Diagnosed with a potato allergy

I know this is a very old thread but I thought I'd add in my problems with potato and potato starch. I have totally different problems to other folk and I've not yet come across anyone who is the same as me. If I eat potato I can stay 100% awake all night and I have little ridiculous "hallucinations" during the night. I'm definitely not asleep. My head simply won't let me sleep no matter how tired I get. If I eat potato starch I can take hours to get to sleep and then I wake up at least 15 times per night. It take 5 nights for the effects to wear off. Obviously I get extremely tired from this problem. I don't seem to have any problems with other members of the nightshade family except I sometimes get hives if I over indulge on tomatoes. I find potato starch in all sorts of intriguing food items so I don't eat much processed food at all. Potato starch is often found in tablets as a filler ingredient so before I can take any tablets I have to go through the lengthy process of finding out if their is any potato starch in the inactive tablet ingredients. If anyone else has the unusual, weird reactions that I have with potato/starch I would love to get in contact. My name is Jean. I'll monitor this thread and will endeavour to reply to anyone who has the same issues as me.

Hi, I know this is old but perhaps you still will get this.

I have an anaphylactic allergy to potatoes, so cutting them all out is a big deal. Some answers here are guessing, some are copying and pasting what they've found on the web, and some are correct but offer no further info or don't explain it very well. I'll do my best, and I'm still always finding new info as well.

First, when you want to know about a product, call the company and ask them. Make sure you've done your homework first and ask a specific and directed question. Like, don't ask "is there potato in this" because they don't know. Ask "I see that there is maltodextrin in this product, which can be derived from corn, rice, potato, etc. I'm hoping to find out if it may contain potato". Let them know you don't have to know NOW because most companies will have to submit a product information request. Ask them if they can submit your question to quality (QA team) or the lab for review. The first person you talk to is almost always looking at a product info sheet that is general for ingredients, as in "hey this can be made from a few things" and they don't have access to what is in that specific item. Some places use multiple suppliers and can't be sure what ends up in your product. There will be disappointment.

Now, using this method helps especially if you get contacts at a manufacturer of the base parts. For example, I know what vitamin A palmitate is (retinol palmitate) and was confused how it could contain potato. I've contacted multiple labs that produce it for foods and they do not use potato in the process, nor does the composition of vitamin a palmitate have anything to do with potato at all.

Some have mentioned yeast. This is a valid concern. And honestly one of the hardest, as most companies won't give the name of their suppliers out. Some will, and some will reach out to them once you explain the situation! For example, Sara Lee bread assured me the only use Red Star yeast. Red Star/Le Saf yeast does not use potato anywhere at all. Another big name, Fleischmann's, doesn't culture the yeast with potato, but they use potato in their separator before fermentation. Some companies use potato sugars to feed the yeast, that's the biggest concern. So when baking, use Red Star. When shopping, call and expect to find only one out of 10 being something you can for sure have.

Another hidden one is lactic acid. And lactic acid is also used in creating other things ending in lactate, like sodium lactate and sodium stearol lactylate. These can be made from potato. I've had one company say they think it's only produced from animal sources. That's not true or even the most common. Case in point, Panda Express uses lactic acid in some sauces, like their Sweet Chili sauce. All lactic acid they use in their product is potato. All of it. But they only use corn for their modified food starch.

Food starches and all broths can contain potato. Again, many places will specifically only use corn, but some will be unsure. Velveeta uses three plant sources and has no way to track which boxes may be potato. Others like Just Mayo only use corn.

Dextrose IS SAFE. It is such a broken down sugar it is safe. Dextrins, on the other hand, are not. Check all dextrin, anything that ends in dextrin.

Some sugar alcohols are not safe. I learned this after being knocked unconscious by a few low sugar oatmeal cookies that contained maltitol. It was derived from potato, ouch.

Other items, like baking soda, flour, etc, are only a concern in packaged items, because they don't say what type they used. When purchasing baking soda or flour, just read the label and it will say if it contains potato.

If you find a company to inquire with, it's worth noting that any potato flour use on site can be an issue. The people on the floor are working with thousands of pounds of materials per vat when making things like yeast. It may say they need 20 bags of rice flour for this batch, but they empty the pallet and only had 18. Often enough, they will grab whatever is next to them, could be potato starch, for the last two bags instead of going over to the dock or storage to get more. They don't report it and since it's not the norm, you won't find out from a call. That's why Red Star is great - they don't use potato at all on their lines.

