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Amazing food allergies

May 14, 2008

I found out about my food allergies by accident about 12 years ago. I had suffered from chronic, disabling depression for 10 years when one Christmas I ran out of my daily multi-vitamin. Like the sun shining thru a fog, my depression lifted. The idea seemed absurd, but could it be possible that something in my vitamin was causing depression? So I reintroduced the vitamin and within 6 hours I was curled up in a fetal position so depressed I could not speak. Hmm, there's your answer. I found out that yeast had been causing my depression all these years, and in the end I simply ordered a vitamin that was yeast-free and I have been DEPRESSION-FREE for the last 12 years. I also found that I was massively allergic to almost every common food. Painful, achy muscles and heartburn and a swollen-Somali-baby stomach were suddenly explained by a wheat allergy. So now I avoid wheat (not an easy thing to do!) Sugar and caffeine (like Pepsi or Coke) throw me into a hyperactive/ grandiose/ intensely creative mode that could easily be misdiagnosed as manic/depressive. An elimination diet revealed all of these things that allergy doctors had missed for 40 years. Weird, huh?

Comments (6)

calla said:
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If I could only get my son to see what a difference a gluten-free diet would make for him. But he's 8 and all he wants is what he likes: cheese nips, mac & cheese, spaghetti... A...

If I could only get my son to see what a difference a gluten-free diet would make for him. But he's 8 and all he wants is what he likes: cheese nips, mac & cheese, spaghetti... All his favorite foods are 'white foods' and never gluten-free.
I might find the strength to get him gluten-free this summer.
Are all Aspies so sensitive to diet?

view less May 17, 2008
Greg said:
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I know she eats a lot of chicken, veggies and occasionally fish. I've sent her an email asking more about her diet, and with any luck she'll post it on here (or I will).

I know she eats a lot of chicken, veggies and occasionally fish. I've sent her an email asking more about her diet, and with any luck she'll post it on here (or I will).

view less May 15, 2008
scoobysnax said:
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Thank you Leana. Yes, vitamins are very tricky because they're grandfathered in under older laws and are not required to reveal their ingredients. They only disclose what they ...

Thank you Leana. Yes, vitamins are very tricky because they're grandfathered in under older laws and are not required to reveal their ingredients. They only disclose what they want you to see. (Cigarettes and liquor are also grandfathered under similar lax ingredient labeling laws - they don't really have to tell you anything about what's in them). Since yeast is the cheapest and most concentrated form of B complex vitamins, it is widely used. The only way to know what's really in the vitamin (and where the vitamins themselves are sourced, in other words what food group... soy, citrus, etc.) is to call the company and ask. Or choose a supplement that plainly states on its label: Allergy free, contains no soy, wheat, yeast, corn, dairy, etc... Once again, they're not required to disclose this. They do it willingly because they're proud of it. Thank you for the compliment. I used to be an investigative reporter, so maybe I've just been investigating myself :)

view less May 14, 2008
leana said:
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Eric, Thanks for sharing that - it's so good that you found out what it was and I'm going to check my vitamins for ingredients. You seem to be very good at diagnosing yourself....

Eric, Thanks for sharing that - it's so good that you found out what it was and I'm going to check my vitamins for ingredients. You seem to be very good at diagnosing yourself.

view less May 14, 2008
scoobysnax said:
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Oh WOW! That's pretty amazing? What's still left on the edible list? Eric

Oh WOW! That's pretty amazing? What's still left on the edible list? Eric

view less May 14, 2008
Greg said:
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My mother has perhaps the most over the top allergies I've ever seen. She's allergic to gluten, all fruit, lactose-intolerant. Then, due to being border-line diabetic and having ...

My mother has perhaps the most over the top allergies I've ever seen. She's allergic to gluten, all fruit, lactose-intolerant. Then, due to being border-line diabetic and having wildly unhealthy cholesterol, she cut most meats out, rice/corn/grains/starches... at times when I think my diet is hard to work with and I'm frustrated at a lack of things I can eat (seems everything in Seattle has fish, coconut or almonds in it), I just think of my mother's allergies!

view less May 14, 2008