I'm allergic to poultry!!!

Oh good, I thought I was a mutant or something; but glad to see I'm not alone in my weird allergies!  Same thing happens to me with chicken, turkey and both fish; shell and regular.  But I can have eggs.  No habla what's up with that.  hahaha.  I have a million other allergies as well.  can't have mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.  allergic to penicillin, benadryl, reglan, and the list goes on and on.... yet "oddly" I am NOT allergic to peanuts or pet dander.  haha.  I read somewhere that people have said when we have allergies it's because our "thymus" is jacked.  I wonder if I can have mine yanked out; if that would help.  haha.   and yeah, like the other poster stated, be careful with frozen foods and such.  I used to love to get tostinos' pizza rolls, but would get sick eating them.  then I looked further at the ingredients and saw they use chicken to make their pepperoni?!?  :(  i found an "off" brand like zap ems or something that uses real pepperoni.  anywho, just wanted to say yall aren't alone.  take care.

My son Marc has exactly the same condition- the allergy specialist said its the protein strings in Chicken, turkey and Tuna - your description is exactly what happens to him . This came on about 4 years ago , he too used to eat chicken with no problems , but once he started reacting that was it - no more Chicken Turkey or Tuna . The allergy specialist thoght that scientists were not far away from fixing nut allergies and from there it should be just a tweak to fix other allergies - we can only hope !

I know that this is an old thread, but I thought I should mention my own case since we think we've reached a cause:

I had no food allergies my entire life. Never liked turkey, but chicken was my primary protien source. Around age 30, I suddenly started getting sick on an irregular basis when I would eat. It continued to escalate until finally I was hospitalized with a full anyphalactic reaction.

So let me back up a little bit. A few years prior I had started getting acid reflux. No big deal, my physician had me start taking Zantac. A couple of years later was when my allergies started.

It turns out that Zantac (and other H2 blockers) disrupts the stomach's ability to break down protein. In turn, that protein passes through to the lower digestive system, where your body identifies it as a threat. (If you are interested, its even documented on the wikipedia page about the drug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranitidine#Adverse_effects ).

Long story short, the odds are extremely good that the drug caused my poultry allergy. I never would have known if it weren't for working with a very good epidemiologist that I work with who took a case history and ran down the drug side effects.

All my best to everyone else trying to manage the no poultry diet. Its a tough one. Now I itch even if people around me are eating poultry (or they are roasting those birds in the check-out display at the store). I don't know if that's in my head or not, but I feel like I am often running from the blasted birds.

Hi all.

Adding my symptoms to the list. Been watching this thread over the years and hopeful that one day there will be a solution to this problem.

30 year old male from England. Also allergic to morphene and opiods. No other food allergies, although I think I may be developing allergy to shellfish, I don't like it so rarely eat it.

Since I was a young child have been unable to eat chicken, turkey or any poultry. I can eat eggs no problem. For me the stock is the worst, if it is in a soup the reaction is very strong - I have to be very careful when ordering soups. Turkey is what I am most allergic to. I would love to be able to eat chicken as it is a healthy source of protein.

I get the same reactions most get: Very strong upper indigestion feeling, tightening of the chest, sticky saliva no relief for around an hour. Sipping water helps. Having read advice about taking benadryl I try and keep these handy incase I need to pop one quickly.

I have noticed that in the last few years I get the reaction less frequently when eating by mistake - like in a restaurant, badly labelled food. I wonder if I am growing out of the problem? I have a theory below:

I think there is some truth in the prior posts about it being related to antibiotics/drugs given to the chickens that cause the problem. Since the 1980s there was a push towards increased food production at lower cost = modified food sources. I find it interesting many of the people who have this problem are born from the 1980s onwards. However it may be that the "younger" generation are heavier Internet users and older people are less likely to post online so my thoughts on it being a modern problem may be false.

I think that in recent years there has been more transparancy with food sources and a more free range organic approach - if you're willing to pay the price. I spend a lot of time in Eastern Europe where the growing of animals, espcially chickens is totally free range and the birds aren't grown at the lowest price to be made into mcnuggets and pumped full of meds.

I am sure I have eaten chicken and stock by mistake in the last few years over here but I have yet to have a reaction when eating a variety of sausages and soup that normally get bulked out with chicken.

One day I will pluck up the courage - excuse the pun, and go down the farm and wring a country bird's neck and cook up a chicken dinner and see how I go.

Good luck to all with this annoying affliction.

so am i :(

I also have an intolerance to poultry I get hives and skin problems if I eat the meat or eggs it took a long time to figure it out. I was vegetarian since I was 14 and tried eating meat around 28 years old and had the reaction

No family members have it that I know of. Im not skinny and I found I was unable to lose weight while eating it.

