Hi everyone. I’m feeling overwhelmed and could really use some perspective. This is going to be a bit long.
I developed an egg allergy about a year ago at 29, and I’ve already had a rice allergy for ~10 years. Egg has been way harder mentally. At home I can manage, but outside the house it’s exhausting and stressful .It feels like every day revolves around planning what I can safely fix or bring for myself, and it’s mentally exhausting.
My doctor basically just said “avoid eggs” (thanks 😅) and prescribed antihistamines months ago. I wasn’t given much education beyond that, so I’m still figuring things out on my own.
I don’t eat bakery items anymore, desserts outside are basically impossible and buying snacks is such a hassle I can only check one or two labels and then I’m done for that moment. I do react, so I stick to avoiding foods with possible contamination warnings.
Ice cream is where I get really confused.
From what I understand, basic ice cream doesn’t actually require eggs. So when it’s not custard-based and doesn’t clearly contain egg ingredients, I don’t get why almost all of them still say “may contain egg.” It feels like every ice cream has that label, likely because egg is a heavily regulated allergen and companies use it for shared equipment or legal protection. But as someone who reacts, it leaves me unsure how strict I’m supposed to be in real life, especially with ice cream.
So how seriously do you personally take “may contain egg” warnings on ice cream? Do you avoid it completely, or do you assess based on the type of ice cream?
And... how do you deal with the social stress? Older people especially don’t understand. I get pressured to “just try a little” or told I’m overreacting. I’m not letting myself be treated badly so I avoid people. (I'm unemployed rn so that helps a lot 😄 ) but it still wears me down and makes me feel like I’m being too much.
Also I can have a mix of subtle symptoms, which makes it confusing, especially since I’m not knowingly eating eggs and it could be cross-contact.I’m on my own trying to figure that out. Because of this, I sometimes start doubting myself. It can feel like the allergy isn't real orI’m exaggerating it. (I can't obviously show people what happens when I eat it.) So when people question me or pressure me to “just try a little,” that self-doubt gets worse. I guess what I’m asking is whether others experience this kind of uncertainty or impostor feeling, and how you deal with it socially and mentally? No one around me has food allergies so 🤧 ...