Anybody else living with garlic allergy?

I know of no cure or treatment. Doctors have recommended to me that I just go back to eating garlic. They say I will have severe reactions at first, but then my body will adapt and the reactions will become more moderate. I'm not sure that enzymes help, but I take them on occasion.

I notice that I have different reactions depending on what form of garlic I eat. I haven't intentionally eaten garlic in years, so this is hard to test, but once I accidentally ingested cooked garlic cloves and had a catatonic response. I slept for 6 hours, packed into a tiny mini-bus driving a narrow, treacherous highway in the mountains of Nepal. How anybody could manage to sleep on that bumpy ride is beyond me, but I was out cold. I don't even remember arriving in Kathmandu and taking a taxi to my hotel. Thank goodness my husband was there to help me!

With other forms of garlic, i.e. garlic juice, garlic powder, garlic salt, I tend to notice more stomach pain, nauseau and diarrhea. Thankfully, I don't have any reaction with other plants in the lily family, like onions, celery, & shallots.

I have had an allergy to Garlic since I was about thirteen. I can eat it in small doses but when I eat too much of it, my tongue actually swells up,(I have a tongue ring and it actually acts as a gauge for how swollen my tongue will get) and I get a rash along my wrists and my mouth. It can also give me bad indigestion and make me vomit/or have to use the bathroom frequently. I have tried moderating myself with adding more Garlic, and it only serves to make me sicker. What other methods did your doctor tell you?

The best treatment for a food allergy is to completely avoid the food you are allergic to. One doctor did recommend that I try Benadryl when I'm having a reaction, but Benadryl contains a milk derivative that I am allergic to. Whenever I find myself in the middle of a reaction, the best treatment for me is to go to sleep for a few hours.

I would be careful with your allergy, however, since your tongue swells up. Reactions can increase in severity without warning and you could find your throat closing up someday. I would not continue to eat garlic, even in small amounts.

my friend takes something for her garlic problem, i will ask  her what it is, my email is jcop88@gmail.com if you want a response ill need you to email me so i can email you back the answer

Please let me know what your friend takes for garlic allergies?

denbysmo@comcast.net

I am a fellow garlic allergy sufferer too!  Mine came on in my mid 20's. It took many years for me to discover where my symptoms were coming from.  But now that I know and can avoid it I am a entirely new woman!  I am getting better at eating out, the home cooking was a problem since my family loves flavor.  I was recently able to find a garlic free cookbook that has some good advice and some great recipes....Here is the link just in case it might be helpful to someone else

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/574160/4c2ae02e3953d0485978c1257b2446f0

I'm a fellow sufferer too, just the smell of it gives me a migraine, nausia and my throat closes up. I find that after a person eats garlic and it comes thur thier pores, its even worst then if I were to eat it myself. I started having symptims in 2000 I was 42, the doctor said it was the stress of serching for collage for my daughter. She has finished school, got married, and had her first child and I still suffer. Eating out is a hassle and shopping takes forever, so I can read all the labels. Benadryl helps so my throat stays open and much Aleve for the migraines, after an attack much rest is needed. My wife suffers with me because she has to watch what she eats, otherwise I'll need to stay away from her and that's not good. I started takeing things out of my diet and found it was the garlic that caused the attacks. My Neurologist could not tell me what was going on with test after test. I guess this is the way we'll live our life from now on.

Hi,

You probably ate garlic powder that came from China. You cannot trust anything edible from China. Go to Costco and get their garlic powder. Avoid McCormicks, etc.

I have been allergic to garlic ever since I can remember. It's in my dad's family too. Eating out isn't a night mare anymore because I always makes an emphasis on the no onion (yes I'm allergic to onion to) no garlic request. My allergy is severe and even just a tiny trace can send me straight into shock and I get a sort of garlic septicemia.

My allergy developed when I was 21. And since our bodies are all new every 7 years, it makes sense. I've also noticed that everyone else remembers their ages in 7 years increments. "It happened when I was 7 or almost 14."

For me it's a very anaphalactic response. Swelling of the tongue and throat. Then, depending on the amount of consumption and how cooked it was, I have anywhere from 24 hours on the toilet to three days in bed trembling. It's not a good thing.

People often ask me how I can live without garlic. I ask them how they can live without arsenic.

My husband is allergic to garlic. It is a pest of hell cos like you say, everything has garlic. Most of the convenience foods and when dining out you have to be extra careful. Also he cant smell or taste it. It makes his face and throat swell up. I was wondering how common it is. He doesn't appear to be allergic to anything else.

