So it turns out I'm allergic to chocolate.

[rbnyc]

I've had years of horrible GI problems. I've spent the past few months getting biopsies, and having 50,000 pictures taken of my small intestine. Nothing was explaining my symptoms. Nothing was making sense. The doctor was very worried about esophageal cancer, but my esophagitis was so bad, he couldn't get to the tissue he needed to biopsy.

Finally he put me on this very strict diet and said if I didn't stick to it my esophagus would just swell shut.

So I went on this diet, and did not cheat (except on my birthday) and I started to feel worlds better right away.

Last couple rounds of test showed dramatic improvement. Esophagitis completely reversed, ulcers healing.

One of the things I'm not allowed to eat on my diet is chocolate.

Thinking back, it totally makes sense that I'm allergic to chocolate, but I'd never been tested for that before.

I even ended up in the emergency room once after I used a chocolate skin cream, and then ate a chocolate cake with gold frosting. We considered that it may have been the gold, but never considered the chocolate.

Well, it turns out this whole time I've been eating chocolate almost every day and my body just can't digest it. It makes me totally ill.

Anyway, I've improved so much, I don't have to go back to my GI guy for a whole year.

This is after about 4 months of seeing him almost every week.

I love chocolate, so it's kind of sad, but I'm so happy not to be sick anymore and to finally know what it is, and after all this talk about cancer and IBS and Crohn's that it's as simple as a food allergy is just fucking awesome!

So hopefully that'll be the end of my medical problem posting for a long, long, time.

Thanks for all your support through this everyone!

:hi:

[GOPisEvil]

1. Why can't you be allergic to brussell sprouts?

I'm glad you've figured out what the issue is, but it sucks that it has to be chocolate.

:hug::hi:

[rbnyc]

3. No doubt.

Hey, sorry to hear about your Thanksgiving.

:(

:hi:

[GOPisEvil]

6. Eh...it's just a day.

I'll see my folks a few days after the real day. We celebrate birthdays off-schedule, too. Last night we celebrated my mom's and her birthday isn't until Thursday. ;)

[kick-ass-bob]

2. OMG! A fate worse than death!!

I don't think I'd survive an allergy to chocolate. Mine are tree nuts and shellfish - I can live without that.

[rbnyc]

5. It's okay really!

:)

I'll be healthy now to enjoy my son, who is much sweeter than chocolate.

:loveya:

[hippywife]

4. Besides no chocolate

what does your new diet consist of? Can you have carob in place of chocolate?

[rbnyc]

7. I can have carob.

No oils (Except a little olive oil)
Nothing fried
No whole milk or cream
No ice cream
No tomatoes or citris fruit
No mint
No gum
No chocolate
No coffee
No caffiene
No alcohol
No sausage
No cold cuts
No butter or margerine
No raw fruits or vegatables after lunch
Nothing after 8 pm

I've lost 11 pounds.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. OMG now you have to be CELIBATE too?

"No sausage" :cry:

[jmm]

10. Damn, those are all my favorite food groups

In light of what you went through I'm sure giving them up can't be all that bad. I guess I'm lucky since I don't like most of the things I'm allergic too.

[AngryAmish]

18. No alcohol

I would find a very high building to jump off of.

[alarcojon]

19. I should be doing the same as you

I have bad heartburn, and I've been scoped up and down. I can definitely feel the effects shortly after ingesting chocolate. At one point, the GI gave me a list of foods to avoid a lot like yours, which I followed pretty well for a while. Now that my symptoms have greatly improved, I'll have some fried foods, ice cream, caffeine, and raw fruits and veggies, but I definitely have to watch it or I start to feel like crap.

I feel your pain, but congratulations on sticking to the diet and on the lost weight!

[rbnyc]

22. Thanks

I'd like to lose a bit more. It sure takes longer to take it off than it does to put it on. They say breastfeeding makes you lose weight, but it made me so hungry--I gained a lot! It's nice to see it start to come off.

:hi:

[alarcojon]

20. self-delete

double post.

[BikeWriter]

9. I am so thankful it wasn't something more serious, Dear!

:)

[rbnyc]

23. Hi!

I've been thinking about you so much! I didn't post in your thread because I just didn't know what to say. You've been in my heart...

I'm very glad it's not something more, and I really feel ready to do what it takes to be more healthy.

(((hugs)))

[BikeWriter]

37. Thank you for the hugs, Sweety.

Sometimes those are the best thing you can say. :hug:

[thinkingwoman]

11. I'm allergic to dairy

At least chocolate isn't in almost everything sold in stores or restaurants.

You have my sympathies though, and my advice is to find another vice (to replace the chocolate). We all need a vice. :hi:

[rbnyc]

24. Does DU Longe addiction count as a vice?

:hi:

[thinkingwoman]

25. I think it should!

LOL! :hi:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Have you gone to an allergist and had a RAST test?

