I learned that camomile cross-reacts with ragweed and stopped using cosmetics that contain it, with a noticeable improvement in symptoms. I've also gotten sleepy from antihistamine cream, just like taking an antihistamine orally. So now I know from experience that things put on my skin are absorbed into my system, including soybean oil.

So it's important to check the ingredients on lotions, deodorants, and such for allergens. Remember, if you have allergy symptoms from mid-August to the first frost, it's probably ragweed allergy, and avoiding camomile will probably help. :-) And remember, lecithin is a soy product.

Take care,
Julia

Convenient egg substitute for baking

Introduction post

Hi everyone,

This is an egg substitute I've used in baking for several years.

2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix these together and stir before adding them to the batter. I've found it useful to double the amount needed for the recipe - that is, if it calls for one egg I double this. But it may depend on altitude and humidity and such.

My resume

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Introduction post

Hi everyone,

I was recently laid off and this web address is on my business cards, so I think it might be a good idea to post my resume here. Needless to say, if anyone knows of an opening for which I am qualified, please let me know!

JULIA BARESCH
Chicago, Illinois 60642

Julia 372 at gee mail
www.juliasallergysite.blogspot.com

5 years experience with medical research and regulatory, plus experience in insurance and accounting. Especially good with administration, research, details and analysis.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Executive Assistant/Bookkeeper at Clinical Device Group - full-time February 2006 – February 2011
www.clinicaldevice.com
- Internet research involving medical studies, medical devices, and FDA regulations for client or company projects
- Accounting support with QuickBooks in which I streamlined the monthly reconciliation process, cutting time spent by more than 50%, and developed a report showing credit card fees as a percentage of sales
- Administered registrations for web conference events and made sure customers had the information they needed to log in
- Maintained data in customer database and issued data reports
- Obtained, scanned and formatted medical device Federal Register preambles for publication
- Transcribed web meetings from recordings
- Business correspondence
- Shipping of customer orders, both domestic and international
- Tracked and ordered office supplies

Temporary Administrative and Customer Service - full-time temporary June 2005 – January 2006
- Long-term assignment with Manpower providing back-office accounting support at an insurance company where I researched and entered payments
- Registered convention attendees at McCormick Place for Front Office Staffing

LEAP Consultant with Signet Diagnostics July 2004 – June 2005
www.nowleap.com
- Found and enrolled Chicago doctors in the LEAP Disease Management Program for patients with immune sensitivity to foods (non-IgE allergy)
- Trained and supported them in implementing the program
- Got three doctors up and running in this program

Claims Data Technical Coordinator at an insurance company – full-time March 2002 – June 2004
- Supported Claims Adjuster and our group with processing claim payments
- Designed and built an MS Access database to process and track claims activity. This enabled my group to process exponential growth in claims without hiring more staff.
- Trained and supported users of my database

Temporary Administrative and Technical Support - full-time temporary 1995 – 2002
Provided long-term temporary support with various temporary agencies to Chicago companies.
- Administrative support
- Word processing
- Spreadsheets and charts
- Data entry
- Travel arrangements
- Coordinated installation and distribution of computers and other equipment

RECENT SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

MS Office 2007 and 2003
Internet Explorer and FireFox
Word
Excel
QuickBooks
MS Access
Outlook
Adobe Acrobat
Visio

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

I took Spanish lessons in 2009 and I’ve also been in a Language Exchange program. I’m an assistant organizer of the MeetUp Chicago Spanish Language Club.

CEUs
- 13.70 continuing education credits in medical device industry courses provided by Clinical Device Group.
- Beginning and advanced courses in QuickBooks.

College
College credit hours at Chicago City Colleges and DeVry Institute
- 37 hours in Math,
- 40 hours in Science,
- 10 hours in Business,
- 13 hours in Liberal Arts.

Certifications
Certified Microsoft Office Specialist
- Word
- Excel
- Access

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

I co-authored the article "Exploring 30 Years of Preambles" with Nancy J. Stark in the MD&DI 30th Anniversary Issue. June 2009, Vol. 31, No. 6, page 58.

I launched an informative web site about allergies at www.juliasallergysite.blogspot.com.

NIH Proposed Guidelines for Managment of Food Allergy

Introduction post

Hi anyone who is reading this, I hope the information here has been helpful. I recently learned the NIH has issued proposed guidelines for the managment of food allergies. I'm reading them and I plan to post some comments.

