r/FoodAllergies • • Aug 15 '26

Announcement: revamped/updated rules!

75 Upvotes

Hi, everyone!

Beginning today, the r/foodallergies rules have been updated for clarity and hopefully, will improve the quality and contributions to our sub:

What's New or Changed

  • Clarified rule on ads, surveys, apps, fundraising, and other promotions. Previously self-promotion was capped at once a week, which resulted in repeated low-effort, non-engagement accounts using our community for marketing purposes. Commercial spam is now not allowed. Research posts and surveys/app testing remain unchanged: they’re not allowed!
  • AI-generated content is not allowed. Reddit has seen an influx of AI-written/generated posts in recent months. As such, we are implementing a hard NO-AI rule. This means no AI-written posts, invented "experiences," or pasted chatbot replies presented as advice. Talking about AI tools is still fine, but please remember that AI doesn’t know your history or may be using outdated information. So use at your own risk! If you suspect something is AI generated, please flag it for mod review.
  • No requesting or giving medical advice. This is the biggest change and the one we expect the most questions about. We cannot and should NOT be diagnosing, interpreting test results or a photo of a rash, or tell someone what caused a reaction And we most definitely should NOT be telling others when to use epinephrine or how/when to reintroduce a food, as we don't know their history, comorbidities, etc.

What hasn't changed:

r/foodallergies is a place where our community can come together to support one another. Your own experience is always welcome! This sub is a space where we can vent, share information, give warnings, tips, and above all, connect with others who are navigating life with food allergies.

Thank you and feel free to check in with us if you have any questions!


r/FoodAllergies • • 7h ago

Other / Miscellaneous Foods you wish you could eat but are allergic?

7 Upvotes

My whole life I’ve been severely allergic to tree nuts. There are so many dishes I’ve never tried due to my allergy and I’m curious if other people with allergies feel the same towards certain meals.

The main ones I’ve been thinking about I’d LOVE to try are macaroons, pesto, and butter chicken. I know I could make/ buy those foods without nuts but it’s just not the same.

It is so frustrating to me that I can’t eat certain foods, and even if I ever grew out of my allergy I don’t think I’d ever be able to eat them. My body is so averted to nuts they gross me out and make me feel sick.

* Edited because I made a grammar mistake


r/FoodAllergies • • 4h ago

Other / Miscellaneous Hazelnut food challenge passed!

2 Upvotes

My 3yo son is allergic to most tree nuts and also pumpkin seeds, so Halloween is a little tough for him with having to take away some candy and not being able to do some traditions like roasting pumpkin seeds after carving….

But the good news is he just passed his hazelnut food challenge! Green and clear for anything hazelnut (as long as it contains no almond, cashew, pistachio, walnut, or pecan)!

We celebrated with a little Nutella this morning. Big smiles and sticky chocolate face!

I’m wondering what some other hazelnut-only options are for treats and snacks and such. Any Halloween candy equivalents of Almond joy but with hazelnut instead?

Also, I’m wondering how I can do some healthy snacks with hazelnut. I’ve always been disappointed I can’t give him the ‘healthy’ nut butters like almond or cashew butter. Anyone know of any hazelnut only butter that isn’t so sugar-filled like Nutella?

So far we have been OK with ‘made in the same factory’ as other tree nuts, but we avoid ‘may contain’.


r/FoodAllergies • • 18h ago

Seeking Advice Benebone

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1 Upvotes

r/FoodAllergies • • 21h ago

Seeking Advice Traveling to Taiwan

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1 Upvotes

r/FoodAllergies • • 1d ago

Seeking Advice My wife has two very general allergies

12 Upvotes

You can probably guess one allergy, it’s gluten, the other is dairy. The problem we have been running into is making food, specifically desserts. She is the kind of person that unironically has a second dessert stomach and these allergies are literally dimming her sparkle.

I hope it’s no secret that there are a lot of gluten and dairy free things, that aren’t normally that way, that are very gross. I have no allergies and it’s killing me to watch her literally suffer; so it’s worse for her. I need solutions and I need them fast.


r/FoodAllergies • • 1d ago

Other / Miscellaneous New allergy to Pumpkin

2 Upvotes

Last December I discovered I was allergic to peanut butter/nuts. As a teen, I discovered I was allergic to bananas and apples but never had such a severe reaction as when I had the peanut butter. peanut butter and jelly was my #1 sandwich and don’t get me started on Reese’s—I miss them so much 😭anyway today I had a mini pumpkin muffin and had an even worse reaction than the peanut butter. Luckily I had my epi pen handy and went to the ER. I am so upset, I’ve always loved the fall and all things pumpkin.


r/FoodAllergies • • 1d ago

Seeking Advice Is OIC worth the risk for a peanut allergy

1 Upvotes

My 10 month old is confirmed to have a peanut allergy. She failed the skin test and then the food challenge. During the food challenge she broke out in small hives around the face instantly but we were still watching it. An hour and a half later is when she started getting really uncomfortable some sneezing and hives all over her back. So we administered the epipen. Her blood levels are also high showing signs of she could have anaphylaxis. Her ARA level were 4.89

I was really for trying the OIC but now Im questioning if it really is worth it regarding the risk?