So anyways, I hope that helps. It takes a lot of calling and practice. If someone can't help, call back for another person or scratch it off your list. Keep a list, and numbers, and call back once a year because things change. Any time you see a package update like a new design on the box or bag, check the ingredients. Just Mayo changed last month and the ingredients now say starches instead of just starch. Called to verify, luckily they use two starches now but neither are potato.

I'd be glad to keep in touch on some other media to share safe foods and all that with anyone in this sad boat. I have experience in chemical production so I know my way around finding the ingredients contents. If you're so inclined, an instant pot, bread maker, etc go a long way if you just make your own food from whole foods once or twice a week.

Also forgot to mention, prescription and OTC meds. All Tylenol and ibuprofen tablets have potato starch (they use multiple sources, one bottle may be fine, the next is not). Get gel caps and stuff read those inactive ingredients too. If you get an Rx and it contains potato your insurance or doctor will gladly change the Rx to a liquid form that likely doesn't have it, or you can check the brands of generic at other pharmacies to find a safe one.

Hi I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 10 years ago and then found out hAve potato allergy.. It's hard cutting it all out but yes my Fibro is loads better. My allergy is burning red face, need pint of water and next day I can't do anything as feel like had flu and Fibro is horrendous. I am finding out that I am so sensitive that even yeast grown on potato broth and also if anything cooked in same fryer as chips, keep going and look out for other members of the family. If I am in a smoky environment my Fibro is worse.. I'm still experimenting with tomatoes. Good luck.

Oh wow Jean.. Thank you very much. I am allergic to potato, it is getting more sensitive. Yesterday evening I reacted at yeast extract, just one of those things it's obvious because within seconds my face starts to burn and go red.. It was the only ingredient ... But this is the interesting thing. I woke in the middle of the night with terrible nightmares.. I have nightmares on and off but thanks to you I will now monitor and see if it coincides with a reaction. My husband says I was asleep but as far as I was concerned since I had the nightmare I was awake the rest of the night... I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia and at the beginning I used to have nights when I couldn't sleep but I was exhausted.. What I didn't know was that sustaining diet of the only thing I could do for myself baked potato and baked beans was the worst thing I could eat. It took a change of medication to a different brand that had potato in it and me in hospital with an anaphylactic reaction from it... Good luck and thank very useful information for me. I hope others will find it helpful too.

I'm still finding out things all the time. I can eat bacon but I can't eat those diced bacon pieces we see in the supermarkets because they have potato starch in them. It's quite weird what foods contain it. A couple of weeks ago I realized that when I ate a small amount of tomato I wasn't getting hives like I normally do. So, silly me began eating them again about a week ago. They are straight from our garden and delicious. Sure enough my hives issue still isn't anything like what it used to be but the last few nights my sleep has been horrendous. So, as of today, no more tomatoes for me and we'll see if my sleep improves. I'll now be like a zombie for a few days until the effects wear off. It generally takes 5 nights for effects to wear off for me.

Hello. I have been allergic to potatoes for almost 20 years. I am turning 46 soon.
It started immediately after I gave birth to my 3rd child, literally in the hospital when I went to eat my breakfast which had hash browns.
Since then over the years I got more and more sensitive. I have to read every thing I eat, even re-reading stuff because ingredients change constantly without warning.
Here are some things that have triggered me to an attack: ginger in a dish at an Asian restaurant. An innocent hamburger from McDonoads on a road trip because they recently changed their small hamburger bun which now contains potato flour. All store bough Orange juice because even though they don’t list it, they add potato water to it to thicken it. All store bought shredded cheese (potato starch added) so I bought an electric shredder and shred my own cheese. Most cereals (even Cream of Wheat) because they have Vitamin A palmate which is potato. All lo-fat dairy items because potato is added to them so I get whole milk yogurt, milk, ricotta cheese, etc. I avoid most store bought baked goods and breads but there’s a very few that I do buy that I always re-read the labels on. Most toothpastes (they too have potato added so currently I’m using Crest 3D white Brilliance). I avoid all Vodka even though it’s a very few that are still made with potato.
Biggest challenges are medicines both script and OTC as there’s potato added as a thickener but there’s a very helpful website called Pillbox and you pull it up by typing Pillbox.NLM.NIH.GOV
Then once on that site you can search for pills that don’t have a certain ingredient (potato). This has been very useful as Drs don’t seem to take this serious or even know about meds having additives. It’s truly annoying. You have to be your own life saver. Also anything fried in restaurants as they reuse grease that was most likely previously used to fry fries. Avoid Pizza as they use packaged shredded mozzarella which has potato added. Unless you get a Margarita Pizza where there’s sliced mozzarella which works for me in some places but still a concern with what their dough is made with. Store bought fresh chicken because a lot of them are pumped up with broth and that broth contains potato so I try to not get chicken with more than 5% added as a lot of them have surprisingly 10%. or 15% added. I do a majority of my grocery shopping at Aldi and I have had much luck with their products. They have a line of products called Never Any that is free from additives, nitrates and fillers. I can’t eat tuna in cans if the label states broth added. I also cannot use most packaged seasonings because there’s other words that mean potato and I haven’t figured them all out yet. Some of the main ones are Maltodextrin or Dextrose from potato so you have to call each company and ask what their Dextrose is from ( it could be corn, wheat, rice or potato).
Candy!! Usually there’s potato starch especially in gummy ones. I almost died eating so many things. It’s horrible. It’s a very hard food to avoid and it makes me angry when people say, “ohhhh just don’t eat fries or chips!”. I wish it was that easy but it’s totally not! I also get a reaction just from the air, for example, running into a fast food restaurant to use the restroom and coming out with hives, simply because potatoes are fried there and it’s in the air, literally.