After 10 years leaving in the States I realized I am intollerant to garlic, I cannot say allergic, as my blood test for garlic allergy are fine. So, think about an Italian that is intollerant to garlic! Let's talk about this myth....I have never had this problem is Italy but everytime I go to a restaurant here I get sick, also when I am invited to friends house. Why? I got the answer: we use garlic (in Italy) as a spice not as vegetable, little garlic sauted in a pan does not bother me, but when I eat it then the trouble starts. Here I realized there is garlic everywhere and in massive quantity!

Solution: I am eating at home! Ciao Carlo

Here, Britain, it is used much like a spice for flavouring, but I feel the food industry has gone overboard adding it to just about everything. I know prepacked food is not good for you, but every now and then I'd like to not have to cook from scratch. I'm not a keen cook, but I do it. For him!

Maybe he's not allergic to it as such, but just has a reaction to it like you do. I just know that this inconvenience must be a measure of my tolerance for him.

Its nessessity is that it add Flavor but in most cases like with me i expariment with new tastes and garlic for me added a boom to every thing i added it to.  Now there are things like pepers that can substitute garlic and be close to as good as the real thing.

Must Read!!! I'm CURED

egg burps,,,,,,and garlic problems

is caused by my antacid meds side effects,

if you take antacid meds ask your dr

if you can change them im now taking Zantac 300mg

and i can eat all the garlic I want

 no  more egg burps IM NOT A DR BUT IT WORK FOR

The best way to be sure of your food allergies is to get a RAST test. Some will debate the reliability of the test as it is possible to get false positives. The test is not usually covered by insurance since a lower-cost (and less reliable and more inconvenient) test is available (skin ***** and avoidance tests). I had the test about 6 years ago and paid $400. It might be cheaper now. 

You can try an avoidance test at home on your own, but it is really hard since garlic is present in so many foods. You'd really have to eat nothing but plain rice and steamed veggies for a week to get cleared out. Then hit yourself with some garlic and see what happens. If you find yourself in the middle of a huge reaction, Benadryl may help. You can also go to the ER if things get really bad and get a Benadryl shot, which may or may not work and will knock you out for half a day. Either way, I've found the best treatment for an allergic reaction to garlic is to sleep it off. 

This all sounds familiar. When I was about 30 years old I noticed that certain dinners would repeat on me the next day. My stomach would feel distended, I'd get sharp abdominal pains that would stop me mid-sentence, flatulence of the sort you can't control long enough to vacate your office or room, and diarrhea. When my colleague, who shared an office with me, said one day, "can you smell rubbish?" I knew something had to be done!

I started eliminating foods and discovered garlic was the culprit. I can't eat it in its natural form - raw or cooked, in paste, crushed in a jar, as flakes, oil or extract. A couple of years ago, I ate garlic-laden pizza in London before I really knew it was a problem for me. I set out the next day on a European bus tour. And spent the first lunch stop in the toilet with explosive results...and caused the tour to run late on day one, with everybody staring out the window at the girl who'd lit up the ladies restroom a treat.

I have a similar reaction with onions, although not as bad.

It can be a pain to eat out with friends, however one of us is a fussy vegetarian, another dislikes seafood and I can't eat garlic, so at least two of us have a chat to waiters and waitresses everywhere we go.

I cook with peppers, chilli, mild Tabasco sauce, ground coriander seeds, loads of other herbs and spices that give things a new zing and don't upset my insides.

I noticed my garlic allergy in my mid-30's.  I had it all along, but my parents never cooked with any spices, except "salt", and I wasn't exposed to garlic much as a child.  When I was in my 20's I would have to run to the bathroom after having mushrooms and steak in a restaurant, my guess is now both were laced with garlic,  if I have that at home, no problem.  My husband loves Italian food, and we had to go to his fave restaurant every Sat night for 4 years, I always noticed pain after eating and my stomach would pooch out like I was 6 mos pregnant immediately, I finally realized it was garlic, even though I would say NO GARLIC!  Somehow, I would still end up with it in the food.  Never had any bad reactions other than the stabbing pains for hours in the stomach, and distention.  I am English, Irish, Welsh descent, and I notice on a lot of these posts that a lot of British people have trouble with garlic.  Don't know if maybe we are less tolerant, due to our diet or not.  Even though I grew up in america, my parents cooked mostly british food when I was growing up, and we did not eat out very often.

Wow! Interesting observation. I am also of primarily English descent!

Well, I've been looking for more information for years and never found any until today.  I took an allergy test in my 20's and a garlic allergy or sensitivity was discovered at that time, fortunately before I had experienced any problems.  (I'm now in my 70's.)Since I'm of English descent, I had never had garlic at home, and it was not widely used in restaurants as it is today.  Ever since I discovered my allergy, I too must grill the waiters at restaurants and usually all is well, but this week I had a reaction for the first time in years.  Must have been a lack of communication between wait staff and chef.  Anyhow, I have had diarrhea  for over 48 hours.  It may be over now--I hope!

