“Questions about food allergies and the oral food challenge test”
Three years ago, I developed an allergic reaction to scallops and mussels. The first time I ate them (probably ate 2 mussels and a few scallops or so), I developed an irritated throat, swelling in the eyes, and mild to moderate breathing problems about a few hours later.
The next time I ate them, my reaction was more severe as I ate more mussels and scallops. After about nearly 5 hours or so, I began to feel faint and that I could not breathe properly (had to sit in front of a fan at full blast to be able to breathe).
So far, I am fine with eating all other types of shellfish; crabs, shrimps, squid, lobsters...etc.
I wanted to try and do an oral food challenge with oysters. This is because I found out that some of the food I ate outside (beef chow fun) sometimes contain oyster sauce and that I have no issues eating it. Also, I am traveling to Southeast Asia in the next few weeks, and I needed to know whether I can tolerate them (I am aware that they tend to use oyster sauce a lot in their dishes). Hence, I wanted to know whether I could only be allergic to scallops and mussels only but not oysters.
Overall, is it safe for me to do an oral food challenge at home while taking all safety precautions? In terms of safety precautions, I have an EpiPen and antihistamines, I can ask people to supervise me, and I live close to a hospital.
The next time I ate them, my reaction was more severe as I ate more mussels and scallops. After about nearly 5 hours or so, I began to feel faint and that I could not breathe properly (had to sit in front of a fan at full blast to be able to breathe).
So far, I am fine with eating all other types of shellfish; crabs, shrimps, squid, lobsters...etc.
I wanted to try and do an oral food challenge with oysters. This is because I found out that some of the food I ate outside (beef chow fun) sometimes contain oyster sauce and that I have no issues eating it. Also, I am traveling to Southeast Asia in the next few weeks, and I needed to know whether I can tolerate them (I am aware that they tend to use oyster sauce a lot in their dishes). Hence, I wanted to know whether I could only be allergic to scallops and mussels only but not oysters.
Overall, is it safe for me to do an oral food challenge at home while taking all safety precautions? In terms of safety precautions, I have an EpiPen and antihistamines, I can ask people to supervise me, and I live close to a hospital.
Female | 22 years old
1 Answer
It is NOT safe to do an oral food challenge at home with your history. Find a local allergist who will assess you and order blood tests or perform skin prick tests to the foods in question before considering an oral challenge.
