Darn Nickel Allergy with Dermatitis / Food allergies

[Savy]

Severe food allergies can be helped by dissolving cromolyn sodium (brand name Gastrochrom) in hot water to gargle and swallow 20 minutes before meals. It will adhere to the mast cells in your digestive system and keep them quiet so they do not initiate an allergy response. After a few days of regular use your gut will begin to heal. Continue to avoid known food triggers for 6 months then a rare exposure to a food allergen should cause little or no response.

[kathih]

Katrina,

I read your post last night form May 2008 and I hope you are still on this blog. I too only have eyes issues, swollen and flakey like elephant eyes. I am allergic to nickel, my makeup and mascara. I have tried several brands of makeup but all have caused my eyes to swell. I am starting a nickel free diet today, along with Vitamin C and Poopy seeds to help prevent the ni from absorbing.

Have your symptoms improved? Are you able to wear make up? Please give me an update on your condition and any helpful advise you may have!

Thank you so very much !

Kathi

[countrygirl]

Originally Posted by atvfan

Hey there sounds like we have something in commom. Just found this site yesterday and this is the only post read yet. Tell me if this sounds familiar. Little brown dots deep in the skin. Some in large patches on the hands and feet. After a few weeks The skin comes off leaving new skin. Normal skin folds crack due to the thick patches and bleed sometimes. Itchy at times but not all the time. Very embarrasing and looks horrible.
Mine started roughly 3 years ago. Went to the dermatologist afew times. The steroid creams worked but it always came back. Went another dermatologist and more cream. Took me about a year to figure out that nickel was causing it. One day I went into my shop to get something out of a file caninet. A few minutes later my hand was tingling. That was it! All my beloved tools, all the change in my pocket, the hose nozzle, even the handles on my cabinets were my enemy. If you guys handle coins, use file cabinets, or have brushed nickel or chrome fixtures they could be the problem. Allerderm sells a nickel test kit that reveals the hidden menace. I would cover my hands in eucerin put on powderless nitrile gloves and do my thing. Sweat dissolves nickel and its absorbed through the skin. I still have problems with it and am learning alot from others posts here.

I have been allergic to nickel since I was a child.

The Allerderm kit was awesome. I have had improvements already.
I have found nickel cupboard handles and my deep freezer handle and my tweezers of all thinks. I am hoping if I can stop my skin from contacting metal my food reactions will calm down.

I think I will never eat chocolate or oats again. It is a nuisance but not the end of the world.

[atvfan]

Originally Posted by countrygirl

I have been allergic to nickel since I was a child.

The Allerderm kit was awesome. I have had improvements already.
I have found nickel cupboard handles and my deep freezer handle and my tweezers of all thinks. I am hoping if I can stop my skin from contacting metal my food reactions will calm down.

I think I will never eat chocolate or oats again. It is a nuisance but not the end of the world.

Hey,
So glad to help. I know how upsetting this can be.
I've been trying the low nickel diet and it is making a difference in the few weeks so far. I was eating all the wrong things. Oatmeal,rice and beans,lots of chocolate,dried fruit and nuts,peanut butter and jelly crackers, i really miss a 1/3 glass full of honey roasted peanuts and pour a can of coke on top-yum why shrimp. Anyway steak,pizza and strawberry shortcake do help. Foodlion deli is also benefitting from all the macaroni salad and potato salad that is easy to eat.
What are you doing about the door handles? I have wrapped electrical tape on some (only thing I could think of) and replaced others. I'm still not sure about stainless things like silverware and coffee makers but real silver and cold brew coffee are next to try at home but everywhere else I don't know.

[countrygirl]

Originally Posted by atvfan

Hey,
So glad to help. I know how upsetting this can be.
I've been trying the low nickel diet and it is making a difference in the few weeks so far. I was eating all the wrong things. Oatmeal,rice and beans,lots of chocolate,dried fruit and nuts,peanut butter and jelly crackers, i really miss a 1/3 glass full of honey roasted peanuts and pour a can of coke on top-yum why shrimp. Anyway steak,pizza and strawberry shortcake do help. Foodlion deli is also benefitting from all the macaroni salad and potato salad that is easy to eat.
What are you doing about the door handles? I have wrapped electrical tape on some (only thing I could think of) and replaced others. I'm still not sure about stainless things like silverware and coffee makers but real silver and cold brew coffee are next to try at home but everywhere else I don't know.

I am not worried about stainless steel - i read a report by a Dr Sharma (I think that was his name) out of India and the nickel was not released by the stainless steel. I was worried about the element in an electric kettle and replaced it with an all stainless steel one with a hidden element.

I wrapped handles with electrical tape, painters tape and masking tape. We will change most over time. I was most surprised that my "gold pens" released nickel. Hubby said - polished brass.