They have acknowledged non-IgE food allergies! Yay! And they use the term "non-IgE food allergy" instead of confusing terms like "non-allergic"! Hurray! The establishment is starting to accept and use knowledge about non-IgE food allergies, and now fewer people will suffer undiagnosed.

If you would like to read the proposed guidelines, here is the link
http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/clinical/Who/comments.htm

Anyone who likes may post comments, the deadline is May 6. In my day job I've learned a lot about the FDA, and this is standard procedure. They propose and request comments, they collect the comments and consider them, and when the final rule or guideline is issued the FDA writes a preamble in which they discuss the comments and why they did or did not adopt each suggestion. I hope the NIH writes a discussion also.

I'm so happy about this progress! Yay!

Julia :)
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Introduction - Aug. 2008

Updating April 29, 2015---

Technically this is a blog, but I am using it as a simple web site to share what I’ve learned about allergies (especially non-IgE allergies); to help others manage their allergies; to suggest theories and avenues for further research; and to push the medical establishment to accept and use information about non-IgE allergies to help their patients and stop using the word 'allergy' in a narrow way that confuses patients and other non-allergists.

Update - since I wrote this in 2008, the term "non-IgE allergy" has become much more common and was used in 2009 in the NIH proposed guidelines for management of food allergy.

Before I go on, there are three important things for people with allergies to know:

1. Chamomile cross-reacts with ragweed allergy. Allergy to ragweed pollen is very common. Hay fever symptoms in late summer and fall are usually caused by ragweed. Chamomile is related to ragweed and may cause symptoms in people with ragweed allergy.

Chamomile is present in most tea blends and many natural cosmetics such as lotions, moisturizers and deodorants. I have ragweed allergy and I’ve gotten symptoms from chamomile in both teas and cosmetics.

2. People with mold allergy may get symptoms from cheese, because cheese is often made with mold.

3. Aged foods contain naturally occurring histamines which can raise the histamine load in a person with allergies and cause symptoms. In my experience aged foods are usually cheeses or meats.
Update - I forgot to mention dried fruits, including tomatoes.

I’ve had both IgE and non-IgE allergies all my life. (Please see “Terminology of Allergies” for an explanation of these terms). I have non-IgE allergies to soy products, sugars, and eggs, and they were never diagnosed because the allergy/immunology establishment didn't recognize and treat non-IgE allergies. In fact, the allergists I saw growing up did not acknowledge the possibility of food allergies at all. I figured out by myself that I’m allergic to soy, and an internet support group assisted me in figuring out the sugar and egg allergies, both of which are mild compared to my soy allergy.

I got allergy shots as a child, but I don’t know what allergens they were for. That was a long time ago. In July of 2006 I went to an allergist for the first time since then and got skin prick and intradermal allergy tests. The reaction within 20 minutes showed IgE allergies to molds and ragweed.

The next morning I had a delayed reaction to one of the allergens – a 2-inch itchy red bump. Unfortunately I had not asked for a copy of the diagram the nurse made of the injections, and I couldn’t remember which allergen this was. I called my allergists office. For delayed reactions like this the nurses have been trained to say “don’t worry about that, it doesn’t matter”.

I said, “Excuse me, I happen to know this indicates a non-IgE reaction, and it does matter! I insist on knowing what this allergen is.” After checking with the doctor, she said I had to come in so they could tell me. Luckily my boss let me leave work. After the nurse, the assistant, and my allergist had all looked at it, they told me it’s a T-cell reaction to dust. The 24-hour delay indicates a T-cell reaction.

This does matter! It is very important information! I had already noticed from my symptoms that I might be allergic to dust, but this explains why I sometimes had a delayed reaction to it. When a person knows she is allergic to dust, she can manage it by using an air purifier, wearing a dust mask to do housework, avoiding dusty situations, etc. My allergist’s office is part of one of the most respected medical centers in the country, but they routinely pass up opportunities to help their patients with non-IgE allergies by training their nurses to say “don’t worry about that, it doesn’t matter.” This needs to change!

I’m posting just two pages now, but there will be more. I plan to post some simple recipes and cooking suggestions for people who aren’t used to cooking their own meals, but may have to because of food allergies. I also plan to post some research and suggestions on the root cause of allergies.

Julia Baresch
August 2008
Chicago

Thanks to my brother, Brian Baresch, for his help editing this site.
If you need to contact me, my info is in the Profile section.

