Back in high school, I used to eat an inordinate amount of apples. Fuji apples were my favorite- you know, the multicolored ones that are just so fucking juicy that they make your mouth feel like you’re galloping at full speed through a gorgeous, East Coast fall day. The downside to all the Fuji apple eating is that they made my gums itch. Annoying, yes, but certainly not annoying enough to make me switch to a different kind of apple.
Then, in college, I took a Food Scienece & Technology class and learned all about food intolerances- basically how a food can irritate you a little bit without being a full blown allergy. My professor cautioned that intolerances can become allergies without any warning, but I thought that was horseshit and kept right on eating my Fuji apples.
Last Friday at camp was no different. I was hungry, there were Fuji apples in the fridge, so I grabbed one and kept on with my day. The familiar itching of the gums started, and I’m all, “this is annoying” and then all of the sudden my throat was itching and I’m all, “that’s weird” and then my throat started closing and I was like, “huh, funny, I CAN’T FUCKING BREATHE.” So I took a full dose of Benadryl, resumed breathing, passed out on the floor of the office for two hours because while Benadryl is wonderful at, you know, saving your life, it also knocks you the hell out.
I woke up and everyone was like, “um, what the fuck?” And I’m all, “sorry guys, I guess I’m allergic to Fuji apples” and they’re like “remember how you almost DIED?” and I’m all, “yeah, that sucked.”
Since then, I’ve been really paranoid about what I eat. Raw carrots have always made my gums itch too, so I’m avoiding those, and I’m pretty much terrified of all fruits and have been relying entirely on carbohydrates. Which is awesome, because in addition to now being ragingly allergic to one of my favorite foods, I’m also bordering on having a food related anxiety disorder and am going to wind up mordibly obese from eating nothing but pasta and bagels.
FML?
Posted in: day to day shenanigans
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Ugh. Suck! Now I am having a paranoid moment where I'm trying to remember if any food has ever made my gums itch. I don't think so, though.
I know how that feels, I'm allergic to EVERYTHING in a big way. I'm semi-obese from eating pasta all the time (allergic to bagels too – FML!)
I only read the first 6 sentences of this and I already have to interrupt and saaaaaaaayyy…
MY FOOD ALLERGIES INCLUDE MILK. DAIRY. WHEAT. ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS… THIS IS VERY LOUD TECHNO MUSIC.
That is a sad story! I adore apples, and I think I would die if I was allergic to them. Is it just the Fugi apples?
Wow, apples do that to me too and I tend not to eat them but I never realized it could be serious… now I know to stick with my guns (gums?) and keep avoiding them! Although somehow cooked they're okay, I've never had a bad reaction to apple pie…
Don’t forget about scurvy! Obese and a raging case of scurrrrrvy.
Yarg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrom…
I'm the same way – certain fruits and veggies make my lips and throat itch. I looked it up last year (on Wikipedia) and it's what's called an "oral allergy syndrome." Here's the page – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrom… – I remember looking at the lists for each one, and when I looked at the Birch pollen one, I was like, YES YES AND YES.
Not that it helps much, except that if it seems you have one, it's good to know the other foods that have allergy potential. But it doesn't really make it suck any less that you can't eat apples.
I vote for life where it's perfectly fine to live off of pasta and bagels.
I’m allergic to dust and roaches. My doctor says it’s because I live in NYC. I just think it’s because cosmic forces are conspiring against me. Meh.
Benadryl not only knocks me out, but also makes me grumpy as all hell once I finally do wake up. That stuff is serious.
Wow, that is some scary stuff! Glad your okay and not, you know, dead or morbidly obese (yet) or anything!
Sounds like it's time for an allergy test! They are SUPER FUN! Also, start carrying an EPI Pen.
Then you get the added bonus of jamming a plunger into your leg! WOOHOO!
crazy, i've never heard of carrot and apple allergies – glad you survived
I was allergic to red and pink food colouring when I was younger. The colours have numbers and there was about six of them I was allergic to, and they were in everything! I couldn't even eat the red m&ms without winding up violently ill.
Aw, that sucks! I know somebody that's allergic too ALL uncooked fruits and vegetables. Hopefully that's not your problem too!
Same thing happened to me last summer with peaches. WTF? Peaches! Amazing, delectable peaches. Having learned this, I now stay away from all stone fruits…Suuuuuucks.
Just wanted to tell you that I ate a nectarine and now my throat is itching. Um, I may eventually go into anaphylactic shock due to nectarines.
FML.
hi, new here. that is so scary. i have food intolerances and it's in the back of my mind they could turn into worse…
I'm allergic to alcohol. How horrible is that?
OMG. Did you develop it or have you always been??? How do you know? Because when I drink I kind of get pain in my wrists/forearms and a rash on my chest/arms. Am I going to die?
Please god, don't let me develop that.
WTF-Do I need to take a C-P-fucking-R course for NYC?!
I WILL NEVER EVER EVER say that my life sucks now that I heard you're allergic to Alcohol.
Try the harder apples – braeburn (sp?) and speckled granny smiths (speckles are important!)
Or you can try pears. I love those, too.
Um, jebus. I'm glad you're okay. Also, my offer to kick the ass of anyone who is bothering you also extends to Fuji Apples now. I'll make them pay, I swear to god. Cool?
