So what’s in an egg?
The egg is a nutrient-dense food, containing high quality protein and a wide range of essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements; therefore eggs can make a significant contribution to a healthy diet. Did you know, the only vitamin not found in eggs in vitamin C?
Once you start to cut foods out of your diet you are limiting the choice and variation of different stuff you can eat. I’ve recently become very concerned about the trend to cut out food for whatever reason and I’m now on a crusade to promote healthy eating; make sure you eat a balanced and varied diet, and don’t cut out foods unless you have a serious allergy.
Cutting out food – Good or Bad?
If you have already cut out lots of different kinds of foods and suspect that you have an intolerance, don’t worry, there is hope. Go and see your doctor and get them to refer you to a dietician or local allergy specialist who will be able to advise you on the best way to reintroduce foods safely. Cutting everything out is not a good idea; apart from being really hard work, you tend to find an endless list of ever growing new foods to avoid. I know this may not work for everyone but please look into it. Here is my story of how I have successfully reintroduced eggs to my diet. Buoyed by my success I am embarking on reintroducing tomatoes next.
Where did it all start? – I as allergic the first time I ate eggs
When I was a child I had an allergy to eggs which used to make me sick. I grew out of it to some extent but I’ve always had a bit of a problem eating them; it seemed less like an allergy as I got older, just an intolerant reaction causing stomach and skin irritation and I sometimes used to eat them as a treat and suffer the consequences. However, when I did this I would usually binge on eggs by having tuna with lashings of mayonnaise or runny fried eggs with my breakfast and the after effects were never pleasant.
Intolerances can turn into allergies
Since a return of my dairy allergy this year I have been very keen to understand more about my allergies: why I have them, where they come from, what causes them, can they be cured, what can I do to improve the breadth of food that I can eat? I used to be able to tolerate dairy but never liked the taste, but over the years the intolerance grew worse; I started by cutting out cows milk and trying goats and sheep milk products. This worked for a while, and I could eat natural yogurt but when I came into contact with any dairy my face would get really swollen and sore. I would wake up the next day and my skin would look like it was burnt: red and almost purple in colour, like a bruise, swollen, itchy and weepy. This made me ever more vigilant about avoiding the offending food substance and I was very good at cutting it out. However I have now had three anaphylactic attacks caused by mistaken exposure to dairy. My uncomfortable but tolerable dairy intolerance has now turned into a serious anaphylactic allergy so I now have to avoid all dairy altogether and am much more careful when eating out.
Reintroducing eggs – how to do it…
I went to see a dietician earlier this year and she urged me to experiment with reintroducing eggs. You begin with really well cooked processed eggs e.g. in shop bought meringues. I started with Marks and Spencer’s mini meringues and had just one on the first day. They are quite small so wouldn’t be exposing you to very much egg. The next day my skin and stomach were fine, so I tried two, and slowly I increased the number until I could eat a handful and wake the following day safe in the knowledge that I would have no skin problems. I was soon able to tolerate these meringues absolutely fine and they are delicious too!
I then tried other foods containing eggs such as prawn crackers, egg pasta, biscuits, and cakes. A friend gave me the recipe for Cake-in-a-mug which is just fantastic if you have a dairy allergy and can be made in 3 minutes in the microwave. Start with just a bite, or a small amount and wait to see if you get any reaction. If you do suffer a flare up, go back a step and keep at that level until you’re sure you are OK and try again.
When you eventually move on to try real eggs you should start with well cooked hard boiled eggs, then move onto softer cooked, and finally runny egg. Take it slowly and start off by just having a tiny mouthful of cooked egg; I found that by taking this slow approach to reintroduction my body is no longer worried about me eating eggs. It’s kind of like tricking it into accepting eggs again, they aren’t harmful in themselves, it’s my body that is overreacting to them for some reason and by teaching it slowly that eggs are OK you can overcome an intolerance.
I am now able to eat mayonnaise and runny egg, although I am careful not to overdo it, and do prefer my eggs well cooked, just to be on the safe side. It really is quite liberating! Who would have thought that being able to eat such an unassuming tiny little egg would give me so much joy? Yesterday I had a bacon and runny egg sandwich (with no butter!) whilst out for lunch with a friend and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was delicious, and today I have no adverse reactions.
