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Lettuce Allergies???
We have just had our 7 year old son tested for allergies. We will get all of the results next week, but I did learn that he has a severe allergy to lettuce! I've never heard of such a thing!! He literally CRAVES lettuce and salads and is quite sad at learning that he can't have it. Has anyone ever heard of an allergy to lettuce? I can't seem to find any information on this at all! Thanks in advance, Anne
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I'm 51 yrs old and had suffered from all kinds of joint and connectivity/soft tissue issues for years: General Practitioner, Orthopedic Specialists, Rheumatologists have never been able to diagnose cause of issues....just verified that I suffered from them. I tried sports medicine specialists, personal trainers, chiropractors, orthopedic surgeons, massage. The more I tried to do to help myself get better, the worse the pain became. Worst was last 8 months of tendonitis/neuritis/dysterial neuropothy in my hands (couldn't even hold a book with burning pain in both hands!) When none of above were able to help me, I went to naturopath who tried 3 months of treatments without any real improvement. Then he suggested that food allergies may be causing his treatments to be 'blocked. So I was tested and discovered that I'm allergic to all glutens, gliadens, caseins etc and LETTUCES among other things. (How can anyone be allergic to lettuce....just a little bit of green stuff with water!) I have NEVER experienced any noticeable reaction to ANY food! Its only been a few days since getting the news but I plan to take immediate action. According to my naturopath (and makes sense to me), the constant fight of my immune system against these allergens all these years has led to ADRENAL FATIGUE. The adrenal system is what controls and supports one's immune system and soft tissue/connective tissue maintenance....i.e. my problems with hands and joints and feeling rundown for so many years. Just like with lifting a 3 lb weight, you can do it for a long time, but the longer you do it, the more difficult it becomes until you finally cannot lift that weight any longer. That's the analogy of what happens to the body. I really recommend you not ignore any allergies you know of. I believe you may pay the price later in life as I have. (By the way, treatments by an acupuncturist finally gave relief within just a couple of days of first treatment. I've now regained 85-90% use of my hands pain-free)
2 Comments
where or how did you test for food intolerance
geriaguilar, you could go to your doctor to get testing done (an allergist actually would be best) but they do also make at home tests. This article is the 7 best at home tests for food intolerance. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-sensitivity-test Start your own thread and we'll talk about this.
I am allergic to lettuce. It took me 23 years to figure it out.. but once I did... life was easier. My allergy causes severe migraines and nausea and hot flashes.
I used to always get sick after eating salads... my dad swore it was the MSG in the salad dressings. But one day, while eating dinner at a boyfriend's parents' house... his mom made spinach salad ... and I didn't get sick.
For the next week I alternated both lettuce & spinach every other day and figured out that I only got sick when eating the lettuce. I took these findings to my doctor. He agreed that I had an allergy to lettuce.
I have learned over the years that iceburg and cabbage are the worst culprits. Field Greens, Spinach and Arugula do not bother me near as bad as the lighter leaves like Iceburg, Cabbage or Butter.
If your son gets headaches from eating lettuce.. he could very well be allergic to nitrates instead of just plain lettuce. The lighter the leaves of the lettuce variety.. the MORE nitrates is in it. I'd be careful with marachino cherries, hot dogs, bologna, lunch meats... as I have also cut those out of my diet to further lessen my migraines.
I used to always get sick after eating salads... my dad swore it was the MSG in the salad dressings. But one day, while eating dinner at a boyfriend's parents' house... his mom made spinach salad ... and I didn't get sick.
For the next week I alternated both lettuce & spinach every other day and figured out that I only got sick when eating the lettuce. I took these findings to my doctor. He agreed that I had an allergy to lettuce.
I have learned over the years that iceburg and cabbage are the worst culprits. Field Greens, Spinach and Arugula do not bother me near as bad as the lighter leaves like Iceburg, Cabbage or Butter.
If your son gets headaches from eating lettuce.. he could very well be allergic to nitrates instead of just plain lettuce. The lighter the leaves of the lettuce variety.. the MORE nitrates is in it. I'd be careful with marachino cherries, hot dogs, bologna, lunch meats... as I have also cut those out of my diet to further lessen my migraines.
I am 60+ Have been allergic to lettuce and other raw green veggies since I was 4. I found out that I was born with no enzymes to break down the ripening hormone that a plant uses to mature and come to fruition. I only eat the raw "reds" like carrots and tomatoes. But over the years I have been able to eat COOKED veggies because the heat process will break down the offending component. I can tolerate even cabbage as long as it has been cooked by stir frying for longer than some places that have fast food. Now I can have variety in my food choices. Hope this can work for you too.
thank you soooo much for posting you experience connecting joint pain with lettuce!!! I am 70 and have suffered with sore joints for 30 years. Like you I have gone to ALL types and experts; no one ever mentioned food allergies. Last night I noticed a definite connection between my eating a salad for dinner and within 2 hours could hardly move. Thanks to your post, I will definitely get tested for food allergies. Hope springs!!
