Our first experience with food allergies was when our oldest, now nine, had her first reaction at 6 months old at daycare. There were certainly symptoms she experienced prior that could have alerted us to food allergies, such as eczema and excessive spitting up after eating, but it was initially always diagnosed as reflux until she had formula mixed with her oatmeal. That’s when we had her tested and found out she was allergic to milk, egg, peanut, and tree nuts. Fast forward, all three of our children have multiple food allergies, some anaphylactic. Between the three, we manage milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, and shrimp. We’ve done some oral challenges and have been able to cross some off, but each has epipens and also our oldest two have asthma. We didn’t get a lot of information from our allergist apart from “avoid these foods” so it was a big learning curve navigating this new lifestyle. I found lots of useful information on the Food Allergy Research and Education’s (FARE) site and after a few years, found some great Facebook groups to connect and learn from others in the community. Other useful sites were FAACT and Allergic Living. I also wrote a children’s book about multiple food allergies to help educate and bring more awareness to the community in general.

I had a reaction to nuts when I was 2 yr’s old. I saw many doctors as back then allergies were not very common. I was tested and was allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and tomatoes. I also have asthma and oral allergy syndrome. I was on different medications and basically made sure not to eat anything with nuts in it. As I’ve gotten older my allergies have increased and I am now ana to eggs and allergic to wheat and many additives. I make sure to read all labels and have started cooking more. It can be very anxiety provoking and I am learning to do meditation and yoga. If I am in social situations where there is food I do not eat it if I feel uncomfortable. Many people don’t understand but I have to put myself first. We need to be our own best advocates. I use Flovent, Proventil, and Singulair medications. I use FARE for information and many Instagram accounts that provide recipes and support. I believe in research and advocacy and hope that there will be a cure soon. Many more people have allergies today and it seems that there have been a lot of good changes. Social media is very helpful as well as the apps for eating out. It’s important to find a good doctor and always pay attention to symptoms. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to speak up about it.

When my daughter was about 9 months, her preschool teacher called to let me know she was fussy and was tugging on her ears. I recommended some Tylenol since it sounded like an oncoming ear infection. Five minutes later she called and said my daughter’s face was swelling and they had to call 911. This obviously was very terrifying. I worked about 25 minutes away, so called my husband who worked locally to head that way. Luckily, our daughter was breathing fine. We took her to urgent care and gave her benadryl which helped with the swelling and itching. We believe she ate eggs for the first time that morning. This prompted allergy testing where we found out she was allergic to peanut, tree nuts, eggs, sesame. We later found out she has an allergy to green peas. She can now have baked egg. We think we will be able to challenge egg and sesame soon. We use epinephrine and benadryl as needed. At first, we relied on our allergist and pediatrician for resources. When she was younger, I used relevant FB groups to see how other parents navigated certain situations. I’ve used the Food Allergy Fund and FARE as a resource.

I found out about my peanut allergy at 13 months old when I had my first anaphylactic reaction. Luckily, I’m currently working on overcoming my allergy through the Tolerance Induction Program! I currently eat 18 peanuts/day successfully 🙂 I don’t know what my resources parents used because I was so young, but the Tolerance Induction Program (aka TIP) can be found at https://socalfoodallergy.org/tip/

I was first diagnosed at age of 2 confirmed to peanut. I was born with eczema and so they warned my parents I may have a food allergy and to avoid peanuts, at the age of 2 my dad unknowingly gave me a peanut butter cookie and that’s the only time I’ve eaten my life threatening allergen. I’ve avoided ever since and got official testing done as an adult where I’m off the charts to peanut and went into a anaphylaxis at the allergist to the peanut test. We didn’t use any resources, when I was little it was the early 90s, we didn’t even have computers! Haha. There really weren’t any book or any other resources, either, at this time.

Nathan went into anaphylactic shock after a small spoon of peanut butter when I introduced it to him at 7 months of age. He has not overcome this allergy, and since then we have discovered he is also allergic to eggs and milk (after having reactions to ingestion) and cashews and pistachios (after skin prick testing for tree nuts). All allergens were confirmed by IgE blood testing and we monitor them every 6 months. I really didn’t know much about food allergies (including the top 9) when I started introducing foods. We have no history of food allergies in my family or my in-laws. Since his diagnosis, I have been on a mission to find as many resources as possible- through Instagram, podcasts, health care providers, and the community.

I was 6 or 7 when I ate a Ferrero Roche and started to struggle to breathe. Prior to this I had no issues with nuts. I ran to my mother, and she fixed it but I don’t remember how. After this I went to the allergist who said my allergies were off the charts. We didn’t have access to resources back in 2001-2002.

At the age of 11 after an anaphylactic reaction I learned I had a tree nut allergy. A couple of years later at the age of 13 I was constantly sick with sinus infections and GI issues. Eventually it got so bad that I was experiencing dysphagia and severe GERD. At 13 these symptoms were unknown to me and therefore hard to explain to my mom. Finally after what seemed like a never ending round of tests and then an endoscopy I learned I had Eosinophilic esophagitis. After a series of allergy tests I learned I had 13 food allergies some of which are anaphylactic. After 13 years of living with food allergies I have outgrown a few as well as developed additional food allergies. I have had 18 endoscopy/biopsies and have recently started adding additional food into my diet. I hope my personal and professional experience can help others navigate food allergies by finding fun with food again. When first trying to understand and find resources around food allergies my mom and I used FARE as a guide. Years later and I am now a masters level registered dietitian and have used what I have learned professionally and adapted it in my own life. I share resources such as FARE, the academy of nutrition and dietetics and some allergy friendly food brands with my patients who also have food allergies.

