Allergy question for Doctor Dopers

[Exapno Mapcase]

It's not very often that I can get stumped on this topic, but this question stopped me cold.

Boiled down to its essence, someone who is extremely allergic to dairy protein and so watches his diet very carefully, experienced symptoms on more than one occasion after oral sex with girlfriend.

His question, therefore, was whether he could be coming into contact with any stray protein molecules this way.

My own reaction was no, you're just not going to get protein molecules seeping through the mucous membranes down there. If I had to guess, I'd say that it was more likely that she could still have some milk molecules in her mouth and he touched them while kissing. Assuming that he really didn't slip up somewhere in his food watching.

But, man, I've never seen anything in the medical literature that touched this, so to speak. Does anyone here think this is possible?

[Broomstick]

Since none of the doctors has chimed in, I'm going to contribute my $0.02 as an allergy sufferer while bumping the post.

Yes, it is possible.

Assuming that IS the problem, his girlfriend probably has stray milk proteins lingering in her mouth. She needs to be hyperconcious of oral hygience (better than average) prior to oral sex, or even kissing, with her boyfriend. Brush, floss, swish mouthwash... Better yet, abstain from dairy if she can bring herself to do that, since she is putting him at some risk.

[Exapno Mapcase]

When you say it is possible, do you have anything to back up how he could be coming in contact with any dairy proteins while giving oral sex to his girlfriend? Or do you think it's all in the way they kiss?

[Broomstick]

Now that's I've read your second post, I see it's HIM giving oral sex to HER. She's not secreting milk proteins through her [{TMI screen}] unless she uses a yogurt douche or something (which, although unlikely, may be possible... people do some weird things in this world).

That leaves two possibilities:

1) It's the kissing

2) He is allergic to her. There have been instances of women developing an allergy to sperm. In theory, a man could develop an allergy to, uh, "female secretions". I'm sure this is a bummer and a real inconvenience for the social life, unless the man is gay and not interested in sex with women.

But I think it's the kissing.

Let me put it this way... if my husband eats something that I'm allergic to (let's say something with tomato sauce, like spaghetti) and kisses me just afterward, my lips tingling, itch, maybe even swell, my eyes water, my nose itches, and I otherwise display signs of an allergic reaction. In other words, I know from experience that person A kissing person B who's been eating something person A is allergic to can cause a reaction. And why, if hubby does eat spaghetti for dinner there's no kissing in my house until he brushes and gargles. And while my allergies are nothing to fool with, I'm far from the worst case scenario.

[irishgirl]

One thing sprang rather directly to mind.

Live yoghurt is used as a remedy for thrush.

Or possibly, she uses some sort of product containing milk protein (lets say a "milk and honey" shower cream or something) which isn't completely washed off.

And, medically speaking, unless he's going into anaphylactic shock, he's not "extremely" allergic to anything.

[Exapno Mapcase]

From Gordon Lightfoot's "The Circle Is Small"

I can see it in your eyes and feel it in the way you kiss my lips...

It's alright for some but not alright for me

Guess that's the answer.