Fear of food

[kimbokoala]

hi there :)
Just wondered if anyone is going through the same thing as me with food. In the last 4 months ive developed a phobia of food, it started off after i had an allergic reaction to lipstick, it wasnt severe or anything just a big puffy lip, but gradually over the space of a month or so ive gotten to the point where i am terrified to eat anything.alot happened in that month which i think is responsible for the phobia developing, at the time of the allergic reaction i didnt think it ws that big a deal, but now im terrified of everything. im scared of other things too not just food,any chemicals including shampoo,toothpaste,bleach and other cleaning things. they all scare me. the food is the hardest to deal with though. i cant still kinda force myself to brush my teeth and shampoo but the eating thing is very hard. all i eat is broccoli steak and potatoes. have been trying to introduce new things but its so hard, have tried cheese bread and butter so far but always feel really ill afterwards.
well ive gone on abit so will stop now lol. hope to hear from some people soon x Kim

[kimbokoala]

Ok no ones replied but just wanted to add in the last week im getting worse and worse. ive been trying to avoid eating all together cos i am so scared i will have an anaphalactic shock. ive barley been eating, ive lost a stone in the last month. really getting down and wish someone could give me some advice, i understand if no one is going through the same thing though. i do see a therapist and she is very good but since this last time i saw her on tuesday i feel like ive gone down hill quickly. anyway thanx for taking time to read this X Kim

[michellemumof4]

Hi Kim, Ok firstly sweetie the things that would have been in the lipstick that may have caused the reaction are unlikely to be found in food products ... secondly you mention that when you try to eat you feel ill , this is the anxiety sweetie and NOT a reaction to the foods , so it isnt the food making you feel this way its the adrenalin and the anxiety..... Perhaps start a food diary and for NOW whilst you feel this way stick to food that you KNOW are natural and have no additives or preservatives in them , ie chicken fish fruit vegetables ect ...... You could try eating small portions at first then slowly as you begin to feel more comfortable with them build up the ammount you eat....... Note in the diary what foods you conquer and manage to eat and then check them off as you try them....

I too have reactions when i eat Egg Yolks like you my lips swell, but trust me this is a very MILD reaxtion as it seems you had the same I would try NOT to worry , I am sure if your doctor felt you were at high risk he would have referred you for further test with regards to allergies ect ..

Good luck

Michelle

[kimbokoala]

hi michelle thanx for you reply.
The doctor does think i have allergies, ive seen about 3 different doctors and spoken to a specialist over the phone as well. im on the waiting list for allergy tests but have been told it could take a year before i get to go for tests. The specialist i spoke to on the phone is the only doctor i have spoken to who has said i dont have food allergies, he said that the reaction to the lipstick had caused my lip to become sensitive to pressure so that when i eat my lips go slightly puffy. All of the doctors i have spoken to say they think i have allergies and have told me to avoid certain foods and that i should eat lamb and brown rice.one of the doctors scared me by saying if i had a bad reaction id be dead in 2 minutes then gave me an epipen and said id have 20 mins after id used it to get to a hospital.thats really scared me. ive had a course of antihistamines for a month that i struggled to take as i have a phobia of meds and they had bad side effects, they made no difference to my lip being puffy anyway. Ive been to ER about 9 times in the last 8 weeks but everytime i go they say my lips isnt puffy enough for it to be an allergic reaction and have tried to give me "something to calm me down" which only makes me feel worse. so i dont know what to believe.
i have been trying to eat the plainest things i can find but this last week the only things that seems safe is cabbage or potatoes. i havent eaten much meat this week and its not because i think im allergic to it its more that it makes me feel sick that its something dead, ive never been a vegitarian, but i feel like my phobia of food is getting worse and worse.
Anyway thanks for your time and advice x Kim

[t0rt01se36]

Have you considered going to an Allergy testing company, out of the area where you live, where you don't have to wait as long as a year?

[kimbokoala]

hi ju_ann_30 i have phoned bupa to try arrange an appointment. the closest place i can have a test done is edinburgh and it would cost £120 to see a doctor there to decide if i need the test done, they wouldnt tell me how much the test costs and it would mean going down there and staying overnight which would not only cost too much but i dont think i could handle staying away from home at the moment. it was when i phoned bupa that i got to talk to the allergy specialist and he said he didnt think it sounded like i had food allergies and that he wouldnt refer me for tests if i came to see him. there is no other allergy testing place up this way appart from the nhs, ive searched the internet and asked my doctor but edinburgh is the only one :weep: . Thanx for your help x Kim

[Becky]

I'm anaphylactic & carry 2 epipens. I was diagnosed many years ago now but I remember the struggle I went through to get the allergy testing done. Maybe you could get some more advice from the Anaphylaxis Campaign, they have a website www.anaphylaxis.org.uk (http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk)

I hope this is helpful to you

Sara

[deb64]

hi kim due to my anx there is foods i wont eat as ive convinced myself that when i eat them my throat is swelling up it is really horrible ive never had a food allergy and this is really getting me down you tc xx

[peach]

hi,

by all rights, i should be as bad as you, but i still have a sweet tooth that seems to override my fear...shame for me a little, cause i could stand to loose a bit of weight....hehe...

in truth tho, i feel i do understand a little. i have ibs, and i think also developing some allergies to some foods oflate.
ive had food poisening twice in the last two weeks. and ive had it before, but never so soon after each other, so has scared me a little too!

im getting to the point now, where ill only trust food made in my home, by me or my husband. i also half trust food thats packedged- not able to be tampered with. but im still suss that something might have gotten into it in the factory.


i dont like chemicals either. all my cleaning products are natural products-no chemicals.

i rarely eat out anymore these days for a few reasons, and dont trust takeaways much. on occasion-if im starving ill eat it, but always feel sick after!!!

if i was you, id try just cooking foods at home, and try to use products that you feel ok with. i know you said only potatos and meat for now. i understand the meat thing too- that is a tricky one)

maybe start with light food? make salads? wash all the fruit and veges well, make sure they clean- or buy organic if possible- taste better and no chemicals.

good luck to you
and i trustyou can beat this, just be patient, and not to hard n yourself.
be happy with small progresses you make.
you know you can mke your own bread at home these days and icecream!

[feefee1@feefee1karoo]

hi deb64 my name is cherie and for the past month every time i try and eat any food as soon as i have put it in my mouth i feel like iam having an allergic reaction. i have lost weight due to this. i know iam not having a reaction but it is always there in my head it never goes away. if you have any tips in trying to deal with this horible feeling i would be very gratefull.
take care cherie.

[panik101]

I feel the same way. I have a forum on this call fear of food allergies.
I have not had a reaction but i fear that i will. My doctor says that it is my ocd that is overwhelming me. Do you have any ocd or anxiety problems? I have also lost 20 -25 lbs. This has been going on for me about 2 yrs.

[tigger1964]

hi,

I have the food allergery fear, and i have no idea where is came from i have never been allergic to anything before. This started for me when my mouth was so dry when i was eating it felt like it was swelling, to the extent that at one point kept measuring it to make sure is wasnt. Turns out it was just a dry mouth, but it was to late by the time i accepted the dry mouth symptom cos i had convinced myself that it was an allergey, it then escalates into other things, hair dye, terrified and other strong housewhold chemicals. I have seen a cbt therapist who said the food allergey phobia is just my anxiety manifesting itselfs in other ways.

If you fancy a chat pm me

take care



sharon

[panik101]

I do the exact same thing as fee. I think every time i eat i am going to have a allergic reaction. I have had this for going on 2.5yrs. It is really controling my life.