From the moment we started introducing foods to Harper at 6 months old we had problems itchy hives rashes etc. She is our only child so we didn’t know what it was. Even thought it must be normal for babies when they eat certain foods. We got to see an allergist who tested her for eggs and sent us home with Epipens, recommended watching YouTube videos to learn how to use them. 2 years (and lots of hospital visitors for testing, anaphylaxis and check ups) go by and having hot rock bottom after witnessing a very serious anaphylactic shock that nearly took my beloved baby from us. We joined Instagram as a way to connect with others like us and find support… boy did we find support love friends and the answer to our prayers @socalfoodallergy provide a treatment for food allergies like Harper’s and she’s now half way through treatment and should be at complete food freedom by the time she starts school. None of this would have been possible without the amazing people who found us via Instagram. Forever grateful that we get to share our journey with you all. I reached out to a Facebook moms group who informed me it wasn’t normal and to book to see my GP. I attended zoom meeting ups with other moms of kids with allergies and that’s were I first heard about @socalfoodallergy later on @natashasfoundation contacted me to feature our story on their page. And another mum who was doing to TIP program reached out to me to tel me about this life changing treatment. Our lives have changed so much and the best is yet to come.

She ate a peanut at family party. Had had crunchy peanut butter lots before this. Turned hoarse and swollen face. It was very clear we were in trouble, the developed a persistent cough en route to the hospital it was clear her airways were blocking. She was put straight to Resus at the emergency department. Allergy diagnosed and referred to kids allergy clinic for further tests. We are in Northern Ireland where resources seem behind the times. No support groups etc. our clinic team does their best but most info has been found through Google. Anaphylaxis UK is useful. Following others on Instagram has been a source of support but the accounts are mostly based away from the UK.

As an infant, we suspected Ronin had eczema and food sensitivities because he was always fussy and blotchy and would spit up after breastfeeding. The pediatrician suggested switching him to a special baby formula at 4 months old. So, we did. But there was no mention of food allergies. At one years old, he had his first reaction to food. It was on vacation while eating some scrambled eggs. I still remember running around like a chicken with its head cut off- because we had no clue what was going on. He had another reaction shortly after that to his birthday cake. It was then that the pediatrician ordered a food allergy panel and it was determined Ronin was allergic to soy (false positive), dairy, egg, peanut, and treenuts. He still has all of those same allergies including a tomato allergy. We didn’t use any websites early on in our diagnosis because the whole thing was just so new and overwhelming and we honestly had no idea how many resources are actually out there. But in the years since, we have relied heavily on FARE and Allergic Living.

When I was born I was constantly getting really sick and loosing so much weight. After a few treacherous months after birth, a very smart and kind doctor helped diagnose me with FPIES. (a rare food allergy.) I am 15 now, but one year ago I got covid. When I got covid I started getting ulcers on my mouth and other places on my skin. After about 5 months of traveling to different offices I finally got diagnosed with behçet’s disease. I have never overcome my allergies and disorders, but have learned that I am not alone, and am my own strong individual. I am just the same as everyone else, just a bit more unique! I created a support page for those with hidden illnesses on Instagram @fpies_herrick if you want to check it out. All the information we used came from our helpful doctors! I have used Colchicine.

When my son was 10 months old he had an anaphylactic reaction to peanut butter. I didn’t know it at the time because that was our introduction into food allergies! Since then we have added some allergens to the list of ones we manage. Between our two children (ages 6 and 4) we manage: peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, egg, shellfish and banana. Peanuts, shellfish, egg, and banana were confirmed from having reactions, and then with annual follow-up skin and blood tests at our allergist’s office. Sesame and tree nuts are confirmed through testing only. Both children are currently undergoing SLIT treatment (SubLingual ImmoTherapy) at Allergenuity in North Carolina. We are hoping SLIT will protect against cross contact and hopefully lead to more free eating. We use information from FARE to educate ourselves, family members, care takers, and school staff members on food allergies in general, how to recognize symptoms and reactions, how to administer epinephrine, and how to create an Emergency Action Plan that fits our family’s needs. We have used information from FAACT to develop 504 plans for public school.

When Benjamin was 6 months old, I had eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and given him a kiss on his neck. He broke out in hives in the area he was kissed pretty soon after. We took him to an allergist who diagnosed him. Since then his blood work results have continued to worsen. For both of my subsequent children, our allergist tested them before we introduced foods. With my second child, he was positive for dairy and egg, which I had not cut out of my diet (and was breastfeeding), but did so after his diagnosis. We saw huge improvements with his skin and discomfort level. Our third baby is about to be tested, but based on similar signs that Christopher displayed, I eliminated dairy, egg, soy, gluten and peanuts at 8 weeks of age. We were so unaware when Benjamin was first diagnosed. But as we’ve attempted OIT and experienced anaphylaxis at home, we have joined Facebook groups, receive several newsletters and follow multiple accounts on IG to learn and grow. Some of the resources we use currently are Allergen Inside and Susie at Spokin.

My daughter was a little less than a year maybe 9 months old and started breaking out in these horrible rashes. I took her to the pediatrician but they blamed it on me taking her flying at such a young age (but my family lived in Fl and I lived in Baltimore so I wasn’t not going to visit them it didn’t make sense), the pediatrician then blamed it on the fact that I didn’t breast feed my daughter and that is why she had a rash. So needless to say I switched Dr ‘s and instantly they had us allergy test. My son I had a feeling since birth but he was a NICU baby so he was a little more on the complicated side but none the less I had him tested as soon as he came home from the hospital. Call it a Mother’s Gut feeling I just knew. But yet again another Dr this time they said he has cystic fibrosis but i knew it was food allergies. My son would projectile vomit and diarrhea constantly. No websites used, I did not but in 2006 there wasn’t much info out there. I mean I had to have a DR’s note and notarized to carry an epi-pen on a plane. They were not common. And in 2010 there was some info out but not a lot and I did a lot of research on mom blogs since Pinterest was just coming out. But besides that this journey has been trail and error and me never giving up for my kids sake and for their food allergies.

