A 21-year-old member asked:
i am allergic to chicken, pork, beef, clam, egg, soy, barley, oat, cashew, brazil nut, and english walnut. could i have a protein intolerance?
6 doctor answers • 18 doctors weighed in
Dr. Colin Kerr answered
Family Medicine 44 years experience
Protein intoleerance: Protein intolerance is an inability to metabolize or digest certain proteins. It is not an allergy. Thus, having allergic reactions to the multiple substances you mention would have nothing to do with protein intolerance. Allergies usually cause itching and rashes, sometimes wheezing. Protein intolerance tends to cause malabsorption of food, weight loss, nausea, weakness, etc.
5938 views
Dr. Ankush Bansal answered
Internal Medicine 17 years experience
No: First, you can't be intolerant of proteins in general, only to some here & there. Second, i find it hard to believe that you are truly allergic to all of these things. An allergy is a specific immune reaction (e.g. Difficulty breathing, swelling, rash, & other well-defined symptoms). If, for example, you just get vomitting, mild stomach ache, or watery diarrhea, then you are intolerant only.
5938 views
Dr. Ankush Bansal commented
Internal Medicine 17 years experience
Provided original answer
Get an allergy test for all these things to see if you're truly allergic. If so, you have some very bad luck.
Mar 30, 2012
Dr. Pam Yoder answered
Specializes in Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Q for Allergists, GI: Thank you for providing additional information in the comments to prior answers. I will share this with some additional specialists and subspecialists on our site.
5902 views
Dr. Arthur Heller answered
Gastroenterology 43 years experience
What kind of allergy: Prick, blood tests not very accurate re: food allergies. Neg tests exclude an immune reaction (true allergy), but pos tests have less value. Best test is a double-blind food challenge (neither tester nor pt know which is which, until code is cracked at end of test); cumbersome.This excludes about 90% of "allergies". Other blood tests can be used, not "live-cell"-bogus, no "applied kinesiology".
5898 views
Dr. Irwin Berkowitz commented
Specializes in Pediatrics
depending on the seriousness of the allergy, food challenge may need to be done in an medical office prepared to treat anaphylaxis.
Apr 19, 2012
Dr. Pam Yoder commented
Specializes in Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Thanks, Drs Heller and Berkowitz.
Apr 19, 2012
A Verified Doctor answered
A US doctor answered Learn more
Symptoms or + test?: If you are having symptoms with the foods that you named but haven't been tested, you should be tested by a board certified allergist to help you confirm if you are allergic. If you have not had any symptoms, but only have had a + test, you may still not be allergic to the food. I would recommend consultation with an allergist to help you work through this.
5846 views
Dr. Kristin Sokol answered
Allergy and Immunology 12 years experience
Please see allergist: It would be very uncommon to be truly allergic to all of these foods. See an allergist for further diagnosis and management. An oral food challenge is the gold standard for diagnosing food allergies.
1039 views
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