? about oils and allergies...what is happening here?

[sbgrace]

My son reacted to something in dinner last night. He developed an itchy rash around his mouth and nasal stuff while eating. I was stumped because everything was relatively typical food for him.

My husband remembered today that he had added some coconut flour to the recipe. We've used it in the past but not too recently. My son had an ana reaction to walnut several weeks ago and I'm reading (via google) that there is some coconut/walnut cross reactivity possibly.

However, we routinely cook with coconut oil without any issue at all.

Can he react to flour and not the oil? If so what does that mean?

I feel a little panicky about coconut allergy because the oil is important as he has a metabolic condition that means he can only metabolize medium chains. And coconut oil is the basis for all medium chain oils.

We also used a different flavor (same brand, they were out of our typical flavor) of sausage. We've used it in the past but not recently. All the ingredients are safe things for him but it does list spices. No allergy alerts and he's never had an issue with any spices. We use a lot of spices in cooking here at home. But I'd rather be dealing with mystery spice than coconut.

Help?

[kjbrown92]

Can you call the company and find out what the spices are, and see if it's anything different than he's had before? or lately?

[Chinese Pistache]

Coconut oil has far less protein in it than coconut. Similar to soybeans, the oil (and lecithin) is usually safe for the soy allergic, but not soy protein. That sounds like a tough situation. Are you having allergy testing done? Do you have an epipen? I think refined coconut oil will be safer than cold pressed, fyi.

[sbgrace]

It is going to be tough if he's coconut allergic. But I'm assuming I would have seen oil reactions already. He has it daily. The straight MCT oil used for his metabolic condition is by necessity refined as they take out all the components of the coconut oil that are fat chains other than medium. But we can't bake or cook with it as it's temp. sensitive. I use regular coconut oil for that. It's cold pressed oil too...

I do have an epi pen now. I'm going to talk to the allergist. It never occured to me to test coconut. I'm going to keep using the coconut oil as long as I don't see any reactions but no other coconut stuff until we can get a test.

I'll call the company on Monday too about the spices. Do you think they'll tell me what is in it? I'm imagining company secret or something.

[WuWei]

I had the same thought, coconut oil has little protein, as a fat. Although, ds reacted to cream, which is 100% fat theoretically. Coconut flour would have a lot of protein.

I'm also wondering about an oral allergy issue with the mouth rash, due to some spice. I get a tingly mouth from celery, but not celery seed (yet?). So, I'm curious about the spices.

Common spices with OAS: PARSLEY family (carrot, celery, dill, anise, cumin, coriander, caraway)

http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/Article...od_Allergy.htm


Pat

[sbgrace]

That's a good thought Pat! I hope so!
He has OAS to some fruits in the summer when his outdoor allergies kick into high gear. I hadn't thought of it in relation to spice but that just might be it. And the spices you listed (except cumin) are not ones that we commonly cook with. I do know he's not reactive to plain carrots or celery though. Does that mean he wouldn't have OAS to a spice in that family?

[Therese's Mommy]

I haven't read the other replies but it could very well be the coconut My dd was using a lotion for at least 2 years and it worked beautifully for her. Kept her skin nice and moisturized with absolutely no reactions at all. I trialled coconut with her, she failed and then after that she started getting hives from the lotion. There are things in the lotion that are derived from coconut. So, it seems that the oral ingestion heightened her sensitivity to it Perhaps the walnuts did that with your son I hope it isn't true in your case.

Beth

[mamafish9]

Well, this seems to back up the idea that it *could* be primary sensitization to walnut protein causing a secondary reaction to coconut. However, if that's the case, it would be to the coconut protein. I can't imagine his MCT oil had any protein left in it, so that would be safe. The cooking oil might have protein, so if he tests allergic to coconut protein, you'd have to consider how to handle that.

I'm really sorry, Rachelle - how scary to have a safe and vital food at risk .

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

Does that mean he wouldn't have OAS to a spice in that family?

My understanding is that sometimes there is cross-reactivity to other foods in the same "family", but not necessarily. I wonder if it is exposure (cumulative) dependent, or related to other concurrent histamine challenges, such as seasonal allergies making the "bucket" overflow. But, I don't have reactions to other foods or spices in the same family, just raw celery. Also, cooked food seems to denature the OAS issue for most people. Which leads me back to coconut protein as a possibility.


Pat

[FireWithin]

If there really is a reaction to coconut oil, you can consider Palm oil. We can't do coconut, but I want the medium chain oils, so we do palm. The two are related, but it doesn't seem to bother my son.

Good luck. Fingers crossed that it isn't the oil.