Please take care – seek expert advice
Before deciding to reintroduce any foods I would urge you to speak to your doctor or dietician first to make sure they think it’s a good idea. I had skin tests and blood tests to make sure I didn’t have a real allergy to eggs before I started to reintroduce them. Never experiment with eating foods you think you have a real allergy to as this could be dangerous. Please also be really careful if you also have a dairy allergy because scrambled eggs and omelettes are often made with butter, milk or cream.
Reintroduction of previously allergic foods can also be done at your Allergy Clinic under controlled circumstances and this is how it should be done ideally, especially with kids, but this wasn’t available for me. Ask your specialist, as this is often done when children can grow out of allergies in time.
How likely are you to grow out of an egg allergy?
Check out this study, Some Kids May Overcome or Outgrow Egg Allergy, Study Suggests
One new study suggests that some children with hen egg allergies could safely consume such eggs if they are baked at a high enough temperature for a long enough time. What’s more, investigators suggest that parents who start to incorporate such cooked eggs into their child’s diet may actually help them develop a broader tolerance to eggs than by avoiding eggs altogether.
A second study argues that many allergic children will outgrow their condition by age 10, allowing them to safely expand their eating options over time.
The study advises caution to parents who wish to experiment in this way and says they should always seek medical advice and guidance when doing so.
So what’s next? Tomatoes…
Next on my list is tomatoes. I ate them by mistake a few weeks ago in kidney beans; the tin contained tomato and chilli sauce and I hadn’t realised, they looked just like the normal kidney beans I buy. They tasted delicious but I was awake in the night with sweats, weeping skin and welts like nettle rash all over my face and neck. Not very nice! By the morning I just had red sore looking skin on my face. When I reintroduce them I will start with a tiny amount of very well cooked tomato; foods change when they are cooked and often become much easier for the body to digest. Make sure you don’t have a special party or meeting the following day when you reintroduce food and be very very careful. If in doubt, don’t do it, and always follow the advice of your doctor, dietician or allergy specialist.
I’d love to hear from anyone who has any intolerances and would like to reintroduce them, or anyone who has successfully reintroduced foods to their diet. Let me know how you get on and please be careful.
You may also be interested in…
- Almond allergy #101 – how I discovered I wasn’t allergic and reintroduced them into my diet
- Bird’s Custard Powder invented because of egg allergy
- Five proofs allergies aren’t so new!
Thanks so much for your article. How encouraging to see this.
I too have been diagnosed with egg intolerance–high on the list of allergy/intolerance testing done at a reputable testing lab. I have been off eggs for about 4 months and I am so thrilled by the information you gave about slowly introducing them back in your diet,
but I don’t know how long you have to be off them before you can do that. I know it’s a good idea to to to my naturopath or a dietian, but do you have any ideas about this? Thanks so much for the information. I cried because I have been very frustrated about what to cook. I have so many other intolerances as well–gluten intolerant, dairy intolerant and a few others low on the list. Thanks so much. Patsy
Hi Patsy. I would say 3 months of cutting out eggs is enough, however it couldn’t do any harm to speak to your dietician/doctor/naturapath too to get their view on this. So 4 months is ample time. Start really really slowly and keep a symptom, mood and food diary as you go so you can track exactly what happens. Note down EVERYTHING you eat each day, not just the small quanities of egg you introduce. I’m not an expert but my allergy specialist worked through this with me and it’s worked. I even had fried egg the other day, although I have some very mild symptoms still. It’s definitely worth it and I’m so pleased I can now eat most eggs. Mayonnaise and runny eggs are still a bit of an issue but I’m slowly working it. Good luck. I’m trying tomatoes now. Very sore red face after just ONE tiny crisp with tomatoes in the ingredients. Small and smaller we go. Good luck and do let me know how you get on…
I became egg intolerant late in life. I was in my early 60’s… it took a few times of eating eggs and egg inclusive products for me to realize that the unbearable stomach pain I was experiencing (bouts that would last for HOURS!) was due to the consumption of eggs. Even when I deleted whole eggs from my diet, I would still get sick from mayonnaise and ice cream! (Potato salad almost killed me!) After 1 year of abstinence from eggs in a threatening form, I decided to experiment by re- introducing egg products in small amounts, slowly into my diet. I started putting a little mayonnaise on my sandwich. Wait a few days. Eat a small scoop of ice cream. Wait a few days. Then I ate a hard boiled egg one day…. it was so delicious!! No stomach pain! No gas! No diarrhea! I was ecstatic! But the key here is NOT to over do it! If I consume eggs or egg laden products continually, my intolerance will return with a vengeance! The key is moderation. So, this condition can be managed with care and common sense.