HAHA hilarious story. I am an apple whore. Two years ago I had this Lush apple flavored lip balm and my lips pretty much exploded as a reaction – blew up, I'm talking duck lips. Anyway, I went to an allergist and they said I had a slight allergy to apples and I pretty much told the lady to go fuck herself, I was not going to give up apples, and that she was a crazy (my lips were like Megan Fox after another few injections, painful, so I got mean)… guess I should watch out as I my throat could be the next to close up.
That's awful! My bf is allergic to apples and raw carrots as well. Apparently there's a protein in them that people can be allergic too. I recommend watching out for celery and pears as well. He can't eat those raw either.
Anyone remember that episode of G.I. Joe where the apple seeds were used as the poison to defeat the enemy COBRA monster? I think apples stopped being my favorite fruit around the same time. No more appletinis for you, Nicole:(
Seafood had always made me super nauseated, peaches (or anything peach flavored) makes me gag or vomit instantly, and dairy products give me painful cystic acne…hence a couple of my reasons for becoming a vegan. I'm glad I've stayed away from the things that I was always intolerant of now, I never knew they could actually become full-blown allergies like that, so maybe you just saved my life!
Love you dearly, perhaps you could get some kind of allergy test done…don't want you afraid of food forever.
Apples < Dying.
So yeah, quit eating them. I'll eat them for you.
The itchy gum thing is exactly how my allergies started out and now? I can't have fruits, vegetables, soy, or tree nuts. I nearly died from eating an apple two years ago, throat closure, rash from head to toe, puffy eyes, mouth, ears, nose. I looked like Will Smith in Hitch, no joke. If you need any help/want to talk about it/need advice at all, let me know. I'm still learning to live with my allergies. Big hugs & glad you didn't die!!! xoxox
i can't even blame you for almost dying. fugi apples are the BEST ever. i'm eating one as i type, actually.
i'm pretty sure ju hasn't eaten a fruit or vegetable in her entire life. she claims a life of bagels and pasta is entirely safe. {and by that i think she means, entirely safe if you have the metabolism of a spider monkey on speed, which she does. ridiculous.}
you'll still have my love as long as you're alive – even if that means being morbidly obese due to excessive penne consumption.
I was just thinking maybe there was a wicked witch and some dwarves nearby?
Lovely! I'm glad you are okay. I second Matt's comment about eating the apples for you. Apples are overrated anyway. As for allergies, I'm allergic to flour which means, I'm allergic to anything that tastes delicious. Oh and beer. That one breaks my fucking heart every. single. day. Hope you are having an awesome Monday and have I told you lately how jealous I am of your summer job? Next year, hire me please.
The craziest things happen to you. I don't know how, but fucking weird. Don't eat any more apples, okay? Okay, thanks.
I have a skin allergy to pumpkins – noticed while carving two years in a row – so I haven't ever tried eating anything pumpkin for fear I'll die. Maybe you should think that way, ha.
well thank goodness for benadryl. sheesh that's scary though.
ahh I could never imagine being allergic to apples. especially since they're pretty much the only fruit I eat.
you should definitely get tested for allergies, and luckily the benadryl worked. Usually food allergic reactions get worse and worse so be careful!
Ooo, thanks for making me crave apples now!
I agree with some others' comments about getting an allergy test done so you don't have another near-death experience.
On the upside, a diet of pasta and bagels sounds pretty damn tasty to me! HA
Get this: I'm allergic to Benadryl. SO-If I find out I'm allergic to something, and then I go and take benadryl, I'm probably going to turn into some freak.
Oh that sucks
Certain fruits make my lips itch. I think I may stop eating those. I'm pretty sure we don't have Benadryl in the house.
I'm really glad you didnt die.
That's so scary! I always have a fear of random food allergies that I didn't know anything about…
BTW, just stumbled on your blog – another LA girl here!!
On the plus side, pasta & bagels are fucking delicious.
Now that SUCKS. I can't imagine what I would do if I found out I was allergic to one of my favorite fruits in the world, PLUMS. Nice, sweet/bitter plums.
My mother developed an allergic reaction to seafood (particularly shrimp) a while back. We came to the conclusion that since she grew on seafood (my grandfather owns a seafood resturant) she had developed an interolence for it. It's sucks because my mom LOVES seafood.
oh my god. if i were allergic to apples? probably enough to make me jump off a cliff. FYL indeed!
oh, i have a drs appt tomorrow to talk about maybe a lactose intolerance. IMAGINE NO ICE CREAM? I'm going to need a support group.
I've always had the same problems with apples, the itchy throat and gums which drove me crazy. I started doing a lot of reading on organic fruit. I gave it a shot and it turns out that organic apples don't have the bad side effects that a "regular" apple did. It seems like the apple wasn't at fault. It was the pesticides / chemicals sprayed on the apple. If you haven't given it a shot, try an organic apple, I'm eating 2 a day now
I used to be able to eat apples when i was young but now they make my gums and lips itch, i thought it was just apples but i just ate a nectarine and my mouth is itching. >.<
It confuses me how allergies can just pop up out of nowhere.
ha the same happened to me with soy milk after being able to drink it with no problems for a long time.. same throat constricting feeling too. and wow, all you took was benadryl?? i had to go to the ER.
My best friend seems to be allergic to all produce but the doctors finally told him it's just the pollen on the fruit. Maybe that's what happened with the apples?