I do not have much of a rash except if I contact nickel but I have ear pain, crusty eyes, sinus trouble and maybe even asthma from dietary nickel. I was eating a very high nickel diet and now I know as little a 4 almonds (red skin on) will bother me for days afterwards. My fear is it will progress to a rash. I was surprised that coconut oil gave me a nickel rash and I had to switched my electric razor to nickel free because I noticed a high nickel diet was starting to make my legs itchy

I have been trying to get my Dr to refer me to a dietitian to help me replace the nutrients not in my current diet. I ate a high fiber diet until recently.

I make a lot of my own rice pudding in the slow cooker. It is less sweet then the purchased varieties. I even mix in black rice at the end - looks kind of gross but gives me some of the phyto nutrients I am missing.

This nickel thing is a pain but there a many worse things out there. At least we know what the problem is and how to go about helping ourselves.

[atvfan]

Originally Posted by countrygirl

I am not worried about stainless steel - i read a report by a Dr Sharma (I think that was his name) out of India and the nickel was not released by the stainless steel. I was worried about the element in an electric kettle and replaced it with an all stainless steel one with a hidden element.

I wrapped handles with electrical tape, painters tape and masking tape. We will change most over time. I was most surprised that my "gold pens" released nickel. Hubby said - polished brass.

I do not have much of a rash except if I contact nickel but I have ear pain, crusty eyes, sinus trouble and maybe even asthma from dietary nickel. I was eating a very high nickel diet and now I know as little a 4 almonds (red skin on) will bother me for days afterwards. My fear is it will progress to a rash. I was surprised that coconut oil gave me a nickel rash and I had to switched my electric razor to nickel free because I noticed a high nickel diet was starting to make my legs itchy

I have been trying to get my Dr to refer me to a dietitian to help me replace the nutrients not in my current diet. I ate a high fiber diet until recently.

I make a lot of my own rice pudding in the slow cooker. It is less sweet then the purchased varieties. I even mix in black rice at the end - looks kind of gross but gives me some of the phyto nutrients I am missing.

This nickel thing is a pain but there a many worse things out there. At least we know what the problem is and how to go about helping ourselves.

Nickel seems to be in almost everything from margarine to soy products to anything hydrogenated along with alot of processed things. I think it will become worse than mercury or lead the way its being pumped into food and the environment. Once the threshold is crossed its almost impossible to avoid.

I was wrong about things I thought had no nickel and were ok to eat. You got me thinking about talking to a dietian because my rash is back on my foot. Not sure what caused it. Maybe ashes from a wood boiler or from 18 volt nickel tool batteries or is it soy or the chips I decided to eat? But like you said it could be worse! Sometimes we don't realize how blessed we really are. Thanks for the coconut tip I've been eating coconut popsicles-they were great. Bye

[RebeccaF]

This has been a great thread. A brief background on myself - I'm one of the unbearably itchy, swollen eyelids/eye area victims. I was given steroid cream that helped completely, but I can't stay on it forever. So, a few weeks ago, I went through the patch test, and nickel/cobalt was the only thing that flared up (and boy howdy, did it). Got some non-steroidal creams to try, but so far nothing is solving the problem.

I'm just starting the try the diet, but it is, as you all know, extremely difficult. It took me two hours to grocery shop, and I still think I ended up with some of the "maybe not" foods. (Question - is all vegetable oil - sunflower, safflower, canola - a "no"?)

Seems like everyone is a little different with their food allergies. I've looked around and I'm going with the Penn State diet list (I think it was mentioned). It inlcludes the usual suspects. I'm hoping that just these ingredients will do the trick and eliminate the symtoms, but if not, the suggestions here have been very informative. I'm especially mourning the loss of black tea and spinach/veggies. And I'm really not ready to give up my red wine, but... My eyes itch and hurt and are completely horrible to look at!!!

Thanks for starting this thread, Rhapsody. I'll be sure and post again if I have any significant discoveries.

[countrygirl]

Originally Posted by RebeccaF

This has been a great thread. A brief background on myself - I'm one of the unbearably itchy, swollen eyelids/eye area victims. I was given steroid cream that helped completely, but I can't stay on it forever. So, a few weeks ago, I went through the patch test, and nickel/cobalt was the only thing that flared up (and boy howdy, did it). Got some non-steroidal creams to try, but so far nothing is solving the problem.

I'm just starting the try the diet, but it is, as you all know, extremely difficult. It took me two hours to grocery shop, and I still think I ended up with some of the "maybe not" foods. (Question - is all vegetable oil - sunflower, safflower, canola - a "no"?)

Seems like everyone is a little different with their food allergies. I've looked around and I'm going with the Penn State diet list (I think it was mentioned). It inlcludes the usual suspects. I'm hoping that just these ingredients will do the trick and eliminate the symtoms, but if not, the suggestions here have been very informative. I'm especially mourning the loss of black tea and spinach/veggies. And I'm really not ready to give up my red wine, but... My eyes itch and hurt and are completely horrible to look at!!!

Thanks for starting this thread, Rhapsody. I'll be sure and post again if I have any significant discoveries.

I use mostly olive oil, canola oil and a bit of butter. No hydrogenated fats - they use nickel as a catalyst. I can't eat tomato sauce.