My reactions started about 3 years ago and I just figured out the cause to be lettuce. I had extensive testing including ultrasounds, allergy tests, etc. It never occurred to me that anyone would be allergic to that so I didn't even think to write it down in my research. My reactions were very severe with intense itching head to toe accompanied by severe stomach cramping with nausea and diarrhea. It was horrible! I was starting to feel a little crazy since no doctor could diagnose me. They eventually told me it was caused by stress. After having severe reactions very close together when I ordered salads for dinner (and that's what I ate before my very first reaction) I researched lettuce allergies and found it to give the exact symptoms I was having. Now I have avoided lettuce for one month and haven't had any reactions. So happy. I would like to try eating spinach and lettuces besides iceberg to see if I will react the same way but have been hesitant because each episode is so painful.
I've obviously had a lettuce allergy for at least 26 years. For the longest time I thought it was Caeser salad dressing, but more recently have found iceberg. cos, and all the fancy minuettes and oak leaves, as well as baby spinach eaten raw gives me debilitating acid diarrea.
All this time I thought I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but since elimating leafy greens, caffeine and carbonated drinks I've felt a million times better.
All this time I thought I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but since elimating leafy greens, caffeine and carbonated drinks I've felt a million times better.
i came across this site accidentally after goolgling reactions to lettuce leaves and a lot of the above symptoms are similar for a long time now. i only noticed my own reaction yesterday after not having a salad leaf for a few weeks, i became really sick and got a terrible headache almost immediately! i am amazed i could have this reaction to a leaf!! I will now follow up with my doctor and see what can be done. Thank you to all that shared here. I think you have helped me immensely.
my 20 month old is intolerant to something in the spring mix. He breaks out into red blotchness. However when i feed him romaine with all the fixings but the spring mix, he has no problems. I was told that it could be the different levels in the nitrates between the species of lettuce.
What an interesting and informative thread.
In my life, when I crave something intensely I soon become allergic to it. Don't know why. Two major examples are mangoes and the perfume "Poison" that came out about 20 years ago. I almost could have drank "Poison" I loved the smell so much - and within a month I was breaking out in hives when I wore it, and then later when I even smelled it.
I had a cycle of craving mangoes, and ate as many as 10 a day when I was pregnant and then broke out in hives from them - I couldn't even touch them without getting hives between my fingers.
I just think when there is a food that is really craved, it is related to an allergic reaction.
In my life, when I crave something intensely I soon become allergic to it. Don't know why. Two major examples are mangoes and the perfume "Poison" that came out about 20 years ago. I almost could have drank "Poison" I loved the smell so much - and within a month I was breaking out in hives when I wore it, and then later when I even smelled it.
I had a cycle of craving mangoes, and ate as many as 10 a day when I was pregnant and then broke out in hives from them - I couldn't even touch them without getting hives between my fingers.
I just think when there is a food that is really craved, it is related to an allergic reaction.
Maybe this will help: I've been reading other websites that explain that iceberg lettuce allergies are because of the FRUCTOSE. You probably have "fructose malabsorption." This is not true of romaine and other lettuces. Just iceberg. Look up fructose malabsorption.
Yep, I too had some food allergy (as well as environmental ones), went to the Dr. for testing and came out wiser. I would eat...things...and then end up with Oral Allergy Syndrome. My mouth would itch, my throat would itch, you can put your hand on my stomach and it is warm. My stomach radiates heat from the allergic reaction when the allergen stays in contact with it. This "allergic reaction" probably proceeds just like a skin allergy would with inflammation and swelling. About 90 minutes later I need to go to the bathroom NOW with some really watery intestinal evacuation. This was usually followed by extreme tiredness. I would usually fall asleep for 1-2 hours and wake up feeling much better. This is not socially ok. After I discovered my main allergies (iceberg lettuce and coconut were the major ones that I couldn't figure out), life is immeasurably better. If you are in doubt about oral allergy syndrome, get the test. Then test the results out yourself. You will be so much healthier and happier for it.
