Latex allergy?

[YankeeMom]

Does anyone have a latex allergy or information on latex allergies? I'm fed up with my (military) doctors telling me "just avoid" the things that cause reactions. I've never been tested for any allergies, they refuse. But lately, things seem to be escalating.

A little background.
I've never been able to tolerate avocado. I love it love it love it. I can eat it, but get immediately violently ill within 1-2 hours of eating it. It's like I have to get it out of my stomach. Once I get sick, the pain in my stomach is instantly gone. I just feel tired like I've been run over by a mack truck. I've never had any reactions in my mouth like swelling or rashes or asthma type reactions.

I've also always been sensitive to things like band-aids, tape (esp surgical tape), and adhesives in general. I do break out in a rash, itchy and peeling skin with the adhesives.

I brought these things up with my (military) doctors a couple of years ago and expressed my concerns. I was told, "no we won't test you for allergies, just avoid those things". Except hello! I never know what's going to make me sick. All the time there are new things I have to "avoid". Cantaloupe, cilantro, salsa, etc.

Fast forward to this year, I'm trying to lose weight and eat healthier (lost 15lbs so far) which includes trying to eat more fruits & veggies because I used to avoid them, never knowing what was going to make my stomach sick.

I had been having a banana in my cereal or with my breakfast nearly every day. Then one day, it made me violently ill. The same exact way I get when I eat anything avocado. That same feeling, the relief the instant I get it out of my stomach, the same mack truck feeling. So I do a little research on bananas....lo' and behold I come up with latex allergies and food sensitivities...not only to bananas, but avocados too!! BINGO! Finally, an answer.

So I stopped eating bananas. I love them, but not enough to get that sick again lol. A couple of weekends ago, I got violently sick again. The same way as I do with avocados & bananas. It didn't quite click that it was the same because (TMI alert) I had had a small piece of pickled polish sausage and that's what I thought made me sick because that's all I tasted lol. I completely forgot what I ate just a little bit before the sausage. A yummy, fresh, juicy pear.

It didn't click until yesterday. I had a pear for my afternoon snack at 4pm. It was delicious By dinner time (5:30pm) I was sick again. My stomach hurt. Hurt so bad I could barely breath much less talk. I got sick and instantly felt better after getting it out of my stomach. I had an epiphany. The only thing I had eaten before dinner was a pear. So I did a little searching on pear allergies...still not thinking it had anything to do with latex, bananas, or avocados. I was wrong. Pear is another food that causes reactions in some people with latex allergies. Along with apples, some nuts, pit fruits like peaches, cherries, and plums, melons, and a bunch of other foods I love.

It's scary because I used to be able to eat bananas AND pears with no problems. Now all of a sudden in a three week period both of them have made me ill. It just seems like it's getting worse fast. I'm afraid to eat anything else on the list of foods that could cause a reaction. It's that bad.

And yet my doctor won't do anything about it

We are in the process of switching to another plan that will let us see civilian doctors as opposed to the military hospital we've been going to. But it takes time and I have to fight to get copies of my medical records. Actually, I'm going to be sneaky & sign them out under the guise of a "referral" to another doc then make copies of them before taking them back. I have friends who switched to civilian doctors over a year ago and STILL don't have copies of their records because the military hospital refuses to comply.

Anyway, if anyone has any other info on latex allergies...things I should avoid or watch out for, I'd be very appreciative. I've never had a reaction to any latex gloves or dental dams or anything like that...but with things escalating with the food sensitivities, I'm afraid that's next

[M55FF]

does not sound like a latex allergy to me, sounds like an intestinal problem, have you been checked for Chrons disease or any of the diseases like it?
I've known several nurses to have an allergy to latex and they would get rashes on their hands because they HAD to wear gloves to avoid a potential disease from a patient.
Yours does not sound like latex allergy but an intestinal problem.