Dairy and Allergies

(If you are a researcher and would like to use my ideas, please let me know. My info is in the Profile section.)

Dairy and allergies

It is widely believed that dairy increases congestion, and people with allergies, including myself and several I’ve talked with, notice relief from symptoms when we avoid dairy.

I searched PubMed and Google, but found only one study of the congestive effects of dairy. (Am Rev Respir Dis. 1990 Feb;141(2):352-6 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2154152?ordinalpos=9&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum, accessed 12/25/08.)

“Those who believe "milk makes mucus" [~ 27.5%] or reduce milk intake with colds reported significantly more cough and congestion symptoms, but they did not produce higher levels of nasal secretions. “

The authors clearly believe the patients who felt more congested from drinking milk with a cold felt this way because they expected to, but I have a different interpretation.

Does dairy cause inflammation?
Inflammation in the sinuses or lungs feels like congestion. The subjects who felt more congested but did not produce more mucous may have been experiencing inflammation.

If dairy does cause inflammation, this would explain why people with allergies notice an increase in symptoms from eating dairy products. It would also explain why inflammatory diseases are common in America, where our culture has us eating dairy all the time.

My suggestions for more research:
- Determine whether dairy does cause inflammation. There are many people who avoid dairy, I’m sure several would be happy to volunteer. If dairy is determined to cause inflammation, answer these corollaries:
o Does dairy cause inflammation in everyone, or only some?
o If it causes inflammation only in some, what is the determining factor?

Does dairy cause allergies?
This theory is only partially developed. Something causes the immune system to react to normally benign substances.

Dairy food is not intended by nature for humans, it’s intended for baby cows. It’s not a natural food for us. Since it’s usually given to babies and children with immune systems that are still developing, could dairy be a root cause of allergies?
- There would have to be studies done on populations that do not feed their children non-human milks and compare the rate of allergies.
- Or, comparisons of allergies in genetically similar children who are and who are not fed dairy products.

My T-cell Allergy Symptoms

My T-cell Dust Allergy Symptoms
September 19, 2008

Since the immune system is not fully understood and non-IgE allergies are usually not addressed by mainstream physicians, I think it might help if I describe the symptoms I get from my T-cell allergy to dust. Maybe it will be of interest to researchers or others with similar symptoms. If not no harm done, I hope. :-)

Yesterday there were workmen at my day job who were replacing the kitchen floor. My boss was hoping we would be able to work, so my colleague and I came in at our usual time. I had a project I could work on at home, but I had a couple of things I wanted to get done before I left for the day.

While I was working the workmen began tearing up the floor in the room next to my desk. They had covered the doorway with plastic, but I smelled dust anyway and put on a mask. I continued to work for a little more than an hour before I left, and I probably inhaled some of the dust in spite of the mask. I didn’t get any severe symptoms, but for the rest of the day I had a mild stomach ache, and I also ate twice as much for lunch as usual. I’ve noticed this effect before from my inhalant allergies, especially dust. When a person inhales, some of the air goes into her stomach, and inhaled allergens can cause discomfort and spasms. At least, they do for me.

Last night I fell asleep on the couch. Unfortunately it had been too long since I washed the couch cover and pillow case, and they were quite dusty. Today I woke up with sinus pain and pressure, a somewhat worse stomach ache, and fatigue. These symptoms are a little better in the afternoon after two doses of sudafed and tylenol, but they won’t completely go away until later this evening. I wish I could go back to bed. :p

Too Confrontational?

My brother is a professional editor, and one of his comments was that my site is a bit too confrontational towards the allergy/immunology establishment। I do have strong feelings about this, but my intention is to help and persuade the establishment to do better, not to fight with them. I hate fighting.

The failure of my childhood doctors to diagnose my non-IgE allergies held me back. I had a low energy level and other uncomfortable symptoms because I didn't know I had food allergies. Imagine what I, and others with undiagnosed non-IgE allergies, could have accomplished. Some are much worse off than I was. The establishment seems to focus its energy on trying to change the meaning of the word "allergy" (please see Terminology of Allergies for a discussion of this) instead of using information about non-IgE allergies to help patients. Thousands of people continue to suffer, some with debilitating symptoms, because doctors are either not informed or not allowed to use this information.

My primary care doctor and my allergist are both wonderful smart, open people who are aware of non-IgE allergies and do as much as they can to help patients with them, but are constrained by the establishment standard of pretending they don't exist. There are blood tests for non-IgE allergies, but mainstream doctors often don't use them either because their boss won't let them, or because they're afraid it will make them look bad to the AMA (please see Introduction for a description of a comparable situation).