I learned about my son’s food allergies when he was only 6 months old. What was supposed to be a fun milestone (baby’s first food!) turned into a very scary situation, where he had an anaphylactic reaction to pureed peas. After he saw an allergist, they ran some blood work and he tested positive to eggs, peas, peanuts, and a handful of tree nuts. Since then, while slowly introducing new foods, we have unfortunately discovered more allergens. We used FARE. Also a lot of blogs from other food allergy moms, Facebook groups, and social media.

When we first started introducing solids to little miss we noticed small hives and redness with eggs and milk products as well as an increase in her eczema. At first we did not think much about it and I kept exposing her to milk and eggs thinking she would get use to it but instead she kept getting redness, hives and runny noses. All this would improve with a bath and dose of zyrtec. I had bought some peanut butter banana food pouches and we had given them to her with what I thought was no reactions but one afternoon I came home to my husband freaking out and showed me the baby and she was covered head to toe in welts and hives, he told me all he gave her was the banana peanut butter about 10 minutes prior. She then proceeded to vomit multiple times, now at this point I am still not educated on food allergies or reactions but knew something was wrong so we took her to urgent care by the time we got there the benedryl had kicked in and she was doing better so urgent care pretty much dismissed us. Looking back I realized that she had been having small delayed reactions to peanut butter as she had been vomiting randomly but each time I had given her peanut butter I just did not correlate the two. Currently I am waiting to get into see an allergist as I have had to educate and advocate for ourselves. Our pediatrician did the blood allergy test and gave us an EpiPen and said she was too young for an allergist. Right now her allergies are peanut, eggs, dairy, wheat, oats and peas. We have excluded those foods and have had no reactions and her eczema is gone. We are hoping to try some food challenges once speaking to an allergist. She is now 15 months old still breastfeeding and we have found many safe foods and she is happy and thriving! I found the websites FARE, The Food Allergy Counselor, and joined some food allergy groups on Facebook. I took it up on myself to learn about food allergies and symptoms of anaphylaxis. I am a mental health therapist and realized I was having increased anxiety around feeding her which let me to the Food Allergy Counselor social media and website where I educated myself on how to help others parents with the same anxious feelings I was having. I educated myself enough to become one of the therapist on their directory for my state I knew if I as a therapist was having these anxious thoughts and feelings there had to be more parents out there that may need an allergy informed therapist!

We were dealing with eczema since he was 3 mo that old and at times it was so bad he’d scratch and bleed. We went to the pediatrician 4 or 5 times and tried so many ointments. Lots of wrong diagnosis led to my frustration. Then someone suggested seeing an allergist. We learned he was allergic to eggs and dairy from when he consumed them directly because he broke out in hives. Through breast milk it was presenting as eczema. Once he tried wheat he also had hives from that. I had to remove those confirmed allergens from my diet and he was prescribed epipens. I have suspicions of other foods that he is sensitive to but not necessarily breaking out in hives. Those include beef, soy, tomatoes and strawberries. Primarily diagnosed through seeing hives and then skin and blood test confirmed it. I knew something was wrong from the beginning because he used to cry so much and had such bad colic and gas. He also used to spit up significantly almost every feeding. Once allergens we’re removed form both of our diets his eczema cleared, he was a happier baby, and the gas issues also seemed to resolve.

There were many food allergies and they progressed over time. It began with just peanuts (discovered at 2 years of age after eating peanut butter cup) and soybeans (discovered after consuming veggie burger).Later on, around 7 years of age, pistachios, cashews,(age 17) pomegranate, (age 10) cantaloupe (13), mangos,(13) mushrooms(18) and paprika (20).None of these food allergies were overcome, but the allergic reaction was controlled after either a combination of Benadryl and water, or in other extreme cases Epinephrine from an Epipen and Benadryl at the ER.When the item was cooked and became airborne, difficulty breathing and throat closing happened. Upon consumption of the allergy, throat closing, nausea, and vomiting happened. No websites were used, just trial and error upon consumption as well as healthcare professional mother who recognized the signs of severe allergies.

My daughter was colicky from birth, but the truth is colic is diagnosis literally determined by how much your baby cries.  So I could she was in obvious discomfort all the time, and not just crying out of tiredness or something easier to solve. I would go to the GP, even ended up in A and E, when I did not know what else to do about a baby who was crying non-stop. She was exclusively breastfed. I soon realized one day when I had consumed a lot of cow’s milk, a day when she was especially upset, that maybe this was linked. Throughout the remainder of her first year I cut out milk from my diet (as much as I could). This significantly helped, but didn’t solve it all. At the age of 3, she started throwing up after eating apples. I initially put it down to choking on the apple skins, but then it just became too instant; a bite of an apple, and then immediate vomiting. We spoke to the GP who sent us for an allergy blood test.  Her list of food allergies was 3 pages long, apples and Milk being amongst her most severe. She has not grown out of the allergies, but now we are much more aware of them. We are now aware coughing is her first obvious sign. If my daughter eats something and then starts coughing aggressively and for longer than a few seconds, we add that food to the list of no, no’s. She uses an epipen and antihistamines as and when needed. I don’t use any websites but there is amazing child allergy community on Instagram, which I frequently learn ideas from.