Thanks so much for taking time to answer my e-mail. I’m so sorry about your intolerances. I do hope everything will work out for you. You are so concerned about other people. I certainly am so grateful for your kind help. I also will talk with my naturapath.
Thank you so much. Patsy
I have intolerances to eggs banana tomato chickapea watermelon pears feta most apples(except honey crisp) I can usually eat a little bit but if I do it again of any of these I get violently ill severe stomach pain bloating and I make myself throw up to get rid of pain. I am almost 50 and this has been life long been over 30 years since I ate an egg. Tried egg white a few months ago and was sick for 3 days. I wonder what they all have in common. Thanks
Yes I wonder what, have you asked a nutritionist or dietician if they can tell you? It’s an interesting collection of foods to react to
The foods on your list look like latex-fruit syndrome to me.
I am allergic to latex… could be something for me to explore. I have recently had a truly horrific experience eating papaya so I need to research this in more details. Thanks for the comment
This week I had ham, egg and chips and had no adverse reaction. The eggs were deliciously runny as well, so I’ve definitely conquered the egg thing. I think the key is to eat in moderation. If I eat a lot of eggs I do still get a little reaction – but now it’s under control I can enjoy eggs again. Hoorah!
Hi! I read your article, thanks for that! I have just recently had trouble eating eggs, I did research and found out about being egg intolerant (I have a severe lactose intolerance). I’m only intolerant to the egg yolks oddly enough (I know this because I can eat a cake frosting that only uses egg whites and I have no trouble). I have been lactose intolerant for about 8 years and still have trouble, since it’s really hard to avoid. And I was wondering if it’s a bad idea to not introduce the things back into your diet? I found this article very interesting and was just curious!
Thanks!!
Hi Lupe. I think the general school of thought is that if you have a serious allergy that causes anaphylaxis don’t mess around trying to reintroduce it. It could be dangerous. But for food intolerances it’s about learning what your tolerance is. I think my dairy allergy is far worsse because I cut it out too well. My dietitican says studies have proven this can happen. So basically, if you can work into your diet to reintroduce, in tiny quantities and in a controled way, (get the advice of your doctor) it could be really beneficial to your health. Obviously if it keeps making you ill it could be worth asking your doctor to refer you for special advice from an allergy specialist. Take care, but I think the more you can eat the better. Little and often. Planning scrambled eggs for brekkie tomorrow. Thanks for commenting and would love to hear how you get on.
Hi! I’m very interested in learning more about those who begin reacting to eggs after going gluten-free by health necessity. It’s been six months since I’ve been able to eat eggs, and it seems miraculous that you managed to eat them with no reaction. Even small amounts of egg give me debilitating symptoms for about 4 days (severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, etc). How small is small enough to begin trying to reintroduce eggs? I’m terrified of trying it but desperate to get eggs back into my diet. I don’t even have a book or website that gives scientific information on whether it’s possible for Celiacs who begin reacting to eggs after going gluten-free to reintroduce eggs. Any resources would be so appreciated. Thanks!