The test is almost an art, but it will positively identify the substances to which you are allergic so that perhaps you won't have to follow such strict protocols.

:hug:

[rbnyc]

26. I haven't been to an allergist.

I think that's a good idea. Right now tho' I think the strict diet is really good for me, so I'm not in a hurry.

:hi:

[MissMillie]

13. Can I have your share,then?

Wow... sounds like you've been through the ringer. I'm glad you're feeling better. It must be a relief to finally know what is causing the problem.

[rbnyc]

27. I'm so happy!

Funny thing is, I just got this bad flu that's been going around. Everyone in my family has had it, and it finally go to me.

But I'm so happy that I'm not really sick. And I's so much rather work toward improving my health with diet than with some harsh pharmaceutical regime.

[Susang]

14. I'm so glad that you're feeling better!

Even if you did have to give up chocolate!. Oh, the sacrifices we make to get healthy. I've eliminated quite a few things I love from my diet as well, so I understand what you're going through. It gets easier, after awhile you don't even have the desire to eat the things that make you sick.

I'm so happy for you! :hug:

[DS1]

15. That's an expensive and painful way to find that out

I think Gold is hypoallergenic - I could've told you that for free

[rbnyc]

28. I think you're right.

It's my husband and I who wondered if it was the gold frosting. I've got to tell him that. Hope he doesn't feel as dumb as I do.

EDIT: The other thing that happened that day I ended up in the emergency room with the allergic reaction was that the neighbors hung an old rug in the stairwell.

So we were thinking mold or something from the rug and gold frosting were the only things that were unusual.

[redqueen]

16. Well I'm very glad that you're feeling better!

:hi:

But I'm very sorry that you have to give up chocolate. :(

[rbnyc]

29. Yeah, it's not like cigarettes...

...or something that I can say is really foul. Chocolate is wonderful.

Now it can be wonderful as a reminder of all the things I have to live for, so instead of eating a piece of chocolate, I notice a piece of chocolate and think about my family and my friends abd all the things I love.

...Let's see if I can keep thatup.

[Shakespeare]

17. I am both happy AND sad for you!!

But mostly happy, because that's a big relief to have that health problem diagnosed. :-)

[Canadian Socialist]

21. I am so sorry!

My advice? Kill yourself. Now. Okay, that was a very poor attempt at humour. However, at least now you know what is wrong, and it isn't that bad. (kill yourself... now). Sorry about that, sometimes my evil twin sister comes (kill yourself.... now) out. O, crap there she is again! Stop that! No... sto...

[rbnyc]

30. LOL

I think it's a fair sacrifice.

:hi:

(The chocolate, not myself!)

;-)

[flamingyouth]

31. While being allergic to chocolate sucks, I'm glad it wasn't more serious.

I remember when you first posted about all this and how scary it sounded. Glad you're feeling better! :hug:

[rbnyc]

32. Thanks.

Despite having the flu, I feel awesome!

[XemaSab]

33. Bummer.

I found out i was allergic to tomatoes a few years ago and i am a whole different person now.

A very angry, bitter person with nothing to live for. :(























:P

[rbnyc]

35. LOL

:hi:

[Jamastiene]

34. Oh, I hate to hear that and I'm glad you will be feeling better, if

that makes any sense. I hate to hear you cannot have chocolate, but I am glad you'll be feeling better, because you'll know what caused it.

[Pithlet]

36. I'm happy for you

I'm sure after that cancer scare, it must be a relief. It sucks to not be able to eat things you like, but I'd take that over cancer any day. And, no matter the results, it's always good to know after so long wondering what the health issue is and knowing that you're finally going to feel better! :hug:

[rbnyc]

38. Exactly!

Thanks so much!

:)

[progmom]

39. WOW!

Damn...what a relief!! I mean...giving up chocolate sucks...but damn! :hug:

[rbnyc]

41. I know! I'm so happy!

I wish I didn't have the flu right now or I'd be doing cartwheels!

[indigo32]

40. Wow

I'm really glad you figured out what the heck was going on finally, and that it wasn't more serious. :hug:

I can't say I'd be happy about giving up chocolate though :scared:

Did they do an actual test for it? Howed you figure it out after going on that diet (which surely meant giving other things up as well)

[rbnyc]

42. Well, the time I cheated, I cheated with chocolate and got really sick.

And I'd tried variations of the same diet before but had never given up chocolate. It was really just deduction. I think I will go to an actual allergist at some point, but for now I'm just so happy that I feel so much better and that my system is healing. I had ulcers like lines in the road from top to bottom throughout my whole digestive system.

But just looking back at my whole history, chocolate is the most consistent culprit. And my doctor agrees, I should avoid it.

[LynzM]

43. I'm glad you've got it figured out....

While that's a sucky thing to have to be allergic to, what a relief to know what's going on, and be able to avoid it!