[nuisance26]

~I can't believe you're getting violently ill and your doctors aren't testing you for anything. I don't have any experience with latex allergies but I know with many other allergies, the effect gets worse the more you're exposed to the trigger. I didn't react to penecillin until I was 8 or 9. I hope you can find a medical professional who can help you figure this out.~

[YankeeMom]

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi...1997.tb02553.x

Natural rubber latex allergy is responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms, ranging from rhinoconjunctivitis to severe anaphylaxis, in both adults and children. An association between allergy to latex and allergy to various fruits has been reported. This study investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of latex sensitization in children seen in a university hospital allergy clinic. A total of 453 consecutive children were screened in a 7-month period. A detailed clinical history with particular attention to the past surgical history and the eventual presence of latex- or food-induced allergic symptoms was obtained. Skin prick tests (SPT) for the more important inhalant allergens and foods were performed on all children. In patients with positive latex SPT, latex challenge and additional SPT for some fresh foods (avocado, pineapple, apricot, grape, banana, pear, apple, orange, almond, and chestnut) were also performed.

http://www.acaai.org/public/advice/latex.htm

What foods are potential problems for people with latex allergy?
Latex allergic people also can have food allergies. The foods causing this problem include: apple, almonds, avocado, banana, carrot, celery, chestnut, hazelnut, kiwi, melons, papaya, pear, raw potato, stone fruits (such as peach, plum and cherry) and tomato.

http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/algy/ab...195628!8091!-1

http://www.adajournal.org/article/S0...384-9/abstract

Natural rubber latex is used in the manufacture of many products in the United States. As natural rubber latex allergy becomes of increasing concern, dietitians need to have an understanding of this allergy and how it relates to workplace safety, employee health, and patient feeding and counseling. Natural rubber latex contains more than 35 proteins that may be related to Type I, Ig-E-mediated allergy in numerous segments of the population, including health care workers and patients. Many foods, especially chestnut, banana, and avocado, have the potential to cross-react with natural rubber latex. Chitinase enzymes, related to plant defense, are believed to be involved in this cross-reaction. A strong connection between food allergy and natural rubber latex allergy is recognized and described in this review. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:1381–1384.

http://foodallergens.ifr.ac.uk/clini...elected_food=4

[M55FF]

I have non military health insurance, blue cross and a PPO and the doctors I have seen as a pateint, all sucked too...
( I agree it sounds like you have a bad doctor)

so don't feel its your health insurance... lots of bad doctors out there.
I had a few and it sounds like you do too.

This last one I saw when I told her I had a lump in my neck and trouble swallowing, she told me:

we all get old.


LOL !!!... just waits until she gets sick one day and has to be a patient LOL !!!!

[YankeeMom]

Just because there are bad doctors everywhere doesn't mean I have to accept being treated by one.

This isn't just one doctor. Obviously you've not been treated at a military facility or you would know your primary care provider gets changed more often than most people change their socks! I can't count how many different doctors we've had since we got here 4 yrs ago.

[Neeley]

I do not know much about laytex allergies, but here is what DD's plastic surgeon told us just this week when she went in for her pre-op visit.

We were always under the belief she had a laytex allergy. She would develop hives/rashes when exposed to laytex. He said she had a laytex sensivity, not a true allergy.

He explained if it were a true laytex allergy she would not be able to eat certain items. He specifically mentioned avacados, bananas and strawberries. He said the symptoms would be more severe than just hives/rashes. He specifically said she would probably have trouble breathing if she ate these items and was truly allergic. We were told to still mention her sensivity on all her records and avoid using products with laytex on her if possible. She eats at least one banana everyday and strawberries all of the time so we know there is no issue there.

I wish I had more advice to offer and knew more about it. You have done your homework and know way more than I do about it. Hope you are able to get in with a civilian doc soon. Keep us posted.

[M55FF]

all your insurance company will say to the doc... is what they will get from the dsm books... and that is to
avoid those foods, cook in non latex materials.

You may try someone in alternative medicine and have better luck.

It is very hard to get a good doctor... very hard.. and if socialized medicine comes into the picture, its going downhill from there. The insurance companies have books they use for treatment and diagnosis, you can look at them online under
"DSM"
and find whatever you want to know.

[YankeeMom]

The only thing that comes up with "DSM" is Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

[M55FF]

the dsm has all disorders known to mankind, try dsm, latex allergy
you may find 4 different types under that one header.

I was able to pull it up on goggle using that info. It did say it was a new problem ??? and relatively rare... no many doctors and insurance companies won't acknowledge it
of course unless it has a billable number and your doc is willing to wait for payment on something that may not be billable.
Thats just how things work.
In the event you really want to know more about this and how it all works you can go to a medical bookstore ( check who sells them in your area ) and look at a dsm book.. its huge and several volumes updated each year..
We used to use them in nursing to code peoples diseases and illness problems... everyone had dsm numbers... everyone, or they didnt get seen... they cover all medical human problems, even rare ones.


ps they can also find out your dsm numbers by the meds you take ...