If you have an egg allergy you would still react. It’s probably worth speaking to your doctor and getting tested for egg allergy. I knew my tests were not showing up with an egg allergy, yet I was still having problems. So after cutting egg out for a bit I introduced it REALLY slowly. So one day I just had half a mini meringue, shop bought so it was really well cooked. You could even try a crumb. Other things you could try would be a tiny piece of egg pasta. Anything that is really well cooked. I then waited to see if I had a reaction. If not I tried another little bit. I’m still OK with Egg but only if I don’t eat too much. If I overdo the egg it does start to effect my a little but it’s only an intolerance for me. One thing I’m still not good with is mayo and salad creme but I think I react to anything that’s too processed. Plain old organic free range eggs though I can tolerate now which is such a relief. It sounds like you might have more of an allergy to me. Worth getting tested if you haven’t already. I also haven’t heard of a link with coeliac disease and consequently having a problem with eggs. I’ll look into that. You could try getting hold of a great little book called Coeliac Disease – all you need to know by Alex Gazzola. Visit the Buy Allergy Stuff page on this site for a link to it on Amazon. It’s the best book I’ve seen on the subject. https://whatallergy.com/affiliates
I also have a lot of intolerances and was put on the elimination diet by my doctor this year..I’m trying to reintroduce things so it’s been nice reading this:) some of you may already know this but one thing I’ll share what I’ve learned on my journey is this: most times, the reason a person starts having intolerances to foods (mainly the main allergens; gluten, dairy, corn, eggs, soy & sugar), is because of inflammation in the body from the build-up of toxins. Overuse of antibiotics, overexposure to chemicals, and over processed food. The biggest thing to focus on is to heal your gut so that the inflammation goes down and you therefore don’t react as bad. The best way I’ve found to heal my gut is to eat homemade sauerkraut which has lots of probiotics and enzymes. I also take a digestive enzyme with every meal and eat a super low inflammation diet. Once my gut has healed ( a good year of strictly no inflammatory foods ), I will lowly reintroduce things. Not sure if this helps anyone but it’s nice to know what others have learned and to know you’re not alone:) if you want to learn more alongside what I said I suggest checking this website out: gundrymd.com
I am also intolerant to eggs but think it’s not wise to eat them even though I don’t suffer from adverse symptoms. Having an intolerance means you have an inflammatory response when you eat whatever food you are intolerant to. I can’t believe no one who commented realizes this. You gain weight and get fat when you ingest what you are intolerant too. That’s why some people who went years without diagnosis couldn’t lose weight. As soon as they found out what they were intolerant to and removed that item from their diet, they were able to lose weight. The reason why people gained weight is because their bodies cannot process, digest, or empty the nutrient that they are intolerant too. I wouldn’t be surprised if it could later lead to cancer.
Anyone can condition themselves to get used to eating the food they are intolerant to. They stop noticing the symptoms anymore. That doesn’t mean your intolerance is cured. I didn’t know I was intolerant to eggs until I had a blood test. I was eating an omelet a day at that point and had no clue. This article has a lot of misinformation. I would urge people to do some research before trying anything like this.
Hi Ralph, I’m sorry you think I’m misinforming people. That was never my intention. I just wanted to share my experience in the hope it might help someone. This is really just my blog about my experiences.
I took this action of reintroducing eggs in particular on the advice of my dietician. I also see a specialist allergist who says the same. I have multiple allergies which already restrict my diet. So having had tests done it showed both egg and wheat as mild reactions. These don’t give me a serious reaction, just mild discomfort, and I have found on their advice that after cutting them out for a bit I have been able to eat these foods in moderation.
So my doctor’s opinion is that if I can extend the range of foods I can eat my diet will be far more rounded and healthy. I can’t eat the things I’m allergic to because they make me really ill. But cutting out stuff that you don’t need to is not necessarily good either unless you see a dietician or nutritionist to ensure you are giving your body the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and overall diet that it requires for healthy function. I haven’t just done this expperiment for fun. And I can now tolerate eggs in moderation and wheat in small amounts. I would rather this than be even more restricted. Eggs in cooked baked goods for example cause me problems at all. Eggs are one of those foods which change their structure a lot in cooking and many kids grow out of their allergy, as I did and can slowly tolerate them cooked and hopefully eventually in omelettes and fried etc. as well.
Eating any foods in moderation is also very good advice. You shouldn’t really eat the same thing every day. It’s much healthier and better to really vary what you eat, have different things for breakfast, don’t just stick to the same thing EVERY day. In this way I hope that my body will get healthier and I won’t develop any problems with other food.
