02.22.06

No Weeds, Yes Fish

Posted in Food at 4:10 pm by Leopoldo

At the age of twelve a series of bad encounters with fish convinced me I probably had an allergy to fish and shellfish. I have doubted that allergy for some time; especially since I eat foods that I know contain small amounts of fish or fish oil (Thai, Vietnamese) but have always erred on the safe side and avoided all fish contact. With a trip to Asia drawing near and health I figured it was time to find out for sure what foods am actually allergic to.

When I moved to Oregon in 1996 I began suffering from regular ‘fall colds’. It took a couple of years to realize that the colds were generally mild consisting of coughing, sneezing, soar throat and headaches and occurred at the same time of year. I concluded they were not colds at all but some kind of allergy to a fall-blooming plant or fungus that caused my nose to run. I tried to figure out what caused the reaction by tracking when symptoms appeared and went away but never managed to figure it out.

Over the last two weeks I visited a local allergy clinic where they first poked me with concentrated mixtures of common allergens then injected diluted amounts just underneath the skin to test for reactions. The tests were not all inclusive (they only tested me for common environmentals, fish and shellfish) and are not 100% accurate. An allergen is considered positive if the skin wheal is at least 5mm large and accompanied by at least 3mm of redness. In some cases the reaction was just enough to measure, in some just under the requirement. It was also explained to me that even though my skin might not react to an agent my digestive track could still be allergic so I should exercise great caution if I decide to experiment with suspected foods.

Let’s begin with a list of the agents I reacted to:
Tree (pollen) Mix 1, Tree Mix 2, English Walnut, Juniper, Sweet Gum, Plantain, Weed Mix 2, Greer Dust, Scotch Broom

Feather, Alk Mite D Far. (dust mites), Alk Mite D Pte., German Cockroach

And the list of negative tests:
Grass Mix 1, Grass Mix 2, Fescue, Weed Mix 1, Ragweed Mix, Mold Mix 1, Mold Mix 2, Smut, American Cockroach

Greer Cat, Alk Cat, Dog

Bass, Catfish, Codfish, Flounder, Haddock, Halibut, Perch, Salmon, Sole, Trout, Tuna

Clam, Crab, Lobster, Oyster, Scallop, Shrimp

The bad news is that I am still not sure what precise pollen give me my ‘fall cold’ but best guess is that it is some weed or mix of weeds (I understand that the trees pollinate later than when I suffer from allergies). I also seem to be allergic to dust mites which are pretty universal and to cockroach scales which are scarce in this part of the world. The good news is that I am not only not allergic to Dogs and Cats (never thought I was) but there is good reason to believe I may be good with fish as well.

Next steps are careful and controlled tests. I figure I will try some different fish, always eating just a small amount and of a single fish at first then trying larger amounts if I show no reaction (and if I like it). I will also need to be sure I am with someone who knows I may react and who can help me should the test go sour. I figure some dinner outings with the folks at PortlandFood.org may be well suited for this since it is customary to share food at the events (so I can try just a bite) and they are a great group of friends.

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