When I was ~1.5 years old, my mom gave me a slice of toast with a thin layer of peanut butter. My whole face turned red immediately and I was given antihistamines. It took hours for the redness to dissipate! We visited my pediatrician and allergist to have me tested. I had huge topical reactions to each nut on the skin prick test. With every reaction to peanuts / tree nuts I have had since then, my allergy became more sensitive and severe to the point where I can’t even be in the same room as nuts without reacting. I cannot eat anything made in a facility or on the same equipment as nuts because I risk anaphylaxis.  I have never been able to overcome my allergy and was instructed by multiple allergists to not pursue oral immunotherapy (OIT) since it was too risky. But, I like to look on the bright side of living with a severe food allergy! I’ve gained great life skills such as awareness of my surroundings, attention to detail, and compassion. And… as someone with a sweet tooth… it’s a good reason to not eat every piece of candy / baked good in sight! Growing up, I was the only child in my class with a severe food allergy. The awareness for severe food allergies was not very widespread and protocols were not really developed. My mom referred to my doctors’ advice and saw forums online regarding other parent’s advice on having a child with nut allergies.  I have suffered a myriad of reactions from itchy throat / redness all the way to an almost deadly anaphylaxis event. As scary as each reaction is, you learn more about your allergy and develop a routine regarding medication. Recently, I redid a skin prick and blood test to specify which nuts I am allergic to now. It has helped me to quantify and understand my allergy more—though I will still be staying FAR away from nuts.

Diagnosed with Milk protein allergy as an infant at age 4 months. Diagnosed with tree nut allergies after anaphylaxis at age 2. My son can tolerate small amounts of dairy but doesn’t eat it often. He’s outgrown some nut allergies but not all. Used Epi-pen for emergencies only. Diagnosed before there was information available.

Our son was 13 months when he was diagnosed with his first allergy. I fed him mashed peas and he started coughing, then choking a bit and developing hives. His coughing was persistent and he started vomiting as well. It was really scary and I remember feeling helpless. I called 911 and was alone at the time. Before that incident, our son had vomited regularly after eating some foods and we attributed it to reflux. He also had terrible eczema and we just thought he had overly sensitive skin. After an upper GI and swallow study, a few different medications and other specialists evaluating his immunology responses, we finally looked at food allergies as a test. It felt like the most non-linear maze until we got to the pea reaction…and then we followed up with blood work and a skin scratch test. The tests confirmed that our son was anaphylactic to peanuts, most tree nuts, eggs, most legumes (including peas), mustard, sesame and soy protein. He is currently 10.5 years old as of 2022 and has not outgrown any of his food allergens yet. Once diagnosed, we found FARE, Kids with Food Allergies and FAACT to be the most informative and helpful for creating allergy plans, what to include in an allergy bag and how to understand the basics (reading labels, understanding and preventing cross-contact, and understanding emergency signs and symptoms of a reaction). For every day living, I found several blogs with tips and tricks, recipes and people steps ahead on the journey who could detail tools for navigating this forward-facing health condition! Each meal requires careful planning and we had to reorient our thinking to anchor our plans in safety while also having fun. I was also finding that the Facebook groups brought together families out of trauma (after reactions) and fears (of future reactions) and as a caregiver I didn’t want to raise my kids with extra anxiety. I ended up creating Feedyourcan.com (when some foods you just can’t) as an empowering way to use the struggle as the teacher to help our kids build lasting life skills that will serve them well in food AND non-food challenging situations.

When I was a baby, I had terrible rashes all over my skin and would itch constantly. I would not keep food down, so when I was around 6 months old I had gotten allergy tested. My blood test showed up with dairy, wheat/gluten, chicken, turkey, egg, shellfish, peanut, tree nut, oat, barley, pea. I have single grown out of a few allergens, but I still have a majority of them. A lot of the information that my mom and dad used was from FARE and some different books.

I have always had stomach issues from birth. I was a colicky baby and later was diagnosed with IBS. There were times off and on while I was growing up that we noticed if I ate a lot of dairy it would upset my stomach so we tried to limit it. In 2017 I had my gallbladder removed as I got sick every time that I ate. After surgery I couldn’t eat ice cream or drink regular milk anymore at all without getting sick. Fast forward to about a year ago when it seemed I would get sicker more often when eating dairy. My doctor recommended that I try an elimination diet and stop eating all dairy. It’s been quite the challenge when eating out and learning to watch labels for hidden dairy. I google all foods to check for dairy. I watch the menus at restaurants and have to ask a lot of questions to make accommodations. I try to keep it simple right now with just protein, fruit and vegetables. I have found a-lot of dairy free items such as cheese, sour cream, almond milk, oat milk, etc. that makes it easier. I’m still learning and it can be really frustrating to want to eat things I used to love and not be able to until we can find a non dairy solution.

I was born with extreme eczema especially in the face. After getting breast milk I always reacted. My parents took me immediately to our doc and special allergist. They figured out during my first weeks and months that I have many allergies. I did overcome a lot while growing up. Now I’m still allergic to peanut, egg, soy, peas, lentils, beans and kiwi. I’m also lactose and histamine intolerant but I manage to have it on a normal basis in discussion with my natural practitioner. My parents mostly reached out to the best docs and allergists in Germany. Since two years I go to a natural practitioner who works on a scientific basis and starts with the roots (gut health and immune system). I really do recommend looking for one working scientifically and visiting on a regular basis.