Risk as being exposing her to the point where it does actually become anaphylactic and possibly developing eosinophilic esophagitis.


r/FoodAllergies • • 2d ago

Trigger Warning TW: almost fatal reaction 3 days ago; My best friend fed me tree nuts and my family thought it could be prayed away

66 Upvotes

TW: near fatal reaction, religious commentary from family, grappling with mental health

Hi all, I am here to vent and seek some support. Thank you so much for reading.

I am currently day 3 of recovering from anaphylactic shock from eating two slices of bread that contained hazelnuts. I am still dealing with itchiness and burning, horrible headaches, diarrhea, and lightheadedness.

I am also having a lot of anxiety and anger over what happened. My best friend of over 8 years, who has seen me go into anaphylaxis before, never remembers my allergies. He has consistently offered me food that I am very obviously allergic to, and will only sometimes catch himself and say sorry.
He is generally a forgetful person with ADHD. I know that this friend cares for me and has been there for me in many moments of life being hard, but I literally cannot fathom how he can’t remember that I have life threatening allergies. I have other friends who have caught on quick and always check labels, so I know it’s possible.

In this particular instance, he offered me some toast on a morning where we were both a little hungover. He always gets the same bread that I am safe to eat, and I was so tired that I gladly accepted the food without questions. I immediately knew something was wrong and went to check the bread- and then he just starts apologizing about how he forgot he bought a hazelnut kind this time. He did genuinely feel bad, which contributed to me trying to downplay what I was feeling.

Him and his partner who is also my friend did not say much beyond the first couple minutes of me being concerned and him feeling bad and they just went on to talk about other things, maybe to lighten the mood? After none of the medication I took was helping, my throat started closing and I started having horrible stomach cramps. I called my parents while trying not to panic, telling them I was going to take my EpiPen. They told me to keep taking medication instead of my EpiPen while they prayed for me. My dad told me I was just having anxiety. Within 10 minutes I started losing consciousness and barely called emergency services. My friend offered to call but didn’t because I said “I don’t know” while losing consciousness. I still don’t even know how I got through that phone call because I don’t remember it.

My friend did not go in the ambulance with me even though he said he was going to, and I couldn’t even talk to ask him to come with me when I realized he wasn’t coming. He met me at the hospital without his partner, and looked so miserable sitting in the hospital room that I told him he could leave. He felt really bad, but I still ended up feeling like I had to resolve him of guilt and give him permission to go home. He went home after my mom arrived which was shortly after. He went about this day and went to dinner and a soccer game.

After this I feel so confused, anxious, upset, and angry at everyone. And of course, no one knows what post anaphylactic shock is like either. I have to miss a work trip for my new job, and I can barely function to work from home. I don’t get why I am having to explain to everyone that I’m doing really poorly after almost dying. And also, my dad is claiming god spared my life because he prayed. I would have died if EMS had not arrived due to my parents’ advising me not to take the epi-pen.
I am asking myself if I have anyone trustworthy in my life to help me in an emergency. I would have been better off completely alone.

I feel horrible about being this upset and resentful with people who aren’t well-informed. But, how many times do I have to inform others.. and why do I have to take the blame for the fact that someone nearly killed me because of carelessness. I ultimately do blame myself but I feel so uncared for.


r/FoodAllergies • • 2d ago

Helpful Information Good news! 👏👏👏 A patent-pending Purdue University wearable device is being developed to improve the timeliness of epinephrine injections to treat anaphylaxis

18 Upvotes

Muhammad Hussain, a professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, leads a team using AI to design a patent-pending device to improve the timeliness of epinephrine injections to treat anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction that can be sudden and potentially life-threatening.
The device integrates advanced sensors, AI-driven decision-making and automated drug delivery with the goal of ensuring rapid epinephrine administration. The researchers are also focused on the device’s manufacturability, security and integration for scalability.

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/2026/Q4/purdue-wearable-ai-device-aims-to-improve-epinephrine-injections-to-treat-anaphylaxis/


r/FoodAllergies • • 2d ago

Seeking Advice Oral Pollen Allergy + Other Intolerance Fodo Ideas Needed

1 Upvotes

I have Oral Pollen Allergy Symptom, otherwise known as OAS and I have been struggling to figure out how to eat. I also am gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant and grew up a very picky eater (I am trying to be less picky).