It took me twenty years to realize I was allergic to ICEBERG LETTUCE. I would have a salad at a restaurant, eat dinner and before dessert came, I would be in the bathroom with severe stomach cramps, sweating, and nausea. It was horrible. For a while I blamed the nitrates in wine, so gave up wine. Did not help! My doctor suggested it might be then salad. As it turned out, iceberg lettuce will ferment in your colon causing gas and pain. I can however, eat romain lettuce and most field greens with no problem. What amazed me was how fast I would get sick and have so much pain!! I would love to hear from others who have this problem with iceberg. Dixieromain
My naturopathic doctor performed something similar to this analysis: https://www.alcat.com/index.php
Folks: it is amazing the amount of things that someone can become 'sensitive' through time, and not obviously allergic. When the results of this analysis came back, I was devastated. The things that I loved to eat the most, came back "RED" in the test scale. None of the allergies posted in this website shock me at all, as I came back positive for most of them. Last year my allergies were so horrible, that I couldn't sleep, was tired all the time and felt sick to my stomach. I took on the diet very saddened and it was by far, the hardest thing I did...but let me tell you, my allergies pretty much came to a halt, and since, I've been able to find many 'creative' ways to get around the foods that made me sick the most. Every now and then, I can even indulge in some of those foods with a mild to no reaction.
My advice to you is to not panic...you are not abnormal. The foods that we have been exposed to since childhood have been processed to the point that our immune systems have become hyper-active, so keeping yourself away from foods that, as weird as the allergy sounds, are hurting you, will allow you to become so much healthier--and it is SO WORTH IT! The worst is when you have to deprive yourself from a food that normally most people think is awesome for your health such as garlic or broccoli or in this case, leafy greens such as lettuce. The food sensitivity test that I took came with a brochure that explained that, those foods may be good for most, but if our bodies are reacting to it, we are doing ourselves a dis-service.
One last comment that I wanted to make is that, many respiratory and psychological conditions such as Asthma and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are significantly improved with the right diet. I was asthmatic and cured myself fully by changing my diet (processed sugars, caffeine, gluten, dairy!) and my husband was ADD through his young adulthood until he drastically changed his diet and he got himself away from all the meds that had been torturing him for so many years. If you or someone you love are in either of these rollercoasters, I advise you to go visit a naturopatic/homeopatic doctor, an acupuncturist or a nutritionist to seek alternative methods to drugs.
Good luck to all of you out there. My allergies this year are basically non-existent. That's the pay-off for the sacrifice. :-)
Folks: it is amazing the amount of things that someone can become 'sensitive' through time, and not obviously allergic. When the results of this analysis came back, I was devastated. The things that I loved to eat the most, came back "RED" in the test scale. None of the allergies posted in this website shock me at all, as I came back positive for most of them. Last year my allergies were so horrible, that I couldn't sleep, was tired all the time and felt sick to my stomach. I took on the diet very saddened and it was by far, the hardest thing I did...but let me tell you, my allergies pretty much came to a halt, and since, I've been able to find many 'creative' ways to get around the foods that made me sick the most. Every now and then, I can even indulge in some of those foods with a mild to no reaction.
My advice to you is to not panic...you are not abnormal. The foods that we have been exposed to since childhood have been processed to the point that our immune systems have become hyper-active, so keeping yourself away from foods that, as weird as the allergy sounds, are hurting you, will allow you to become so much healthier--and it is SO WORTH IT! The worst is when you have to deprive yourself from a food that normally most people think is awesome for your health such as garlic or broccoli or in this case, leafy greens such as lettuce. The food sensitivity test that I took came with a brochure that explained that, those foods may be good for most, but if our bodies are reacting to it, we are doing ourselves a dis-service.
One last comment that I wanted to make is that, many respiratory and psychological conditions such as Asthma and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) are significantly improved with the right diet. I was asthmatic and cured myself fully by changing my diet (processed sugars, caffeine, gluten, dairy!) and my husband was ADD through his young adulthood until he drastically changed his diet and he got himself away from all the meds that had been torturing him for so many years. If you or someone you love are in either of these rollercoasters, I advise you to go visit a naturopatic/homeopatic doctor, an acupuncturist or a nutritionist to seek alternative methods to drugs.
Good luck to all of you out there. My allergies this year are basically non-existent. That's the pay-off for the sacrifice. :-)
My baby came out allergic to rice (on the RAST). The dr. actually said RICE? No one's allergic to rice--that's what we feed to allergic people. (But yes, indeed he was).
For the corn person, note that when foods are cooked or processed certain ways the protein structure changes.
On the craving, yes, it is almost always a SIGN that you are allergic--your body releases endorphins (to kill the pain of the hist reaction) and so oddly enough it makes you feel bad-good-bad-good. I was drinking like 12 glasses of milk a day right before I found out I was terribly allergic to it. Are there OTHER leaves he can have? (i.e. arrugula or maybe some of the kales/collards?)
For the corn person, note that when foods are cooked or processed certain ways the protein structure changes.
On the craving, yes, it is almost always a SIGN that you are allergic--your body releases endorphins (to kill the pain of the hist reaction) and so oddly enough it makes you feel bad-good-bad-good. I was drinking like 12 glasses of milk a day right before I found out I was terribly allergic to it. Are there OTHER leaves he can have? (i.e. arrugula or maybe some of the kales/collards?)