I had my first reaction at five years old. It was Christmas and I was sat cracking Brazil nuts with a metal nut cracker. I wasn’t eating any of them, just enjoying the mess I was making! At some point I rubbed my hand across my mouth and immediately felt my lips start to tingle. I took myself off to look in the mirror and called to my mum, “my lips are bumping up”. One call to the doctor and some antihistamines later, I was shaken, but back to normal. As I got older I started to suffer with food anxiety and avoided any foods that I hadn’t prepared myself. Having a life-threatening nut allergy from a young age made me fearful of any social or unfamiliar situation – I carried two epipens and a pack of antihistamine everywhere I went, avoided any situation where food would be served, and only ate things I had prepared myself. I started following people with similar allergies to mine, and used them as sources of ‘safe’ food finds. Recently I have had skin prick and blood tests to further diagnose which nuts I am allergic to. This has helped me to feel more confident in trying new things and I have recently started eating in restaurants which has been a huge (and scary) step!

Olivia was a really settled baby for the first 2 weeks of her life and then all of a sudden spent weeks screaming, wouldn’t be put down, had dry rash skin, reflux and lose mucus stools that often contained blood… I thought she was just a ‘fussy’ baby as id read it was unlikely for a breastfed baby to have a milk allergy… I’d got so used to it but I soon realized there was more to it, I took her straight to the doctors and she was put on nutramigen which did not help at all (being breastfed babies are usually put straight on an amino acid based milk as they are highly sensitive due to reacting through breast milk where it’s quite broken down) so we ended up on neocate LCP and she soon became a different baby in every way! Smiling, settled and happy! Her reflux also settled! We are now weaning and so far it’s going well… we had a reaction which we believe was due to fish but I’m yet to introduce it again to check for a second reaction and we have cut out soya now just as a precaution as she’s had bad nappies but we believe they are down to teething! We hope to start the milk ladder in the future. I did a lot of research on the internet… I found out a lot of information on the NHS website but mainly through Facebook support groups about CMPA! They have been a life saver seeing other real peoples experiences as well as being able to ask similar parents/caters questions!

I never had a food allergy until I turned 24 and it happened out of the blue. One day I’m fine, the next I’m going into anaphylaxis over things that I ate literally everyday. It took 3 years to finally get a diagnosis of Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia (MCAS) and another year to get a diagnosis of Churg Strauss Vasculitis, and over 10+ specialists. I still struggle daily because my allergies aren’t consistent and it’s hard to “stay strong”.

I was diagnosed with a dairy allergy when I was 6 months old. When I was a baby, I had skin rashes, vomited after I ate, lost weight, and cried a lot. My parents took me to my pediatrician and that is when I was diagnosed. I had my first anaphylactic reaction at 1 year old after eating a small piece of cheese. That is when I saw an allergist and started carrying an Epipen. I am now 15 years old and I did not outgrow my allergy. Unfortunately, it is still just as severe as it was when I was a baby. I have learned how to manage my allergy in all aspects of my life. I was diagnosed by my doctor so I did not use any websites to diagnose. My family and I frequently use information from FARE’s website. I also use the Spokin app.

We first realized Ollie had an allergy when he reacted to a new formula. Large white welts spread across his face wherever it had touched his skin. After a hospital trip, blood tests and skin prick tests, we found out he had Cows Milk Protein Allergy along with peanut and egg allergy. We avoid all of these foods and he’s thriving and happy. I found the Instagram allergy community so helpful and supportive. We follow lots of fellow parents/children who also suffer allergies. They’re always full of great tips and meal inspiration.

From when I was a baby I was able to eat all foods and was able to have everything. I had no issues with food until my late teens when it all started. In 2017/18 I noticed that I would become unwell soon after eating meals/snacks and first thought that it could have been a bug but then noticed it was happening more regularly and only after I had certain foods which had dairy in them. This then lead me to think that I could be dairy intolerant, so I spoke to the doctor and after a discussion with them I was referred to the dietitian. Before my appointment I had to keep a food diary to track what I was eating and what reaction I was having after it, when I went to my appointment we discussed my symptoms and after our discussion it was decided that I was to avoid dairy completely from my diet. Then a couple years later I began to start becoming unwell again after meals/snacks and thought like I did with the dairy, is it a bug? But no it turned out that I was becoming unwell with egg, then a few months later I was becoming unwell again and because I had already taken dairy and egg out of my diet, the only other allergen I had eaten was gluten/wheat! So I then spoke to the doctor and got another referral to the dietitians; I had to do another food diary, when I spoke to them I discussed about how I was becoming unwell after having egg and gluten/wheat and that it just seems to be one thing after another I am now not able to have. So they said that I should remove them completely from my diet and to start taking multivitamins daily to help make sure I am still getting the nutrients. I’ve also had allergic reactions to vegan cheese as well where my neck and lips become really itchy and my throat and tongue become tingly, so I avoid this too! I’m still currently avoiding all dairy, egg and gluten/wheat and all vegan cheeses. But sometime not in the near future I might reintroduced these one by one in small amounts. I used the NHS website a lot when figuring out symptoms, and google in general. I also got good leaflets from my couple of appointments from the dietitians as well.

When I was 6 years old, I would have rashes every time I ate chicken and egg. I overcome it for many years but it came back when I was adolescent. I come across this website https://imupro.com/your-imupro/my-test/ that helped me found out what food I am allergic to.

