WTF I'm allergic to calamari?

[Locut0s]

Last night me and the family went out for Greek. For anyone who knows Vancouver it was Stepho's Greek Taverna, known for their O.K. food, very cheap meals, and long lineups. The food is what I would call passably good Greek, certainly not bad but nothing special. The portions are huge for the cost.

Anyway I ordered the Calimari. Aside from being a bit too oily I liked the meal quite a bit.

2 Hours latter and I'm starting to itch. Several hours latter and it's obviously hives. Wake up this morning and it's all over my chest and arms. Go to the clinic just to be sure it's an allergy and he prescribes an antihistamine as I thought he would. Took the antihistamine and now I'm feeling better.

Strange I've had Calamari a dozen times in my life before and never got any reaction. The only thing I knew I was allergic to before this was cat dander. Which is fine by me as cats are evil ;) It's possible that I'm allergic to something else like shellfish and this was cross contamination. There were a lot of shellfish being served to others. Which would be fine by me too as shellfish is evil too. But I like Calamari :(

[Ian David]

1. It's a trap!

[CatWoman]

2. smile when you say that!!!

Which is fine by me as cats are evil

I'm allergic to damn near everything.

When I was tested, I was tested for everything but food.

My allergist said that more people are allergic to foodstuffs than are aware of it.

[zazen]

3. sometimes undercooking will result in allergic reaction--happened to me with tuna

And I was 5 weeks pregnant. To this day, I think my extreme allergic reaction affected my daughter. The ob's kept saying, oh, it's hormones. Took me 24 hours and the web to figure out it was the tuna (since it felt like my head was shooting off like a rocket within 10 minutes of eating it.) Took one antihistamine and it went away.

So check about calamari and undercooking. Hope you're all better.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Bummer

I love Calimari.

I never understand how people can suddenly become allergic to thing they've always enjoyed.

I hope there's no such thing as a beer allergy :D

[lunatica]

8. I'm screwn if I devolop a vodka allergie

anything worse than swelling up like I've gained 20 lbs overnight I mean.

[TexasProgresive]

17. I think this is true--

No one has an allergic reaction the first time they are exposed to something including poison ivy. Any contact after the first may cause a minor reaction- the next contact may cause anaphylactic shock and death. My wife took aspirin for years until once she broke out in a rash. Her doctors have told her to never take aspirin or any NSAIDs ever again that the next reaction could be fatal. This is bad because acetaminophen is not as good as the NSAIDs.

[Canuckistanian]

20. I got a Poison Oak infestation once

One of the worst experiences of my life. My whole leg swelled up, turned into a giant blister (sorry for the imagery) and it took me months to heal. I still have scars.

But I never recalled having ANY reaction to any plant before, and I've spent a LOT of time wandering through forests.

Sometimes, I guess, life is just a crap shoot.

[supernova]

5. Is that the only thing you ate last night?

Here's a short treatise on the subject:

http://www.immunocapinvitrosight.com/dia_templates/ImmunoCAP/Allergen____40236.aspx

It looks like squid and shrimp allergies are sometimes found together, but not squid and octopus. Wierd.

[Warpy]

6. You might want to get tested to find out exactly what it is

because a reaction with full body hives can progress to anaphylactic shock if you're exposed again. That's potentially fatal and requires hospital treatment.

You can become allergic to anything at any time. My most frustrating one was a medication allergy that happened when I'd refilled several prescriptions and two of them had changed manufacturers. It turned out to be a drug I hadn't refilled and that I'd successfully taken for months. I always have steroids and antihistamines around, but the hives between my fingers and toes were particularly nasty until they kicked in.

Should this happen again, the signs to watch for are any tingling of the lips or tongue or any feeling like the throat is starting to swell. Any of those mean you need to get to an emergency room fast.

[Locut0s]

10. I wasn't going to get tested but on second thought I might do so...

All and all this was not a strong reaction. No respiratory involvement, no swelling, no neurological symptoms. However I do know that people who have been primed by one exposure to an allergen can have a REALLY bad second or third reaction so maybe I'll play it safe.

[Warpy]

12. That's the smartest way to handle it

I played a little fast and loose but would have rushed to an emergency room had my symptoms progressed at all.

You could be allergic to anything you ate that night, including the oil the calamari was fried in, the plant that produced it, and everything related to that plant. That's why you need to get tested.

[Christa]

7. You can develope an allergy at any moment

Hope you are not, love me some calamari

[EOTE]

9. I started developing a lot of allergies in my 20s.

I had eaten pineapple all my life, but starting in my early 20s, my tongue breaks out in sores whenever I have it. Same thing with the papery skin of walnuts and pecans. More stinging sores on my mouth and tongue. Here's what really ticks me off, just as soon as I started developing a taste for eggplant, I become allergic to it. The plus side is that removing the skin does a lot to lessen the effects, so while it may still hurt a little, eggplant parm from time to time is totally worth it :)

[Locut0s]

11. That would suck if I developed allergis to many other foods...

I love eating and enjoy just about everything, with the acceptation of shellfish as I mentioned in the OP. I love nuts.

[EOTE]

14. I've been mostly fortunate.

I didn't have anything in terms of allergies until I got to my 20s. Then I started noticing my nose running when I got around freshly mowed grass and such, but nothing terrible. My food allergies aren't that bad either. I still eat pineapple and eggplant even though it causes my tongue to hurt for a while. I guess if my reaction starts getting worse I might drop one or the other, but not for the time being. I'd be incredibly pissed if I developed an allergy to shellfish. A loaded oyster with a little horseradish, tabasco and lemon is one of my favorite treats.

[Captain Hilts]

13. Octopuse/octopi are too smart to eat. nt

[gratuitous]

15. I'm allergic to Calimary

I get all woozy when I click on her posts.

:loveya:

[oedura]

16. I loved and used to be able to eat shrimp...

...but now when I eat it it literally makes me vomit and I feel sick as a dog for the rest of the day. I've also developed reactions to other foods that I used to be able to eat as I've gotten older.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

18. I loved catalope --

I ate them as often as I could when they were in season.

Monday I eat my morning lope -- all is well with the world.
Tuesday I go to eat my morning lope -- my throat starts to itch badly and then close up. I am not longer able to eat lope. :(

Food allergies can hit you that quickly.

Sorry that happened to you, but secretly happy for the world's calamari. :D

[TheKentuckian]

19. Sorry but good. Octopi are probably too smart for mass grazing (nt)

[Barack_America]

21. They probably fried it in the same oil they fried shrimp...

...or some other seafood.

My mother has a shrimp allergy and can get a similar reaction from eating french fries fried in the same oil as shrimp.

You might consider getting your allergy checked out. If it is a seafood allergy, you could have a reaction to some medical tests that use iodine, i.e. a CT scan using contrast. A seafood allergy is an important thing to document.

[Sparkly]

22. Could have been something in the seasoning...

I once had the same experience after eating (I suspect anyway) that green noodle seaweed salad stuff that goes with sushi?? I'd had it many times before, but this one time I broke out in rash and hives, and Benadryl made it go away quickly.

Who knows? I haven't eaten it since, though.

(The one thing they say to be really careful of it swelling especially around your mouth -- it can mean there's swelling in your esophagus or airways or whatever, which could lead to suffocation. At least that's what I recall from food allergies my daughter had.)