[YankeeMom]

I must have a different Google because I get nothing but mental disorders when I Google DSM.

At any rate, I don't understand what getting a doctor to LISTEN to me and make a DIAGNOSIS has to do with anything being billable.

Leslie & Constance, thank you for your input. I'll be sure to update when I see my new doctor.

[M55FF]

try ICD or medical billing codes.. I'm so sorry I gave you the wrong coding info.

to answer, it has to do with if the doctor gets paid... if insurance won't pay, doctor won't delve deeper because he won't get paid. no money ( insurance ok it or deny it? ) to pay and there is no problem in most cases, the doc will blw it off but if the indsurance will pay, he will really look into your problem.. lol... medical system rather sucks but thats how it is.

Try ICD medical coding.. you can get lots of info there you maybe dont already have about latex allergy and how its determined if your problem is just contact dermatitis or something more severe.

v15.0-v15.9 in icd...

[M55FF]

check out icd 9 code

558.3
and read up on it so when you see your doctor you can talk them into testing you under something they can bill for.

hope this helps

it was listed under latex allergy in a sub title, allegic colitis... if they can bill for tests they sure will gladly see you... doctor has big expenses and will gladly traeat you if your problem is billable, so find a way to get the tests done and billable...

its all in the wording.
Hopefully you dont have a history of having diseases you think you have or mental disorders or they won't listen or try to help you get tested.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

I *had* a bad latex allergy, too...amongst many other food, outdoor, animal, etc. allergies (over 40 diagnosed). I was desperate for help...that's when I really started trying alternative medicine (thinking it was all VERY hokey).

I ended up trying NAET. http://www.naet.com/

It uses muscle testing, etc. It seemed TOTALLY hokey to me...but like I said...I was desperate.

I've been nearly allergy and medicine FREE for several years now. I still have a very mild cat allergy and am still quite allergic to cigarette smoke (never was treated for that one). But, after the TONS of food allergies, trees, grass, weeds, cat, dog, etc. allergies...this is FANTASTIC!!! No meds, no inhalers, no giving myself shots EVERY day!!

It's totally painless, each treatment is fairly quick (usually an hour or less). My treatments were about $60 each... Yup, that's it...then the allergy is gone.

I know it sounds too good to be true. That's how it sounded to me... But I, and friends and family I've "convinced" to try it, are all living proof. There's a practitioner locater on the website... I hope you'll give it a try and get to be allergy-free, too.

[Marie78]

I must have a different Google because I get nothing but mental disorders when I Google DSM.

At any rate, I don't understand what getting a doctor to LISTEN to me and make a DIAGNOSIS has to do with anything being billable.

Leslie & Constance, thank you for your input. I'll be sure to update when I see my new doctor.

I wish you luck with this. I had a horrible time with my doctor last year. I believe now that I was suffering from GERD. My doctor couldn't understand my symptoms though and after months of going to her to look at my throat and explaining the burning and trouble swallowing and not being able to sleep at night...I brought up the idea of it being GERD, she gave me samples of a medicine to treat GERD and it helped, I've been symptom free for months now, if I take Prilosec.

Then my health insurance wouldn't fill a prescription for these pills and I was forced to pay more for the over the counter Prilosec, but without it my throat aches and burns and I can't swallow well. My health insurance wouldn't allow me to have tests either to test for: allergies, GERD, or any other possiblities that my condition might have been caused by. I felt that no one was helping me.

I was the one who kept researching and searching for answers to my health problem online until I found symptoms of GERD and I'm the one that brought it up to the doctor and I feel that I am the one who diagnosed and now treats myself, because my doctor and the health insurance companies are useless!! After last year, my doctor and my health insurance company left a very bad, lasting impression on me.

I wish you luck, maybe switching doctors will make a difference for you. I am in the process of switching doctors too, I can't believe how ignorant and useless my doctor was last year, she kept saying it was all in my head. I would to tell her that the red throat she saw every time I went to visit her, wasn't all in my head! I would avoid those foods that bother you until you get a proper diagnoses. When you were online did you find anything that indicated you could take medication before eating these foods and minimize the effects of the allergy?