My sister had a dairy allergy, so I was invited to the LEAP food allergy study – this is where I was diagnosed with a dairy, egg, peanut, and sesame allergy. When I was younger, allergies were very much in the dark ages and eating out or buying allergy safe alternatives were simply not options! Because of this my mum (@lucysfriendlyfoods) decided to start baking and creating allergy friendly recipes. This really transformed my life and made me feel as though I was ‘normal’ and the same as all of my friends, who also enjoyed these baked goodies, and even said they were better then dairy and egg containing bakes! Medications Taken: salbutamol (inhaler) for asthma and i carry antihistamine and epipens around as a precaution

As a baby Ella was very unhappy. Always crying, covered in eczema and her face would swell. She then went on to have an anaphylactic reaction to dairy at the age of 1. This was a very frightening experience. She now carries Epipens for dairy and peanut allergies and although it’s sometimes tough checking everything she eats, she is a very happy little girl. Medication taken : She carries Epipens. Also, she has asthma so she uses inhalers daily.

Florence started reacted to egg when weaned onto solids at 6 months, it all spiraled out of control from there and she is allergic to peanuts and most tree nuts. Joseph when he was born he wouldn’t feed or grow. He was diagnosed at 3 weeks with CMPA and at a year we discovered he was allergic to soy. He has failed milk and soy ladders several time. Medicine: Citirizine Resources Recommended: Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis campaign

Hi, I’m Hannah and I have severe, potentially life-threatening allergies (“anaphylaxis”) to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and legumes/pulses. When I was a baby I reacted to peanut butter, and then when I was 5 years old (16 years ago!) I experienced an allergic reaction to a sesame seed roll while on a holiday in Portugal. After this reaction to sesame, I’ve had several tests done and now carry epipens with me wherever I go for use in the event of a reaction. I’ve been very cautious in the way that I live after these experiences, and have been very lucky not to have had any further reactions.

I found out Florence had allergies at 7 months old. She reacted to a bit of scrambled egg. Since then, she has gained 5 more allergies. These include peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachio, cherries, sesame and dust mites. She has overcome almond, coconut egg and tomato. I went to a general practitioner who referred us to an allergy doctor.

I first figured out I had food allergies when I was 5. We were at a normal family dinner and we had beans. I had never reacted to them before but on that occasion I had a rash all over my skin, I had trouble breathing and I vomited all over the place. I was diagnosed with allergies and for the next day 3 years I kept developing/discovering new allergies (including dust mites, which I overcame after getting vaccinated for 4 years). Nowadays I still have the same Food allergies: dry nuts, pepper, cheese, soy and beans (of any kind). Fun fact they are all deadly for me. At the beginning I only had slight reactions, but now I have to be extremely careful because any of them can cause me an anaphylactic shock. ~The story of my life~And also I did research on my own for a project at school to explain what allergies are, and I grew fond of FARE’s website, highly recommend it ^^

I figured out that I had food allergies when I was younger while eating Chinese food.

When he was 1 year old he ate dessert with nuts I didn’t know what anaphylaxis is so I was shocked. I knew something was wrong because of what he ate. I searched the internet and found about food allergies & epipens. When he was about 2 years old he was diagnosed with tree-nuts allergy by the only allergist in Bahrain.When he was 4 years old I registered him in a learning center that accepts special cases. They promised they can take care of him, but he had a severe anaphylaxis & they didn’t even call me or his allergist and didn’t epi him!He is now in an international preschool that is really expensive, but it is the only safe place for him to learn and have friends. They know how serious food allergies can be. We used FARE (foodallergy.org) and red sneakers for Okley.My native language is Arabic, but there are only little information about food allergies in Arabic. That is why I created my instagram account to share the information in Arabic & spread awareness.

Blood tests from the hospital my babies skin was inflamed from 4 weeks old started with spots all over her face and head from 3 weeks It was so severe she has so many tests was in hospital a lot she looked as though she had been in a fire she was riddled with histamine to the point she couldn’t sleep drink properly or do anything but wriggle. Her allergies are dog (severe) wheat, soya, milk, egg, peanuts, hazelnuts and mould. We took Clarithromycin plus ceterezine and neocate formula.

He had vomit to shock reactions with his first 4 foods introduced at 7-8 months old. It took a lot of internet searching and 4 pediatricians to finally receive a diagnosis. We have not overcome them. He isn’t on any medications. In my internet search I came across the FPIES foundation website and that is what led me to seek out an FPIES experienced practitioner to request an evaluation.

Peanut allergy diagnosed at 3 years old and Celiac Disease at 12. Symptoms and blood test. No medications. Beyondceliac.com is the only website I can think of around the time of diagnosis.

He had a reaction at 7months old which led to testing. He tested positive for wheat, milk, egg. Since then he is now tolerating baked milk for 3 years now. At 4 years old he had a reaction to cashews. He is now tolerating cashews but the subsequent testing revealed an almond allergy. He takes Flovent for maintenance of his asthma. I mostly use websites for recipes as I try to keep up with his allergist on what testing and interventions are available and appropriate for my son.

I was rushed to the hospital when I was an infant as I stopped breathing after consuming one of my allergens (dairy).

Eczema during breastfeeding; immediate reaction to first taste of food at 6 months.