I've been learning about allergies for several years. In the early 2000's I learned about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) on a support group, and saw cases in which a patient's IBS-D or IBS-cyclic symptoms cleared up after they learned what foods they were allergic to and changed their diet. In 2004 I worked with a company, Signet Diagnostics, that has a blood test for non-IgE food allergies, and I learned more from this experience. If you're interested, here is their link http://www.nowleap.com/. In their studies non-IgE allergies were also linked to frequent migraines.

The failure of the medical establishment to accept this information has far-reaching consequences. Non-IgE food allergies can cause symptoms of IBS-D or IBS-cyclic, and when I was learning about this I saw some horrifying stories. People who couldn't leave the house because of their IBS, accidents on dates or business trips, marriages ending because the spouse couldn't deal with the symptoms. And the frequent migraines, which are very debilitating. Surely some, maybe most, of these patients could clear their symptoms simply by changing their diet. How can the medical establishment continue to let people suffer like this? Why doesn't it accept and use information that has been around for decades? So you see why I feel a bit confrontational. :-)

As patients, we can insist that our doctors use this information. It's out there on the web and in books, and we can bring it to them. We can challenge confusing terms like "non-allergic ________" and insist our doctors make themselves clear. We need to push the establishment on this, because they are not moving forward on their own.

Thank you,
Julia Baresch
September 2008


Reference: Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to their Identification and Treatment by Jonathan Brostoff, MD and Linda Gamlin, 2000.

Terminology of Allergies

Why it should be called “Non-IgE Allergy” 

Update: May 2021

The term "non-IgE allergy" became more common in the years after I posted this, and the allergy establishment acknowledged non-IgE allergies in 2009 - only 15 years after non-IgE food allergies were confirmed in Sweden. 

The allergy establishment began addressing non-IgE allergies in the mid-2010's. It will be a long time, if ever, before it's fully understood, so patients should continue to figure out what they're allergic to and what works for them as much as possible.

The immune system is very complex and only partially understood. There are several different kinds of immune system reactions. Some of the better understood reactions involve immunoglobulins. Immunoglobulins are antibodies present in the blood and tissues of all vertebrate animals. They are called IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM. IgE reactions are unique in that IgE antibodies reside in the tissues on mast cells (Other Ig antibodies circulate in the blood and lymph systems). When IgEs encounter the molecules to which they are sensitized, they can trigger violent muscle contractions and inflammation. This is what causes the life-threatening reaction anaphylactic shock, as well as less severe reactions of inflammation and congestion. An allergy is an immune system reaction to a normally benign substance, such as pollen or food. The allergy/immunology establishment acknowledges and treats only IgE allergy reactions. They use the word "allergy" to mean only IgE reactions, which is not the way the word was defined in 1906. There can also be allergies that do not involve IgE, but do involve other immune system components, such as the other immunoglobulins or T-cells. These can also become sensitized and react to normally benign substances, just like IgE. Since the allergy/immunology establishment hasn’t accepted the existence of this type of allergy, they haven’t agreed on what to call it either. Some of the terms used by medical professionals include: Immune sensitivity Food sensitivity Food intolerance Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity reaction And by far the most confusing, “Non-allergic _____________” examples: “non-allergic rhinitis”, “non-allergic asthma” The A/I establishment uses the term “allergy” to refer only to IgE-mediated reactions. They resist calling immune reactions that are not IgE-mediated an “allergy”, and this is why they use other, less clear and confusing terms for it. Most people understand the word “allergy” to mean the symptoms of illness without being sick, caused by a normally harmless substance. Calling non-IgE allergies by other terms (especially “non-allergic __________”) causes a lot of unnecessary confusion for patients and other non-allergists. Managing allergies is already hard enough. Why make it harder for the people you are presumably trying to help? The word “allergy” was not originally and is not currently defined as being only an IgE reaction. A search on dictionary.com shows 10 definitions, none of which define "allergy" as being exclusively an IgE reaction. Below I copy the most comprehensive definition.

allergy (āl'er-jē) An abnormally high immunologic sensitivity to certain stimuli such as drugs, foods, environmental irritants, microorganisms, or physical conditions, such as temperature extremes. These stimuli act as antigens, provoking an immunological response involving the release of inflammatory substances, such as histamine, in the body. Allergies may be innate or acquired in genetically predisposed individuals. Common symptoms include sneezing, itching, and skin rashes, though in some individuals symptoms can be severe. See also anaphylactic shock. American Psychological Association (APA): allergy. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved December 13, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/allergy