My husband (38 years old) has been allergic to poultry (not eggs) with anaphylactic reactions since he was a small boy. When people say how weird it is, he usually responds with, "Well, I don't eat anything fowl/foul." (implying they eat foul food, which is most likely true, since most poultry is polluted with poor farming and factory practices.) About 10 years ago, he also came to the conclusion that he should try the hormone and antibiotic free chicken, so I bought some from a health food store. Unfortunately, after the first bite, he knew that wasn't an option. I was so bummed because I miss chicken (and Thanksgiving turkey.)

In the past 3 years, we have been eating a cleaner diet. We eliminated all GMO corn, soy, wheat, all processed sugars and artificial sweeteners. We eat mostly organic vegetables and fruits, organic nuts, grass fed/grass finished beef (and dairy, yes raw milk, yum), forest ranged pork, pasture ranged chicken eggs, and sometimes wild fish. After eating this way for 8 weeks, he added wheat back in and found out that he has a non-Celiac gluten sensitivity, which sounds mild but isn't at all. These food allergies pushed me to do a LOT of research. Now, I know things that I wish I could un-know, but once you know, you can't go back. When we do eat at restaurants, I can't enjoy it like I used to because I know what's in the food and frankly, it doesn't taste as good as it used to, which is a real disappointment because I don't like to cook.

I'm very curious about those who have had good experience with organic chicken. Did you buy it from a trusted farmer, at a farmers market, from a trusted butcher? Because labels don't have to report everything, I don't always trust labels. For example, organic, antibiotic free, hormone free chicken from Whole Foods still says "vegetarian fed only", which means to me that the chickens aren't free-range, where they can get out and eat the bugs like they are supposed to (which is what makes their yolks bright yellow, providing high vitamin D3, A, and K2, the trifecta of health.) (I told you that I've researched a lot, and that I know too much.)

I'm curious about this double enzyme thing. (Oh, great, something else for me to research.)

Here's what I do know. My husband read (several years ago) that a poultry allergy is a protein allergy, which makes sense because most food allergies are protein allergies. However, did you know that chickpeas (also known as garbonzo beans) have the same protein marker as poultry? My husband found this out the hard way. I had bought some hummus (which is chickpeas and avocado mix) for us to try, since it is considered a health food. He ate a bite and said, "tasty", ate another bite and said, "can't breathe." Of course, he was convinced that chicken was left off of the labeling until he did some research and found about the same protein marker. I also find it interesting that some of you are also allergic to avocado, since that is also in hummus. Coincidence?

I also find it interesting that some of you are also allergic to bananas, fish, and legumes. My husband doesn't like either, so who knows if that is instinct or coincidence? He used to eat canned tuna until I quit buying it because most have soy in them. We do still eat fish on occasion because I whine that I'm deprived poultry, so he gives in about once a month. Now, several of you have me concerned that this could be a potentially developing allergy, so I'll be on watch for it. Chickpeas are also a legume. Hmm.

Alright, who would buy a cookbook that is poultry free? ME! Who would read a blog from a poultry free life? Who would join a Facebook group to discuss more about a poultry free life? These are things I've been considering for awhile, now. Let me know if you're interested.

I am allergic to chicken, eggs and feathers. I can relate.

beachbacon77, it sounds like you're suffering from Eosinophilic Esophagitis, sometimes described as a feeling of food stacking up in the esophagus, as my son tells me. It's related to food allergies. Look it up. They are still trying to figure it out, but you can find relief.

I have the same issue and symptoms with birds and was tested. Allergic to fish but not to shell fish.

Hello, I'm 21 and I've been to allergic to chicken and turkey my whole, assuming all poultry, or at that anything with a wing, which is funny because my last name is Wing. I can have any kind of egg though and be completely fine. My mom is allergic to eggs, only gets a stomach ache, and can poultry. She's also allergic to garlic, avocado, and pineapple. Anyways, if a chef uses the same utensils to flip my steak over and a chicken over, and I eat my steak unknowingly that the chef slightly cross contaminated, then I can tell within a minute something isn't right. My throat swells up a bit, my saliva gets thick, and at 3 minutes in you can find me over a toilet throwing up, my allergy is that bad. The faster it gets out, the shorter the reaction is. However, I will still feel sick for about 6 hours. Jack in the Box tacos have poultry meat in them and I found out the hard way. I get sick from their tacos for about 16 hours. I once even tried a free range turkey to see if it was anything schiesty corporations were putting in, but sadly I still got sick. I don't see myself growing out of it ever.

I am allergic to poultry but can eat eggs I was told not to have flu shots because the serum is grown in embryo chicks !

I'm 4, originally from OH and have been allergic to poultry as long as I can remember...interesting to read that you all have the same issues. We should all get together to celebrate Thanksgiving in a turkey-free house.:)

Hey I thought I was the only one with this condition and had this problem since birth if there's anyone out there who can explain it to me Id be greatful