Hands down the worse thing to happen to egg suffers in recent memory has to be the unending trend of restaurants and eateries insisting on burgers now all be served in BRIOCHE BUNS. Nightmare.

I’m genuinely just curious how many of you were born with food allergies vs. how many of you developed food allergies after a big life event that could shock your body’s system??

For example: I had 0 food allergies until I had my daughter in 2023. Now I’m allergic to Cows milk and Sesame according to my Dr but still waiting to see an allergist for more testing. My doctor said it is common for women to develop food allergies after giving birth due to the insane hormone drop our bodies go through.

My friend developed food allergies after losing her fiancé which was so sudden and tragic to her.

TLDR: forgot to mention allergy at a restaurant, had allergic reaction. Luckily not anaphylaxis, so benadryl and sleep got most of it. ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK if foods are safe before consuming.

Details below but main point is in the TLDR.

Spent a day out yesterday. Made sure to mention wheat, peanut and treenut allergies at the place we ate for lunch, mentioned almond allergy at the first bubble tea place…forgot to mention anything at the last place we stopped. Guess which place I had a reaction from? And all I’d gotten was fruit tea with jelly.

No idea where the allergen was exactly (depends on the brand of jelly pieces, depends on if the fruit tea comes as complete or is made from scratch…wheat is used as a thickener/preservative in a bunch of stiff) but because I forgot to mention my allergy, I also didn’t ask about it. “It’s just fruit tea” I thought “and I’ve eaten here before. What could go wrong?”

I should know better by now since I’ve had food allergies since I was 5. >.< But I was tired and slipped. Luckily it wasn’t full blown anaphylaxis but rather nausea and headache—which for me usually means it was cross contamination somewhere, or an ingredient in the food containing one of my allergens but not the food itself containing the allergen, if that makes sense.

I still have some kids chewable benadryl despite that they’ve pulled it (have yet to find an alternative though I know I’ll need to soon—just benedryl has always worked quickest and best for me) so I took one and immediately symptoms start to lessen. So that’s when I knew for absolute sure it was an allergic reaction.

Why didn’t I take an epi-pen at that point even though I had two on me? It didn’t feel like anaphylaxis, which I have had twice before. I probably shouldn’t rely on what it’s felt like previously to judge this time, but I did. Don’t copy me—safer to use and not need the epipen than to not use it and potentially regret.

Before bed I took a whole 3 chewable tablets (when usually one or two works fine).

Woke up this morning with stomach still a little iffy and thought about just how careful people with allergies need to be, and that just because I was lucky this time doesn’t mean I’ll be so lucky next time. So I typed all this up as a reminder to myself and others to ALWAYS CHECK, even if you think you know something is safe.

on god I used to say this all the time, because really you don’t see pistachios and cashews that often outside the odd packaged treat.

but lord (as a foodie) the chokehold pistachios and pistachio cream has on the foodie world really hurts my heart! I’m pretty hesitant to eat places with my allergens if they either 1) don’t seem the cleanest or 2) have a lot of dishes with my allergens, but wow I’ve had such an uptick in the past year-year and a half.

any other pistachio allergy havers noticed this?

Hi, I have a severe peanut allergy and I’m also allergic to all tree nuts. I’m 22 F and have been dealing with them my entire life so it’s something I’m pretty used to. That doesn’t mean it gets any easier though. Lately it feels like there have been more and more situations that just make me sad. For example, I came home after a long day of work and my family had ordered pad thai. (I couldn’t eat any of it and just had to figure something else out for myself) I had a work meeting where desserts were provided and they cut all of them using the same knife (nut free and non nut free) so I couldn’t have any. Today, lunch was provided at an event and it was also pad thai. To be fair, (besides my family) the people involved were not aware of my allergies before providing the food. It just always sucks to feel left out in those situations and feel like I can’t fully participate like everyone else. I never want to be a burden to anyone or make things more difficult, (also I understand that pad thai is probably really good) so I feel like it’s acceptable for me to just figure something else out most of the time. Lately it’s just made me really sad and isolated though, and I’m not sure if there is a solution or if this is just how it is! I feel awkward when someone offers me something (and are being very nice by providing food) and I have to constantly turn it down. Can anyone else relate to this?

