Possible Food Allergy After Pregnancy?

It does sound a lot like an allergic reaction. I would be very careful. As you mentioned the foods, it sounded like it would be some sort of additive. I thought MSG but then there isn't any in Hershey's hugs (I think). Try reading labels and see if you can ID anything in common.

Get yourself some Benadryl! (And don't go for the non-drowsy stuff. It needs to by dyphenhydramine to be really effective). An allergic reaction can go from a mild irritant to severe, life-threatening anaphylaxsis in just a couple of exposures (this happened with my husband, and the allergy didn't crop up until he was in his 20s). It may also be a good idea to visit your doctor and see what recommendations he has. It'll be less expensive (and definitely safer) to go through the allergy testing and such before it lands you in the ER.

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Hi there I have been plagued with environmental allergies and food sensitivities for the last ten years. I have even done allergy shots and food rotation diets. When I got pregnant with my son, my food sensitivities got so much better, but we recently weaned at 14 months and they started bothering me again. My doctor said that some women have relief from their allergies and sensitivities during pregnancy and nursing! I am now having to rotate foods every four days again. I have had to do this in that past. This is also a diagnostic way for you to find out what is bothering you without having expensive testing done. Either way you may have to rotate foods. It's a huge pain, but the way that food allergies and sensitivities work is they build up, so the more you eat a food, the more your body reacts to it. For example I used to only have sensitivities to cheddar cheese, citrus and tomatoes when first tested, so I rotated those foods well, but when I was tested a couple of years later my problem foods grew to rice, chicken pork and soy! Another note with serious allergies to a food you will probably have to remove that food forever. If it is a food allergy that you are experiencing - it sounds like a serious one. Facial swelling is serious and could lead to anaphalaxis. I would seek out a specialist. Good luck :)

I'd recommend contacting National Jewish. They test for that.

I have had new allergies after pregnancy. If you can, you should go get tested to see what you have. It might (maybe) be a poultry allergy that you have. I have a friend that gets new allergies every year. She was driving home from KFC one day, eating a chicken leg, and her lips swelled up. Wham.

Hi sorry ~ I've never had this happen to me....my 5 yr old has dairy allergies & had a similar more severe reaction anaphylaxis....seems like the common ingredient in those items could be milk/dairy?? It's not all that uncommon anymore....food allergies showing up later in life...definitely something you would want to have checked out w/your doctor/allergist...swollen cheeks...lump throat, swelling lips....these are all symptoms that would lead me to stick my daughter w/her epi pen. Do you symptoms subside w/a dose of benadryl?

Been there and done that, honey. I haven't had a glass of milk or ice cream in almost 8 years. I never had problems with dairy products until I got pregnant with my son. Now, I can't have milk, ice cream, or frozen yogurt as it makes me very ill. I can still have cheese and regular yogurt, but it just isn't the same having Oreos without a cold glass of moo-juice or having to settle with a soda while the kids and hubby chow down on an ice cream cone. I think it can be very normal. I would suggest to you to maybe see your doctor for an allergy test if you cannot pinpoint the reason for your symptoms. It could be something as simple as a spice that might be in all of the foods you mentioned. Good luck.

I agree, what you describe would have me pulling out the epi-pen for my son. I have a sensitivity to peppermint that comes and goes with pregnancies, so I would say allergies could definitely be affected, too. I would have it checked out, especially if the symptoms subside with Benadryl. Congratulations on the baby, though!

I have food alergies that didn't apear untill my 20s. I would go to an alergist. The food diary is a good idea so that you can narow down the number of tests they have to do.
Good luck!

Absolutely you can get new allergies post-pregnancy. I was eating blueberry ýogurt after my first son was born and got red tingly lips and itchy ears...never had happened before...went to the allergist and tested negative to blueberries, but beet juice is in the same family as wild sage- which I am highly allergic to- and that is what is used to color blueberry yogurt. Strange thing is that it only happened once to that food (so even keeping a food diary didn't help) so the allergist thinks I was probably having a sage allergy flare-up at the time and the beet juice just tipped the scales! So now I am just aware if I am having an allergy attack, to not eat things with beets in it, so maybe something like that is happening to you. My suggestion would be to keep a food diary and keep the ingredients list of items when it happens and go see an allergist...the skin test seems ominous but it isn't bad (and I'm terrified of needles)!

There are a couple things I can offer. One is that because the foods are unrelated maybe you have a stone in your salivary gland. Is it painful when your cheeks swell? This happened to my dad any time he had anything sweet or salty! I would talk to a doctor.

The other is maybe you are somewhat dehydrated. Are you nursing? If so you need to drink that much extra water, and eat enough calories to balance it out. If you are dehydrated then the salty foods are definitely affecting you by retaining water and puffing you up!

The third is related to the Hersheys Hugs in combo with the above: I have a friend who developed a chocolate sensitivity because of what BC the dr put her on after having her second child.

I would consider all of these things and talk to your dr soon!

Good luck!

My initial response is that you could be reacting to the salt in the TV dinners. When I have something really salty, I have these same feelings. Not pregnancy related, but it might help you pinpoint your allergy. TV dinners, especially certain brands are particularly high in sodium.

This happened to me. I suddenly developed anaphylaxis to shellfish after I had a baby.Previously, it was my favorite food and I had been eating it all my life. The allergist said it wouldn't be from pregnancy, but I know of other women that this has happened to also. You should get tested for food allergies. I had to call 911 and go to the ER. I now carry an Epi Pen. Get tested so you can figure out which foods to avoid.
Be careful, and good luck!

All 4 times I was pregnant the first thing that would happen to me was a seemingly allergic reaction to some metals and weird rashes all over my body. This would usually last throughout my pregnancy, birth and through the nursing process. Once I was done nursing the symptoms went away. Annoying, but I just chalked it up to hormones, until my last baby. I had all the same problems as the other 3 but once I was done nursing, the allergic reaction to some metals did not go away. My worst allergy is to yellow gold! My daughter is now 2 and I still cannot wear yellow gold. I had to have my wedding ring plated with rodium as well as any earrings and necklaces. Total pain. In short, you will just have to wait it out and avoid the things you are having reactions to until after you are done nursing. Now if you are not nursing, then I say go to your doc and schedule some allergy tests to find out exactly what it is that you are having a problem with.

Good luck!