Note that it says “an abnormally high immunologic sensitivity”, not “an abnormally high IgE sensitivity”. On wikipedia.com, the history of the word “allergy” is explained:

The concept "allergy" was originally introduced in 1906 by the Viennese pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet, after noting that some of his patients were hypersensitive to normally innocuous entities such as dust, pollen, or certain foods.[2] Pirquet called this phenomenon "allergy" from the Greek words allos meaning "other" and ergon meaning "work".[3]Historically, all forms of hypersensitivity were classified as allergies, and all were thought to be caused by an improper activation of the immune system. Later, it became clear that several different disease mechanisms were implicated, with the common link to a disordered activation of the immune system. In 1963, a new classification scheme was designed by Philip Gell and Robin Coombs that described four types of hypersensitivity reactions, known as Type I to Type IV hypersensitivity.[4] With this new classification, the word "allergy" was restricted to only type I hypersensitivities (also called immediate hypersensitivity), which are characterized as rapidly developing reactions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy

Note that Dr. von Pirquet called the observed reactions of the immune system “allergy” without specifying that the term was only for IgE reactions. At the time immunoglobulins had not been discovered yet. The word continued to be used in this way for 57 years, from 1906 till 1963. I was able to get a copy of the second edition (1968) of the Gell and Coombs book, Clinical Aspects of Immunology, from interlibrary loan. It does not say the word allergy should only be used for IgE reactions. I read all the sections about allergies, and it does not say this. At the time IgE had barely been discovered and it is called “reagin” through most of the book. This is what it does say in the Introductory Chapter on page xxiii:

“Allergy, allergist, allergic reaction: MEANINGS: defined by von Pirquet who introduced the words, see Chapter 20 and Appendix A. USAGE: so varied and inconsistent at present that the words actively hinder understanding, but broadly equivalent to hypersensitivity, etc. BAD USAGE: we recommend a return to the use of von Pirquet as meaning broadly ‘altered in reactivity’.”

Appendix A is a translation of von Pirquet’s original article that identified and named allergy.

“The vaccinated person behaves towards vaccine lymph, the syphilitic towards the virus of syphilis, the tuberculosis patient towards tuberculin, the person injected with serum towards this serum, in a different manner from him who has not previously been in contact with such an agent. Yet he is not insensitive to it. We can only say of him that his power to react has undergone a change. For this general concept of a changed reactivity I propose the term Allergy.”

Throughout the book the authors use the term “allergy” more broadly than any use it today, so they obviously did not wish to restrict the use of the word. They call auto-immune diseases “auto-allergic”, they refer to sensitized cells as “allergized”, and there are many other examples. As my primary doctor pointed out, the term “non-IgE allergy” would also be useful to medical professionals as a reminder that the reaction is not IgE-mediated. The word can be adapted in many ways. Instead of saying “allergy” medical professionals can be more precise and clear by saying “IgE allergy” or “Type I allergy”. They could also say, for example, “T-cell allergy” or “Type IV allergy” and so on. These terms would be much clearer for everyone, including themselves, than the terms they currently use. Everyone except medical professionals already use the term “allergy” in the way originally defined by von Pirquet and on dictionary.com. When I tell people I can’t eat certain foods, I say I have food allergies. This is much more clear than saying I have a hypersensitive immune reaction. In terms of normal conversation between lay people, it would be ridiculous to use any term except “allergy” to describe these reactions. Even if the allergy/immunology establishment can’t bring themselves to use the term “non-IgE allergy”, they need to settle on one term that clearly describes the concept. Please, no more “non-allergic”!!! I plan to continue pushing them to stop trying to change the meaning of the word and instead focus their energy on accepting and using information about non-IgE allergies to help their patients. Maybe if all of us patients do this, they will let go of their confusing and territorial ways and use the language the way the rest of us do, and maybe they’ll also accept and use the available information about non-IgE allergic reactions. :-) References: Clinical Aspects of Immunology, 2nd edition, edited by P.G.H. Gell and R.R.A. Coombs, 1968. The Immune System by Peter Parham, 2000. Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The Complete Guide to their Identification and Treatment by Jonathan Brostoff, MD and Linda Gamlin, 2000.