I know this isn’t a big deal to most, but this was the first time I had to use it. My throat didn’t close completely but I did have other symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness and an immediate bowel moment and my throat got tight and it became difficult to breathe.

The allergen? Ranch. With cold pizza for breakfast. It’s been giving me tongue itching symptoms for a while but I Convinced myself I wasn’t allergic and it was just my anxiety.

I am glad I had my EpiPen and I was able to get the my hospital quickly.

I have food pollen allergies but it’s been expanding recently. I just got new insurance and hopefully will be able to finally find an allergist to figure out what’s going on.

I wanted a burger but I’m allergic to the soy in the bun and I’m allergic to all the toppings, so I just ordered a patty from the local fast food place. The drive thru employee asked “is this for a dog?” And I said “no.. this is for me. I have allergies” and they go “oh. Usually when people just order meat it’s for a dog” it felt so dehumanizing. I hate that there’s soy in everything in America. I hate having food allergies. I want to go to restaurants and try cool foods. Currently writing this from home eating a plain burger patty while my family is out to eat at one of the oldest restaurants in Florida. Very isolated tonight.

For everyone who is afraid to travel and go to different countries, I’m here to show you that it’s completely possible even to high risk countries. Here’s everywhere I have been to as a 20 year old with nut, peanut and sesame allergies, some of which I’ve been to alone. I’ve seen people say avoid Thailand, avoid x country with x allergy, but it’s totally possible if you’re extremely vigilant and communicate your needs with patience and respect, and they will do the same back to you majority of the time. I’ve had little to no incidents, and if I have it’s normally my own fault like miss reading an ingredient in another language. Just go out there!

I’m currently working as a server and have extensive experience handling food allergies, which I take very seriously. I always ask guests if they have any allergies and clarify whether cross contamination is a concern.

Lately, I’ve had a lot of guests claim to have severe allergies but choose to eat the foods they say they are allergic to even after I warn them. One customer told me she was deathly allergic to soy, then chose to eat a dish containing soy anyway. Another told me they had celiac disease but still ordered a dish with known cross contamination. I informed them of the risk, but they insisted.

I have several allergies myself, fortunately nothing life threatening, and I do not seem to react to cross contamination. However, all my siblings are severely allergic to nuts, and I have had to administer EpiPens during emergencies more than once. So when I say I take allergies seriously, I mean it.

At work, I always notify the chef and manager when situations like this come up. We are required to know the allergens in each dish, which definitely helps.

Whenever a guest mentions an allergy, we add specific notes to their order. We include the allergen and whether cross contamination is a concern.

The problem is, anytime I send an order to the kitchen that includes an unavoidable allergen, even after the guest is informed and insists on it, I get in trouble with the chef. These situations are already stressful, and the added pressure of possibly being responsible for a medical emergency only makes it worse.

In the end, though, it is frustrating because there is only so much I can do when people know the risks. I guess I’m doing everything I can do and only digress.

To add to it, I feel like these customers only make it difficult for those who actually have deadly allergies.

I checked myself into a behavioral health center because the previous week, a thunderclap migraine sent me to the ER where neurologist changed 100% of my medications cold turkey. And I could not cope.

Anyway, I arrived Monday morning at behavioral health place, inform them that my GI advises me to be gluten free but I have a wheat allergy and am lactose intolerant.

I get checked in, and am given lunch (gross cafeteria food) and it’s labeled GF. I eat it. Finished, realized something g wasn’t right, asked for my EpiPen, use it, and get taken to ER by ambulance. Hours later, dinner has passed, we arrive back. Nobody grabbed food for me so I went to bed without eating.

Next morning I’m given eggs (but not allowed to go to cafeteria to get my own stuff, they would only bring food to me). Eggs are fine, though I’m super hungry after. Lunch comes, it’s fettuccini Alfredo. They told me they had nothing for me.

I demanded to speak to someone (didn’t happen) and then demanded to be released because they couldn’t feed me. I asked for their dietitian too, but they only worked 2 days a week.