When I was a baby, I was constantly sick anytime I would eat anything with dairy, but it was my first bite of mac and cheese that sent me into anaphylactic shock. After this, the doctors ran tests to diagnose my other, equally as severe, allergies to peanuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish. While I have not grown out of my allergies as we had hoped that I would, I would say we have overcome them mentally by changing our attitude towards my allergies. When I say “our” I mean to include my family, as I know I could not have had the full life that I have despite my food allergies without them. The road hasn’t been easy, but I have learned to see the blessing in the struggle. For one, not a day or a meal goes by that I am not grateful for the safe foods that I can eat. Secondly, my allergies have inspired me to reach out to the greater food allergy community, and have fueled my passion for helping others with severe food allergies which has inspired me to consider adding a Nutrition track as my second major, so I will be able to work as a registered dietitian specializing in helping children with severe food allergies. My greatest hope is to encourage anyone with food allergies to not let it hold them back mentally or make them feel any less than anyone else! Our differences shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance, but as a unique gift that we get to use for good if we decide to. My allergies primarily involve avoidance of the foods, so no medication on a regular basis, however, I never leave the house without Benadryl, my inhaler, and my EpiPen. I have kept up with my allergist for skin testing and blood tests to keep tabs on the status of my allergies, so I have never had to search for information on my own based on my symptoms. I will say, though, that we are constantly researching new allergy finds and studies, and actually considered OIT, Oral Immunotherapy, as a possibility after a great deal of research a few years back! In general, FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) is a wonderful resource for food allergy news, but there are many more up and coming resource and informational platforms that I have recently discovered such as EpiCenter and the EpiCenter app by AssureTech.

She had an upset stomach and bloody stool as an infant. Then she had severe eczema on her face, which we thought was a drool rash. Then she broke out in hives when given a tiny spec of peanut butter when we started on solids. We decided to get her tested and the result came back with many different food allergies. Have not overcome any allergies; we just avoid them all. When she’s a bit older, we’ll do oral tests for more conclusive results and to see if she grew out some. We carry a set of epinephrine injections at all times. We didn’t look into any websites while getting her diagnosed. We just went to the pediatrician then to an allergist.

When my son was 7 months old he had an allergic reaction at a restaurant to mash potatoes. He began what looked like choking, his skin got red, and he began to get hives on his face. We have fewer allergies now, but still have ways to go! My son currently takes Zyrtec daily for his environmental allergies. I am a part of food allergy groups, but I mainly rely on our allergist and food allergy symposiums.

Lactation consultant suggested CMPA, after cutting dairy the list of other allergens grew to soya, egg and peanut confirmed on skin prick test and food challenge. We are still awaiting our youngest to outgrow his allergies. My eldest had an allergic reaction to me eating cashew nuts and after A LOT of fighting with the GP we finally got allergy testing. This confirmed a tree nut allergy which we carry EpiPens for her now. She too is yet to outgrow her allergies but we are hopeful. Both kids have piriton for first line reactions. We also carry EpiPens for my eldest in case of anaphylaxis. I contacted Allergy UK directly for information and helped get a diagnosis for my eldest and her butt allergy. With my youngest cmpa through breast milk I had a close friend and I also read through all the information on the Dylan and me blog. Super helpful!

I was at a park when my mom gave me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to taste. Right after, I threw up everywhere. Then we went to an allergist and I figured out I was diagnosed with an egg and peanut allergy. I never outgrew my allergies and developed more as I got older. In college, I found out I had celiac as well as multiple food allergies. Doctors have told me that I should always carry an Auvi-Q on me even though my symptoms aren’t usually anaphylactic. When I accidentally eat something I’m allergic to, I always take Benadryl and it always helps relieve my symptoms.

I was born with rashes, leaving my mom to suspect I suffered from food allergies since my first day. However, I was not properly diagnosed until I was 4 years old. My mom was taking me in and out of doctors who couldn’t figure out why the rashes were starting. Most just gave her creams to help them go away but that never helps. It took until one doctor finally suggested an allergist and we learned I was allergic to dairy, shellfish, and red meat. I never grew out of my allergies. They expanded instead. Today, I am allergic to dairy, soy, corn, gluten, shellfish, nightshades, and coconut. We kept up with the trends of FARE. Recently, we discovered Spokin to help us find new food allergy brands.

After having multiple non-anaphylactic reactions to peanuts before the age of 2, my physician told my mom to avoid giving me peanuts and assured us that I would likely grow out of my allergy. However, a few days after this, an accidental ingestion of a peanut butter granola bar put me in anaphylaxis and sent me to the hospital. After this experience, I had my first appointment with an allergist who gave me a prescription for epinephrine, and was formally diagnosed with an anaphylactic peanut allergy. I am currently 20 years old, and my last anaphylactic reaction was right before my 18th birthday.  I’m not currently taking any medication but carry epinephrine and Benadryl with me at all times.

I was very sick as a baby and after many tests for cancers and other illnesses they discovered it was allergies. I’ve only ever outgrown my egg allergy. I used antihistamines and an everyday inhaler.

I suspected he had allergies. When he stopped eating dairy/egg/nut products I noticed a considerable difference in his eczema. He was not offered an allergy test, I was advised to give him allergens through my weaning journey – one spoonful of dairy and we were in hospital – another taste of cooked egg and we were in hospital. His doctors diagnosed his allergies based on his reaction to the food introduced during weaning. He used an adrenaline pen, Jext, piriton, and an asthma pump inhaler.

When I was first born, I was given formula in the hospital that I reacted to because it had dairy in it. At the time, food allergies were poorly understood and rarely diagnosed. My mom had to go to multiple doctors to get my allergies tested and a doctor said I was diagnosed with a milk allergy. She also had to go on an elimination diet to see what it was in her breast milk that was making me react severely. I have never outgrown or overcome my dairy allergy, it is still anaphylactic and actually has gotten worse with age.  I use EpiPens, Albuterol Inhaler, daily Zyrtec, Benadryl as needed, and daily Flonase. I have asthma, food allergies, and other allergies to dust and animals so these help me keep that in check.

