Intolerances and sensitivity to medication ... Does anyone experience this?

[Alesia]

Just wondering if anyone with B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia has experienced a sudden intolerance/sensitivity to foods, medications or supplements at all?

Best wishes

Alesia

[topazrat]

I've been hospitalized due to both photo toxic and anaphylactic reactions to drugs. One, I had been taking for a few months before I had the reaction.

I now have to limit consumption of my favourite wine, because more than one glass and I start sneezing and wheezing. Baked beans, I've always eaten, but just lately they make my mouth and tongue swell - don't know if they've changed something in the recipe or not. Kiwi, I used to eat, but now they make my lips burn, the same with plaice.

It has made me very wary of trying anything new, both drugs and food, just in case I react to it.

[Alesia in reply to topazrat]

Thank you topazrat that is very interesting! Did this start when you became B12 deficient?

[topazrat in reply to Alesia]

Difficult to say really, as I had symptoms for 25 years before diagnosis. But I don't remember having reactions before that, other than a reaction when I went out in the sun. I remember being able to eat anything and take any meds without a problem. The reactions seem to have got worse the older I get. Both my parents have P.A. and they don't seem to have a problem with reactions, so who knows.

[dragonfly5465 in reply to topazrat]

I'm also allergic to kiwi, every little crack on my mouth opens up and bleeds and all along my teeth, like if you brush to hard.

I've had bad side affects to medication for both blood pressure and migraine, but I don't think I was allergic.

I've never been good with milk, but could eat cheese, but now I can't eat any dairy.

I have problems with multiple foods, possible histamine intolerance, but this is something most doctors don't recognise. if I follow a low histamine low tyramin diet I stop getting swollen hands and feet, my blood pressure goes down and I get less migraines.

also can't have MSG (bad migraine and swollen hands), or aspartame,this stuff affects my brain badly, bad brain fog, and part of my brain is working to fast while another part is too slow, I get very mixed up and confused. msg is usually labelled under different names, about 20, so anything that says yeast extract or natural flavoring can sometimes be msg.

[Alesia in reply to dragonfly5465]

I too seem to have a problem with dairy now

[pvanderaa]

Have you looked at gluten or dairy or sunlight issues? After i started on B12, symptoms appeared. They may have been there first and were not recognized until i started on B12.

[Alesia in reply to pvanderaa]

Yes have been tested for everything and tried Paleo diet for months with no benefit at all except more weight loss which I really didn't need ... Not sure about the sunlight? I seem to be ok in it but have noticed bright light tends to affect my eyes much more now

[pitney]

I suddenly started to react to blood pressure medication and flu jab , then a month ago had a very bad reaction to a bee sting (but 6 days after it happened) arm swollen from wrist to elbow, bright red and hot, running a temperature and felt really unwell, was put on antihistamine and antibiotics for a week. Had never reacted to stings like that before.

[Alesia in reply to pitney]

Oh that sounds awful a sting is never nice but to do that to you!

[JanD236]

Yes. I had anaphylaxis after eating a peach, a few months before being diagnosed with PA.

The allergy specialist tested my gastric parietal cell antibodies which were positive and concluded that my stomach produced insufficient acid to digest the protein in the peach. I have a true allergy to birch tree pollen and peach protein is bio identical to this. When the undigested peach protein reached my gut my immune system had a massive over reaction.

I now avoid all foods with bio identical proteins to birch tree pollen. I also take betaine HCL with protein based meals generally and this has helped ease bloating and digestive discomfort.

[Alesia in reply to JanD236]

Gosh that's quite worrying Jan! Anaphylaxis from a peach! Something so simple and supposedly good for you... What on earth has happened to our bodies to get this reaction?

[JanD236 in reply to Alesia]

Lack of acid in our stomach!

[Hidden]

At about the time I suspect my B12 deficiency took hold I suddenly developed a strong dislike for red wines. As a regular presenter of wines to a wine club this was quite embarrassing as it showed up one evening when I was extremely rude about an expensive wine the chairman presented, it was also his son's favourite, a £17 South African Pinotage - I said in made me think it was diluted dog mess or perhaps compost heap drainings and was the worst wine I had ever tasted; I wasn't mincing my words although I will admit there was a degree of pleasure in it as I was not exactly over impressed with the chairman. It was some time before I was diagnosed as B12 deficient during which this problem extended to every red wine, bar one, and so I eventually gave up presenting and also membership of the club after 20 odd years. The only way I can drink red wines is if they are diluted with lemonade, and lemonade of the very cheapest type. There is still one exception and that is a blend a small vineyard I know in a tiny village in Schwabia produces and we have just drunk our last bottle.

I am now resigned to not being able to drink red wines or most beers but ciders, which I have always liked, have taken their place, alongside cloudy wheat beers as made in Germany and Canada.

Many people I know have taken a dislike to red wines, with the exception of such rich sweet varieties like Port or Mavrodaphni of Patras, as they have grown older so perhaps the high sugar content is masking the bitterness for them. Also I know of a couple them who have also developed B12 deficiency in their older years. Who knows, perhaps this could be another indicator of a potential problem or even one we have missed.

[Alesia in reply to Hidden]

If only I could drink anything! I can't tolerate alcohol at all anymore water is about all I can drink now and even that burns my stomach most days! Although I'm sure if I could drink alcohol I would probably drink too much to numb this feeling of dying everyday haha

[Dani82]

Yes this had happened to me too..... strange isn't it! I dnt like to take any Med's now

[Alesia in reply to Dani82]

Yes it's bizzare .. I used to eat drink take meds supplements anything with no problems at all and now my body doesn't like anything

[Frodo]

Yes and it changes which is difficult, eg I was fine with soya and then began to react badly. Alcohol intolerance has been going on for years now - I don't even try and drink but that's no hardship. I hope I don't develop an adverse reaction to B12 itself!

[Alesia in reply to Frodo]

Yep same here as post above, keeps changing all the time which is quite worrying!