Allergic to chocolate? <thud!>

Allergic to chocolate? <thud>

My allergic reactions are various. A skin rash on the face and/or wrists is a really common one. I get that from eating mildly allergenic things or from a contact or environmental allergy. It can also come as one of many symptoms in a more severe reaction.

Itchy or dry throat and tongue is often my first allergy signal. Facial rash, especially being all puffy and red, often follows close behind. Sometimes the rash waits a bit, or comes without the itchy throat, just to shake things up a little. Sometimes it concentrates in my eyes, sometimes more on the cheeks.

Sometimes, for some people, a rash can show up days after exposure to an allergen, making it difficult to pinpoint the source. Fortunately or unfortunately, most of my reactions are immediate, but everyone's system works differently.

Anyway, since chocolate is not one of my strongest allergies, it mostly makes me thirsty. If I only have a teeny bit, my throat itches a little, and my body wants to flush out the allergen by drinking more water. I also sometimes get a rash or acne, which lingers for a few days. Believe it or not, (have I told you this before?) I had severe and painful cystic acne until I stopped drinking coffee. I never made the connection until after I stopped drinking it, and my skin cleared up.

I never knew before that that cystic acne could be caused by allergies, but I figured out that I had started drinking coffee regularly right around the same time my acne started. And it persisted right through hardcore treatments. And it disappeared completely as soon as I stopped drinking coffee. (I stopped drinking it when I noticed other signs that I was developing an allergy. My skin noticed it nine or ten years before my throat did!)

I would suggest eliminating chocolate for a while and seeing if it gets better. And if you can possibly afford it, go to a good allergist. You may find a surprising allergy lurking somewhere that you can work on eliminating or treating.

Rae - I know!

Mcat - thanks for dropping in and for the good onfo. I get an acne rash that is almost un-noticable to other people. It doesn't really itch, but my skin is kind of tender for a couple days. I'm going to try a couple of things. My housemate says she had a mild reaction to one type of potting soil. So, I'll eat chocolate one week and try not to use the potting soil that week. Then I'll reverse the two. Can't afford to see an allergist.

Interesting point about the coffee. My acne was worst when my coffee intake was the highest.

I'm at that age where I started my hairloss, but retain by youthful acne.

Saw a comedian say that...funny stuff.

I had mentioned this on the caffeine thread. Although I am not allergic to chocolate, I AM sensitive to the caffeine in it. When I eat too much, I start getting a pounding headache!

slappy, I had age lines and acne for a few years. No fun.

Phoenix - yuck! Glad I don't get headaches anymore.