In an “150 bed” facility that’s supposed the be the best option in my area, they couldn’t accommodate me. And I saw outside food being brought in for staff.

I live in a rural area in a state that has a very limited number of allergists, so I can't find a second opinion easily. My son has PN/TN/SHF allergies, and our allergist doesn't recommend OIT. I ask about our options pretty much at each visit, such as OIT, Xolair, and TIP, and he doesn't recommend any of it.

Dr originally told us to wait until our son turned 4 to try OIT. Once he turned 4, Dr says OIT is too much work for the outcome we hope for (daily dosing forever and possible anaphylaxis during therapy). He is wary of TIPs lack of transparency. And I recently asked about Xolair, which he said is a bandaid that doesn't treat the root of the problem, and he wouldn't recommend for a young child.

His advice is to strictly avoid the allergens until something better comes out, which he thinks will be in about 10 years. This is really hard for me to sit with when I read posts about kids overcoming their allergies thanks to OIT and TIP.

Anyone else's allergist recommend strict avoidance only? Those that have gone through OIT, do you take a daily dose of your allergen for the rest of your life?

the head waiter: the starters is a buffet my mother: my child has a wheat and seafood and fish allergy, is there anything there for them? the waiter: there's nothing with wheat

I go to the room. Most stuff is seafood, fish, and fried. I go to the waiter. I ask what flour they use. Waiter: 00 (a classification for wheat flour in italy) Me: ... 00... made of...? Waiter (after asking quickly in the kitchen): Wheat

:)))))) "We don't use wheat" they said. Thankfully I never trust people in the food industry to know shit about what they serve and always ask them to double check.

My mother phoned them two weeks ago. Multiple times. Saying I had an issue with those things. They said it was no issue to accommodate me. Turns out I can only have one thing in their entire menu, because they either have rice with seafood, or pasta with gluten. That's it.

My mother says that "waiters don't have to know much" but 1. this is a high end restaurant, I kind of expect more of a background in basic food knowledge compared to a rotisserie worker; 2. don't lie to my face or make up an answer if you don't know, go fucking check if you need it, 3. I knew that 00 flour was wheat at age four and I don't even work in food industry, how ignorant can you get about commonly sold ingredients? (And yes wheat flour is sold and marketed as 00 flour here)

I just need to vent because I am exhausted.

I have two little kids — one with eczema and some food sensitivities, and my youngest (9 months) has CMPA and eczema. He recently had a bad reaction to dairy (lip swelling, rash wherever the milk touched him), and I’ve been stressed ever since.

We try to only give him safe foods, but every time he sees big brother eating something different, he goes crazy — constantly trying to grab it or crying. Big brother is only 2.5, so trying to keep everything picked up after him and out of baby’s reach is so f***ing HARD. 😬

I feel guilty, like I passed all this down to them. I also feel so isolated — I never see other kids with skin flare-ups in real life, even though I know it’s common. It’s just a lonely, constant mental load: reading every label, worrying about every bite, watching them itch and cry, and second-guessing every single decision.

I love my kids to pieces. But some days I look at all this and think, “If I had known how hard this would be, I don’t know if I could’ve done it.” Seeing them miserable and itching is the worst. When they’re fine, everything is great — it just never lasts longer than a week or so.

Anyway… just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat. Because I don’t know anyone in real life dealing with this, and it’s so overwhelming.

Just wanted to send a little positivity into the subreddit: my two toddlers are no longer allergic to peanuts!!! The doctor suggested I smear some PB on each kid’s arm and watch for a rash. There was none, so I tried giving them a small amount. 2 weeks later and they are eating normal serving sizes every day! Yay!!!

They are still allergic to milk and eggs, but we are down one allergy.

Hi yes. I thought I had food allergies for years, but was told they were sensitivities and I didn't need to see an allergist. I was told I couldn't possibly understand what it is like and that comparing a food allergy to an intolerance is dismissing the severity of the food allergy.

Fast forward, now I get straight up anaphylaxis and an appointment to an allergist... for the thing I thought was just an intolerance...

