Pepper Allergy!??? OMG!!

Pepper allergy

one more thing

pepper allergy

pepper

  I dilscovered my allergy a few years ago to black pepper and some curries but until recently I was in denial.  I have had the heel on my foot, either one, or anyplace on the bottom of my foot swell and itch.  Usually Benedryl lotion take care of it.  The other night that is what happened and the Benedryl worked on my foot but my upper lip swelled up and stayed like that almost 24 hours.  I have had to go to the ER on one occasion and the clinic one time.  I have had the side of my tongue swell also.  I love spicy food but I am avoiding black pepper and tell the waitstaff everytime I eat out.  It more than eliminates half the menu.  I have found that I don't get a reaction to white pepper, its just that I think it smells like a barnyard.  I am not allergic to crushed red pepper or jalapeno.  Go figure. 

Interesting,

Best thing you can do for food allergy is see a Naturpath, they will develop a de-sensitization plan that can help you overcome your allergy. The common theory is that if you don't expose your genetic information to an allergen, they(white blood cells) will start to loose their "genetic memory" that says that they should attack a particular compound. They will generally then allow to you re-introduce the food allergen (pepper in your case) back into your diet.

Your immunity is a bit like a coiled spring. A recent theory is that we 'live to clean'. We would normally be carrying parasites and worms and our immunity would normally be pre-occupied dealing with them. A recent trial revealed amazing results amongst participants where they all introduced 'pig whip worm' by swallowing a prescribed tablet. The worm only survives in the body for a short time as we are the wrong species, but what happened was the immune system became pre-occupied with dealing with that. Their allergies simply disappeared.

I went to South America 4 years ago, picked up a bug from the water that modern science can't kill, and wulla...I don't have pollen allergy any more. There might be some truth in the worm theory.

Yesterday while at work,a co worker walked past my desk with a plate of microwaved bell peppers and I went into immediate respiratory failure!!! Vomiting and wheezing to the point of a 911 call and 2 days in the hospital.  Now I have to carry a stupid shot with me everywhere I go for the rest of my life.  Sigh*

I love peppers.

I knew I had a slight allergy but not to the extent of almost death.

So goodbye Mexican restaurants, goodbye Italian, goodbye chinese.

I agree, a Naturopathic Doctor or a Kinseologist, an Allergist who specialises in testing exact  food product allergies. An exemplary Acupuncturist could do same. Hope that you are feeling better by the time you receive this note. On Miami Beach which is where I believe you are living, Doctor Quinn Martinelli is absolutely a miracle worker. Quinn specialises in Chinese Medicine and Allergies. She hails from Alburquerque and is the daughter of a Doctor too.

I've been allergic to ALL peppers most of my life. when I was a kid, Mom would make Stuffed Bell peppers and shortly after I'd always get severe gastric issues; diarrhea, vomiting, etc. Got to a point when I'd smell it cooking, I'd get queasy. Even when I tried just to eat the rice, the pepper "enzyme" had permeated it and I'd get sick. As I got older, even black pepper would do it to me . (just as an aside, I also couldn't eat raw apples as a kid, and limit them in my diet now, again an enzyme thing) Not surprising, as an adult, I was diagnosed with an auto Immune disease.

Now that Mexican and Tex Mex dominates the menus in restaurants, I dread going out to dinner. And it should be no surprise that the meds for "reflux" and "gerd" have been steadily increasing since the introduction of these foods into our mainstream diets

I know you posted this a LONG time ago, so I hope this is still relevant to you and it doesn't fly in the face of your experiences since then.  I am a pharmacist and a long time dermatological malady sufferer who is looking for an explanation for why I am so sensitive to eating black pepper and spicy peppers but have no problem with hot radishes or mustards.  In my experience there seem to be 2 most likely scenarios for your situation.  First, you may be developing a true allergy to Piper Nigrum species that will progress to anaphylaxis through continued exposure in the same way people become sensitized to penicillins or bee venom upon repeated "dosing" with those allergens.  If this is the case you would want to avoid contact with pepper as recommended by others here.  Such an allergy is caused by a response by your immune system to components on the surface of the cells of the allergen.  "True anaphylaxis" is caused by the component of your immune system called immunoglobulin E and will lead to respiratory and/or cardiac arrest and death in those truly allergic.  An allergist or immunologist can likely diagnose this condition in very short order.

Peeling of the skin as you had with no hives or respiratory symptoms like throat swelling or difficulty breathing doesn't sound like a true allergy per se.  The second option that seems more likely is that the volatile oils in the pepper came in contact with your skin and the "skin" or epithelium inside your nose causing sneezing & runny nose and a chemical burn to the skin on your nose, similar to the chemical burn you would experience when chlorine bleach comes in contact with your skin.  The runny nose is your body's way of trying to flush out the chemical that is irritating the mucous membranes inside your nose.  The best way to find an answer is to seek clinical tests from a western medicine practitioner or physician like an allergist or immunologist.  Hopefully you are well and already have these answers.  And if anyone knows of someone who is hugely intolerant to the burning and irritation caused by hot peppers like jalapenos or cayenne I would love to know I am not alone in this and that I'm not just a wimp.  Thanks.