I’ve also never heard that a food intolerance could make you put on weight, but I guess our bodies are very complex machines and everyone is different. Could you perhaps have lost weight due to not eating a omelette a day? and perhaps cutting down on other foods? Where did you get your blood tests done out of interest Ralph? If you don’t suffer any effects when you eat eggs, how do you really know you have an egg intolerance? Blood tests are not very effective or reliable at diagnosing food intolerances. The only really way to work out what you should and should not eat, if you are experiencing problems is to do an illimination diet, with the help and advice of a qualified professional who can help you through it.
For instance, I have a nut allergy. I know I have this because when I eat nuts I have an anaphylactic attack and severe asthma. Blood tests which are done to test other nuts also show that I’m allergic to most nuts but not almonds. I think I’m OK with almonds but due to cross contamination worries I’m still wary of eating them. However i know I’ve had them my mistake and been OK. Coconuts however showed up in the bloods as if I was allergic to it, however I CAN eat coconut and drink coconut milk regularly. This is quite common, these tests can produce false positives and negatives. Check with your doctor about this if you’re not sure.
Sorry again for causing any confusion or misinformation – I’m no expert, just someone living with allergies and intolerances and learning to come to terms with them and enjoy live despite them. Keep smiling.
I think you made it quite clear that you were only speaking for yourself and that a doctor’s advice is a good idea.
Intolerances come at any stage of life and are not the same as allergies, so hysteria about cancer is unfounded and alarmist.
Thanks Rebecca… I do really worry about those food intolerance tests. The guy above had those tests, was told he had an egg intolerance and so to cut eggs totally out of his diet, yet he has no ill effects when he eats eggs. That is just crazy in my opinion. He also appears to think cancer is an issue with food intolerances… this is not a blog about cancer. Thanks for your comments – nice to hear that I’m not talking nonsense and that you get where I’m coming from! Intolerances, most importantly and rather weirdly, can come and go. one of lifes little mysteries.
Hi Ruth, just came across this thread while I was Googling something for work (one of the few blogs IT haven’t blocked yet!). I agree with Rebecca, and while, as a dietitian, I would not recommend meringue (too much egg, cooked at too low a temperature – would normally start with biscuit/cake containing egg – ideally something cooked at at least 180 degrees C for 30 mins or longer) to start an ‘egg ladder’, the esentials are there.
You have very clearly said, many times, that it should be done with support of a dietitian or doctor (which is the case when excluding, or reintroducing and major food).
I think it is a shame Ralph has been upset by the article. I’m mostly worried that he may have had one of the many unreliable blood test, such as the York test done at a health food shop. These have no scientific basis behind the results, have been shown to give inconsistent results when the same patients blood is retested and usually lead to people being given an extensive list of foods to avoid, leading to a very unbalanced diet.
If you are eating eggs every day with no ill effects, you do not have an egg intolerance.
The body does not ‘store’ foods it can’t tolerate as fat.
Cancer is multifactoral, there is no evidence that it is caused by food intolerance. If you stopped eating every food that may have a potential link to an increased risk of cancer, you would die of starvation.
Sorry no time to do a long reply, need to do some work! Keep writing Ruth and hopefully see you at the FFFA again this year.
I am so grateful that I came across this website today. I have had food intolerances for 5 years – I cannot handle wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, tomatoes and the list goes on. I absolutely never eat any of these foods because I feel so awful afterwards. I have lost 35# and was thin before. I am 5’9″ and 115#. No doctors have been able to help me. I’ve seen several gastroenterologists and had all the tests and everything comes back fine. I never thought about seeing an allergist. So that is my next step. I just want someone to explain to me how this happened. How can someone who has never had trouble with any foods – ever – all the sudden not be able to tolerate a big list of foods and food categories? How does that happen? I have been off of these foods for 4-5 years now and am encouraged to think that maybe I can reintroduce some. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kim, yes, go and see an allergist, hopefully they can help but intolerances are not shown in blood tests. True allergies wd come up in blood tests. The only real way is to cut out trouble foods, keep a food and symptoms diary, then reintroduce, with the help of a dietician or nutritionist, or allergy doctor. Egg allergy can be one of the easiest to introduce. I can now eat them in moderation and no problems when fully cooked. Took a while to slowly reintroduce though. Other foods I just still can’t touch. Me too with the dairy, soya and tomatoes. No idea why but even tiny amounts make me very ill. Glad you found us. Stay in touch and stay healthy.