When I was two years old, I ate some chocolate at a restaurant, and when I got home I was throwing up so my mom instantly knew something was wrong. Her instinct was right and I was soon diagnosed with a tree nut allergy. When I was four, I was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as well. When I was around seven, I was able to successfully do the peanut challenge and I’m no longer allergic to peanuts, but as for tree nuts, I still am allergic to all of them. FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) has always been a super helpful source in learning more about food allergies!

J was sick from 3 months old with tummy, skin, and breathing problems. We took him to many doctors and finally the 6th doctor diagnosed him with multiple food allergies at 17 months old. He has only outgrown a few of these allergies.  He only takes Zyrtec and an albuterol inhaler as needed. Also, we carry EpiPens on us.

I knew from birth since he was born with a weird rash all over his face and body. I knew that allergies would play a part in these skin issues since I myself have skin issues related to foods and so does my other daughter. Months go by and we start experiencing worsening eczema and vomiting… although my breast milk was 100% dairy free, he was still having severe reactions after drinking breast milk so I decided to find a formula option that might help him. I switched to a soy formula so I could allow dairy to completely leave his body which cleared up the vomiting issues we were having but the eczema still persisted especially around his eyes, arms and legs. At 4 months we were able to get a scratch test done which proved a dairy allergy and a severe egg allergy as well. I was cooking and consuming eggs daily in our home and he was exposed to them via breast milk and through skin contact. That day we became a complete egg free home and much of his eczema started healing. From then on we have been on the allergy journey slowly introducing foods one at a time mostly with negative results but luckily we have a handful of good safe foods. We fight allergies and eczema daily in our home and continue on our journey figuring out what this little one can and cannot be around. Currently he is allergic to eggs, dairy, peas, dogs, clover, bananas, and other fruits and veggies that we suspect could be a form of oral allergy syndrome. We hope our journey can help spread knowledge and awareness about how people living with allergies face life everyday from birth and beyond.We use topical steroids, Benadryl when needed, and an EpiPen prescription.

William went into anaphylactic shock from a smoothie at the age of 3. Before this, we had no clue he had allergies. Although he had eczema, no medical professionals raised this with us. Since then he has developed further allergies and we are still learning how to manage life with severe food allergies. It is an adventure we are going on, together as a family. William has EpiPens. We found social media as the best tool. You connect with other parents and are able to chat and get their perspective. Anaphylaxis Campaign and Allergy UK are wonderful, informative sites too.

Fiyya has terrible colic as a newborn, then she broke out in red, blistered eczema and would make herself bleed. She was constantly in pain and always was unsettled. Fiyya still has multiple food allergies. The only allergy so far that she’s overcome is wheat. Fiyya has piriton and antihistamines for any reactions. We also use prescribed creams for her eczema. I didn’t use any websites mainly but I did do a google search at the time when I thought it was allergy related. Obviously google isn’t the best of sources but always listen to your motherly instinct.  

He had what looked like bad hives, facial swelling and what looked like bad eczema that became raw and wouldn’t go down. He uses an antihistamine if he has an allergic reaction, emulsifying ointment, and a steroid cream for eczema flare ups.  

I was diagnosed with food allergies at 13. I ate a hazelnut and started to have a reaction. My lips swelled, my face was itchy, awful stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. I went to my doctor who performed skin prick testing and blood tests and confirmed the allergy and issued an EpiPen. Unfortunately, over the last 3 years I have developed more allergies including walnuts, apples, black pepper, strawberries, and I am dairy intolerant. I regularly perform food challenges to see if I have outgrown them. I already take lots of different inhalers for severe asthma. I have an EpiPen incase of anaphylaxis but have never had an issue. If I have a mild reaction I have antihistamines to take but other then that I don’t take anything else.

When I was in 7th grade, I tried kiwi for the first time. I remember my mouth feeling very itchy afterwards and a couple hours later my eye began to puff/swell up. I got sent home from school with two (Benadryl’s?) I believe. After that, I was super tired and fell asleep. My eye was better the next day.

My little girl has been allergic since birth. She had a hard time gaining weight and would react to anything I ate when I would nurse her. She had eczema all over and stomach issues. Finally around 4 months we got referred to allergy. We found she had a dairy allergy so I eliminated dairy from my diet and finally found her a formula she could tolerate. As we introduced new foods we would notice she would react to them. Before she was a year old we had her tested and confirmed allergies to eggs, soy, peaches, carrots, celery, peas, avocado, bananas, watermelon, and peanut. As time went on the list grew to include coconut, sunflower, figs, nuts, and beef. Most of these items were because of reactions she would have when eating them and then skin and/or blood testing to confirm she was allergic. Over time she has been able tolerate carrots, celery, watermelon, banana, and soy! We are hoping to get even more items off the list!    We carry an EpiPen everywhere we go, as well as Benadryl, a syringe, and hydrocortisone ointment. We also use Zyrtec and steroid creams as needed. She used to get hives and itchy hands all the time but that has gotten better as she’s gotten older. Someone gave us a subscription to Allergic Living magazine and that was very helpful! We also used a lot of info from FARE and Kids with Food Allergies. Recently, we joined instagram and there is a whole community of allergy families with lots of info and tips to share!

My dad was eating peanut butter with bread for breakfast when I was three years old, he was touching the food I was eating and I started to break out in intensive hives all over my body. That’s when my parents took me to the hospital. Eventually we did overcome my allergy, a few relatives had kids with the same allergy so everyone was very accommodating to produce allergy safe foods.  The only medicine taken was Benadryl when the reaction was not life threatening (hives on skin) but an EpiPen was administered for me when it was clear the reaction was anaphylactic and life threatening.

I was diagnosed with a severe milk allergy at 6 weeks old and have no memory of it. Some medications I used were Epi-pen, ventoline, and flutiform.