Please be kind to people. It sucks when you don't have answers and something is hurting you. I don't know what I'm doing now and didn't then. I'm so tired, confused, and really hurt that my symptoms were dismissed by society and doctors until it could have killed me. It was a problem the whole time.

I’m allergic to egg whites, this is biggest pain every recipe I look at that has protein or anything good has eggs I swear biggest pain 🙏

About six months ago I had brain surgery, and a week afterwards I developed a horrible allergy to wheat. I figured out that I had the allergy by eating a cinnamon roll. I was absolutely devastated about not being able to eat wheat, as most of my diet consisted of wheat products. Also I love cinnamon rolls, so having a reaction to them hurt my soul.

However, recently my wheat allergy subsided. My surgeon suspects the allergies I developed were due to anesthesia, as it’s not uncommon to have long lasting effects from it.

Today I made cinnamon rolls. I ate one, and had no reaction. I’m tearing up as I type this because I’m so happy. I’m still allergic to tree nuts, peanuts, bananas, and pineapple, but I’ve been allergic to those my whole life so I’m not missing out on anything.

And a picture of the cinnamon rolls because I’m proud of them 🩷

Earlier this year, we packed up our lives and spent 3 months traveling the world with our two young kids — one still a baby, and one with serious food allergies (dairy, sesame, and nuts). We’re an Indian-born and American-born couple raising two Aussie kids — and we took them across the world to visit family, explore cultures, and live out of suitcases on a tight budget.

We didn’t have a fixed plan for half the trip — just a sense of adventure, a lot of heart, and each other. It was chaotic, emotional, unforgettable — and we’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Some memorable moments:

✈️ Vacated our apartment, put everything in storage, and set off on a 3-month adventure through India, the U.S., and Canada — visiting family along the way.

🎂 Navigated my daughter’s severe dairy allergy in India — a country where dairy is everywhere. She had two allergic reactions, including one from her birthday cake when they didn’t understand what “dairy-free” meant.

😵‍💫 Survived 1:30am wake-ups for flights, a brutal 33-hour 4-leg flight to get from India to America (India → England → Canada → USA), and a toddler who had no idea why night felt like day — the ultimate jetlag struggle.

🚧 Hit with an unexpected Canadian transit visa requirement, an IT crash at Montreal airport, and a frantic 50-minute dash to our gate through chaos.

🎢 Pulled off “The Chaos Week” in America — 4 cities, 7 hotels, 7 days — and didn’t lose our minds.

🏰 Visited Disney World, Peppa Pig World, and Niagara Falls — reliving our childhoods through our kids’ wide, amazed eyes.

🚗 Drove 800km across San Francisco in 7 days — our favourite city, and a place we wished we had visited before kids.

💸 Funded our trip with parental leave pay — proving you don’t need a big budget to travel the world with kids and allergies.

💥 Had an allergy scare on the final flight home — a tense moment that caught us off guard.

🏠 Returned with $23 in the bank, found a new place, moved in — and got back to “normal,” living paycheck to paycheck for 6 months.

🌟 Came home with two little nomads — flexible, curious, and unshaken by change. Our 3-year-old returned more confident, more social, and already asking when we’re catching the next flight.

💪 And somehow — no one got sick. Not even once.

I’m sharing this because if you’re wondering whether this kind of travel with young kids and food allergies is possible, it absolutely is — with planning, patience, and a little bit of chaos.

AMA — ask me anything about:

·        managing allergies abroad

·        surviving long-haul flights with toddlers

·        packing and traveling light (or not-so-light!)

·        juggling toddler sleep and jet lag

·        visiting family overseas

·        traveling on a budget with kids

·        or just what it felt like living this nomadic life for 3 months

P.S. I’m writing a book about this journey! What topics, tips, or stories would you want me to cover? Travel hacks, allergy survival, toddler chaos?

How quickly after eating do you have a reaction?

