Concomitant Food Allergies?

My allergist gave me a list of foods I should avoid. Not because I’m allergic to them, mind you, but because they can aggravate the allergies I have towards other things. Can’t remember them all off the top of my head, except I’m supposed to avoid shellfish due to my dust mite allergy.

My question is: Is this legit? I trust my ENT, but I haven’t had as much time with my allergist. Looking online, I can’t tell if this “concomitant foods” business is woo or real. And to what extent? I’m a big seafood fan, so I hope you guys tell me it’s baloney, or at least not as big a deal as the allergist made out. :slight_smile:

I am willing to accept that the phenomenon is real, and a big deal, but I am interested in learning more. I’d like to go off of more info than a simplistic list of “if you have this allergy, avoid these foods”.

Medscape has an article that is admittedly a little beyond my level of understanding, but does seem to indicate that there is real science behind the advice that you were given.

Paywall. :confused:

Another problem I had googling is I’m not using the right terms apparently. “Concomitant” was definitely the word my allergist used, as well as the list she gave me. But when I Google “concomitant allergy” or “concomitant allergy food” I mostly get general allergy sites or “concomitant drug use” aka drug interaction material.

try allergies (plural). my search got several results talking about foods affecting allergies. If that doesn’t work, Google simply hates you.

Anecdotal, but when I stopped eating wheat my seasonal allergies, which used to be severe, all but went away.

I find decreasing my baseline inflammation is useful. In the season when my pollen allergies are worse, I have fewer signs if I don’t eat lactose.

Yes, it is.

I don’t have a full, in-depth understanding of the science behind it, just a half century of dealing with allergies. There are some things that can, as you put it, aggravate allergies. [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome]Oral allergy syndrome is one of the best known, and might account for Renee’s experience. There is a certain relationship between dust mites and things like shellfish that could also result in cross-reactions.

My problem with those lists of “if you have this, avoid that” is following them all faithfully would leave me with almost nothing to eat.

My admittedly limited experience is that I am more likely to develop a new allergy to something on one of those lists (I have what I call “creeping legume allergy” - as time goes by I’m reacting to more and more in that category although, thank Og, I still get along with soy), and I do sometimes have cross-reactivity. So, my take, is that if it is easy to eliminate what’s on the “watch list” I will do so. If it’s not easy I eat those things with caution, looking for any sign of reacting, and avoid them when I’m having a particularly bad flare up.

HOWEVER - I am NOT your doctor, I am NOT you, and allergies are very individual. If you can get ahold of a doctor trained in this area that is the best person to go to for advice.