What's behind ME allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors and chemicals?

Kiristar · Feb 3, 2025 at 7:31 PM

Peter Trewhitt said: ↑

Some ill informed thoughts:

It seems that there are a number of distinct aspects that may or may not be connected [to each other].

- Allergies: seem to be primarily environmental eg dust mites or mould. May or may not be food related allergies too. Does anyone experience these as varying in conjunction with the severity of their ME or as beginning concurrently with or subsequently to the onset of their ME? My suspicions is that they predate the onset of ME. [Possibility of objective tests]

- Hypersensitivity: these relate to the senses, ie sight, sound, taste, touch, smell and taste. They seem to vary with the severity of the ME, both between and within individuals. I personally only experience such hypersensitivity when my ME is severe. I can have problems with noise, light and smell, but have not experienced problems with touch or taste. Is it that they occur in a heirarchy or can they occur individually? I would characterise this as sensory input becoming 'painful' and overwhelming. I am assuming their onset is concurrent with or post dates the onset of the ME? Personally a model of something like neurological inflammation would seem a possible explanation. [Is this a purely subjective experience or might it be measured by some type of brain scan?]

- Food intolerances: these trigger a wide range of symptoms from bloating and discomfort to IBS symptoms to migraines and others. I suspect that these originate around or after the onset of the ME, but do not vary with the severity of the ME on a day today basis. Having said that over a longer time scale I have found over the course of my ME the number and severity of my food intolerances has increased. It would seem to make sense to relate these to things like the gut biodome and to the permeability of the gut lining. [Only identifiable by elimination diet and reintroduction challenges]

- Problems with medication - I am not sure that the problems people report with different drugs/medications relate to one of the three aspects above or are a different issue.
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Fwiw to answer your questions on allergies.

my 3 nut allergies and hayfever. (confirmed by hospitals testing) all predate my ME and appears to be related to exposure during a particular development stage of childhood. Nuts I wasn't exposed to.back then, I am not allergic to. But I have developed OAS crossover allergies to the ones I am eg an allergy to blossom fruit due to almond blossom being so similar.

I also had eczema and reacted to chemicals in certain washing powders as a child.

My food, perfume, sound sensitivities, medication and alcohol intolerances all occurred after developing ME (Glandular fever age 20 = presumed start) .

My chemical sensitivities actually worsened with ME but my nut allergy remained what it was.

I've always put them down to immune system dysfunction and nervous system activation.

Mij · Feb 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM

My fragrance and enviro allergies started 11 years after M.E onset.

Cat allergy started in my early twenties when I was healthy.

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What's behind ME allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors and chemicals?

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What's behind ME allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors and chemicals?

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