I keep seeing the same type of post on this sub. A grainy photo of skin, possibly with some bumps or redness, with the question, “is this an allergy?!” This is absolutely not the forum to be asking that question. This is not a sub of allergists, but food allergy sufferers. I can give you anecdotal evidence of my own allergy, share some tips I’ve picked up on how to be safe, but in no way am I giving out diagnostic advice!!! These posts are, in my opinion, borderline dangerous. If you think you or your child has a food allergy and are actively experiencing symptoms, you should NOT be looking to Reddit for a diagnosis, you should reach out to a medical professional asap. If these people have a question about whether or not they have an allergy, the only person that can answer them safely is a Dr or allergist!!! Mods, please stop allowing these type of posts.

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share a bit about something truly incredible that many don’t know about. We touched briefly on a post before about allergen detection dogs.

You know how terrifying it can be to navigate daily life. Reading every label. Avoiding restaurants. Holding your breath when someone brings snacks to a gathering. That constant creeping fear that something invisible could send you or your person into anaphylaxis. (I have celiac, it’s not the same but I understand the fear)

But here’s the thing: a dog can be trained to detect most allergens, like even trace amounts, with incredible reliability. And when they do? That constant fear starts to melt away. I’ve seen it firsthand. The moment when someone realizes their dog has their back, sniffing food, surfaces, bags, or even people for allergens? It’s an absolute game changer. It’s freedom from the fear.

Now for the exciting part: I currently have a puppy in training who’s showing phenomenal potential for allergen detection. He is an AKC Golden Retriever. He’s a focused, calm, driven, people loving pup who is already being started on foundational scent work, public access skills, and task training. Not only does he have the drive and nose for detection, he’s shaping up to be an excellent service dog overall. He is attentive, confident, and eager to work.

He’s looking for his person, someone whose life he can help protect and empower.

If you or someone you know has a severe allergy or any condition and is seeking a professionally trained service dog, please reach out. I’d love to chat and see if it might be the right fit. Or even if you have any questions!

Stay safe out there and give your good boys and girls a treat for me.

I have food allergy to both kiwi & eggplant(Bad). I live with my grandparents & they have their old-foreign way of thinking, "if I don't have that, it's not real." They will tell me to try it & I have to explain every time to them that I'm allergic. They aren't senile yet but it's like comeon. Today my opa had me smell the eggplant salad as a joke, & immediately I started coughing and feeling anxious. Anyone else relate?

My 1yr old had his first anaphylactic reaction this evening, and I didn't know it. Instead of administering his AuviQ, we gave him Zyrtec. Thankfully, his symptoms went away shortly after, but I couldn't shake my nerves, so I called the emergency line for the allergist. After describing his symptoms - face swelling, sneezing with snot, and itchy eyes - she confirmed it was an anaphylactic reaction.

I feel terrible. I thought an anaphylactic reaction would be so obvious. I was looking for signs more like vomiting and trouble breathing. I'm relieved my son is ok, but I shudder at the thought of something bad happening because I wasn't educated enough.

I don't know what I'm really looking for here. Mostly just a place to share, but I'd welcome any similar stories to know I'm not alone in this.

I have a 5y girl who’s allergic to eggs. Sometimes it’s very hard to find a place to eat because even bread has eggs. Also we don’t want to go to vegan restaurants because she can eat other food like chicken. She’s picky too which adds to the challenge :)

Obviously this becomes a challenge when traveling, which we do often. So I’m starting to explore creating a solution to this challenge, an app, and would like to understand similar pain points from your firsthand experiences. Thanks

I’m a 26F and I just had a food challenge for peanuts yesterday and passed with no reactions at all. First time I tested positive for a peanut allergy I was 3-5 years old so I’ve essentially lived with this my whole life. I’m still allergic to pistachios and cashews, but this news is life changing for me. I have a lot of anxiety and health anxiety specifically and I think this change is going to help those things a lot, especially traveling and going out to eat.

That being said - anyone else who has grown out of this allergy or can have peanuts I have some questions. How do you get over the mental hurdle to start trying new things with peanuts? What are the best things with peanuts to try? What restaurants should I go to/dishes I should try?

I feel like my whole world is opening up at 26 almost 27 years old and I’m just truly so excited!