Thank you, Ruth. I’ll do that. I actually was able to get tomatoes and some egg back into my diet last year, but it all changed again and I had to cut them out. Do you think this is a back and forth thing? Hopefully not forever! You’ve been much help!
Yes food intolerances do seem to come and go and I think it’s all to do with your immune system. So all I can suggest is to try to maintain the best health you can, I find exercise really helps, maybe it just helps to sweat out some stuff or effects the body’s metabolosim in some way. Bit of a mystery, but if it’s just an intolerance it is possible for the problem to come and go. Good luck!
Ummm … you reintroduced eggs, and then milk started to bother you “again” … which it hadn’t done while you were avoiding eggs?
It has long been observed that effects of intolerances and other food reactions are cumlative. So that if, say, it’s pollen season, or “furnace season” people with reactions to pollens and/or housedust will have a harder time with food intolerances, sensitivities and allergies.
Yes, it’s nice to reintroduce things. But keep an eye out to be sure you’re not increasing reactions or susceptibilities in another area.
— fnord
Hi Fnord, I was born with an egg allergyt as a baby and eggs then made me really sick. However as I grew up I could eat egg in cakes, or fully cooked. However when I was in my twenties I began to have a problem with eggs. I believe I was also born with a dairy delayed reaction allergy as I had very bad eczema, but not an obvious allergic reaction. Eggs are luckily one of those allergies that people often do grow out of. I have a pretty horrendous dairy allergy but eggs are now my best friends. I did do all this with the advice and supervision of my dietician so it wasn’t just me messing around and trying stuff.
YOu are completely right aobut certain foods cross reacting with pollens. I have problems with some fruits but it’s just a little itching round my mouth and doesn’t cause me too much bother, but when you get anaphylaxis these symtoms are a little alarming as they can signal the onset of a full on allergic reaction. With time we get to learn our bodie’s reactions to certain things. Worth also noting that everything changes, reactions can get worse and be totally different from one exposure to the food to another. All pretty annoying and scary but with careful planning we can all stay safe. Loving having eggs back in my diet though. Had lovely ham, egg and chips at the weekend. 🙂
It’s important to distinguish between sensitivity, intolerance and allergy.
Allergies are a histamine reaction to a substance your body recognizes as being foreign. This can be mild, or severe. Anaphylaxis can develop from any allergy, and can do so suddenly. If you are allergic, *don’t* indulge. Tests won’t identify allergens once you’ve avoided the substance for a long enough period of time. Intolerances can remain
Intolerance means that your body does not produce any or enough of some enzymes needed to digest certain foods. This can be a matter of heritable genetics, or of epigenetics, but the condition involves what your genes can and cannot do. Some intolerances produce noticeable symptoms, some don’t. When they don’t, that doesn’t mean the intolerance is gone. It means you got away with it this time.
Some allergies and intolerances, as well as some intestinal infections, can result in damage to the intestines, letting incompletely digested food portions into the bloodstream. This can cause myriad miserable symptoms, physical, mental and emotional.
Intolerance can readily turn into allergy, as undigested food segments enter the bloodstream, with the body rightfully recognizing them as “foreign.”
Sensitivities are a different matter, and largely relate to a prior-trained immune-system allergenic “recognition, or to a toxicity reaction.
One can “outgrow” sensitivities. The enzyme shortfall can sometimes be corrected in non-heritable intolerance, and the intolerance can go away, or be reduced to a low enough level to allow occasional indulgence.
Some of these at least are overall-capacity-based in terms of reactions. If you are intolerant to a dozen things, and have avoided all of them for a while, the body’s capacity to cope improves, and small or infrequent exposures might work out OK. This doesn’t necessarily mean the intolerance is gone. Just that your body’s coping with it OK for now, this time. I know a gal who can’t eat pizza. One at a time, she can eat all the ingredients. But any time she tries to eat even a small amount all together, it’s game over. She’s made pizza herself, with ingredients she’s been OK with.