Lately I have been eating a lot of a random pasta recipe I made (which is garlic, cooked cherry tomatoes, cooked sweet peppers, Italian sausage, and gluten free pasta) and a chicken casserole thing with cooked Broccoli. I am very tired of eating the same things over and over again. I am looking for suggestions of what I could eat that is easy to make and does not trigger anything.

This is a list of Allergies and Intolerances and what happens to help narrow them down.

OAS: ALL Raw fruits and vegetables except blue berries, blackberries and raspberries, All raw nuts and legumes- what happens- throat closes, everything is itchy and i can not breathe.

Gluten Intolerance: the gluten protein is found naturally in wheat, rye and barley.- what happens- i don't digest it so gastro pains, indigestion, loss of focus, mood swings (why idk) overall not great.

Lactose Intolerance: The sugar in dairy- what happens- vomiting and gastro issues.

I am very tired of researching food recipes and changing them so I can eat them. Please help


r/FoodAllergies • • 2d ago

Newly Diagnosed Advice for new allergy parent?

2 Upvotes

Since my baby was diagnosed with peanut and egg allergy, I’ve been navigating starting OIT, introducing the remaining allergens safely, etc. I thought I was getting a better grasp on parenting a baby with an allergy, but I just learned yesterday that “may contain” and “processed in a factory that also processes peanuts” labels are voluntary! It dawned on me just how much more I have to learn.

So what important info would you share to a new parent of a little one with food allergies? What is most important to know about keeping your child safe at home, daycare, the grocery store, and restaurants, etc? Thank you for any tips!


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Seeking Advice Blood allergy test vs real life symptoms not matching? What is the point of the blood test then?

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2 Upvotes

r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Helpful Information PSA: Fish cakes can have sesame

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3 Upvotes

Be careful! I just got back from dinner and threw up; didn’t realize I could react to fish cakes breaded.


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Other / Miscellaneous Fish Allergy and caesar salad

17 Upvotes

At every potlcuk and event where they have salad ever:

Me: What dressing is this?

Them: uhhhhhhh…. caesar? Why?

Me: Oh, I just can’t have anchovies.

Them: 🫪 CAESAR sALAD HAS ANCHOVIEs?!?! EWWWWW!


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Newly Diagnosed Recommendations for cashew allergy

3 Upvotes

My 10mo old recently got hives after eating some cashew butter. We had our allergist appointment and they recommended avoiding cashews and pistachios entirely for 1 year then retesting to see if she outgrows it before discussing any further treatment like immunotherapy. I have a friend of a friend with a child who is about a year old who had both hives and vomiting with cashews and their allergist recommended starting challenges/therapies right away. What have other parents' experiences been with this and what recommendations have you received? Should I be trying to get a second opinion from another allergist to get another interpretation of the results?


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Helpful Information WARNING: Rao’s Pesto and Cashew allergy

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60 Upvotes

We just got back from the ER and wanted to post a warning.

My son has a severe cashew allergy, and he reacted tonight after having pasta with Rao’s pesto. Turns out it contains cashews. It is properly labeled, but I’m signal boosting this as a PSA. I know pesto has pine nuts, but Rao’s brand contains cashews as well.

Stay vigilant friends. My son is fine after his EpiPen and consummate 2-hour observance in the ER. I just thought I’d pass this along so maybe others can avoid an exposure in the future.


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Other / Miscellaneous Tired of Allergies… Rant

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32 Upvotes

So tired of food allergies. I have A LOT. Which makes finding “heat and eat” options very minimal and challenging.

Was excited when I found this Chicken Pot Pie. Not happy it was $6. Disappointed when I made it. Barely any gravy, mostly potatoes and the size is ridiculously small.

The crust was surprisingly good from the top though.

We deserve better!!! Shouldn’t be this hard to find, this small, this crappy AND overpriced to boot!

Thanks for letting me vent.

*side note: have a lot of other medical issues going on right now that make meal prepping and even baking/cooking difficult.


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Seeking Advice My son has an upcoming baked egg challenge and I’m terrified

2 Upvotes

His skin test is pretty large but blood numbers are low enough that allergist said he might be able to pass. Any tips, advice. I’m really struggling with this. He is 4


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Seeking Advice Has anyone with a fresh fig allergy gotten away with making buccellati (or other pastries using similar fillings)?