I am so glad I came across this post and replies! There is so much great info here and some stuff I had no idea is potato makes so much sense with how I’ve felt after eating/drinking some things. My potato allergy has at least helped me clean up my diet and eat healthier.

Hi. Not sure if you already know you now, but most sausages and burger patties use potato starch as a binder.

Hey Kate,
I suffer from the same food intolerance and symptoms. I get sever pain in my ond SI joint which creates debilitating pain when I try to walk. It’s frustrating when it gets to that point but eating out and bad snacking always leads me in that direction. Although it has only been a year since I have been diasgnosed, I do know that when I fast completely, only water, the pain seems to disappear. However, I can’t live on fasting forever, but instead just need to eat cleaner and be patient with the healing. Thanks for sharing your story. Anna

There are a lot of alcoholic beverages that are made with potatoes one way or another. The biggest is Vodka

I found out I have a potato allergy but did not know what it really meant. My allergies just evolved from every thing outside to some food allergies the a life threatening emergency Thanksgiving of 2016 and as vegetarian protein is gotten from nuts and other ways I almost died from a sudden but allergy, and later found out I had a shellfish and potato allergy as well. I went from walking 8 miles a day 6 days a week to debilitating pain in my joints with no explanation, stomach pain, diarrhea, feeling like I was going to pass out and vomiting. It was when I started to look into the potatoe allergy that I got a real education. The allergist that tested me was not completely upfront about what to avoid with the potatoe allergy that is really frustrating. All this time I thought it was as simple as not eating potatoes only to find out no it is not. And it is also a rare allergy as well.

Sounds like you are reacting to solanine.

Jake White213442 = Simpleton

I am severely allergic to Potatoes too. Potatoes are an "uncommon allergy", so the FDA does not require disclosure regarding possible cross-contamination, which sucks but it's the world we live in. Common spelled-out sources: potato, potato flour, potato flakes, and potato starch. Places these appear, spice blends, premade seasoning, pre-made soups, stocks, and bullion, gluten-free baked goods and flour blends ( avoid gluten-free generally), yeast (except Red star), Iodized salt, shredded cheese, pierogi, gnocchi, and vodka the list goes on.

Other ingredients you need to watch out for on food labels. These ingredients can be made with potato but it will not always be disclosed, Modified food starch unless a specific derivative is specified, anything vegetable that doesn't spell out the ingredients (oil, broth, etc), dextrose, Vitamin A Palmate, Vitamin B, MSG, and Natural Flavors (particularly in savory items), also potato is a common filler in new clothing and fabric starch, wash new clothes before wearing them, and read labels on your household items too.

READ LABELS CAREFULLY!!! Manufacturers will change how they make products, so something that is "safe" may not be the next time you want to purchase it. Always read the label!

Some wonderful substitutes to make your friend: Cassava, yucca, and tapioca (all the ways), Jicama ( my go-to for "fries". they are great ketchup), Cauliflower, Parsnips, turnips, and yams make nice substitutes for in recipes. Mashed Parsnips are my favorite to eat with gravy. I love sweet potato, and Plantain chips are great substitutes for potato Chips.

Restaurants are where I get "Poisoned" most frequently, so enter that realm with care, and stick to your go-tos trying new things leads to trouble. Panera has an excellent allergy ingredient list but uses a lot of potatoes as filler in their food. Mexican restaurants are generally the safest option and provide the most choice ( they use a lot of corn and yucca), but beware of the cheese. Taco Bell is not Safe!

Best of Luck!