I've often told my parents and anyone who asked that when eating salads, cole slaw, bananas, or corn, I would get sick. they responded that I was thinking too much. As i eat the foods, initially it's ok. After awhile, my tongue would begin to itch and my stomach would palpitate as if i was about to throw up. i've never been to the doctor about it, however, I just stayed away from those foods.
When I turned 19 I became allergic to certain foods. I always used to eat salads, but now I can't unless I want to suffer from bouts of stomach gas build-ups (burping and farting) and acidic diarrhea. I know for sure that iceberg lettuce is what causes it, but I'm not sure what other varieties will make me sick. However, I was happy to find out that I can eat baby spinach with no problems. Some of the other foods I became allergic to are bananas, broccoli, and cauliflower. The most puzzling allergy that I have is to certain corn products. I can eat corn and popcorn, and corn syrup doesn't bother me either. However, I can't eat corn bread, corn chips, hard shells for tacos, or certain cereals like cheerios without having the same reaction that I have to lettuce. I'm not sure if it's an enriched corn or wheat or germ allergy. I've been experimenting with flour tortilla chips and they still make me feel sick. I want to try multi grain, and organic blue corn chips made with natural oil, but I don't want to go through the possible discomfort. Does anyone have any information that could help me out?
I FIND THAT IF I EAT LETTUCE, CABBAGE AND BROCOLLI. I IMMEDIATELY GET STOMACH CRAMPS AND DIARROHEA.I HAVE NO IDEA WHY, ALTHOUGH MY MOthER WAS ALSO INTOLERANT AND DEVELOPED BOWEL CANCER In LATER LIFE iIS THIS INTOLERANCE COMMON AND WHAT HAVE THESE FOODS IN COMMON WHICH TRIGGERS THESE REACTIONS?
I AM SO GLAD I CAME ACROSS THIS SITE. I HAVE BEEN BREAKING OUT IN HIVES FOR ALMOST A MONTH NOW AND JUST THE OTHER DAY I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE ICEBURG LETTUCE THAT I SWITCHED TO ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO.
I BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN I ATE SOME BEFORE BED AND WAS WIDE AWAKE ALL NIGH T. I FELT LIKE I HAD JUST HAD 5 CUPS OF COFFEE. I HAVE SWITCHED BACK TO ROMAINE AND MY HIVES ARE STARTING TO GO AWAY
JASMINE
I BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN I ATE SOME BEFORE BED AND WAS WIDE AWAKE ALL NIGH T. I FELT LIKE I HAD JUST HAD 5 CUPS OF COFFEE. I HAVE SWITCHED BACK TO ROMAINE AND MY HIVES ARE STARTING TO GO AWAY
JASMINE
I've noticed that after eating iceberg lettuce, I get a terrible chest pain and what appears to be gas pains in my chest and stomach area. I belch a lot and after an hour or hour and half, the pain is gone. Other lettuce varieties such as Romaine, Spinach leaves and other salad greens don't seem to have this effect on me. I can tell that it is the iceberg lettuce as much of the belching seems to be much like the taste of iceberg lettuce. I've eliminated it from my diet. I'm 69 years old and find that when also eating romaine, I detect a slight discomfort similar to iceberg lettuce. I hope that doesn't continue as I love salads.
1 Comments
I just found your comment and feel completely relieved that I'm not alone. I discovered as a teenager that suddenly would experience MAJOR stomach issues whenever I ate iceberg lettuce. The other lettuces such as romaine don't affect me at all. I even had an experience (thinking if I ate "organic" iceberg I'd be fine) where 10 minutes after I ate, my stomach started cramping and I became extremely lightheaded/weak. I've learned since that whenever ordering salad at a restaurant, if I see "lettuce mix/mixed greens", I ALWAYS ask if iceberg is one of the ingredients.
When we went in for the testing, the Dr. asked me what he loves to eat most. He CRAVES salad and anything that has lettuce on it - such as hamburgers, tacos, etc. He then added those items that he loves to the list of foods that he normally tests for. That's how we came to have him tested for a lettuce allergy. It's horrible trying to take this away!! He actually cried when I told him. We haven't had the follow up appointment yet, but will next week. Until then, I haven't completely taken lettuce away, but will next week. I have found that he has had headaches after eating lettuce. He came home from school with one today. I looked at the menu and there it was - LETTUCE! We may have found a way to keep his headaches away if nothing else. There are no other signs or symptoms to eating it.
I just had my 8 year old tested also and lettuce is not something they even tested him on. Is there a reason why they would test your son for the certain allergy. Does he have a reaction to lettuce when he eats it? My son came up allergic to alot of things that he eats everyday such as bananas, peanut butter, tomatoes and oranges. The doctor said as long as he doesn't have a reaction to them when he eats them not to worry about it. Hope this helps. It is hard to take away something that a child likes to eat.
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