0 Upvotes

A few years ago, I developed an unfortunate allergy to fresh figs that results in stomach cramps and vomiting when eaten, and the biggest welt during my food and environmentals skin-prick test (the only other two significant welts raised were for ragweed and the histamine control sample). Which made me sad, because I loved fresh figs :(

I'm able to eat them pan-caramelized after peeling them, but I haven't made any foray into using dried figs, which are required for buccellati (which sound like they beat the pants off storebought Newtons). Some of the recipes I've found for the filling involve soaking in brandy or boiling them to rehydrate, and then cooking them down to a jam-like consistency prior to baking. I'm wondering if the heat and alcohol is enough to denature whatever protein I react to, even with the peels still present.


r/FoodAllergies • • 3d ago

Seeking Advice OIT in Seattle area & general advice for next steps

1 Upvotes

Hi all. My 15mo had a reaction to peanuts when she was 6 months old. She vomited nonstop a couple of hours after having peanut butter for the 3rd time. We think it was the first time she had actually ingested any of it.

Long story short, the ED was leaning towards it being a poorly timed stomach bug instead of an allergic reaction. We finally got in to see an allergist a couple of months later, who told us the vomiting was a form of anaphylaxis. The doc performed a skin prick test. My LO tested positive for peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and hazelnuts. We were told to just avoid those and finish introducing the other allergens. She hasn't had any other issues since.

We just had a 6 month follow up with another skin prick test. Her wheals were substantially larger for all of the positive results (ex: Peanut went from w6e25 to w10e40; pistachio went from w3e25 to w25e55). The doctor commented on that saying her values were “really high,” but it was very unclear to us if this actually meant anything? Our understanding was a skin prick test could not predict the severity of a reaction. The doc also said she didn’t think we needed a blood test, since it probably wouldn’t tell us anything different.

The doc said we could try OIT, but their clinics doesn’t offer it. The only places are in Seattle, which is an hour drive or longer for us. Based on my brief perusal of the Seattle clinics' reviews and websites, they seem kind of impossible to get into?! And all of them have terrible reviews.

We're a bit at a loss as to what we should do. Should we get a blood test done for her? Request food challenges at her existing clinic? Try to get into a Seattle clinic? If you've done OIT in Seattle, have you had a positive experience?

Thank you!


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Multiple severe IgE-mediated food allergies

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

We are parents from the Netherlands and have a 3.5-year-old son with multiple severe IgE-mediated food allergies, including milk, eggs, peanuts, and several tree nuts.

We are considering traveling to the United States to start oral immunotherapy (OIT). Ideally, we would like to treat all of his food allergies simultaneously (multi-allergen OIT), rather than treating each allergen separately.

We would love to hear from families who have been in a similar situation, especially those who traveled internationally to the US for treatment.

• Which clinic or allergist did you choose, and why?

• Was your child treated for multiple allergens at the same time?

• How old was your child when treatment started?

• What were your experiences with the treatment, including side effects or challenges?

• What were the results? Can your child now eat these foods freely, or are maintenance doses still necessary?

• Has anyone successfully stopped maintenance doses and maintained tolerance?

• How did you manage the treatment and follow-up appointments while living outside the US?

• Could you share the financial side of treatment? Approximately how much did the entire OIT program cost, including consultations, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments?

• For international families, were there additional expenses or unexpected costs? Was insurance involved, or did you pay everything out of pocket?

• Do you have any recommendations or tips?

Our ultimate goal is for our son to eventually be able to eat all these foods freely, without lifelong maintenance doses, if that is achievable.

We would really appreciate hearing about your experiences, both positive and negative. Any advice, clinic recommendations, or information about the financial costs would mean a lot to us!

Thank you so much! ❤️


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Celiac and Allergic to Oats

9 Upvotes

Hello everyone. I was officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease 4 years ago after suspecting it for years and not eating gluten for 5+years. I was happy to have gluten free oats because I love everything oats; oatmeal, granola, my favorite cookies made with oat flour. It was nice to have oats as a snack that was safe. However, over the last year every time I ate oats I'd feel extremely nauseous and get throbbing headaches. When I used oat products like Aveeno I'd get large pus-filled welts out of nowhere. It turns out that I'm now allergic to avenin, the protein in oats. I have to stop eating immediately and also stop using any skin products containing oats.

I'm wondering if anyone has this allergy? It was already hard enough for me to find food with my Celiac. Now I can't eat oats, even if they are certified gluten free, or use oat containing products.


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Seeking Advice People in late 20s early 30s with food allergies since childhood…

3 Upvotes

Looking into different treatment options for mainly to not worry about cross contamination. Our allergies are:

Peanuts/tree nuts/coconut/sesame seeds/avocado, OAS to certain fruits and raw veggies and pollen.

Trying to figure out between SLIT, Xolair, TIP through food allergy institute. There’s a lot of research in kids but curious to see some feedback from adults and what worked vs did not work.

Thanks!


r/FoodAllergies • • 4d ago

Seeking Advice Cant get an EPIPEN for baby !

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2 Upvotes

Any advice please ?