If it’s allergy season for you, it might be a good idea to not overload your system with things to which you’ve developed an ability to tolerate, lest the symptoms return. They can return more vehemently than was the case in the beginning. So if you have anaphylactic type reactions, even very mild ones, be prepared. And don’t take chances.
My family kept bees. One member swelled up from stings, but not horrendously so: just more than anyone else. Then he got a sting that sent him into anaphylaxis and nearly died.
And know that peak reactions can happen as long as a day or two after exposure. So don’t be alone if you know you’ve been exposed to an allergen.
thanks for this!
I used to love eggs but sometime around age 20 my body stopped tolerating them. Now that I’m pregnant I’m really sad I’m missing out on the nutrients eggs provide for my baby. I’ll consult with my midwife and nutritionist about incorporating some of your advice.
Do get proper medical advice on this, it is never something to experiment with at home if you ever have an allergy that causes anaphylaxis. However I can tolerate eggs, even runny eggs as long as i don’t have them all the time. And you’re right, they’re really good for you. But your nutritionist may well be able to suggest other foods that are just as good. I hope you one day enjoy the loveliness that is eggs again one day but do get advice before trying them again. Thanks for the comment and good luck.
I have a 3yr old with egg allergies and know how tough it can be to get someone with dietary needs to look like their siblings. I found that log cabin pancake mix is egg free (calls for you to add you’re own egg and you can use substitute). Also, if you’re looking for authoritative advice on allergies and gastrointestinal concerns check out nutrition4kids.com. They have a strong medical advisory board, looking to help this community.
Thanks for the comment Zach, have you tried flax seed as an egg substitute? I do thank the freefrom fairy that I can eat egg… lots I cannot eat but thankfully I CAN now do egg, after years of avoidance.
Dear,
Thank you for sharing your story
I had a sudden egg tolernc 4 years ago
i didn’t discover it fast becuase the reaction was not on skin
but stomach and colon
so after 1 year of suffering i did the test and it was a shock to know about it
all in all my doc advice me to stop egg for 6 month and re test again but since i was very scared here i am after 3 years of stopping eating egg ,, i did eat it with cake and so somtimes but direct egg never
now i think i should try again after doing the test i miss eggs really thanks for sharing
Thank you for sharing! I developed an egg and tomato intolerance after giving birth to my 2nd child and it feels hopeless trying to overcome it. I will try your method for eggs!
Good luck and be careful, and remember, never do this if you get anaphylactic reactions. Do seek medical advice please.
I developed an intolerance to eggs about 10 years ago…gave me terrible stomach ache and I felt quite unwell. I didn’t realise what it was at first. Then because I accidentally ate a scotch egg, forgetting it had egg in it, I wondered why I didn’t have a reaction…but then realised it only had the yolk in and not the white. So then I realised it was only the white I couldn’t eat. However, I can eat meringues and small amounts of white, say in in egg fried rice, also I can eat anything with eggs (inc white) as part of the food, eg cakes, yorkshire puddings etc. It just seems to be fried, scrambled, boiled eggs and omelettes I can’t eat.
I did wonder whether if I gradually reintroduced eggs in those forms, just a little at a time, whether or not I might now be all right, but I really don’t want to get those pains, it’s so debilitating for probably a whole day and night, don’t know whether it’s worth the risk.
Trouble is I love eggs and they’re also a cheap and quick meal. Just not sure what to do
I became afraid of food at 50 due to stomach pain to the point my brow sweated. It was my favourite food, eggs. Any quantity and in any form but mostly egg white I discovered. It took me years to find a solution other than avoidance. How do I allow myself 2 fried eggs once a month? I don’t eat much of the white and I take a 20mg Losec or Omeprazole capsule 8hrs prior to indulging. I will also take said capsule 8hrs prior to going out to dinner because I don’t know if they’ve used any egg. You can ask but they don’t grasp. A simple meat ball and egg has probably been used as a binder. I’ve just discovered my gran developed the same problem at 50. A little bit hereditary in my case.
Well that’s very interesting, the hereditary bit. Neither of my parents of grand parents have allergies but both my sister and I do. I’m pleased you can enjoy some egg. Does it matter with you if it’s well cooked? ie. do you get less of a reaction? I seem to be OK with eggs now. Totally grown out of it.
