Reacting to salycilates- anyone got experience of this? ?Am v fed up.

[hellymelly]

Had a reaction to antibiotics a few months ago while I had a bad kidney infection, at the time I came up in hives and had a tingling tongue and face. The reaction subsided but ever since I've been getting hives on and off, at the moment they are rather bad and I sometimes feel slightly tight chested too. I saw the consultant at the allergy clinic earlier this week and he seems pretty sure I'm reacting to salycilates. This is very stressful and depressing as my whole diet is high in them, and the foods not high in them are so limited, esp as I also can't eat gluten, or gluten free oats, and I don't eat meat. He wants me to take anti histamines at a really high dose and another drug, for about four months and to follow a low salycilate diet. I am very itchy and reactive today even though I'm on normal antihistamines at the moment. I'm feeling really upset about it, I thought I'd have some skin prick testing, it would show one or two foods (I suspected tomatoes) and that would be it. Salycilates are alos in things like shampoo, and my head itches like mad. Would be good to hear from anyone who has experience of this. Is this it for ever now or might it go away?

[nextphase]

Not me, but I have a friend who has discovered following a salicylate free diet for many years. It has halted 101 other issues from making her life harder than it already was. The salicylates were worsening pre existing conditions, so a bit different from you.

Eating out, and ready meals are difficult, but if prepared to cook from scratch, and think carefully initially about meals, eating at home wasn't an issue - but the whole family ended up being fairly salicylate free, as cross contamination was enough to trigger a reaction after a while.

The food intolerance network has some more info

[hellymelly]

Even cross contamination could trigger a reaction? That must be very difficult for your friend, as salycilates are in so many different things from what I have seen online. My doctor only mentioned food sources, but I do think I've been reacting to shampoo and conditioners. I know eating out will be a nightmare, and that is partly why I'm upset, I have small children, we eat out as a family fairly often and we eat and friend's houses, I think it will be really hard to follow the diet. Especially as there are many foods just not on the list I have.

[pimmsgalore]

I can highly recommend the website linked to above. We have been using the fedup book with my DD she is amine intolerant. There is also a website called cooking for Oscar, I can't link as I am on my phone. For $6 Australian you can download a PDF copy of the book which has substitutes for everyday ingredients and recipes which rate food high/low in chemicals etc.
it is hard to start with but once you get your head round it it is easy. Another bonus for me is that since having put the whole family on the diet DD2 is behaving better, my 2 DSs are not fighting and I have lost a stone

[pimmsgalore]

Just to add there is also a Facebook support group called uk food intolerance group and another called Sue Dengate Failsafe which have some very useful people on who can help with all the initial questions

[hellymelly]

I had a good look at the website, so thanks for the links. All a bit depressing though, I am hoping it is a temporary state, can't bear the thought of never having another curry, or raspberries and cream. .