I tried. On my way to the hospital. I put 1 egg in a half of a gallon of lactose free white sauce and had 1 spoon full of a bite. I can feel my stomach swelling up and my body starting to itch. Everything is going blurry, my back hurts so bad, and my tongue is tingling. It has been since I took the bite. Off to the hospital before I’m throwing up every 10 minutes.maybe everyone has a different kind of intolerance. Be extra careful if you have a really bad severe allergy.
I’ve always been able to eat eggs as far as I could remember. Then out of nowhere I can eat eggs scrambled. My favorite way. I can tolerate egg salad or recipes containing egg. It’s only if I eat them in abundance or scrambled. Is this an intolerance? Does it have anything to do with the fact that I have developed an autoimmune disease? Let me know if you can give me any guidance. Thank you!!
Sounds like an intolerance or mild allergy, if you can tolerate well cooked but not less well cooked. Egg is a strange one as it changes so much when cooked and is so diverse int its uses. Keep egg as a treat, which is what I do. Great news you can now eat some as they are really good for you and healthy source of protein.
My mom and my sister both developed an egg intolerance when they were thirty years old. The interesting thing is that my mother can eat eggs now that she started drinking one small glass of red wine every day. I am wondering if this problem is genetic, since my grandmother and my uncle also had problems with eggs. My uncle stopped drinking red wine and now he has stomach problems when he eats eggs. Has anyone else ever heard of this sort of problem? Any recommendations on what types of tests to take?
Not the red wine connection… fascinating… what could possible be happening there. It’s definitely genetic though. I really believe that.
I developed a severe egg intolerance in my mid-twenties. It’s now about 8 years since I’ve intentionally eaten egg. However, I have eaten egg often, as restaurants don’t understand, and will often give me food telling me there’s no egg in it when there actually is (for example, last night I ate prawn crackers and upon further investigation this morning, they have egg in them). Aside from severe pain, it shuts down my bodies ability to digest any food for 1-2 weeks. And that’s after having even very minimal amounts. I’d love to try reintroduction, as not being able to eat eggs is really negatively affecting my life, but I can’t see how it will work when I already react so badly to such small amounts.
How do you suggest reintroducing eggs to someone who already has such a bad reaction to tiny amounts?
If your egg allergy is very severe you may not be able to… but it’s one of those weird foods that can change a lot if it’s fully cooked or lightly cooked. You probably need to avoid it for life. Sorry to give you bad news.
I have been diagnosed with SIBO after two years of of gastro issues. Since carbs and sugar feed SIBO, I had to eliminate many foods from my diet. Gluten, dairy, most fruits and many veggies are still off limits. Eggs were a staple in my diet for many years and I miss them, but now have a reaction to them, I Lost 20 pounds during this whole process and I am currently 100 pounds. Starting to feel better but have a real fear of introducing foods back in, as the distress they cause further limits my food intake for days. But I know this is important to heal the gut. Working with a dietitian now and will hard boil an egg and just start with a bite of yoke OR the white only. since I have researched that a reaction could take 2 or 3 days. I will wait before trying taking 2 bites until that time. Thank you and all that have shared their experiences!
Good luck with that Joanne. I would start with really well cooked egg in egg pasta or a cake or something first and in small quantities. Hope it goes well and glad you are doing this with a medical professional advice
I recently developed an egg intolerance after a bout of mild food poisoning from contaminated honey. How long should I wait to begin reintroducing eggs? It seems it’s just egg-eggs. I’ve had small amounts of mayonnaise no problem and some baked goods with eggs cooked in. Should I start reintroducing sooner rather than later?
Hey Jasmine, sounds like you’re doing so well with reintroducing eggs. I’m not a doctor so really I would recommend seeking advice from a dietician who has experience with egg allergies. If it were me though, you could try some cake with egg in, and/or well cooked eggs, like a hard boiled egg and just try a tiny bit. You may also have problems with the white or the yolk, or both. Good luck with it, but be careful. I always advise anyone who is concerned to never try reintroducing along, instead have a friend or family member with you, or go and do it outside A&E so you are in the best place if something goes wrong. Goes without saying, have your adrenaline ready.