I know of no solution except to avoid garlic entirely.  My friends are kind enough to remember my problem and cook accordingly.  I managed an entire trip to Sicily without a problem!  I can't even tolerate the smell of garlic, such as when you walk into a restaurant where it is used extensively.  But last weekend I did not taste any garlic in my food, yet it must have been there.  I have had no symptoms other than diarrhea, and the friends I ate with had no problems as a result of their dinners.  Has anyone actually had relief from taking Benedryl when having a post-garlic reaction?

MK

ive taken an allergy test for garlic/sulphites and the doctor told me i was stupid for thinking i had and intollerance or allergy. but i have found NOTHING works when i have garlic. NOTHING, not panadol, buscapan, imodium... NOTHING. i can have powdered garlic or "herbs and spices" when its 1/3 of the way down of the ingredients list or lower without much ill effects unless i eat alot of that food but i find the allergy is getting worse. i cant have old el paso enchiladas anymore or any processed foods with garlic in it even if it is in the bottom third.

but im glad to see that there are others out there with this allergy! most people i tell just look at me and scoff "you cant be allergic to that, your stupid. here eat this taco" ... urgh, it makes me so angry when i go out to dinner and have to grill people on whats in the food because of it. sometimes i just want to go and eat it all and just be done with it!!!

my symptoms are : the runs within 3hours of eating, vomiting in extreme cases, nausea, fatigue, frequent urination, muscle cramps and spasms (worse than the worst period pain you have ever felt), headache, intollerence to light or movement. and the day after i feel like i have been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat, stretched out on the road and reversed over by a truck. i cant move most times because of the muscle cramps and severe fatigue.

Wow- I am happy to hear i am not alone dealing with this Garlic intolerence. I was told by different dr's that it was  the famous " IBS", irritable bowl sydrom. my opinion is that they say its IBS maybe because they have no idea what is really happening... I am the exact same way for garlic and for caffeine. anyone else has this for both? I can have caffeine in small amounts, but i cannot drink a coffee for the life of me, unless i want a serious case of diarhea, cramps, vomitting, dizziness...you guys know how it is....

I have been told not long ago that i might have a parasite? and it would cause me not to be able to digest certain things? ive been this way since i was 8 years old, i am now 27, and id love to be able to figure this out and eat garlic and caffeine again before i die!!

when it hits-the pain is so unbarable that i cant talk,( i usualy have to stay curled up with a pillow or lay down in fetal position) i cant walk, or function normaly at all... all i can do is cry and try to breathe deep so the cramps wont make me throw up ( they get so intense and sometimes lasts up to 5 hours sometimes 8 in cases where i eat "cloves" instead of the powders)

I feel you on the restaurant thing, and friends.

anyone has anything to suggest??

K-

i cant have coffee either!!! id rather die than have a glass of coke, thats some wicked pain.. energy drinks do it to me if i have more than one, cant have V at all. coffee gives me cramps akin to me eating garlic powder. the doc just told me that it was IBS as well!!!

I cannot take any type of energy drink either, I tried some diet pills a few years back " T 2's"...theyb were full of caffeine :(...caffeine and garlic, EVIL~lol!!!

it is good to hear that someone else shares this pain, as im sure you know there are many times where it would be so nice to have just a bit of caffeine to wake up or have a nice pop with a treat meal...or yummy italian meal with garlic bread and yummy pasta sauce... but at the smell of it i almost feel sick, and the thought of having a coffee..( last time i stayed 2 days in the hospital they did every test in the book.....cholitis chrones..cancer..all of the above..note NOT fun taking all those tests....had to miss alot of shcool groing up and some work...i can handle it pretty well now..i know what to avoid now mostly...sometimes stress causes me pain as well..)

i have thought of going to a "naturalist" i cant think of the word ( here comes in my frenchlol) I went to a health and wellness expos last week end,  I was told that i might have a parasite or something that stops me from being able to digest caffeine and garlic. the thing is- its not covered by my insurance..so its hard right now, i dont really have the cash to go...but i did start save...if there is any way for me to get to the bottom of this damn it i will!!

thanks for sharing~ the drs, in my opinion, do not have a clue when it comes to "IBS".

i dont know if this is something we have in common that drs seem to just put that label on as an easy way out to finding out what the problem really is- or they might not know what it is- as a dr, might not want to admitt this?? i am just guessing..

- i am in NB Canada, and it is really hard to get a dr that actualy cares, because most drs arround are under paid and overbooked, so the faster they are out of their office the better. this doesnt help things, its easy to say its IBS, but really its BS if u ask me!.lol and if we can do more research and try different posssibilties...might make alot of us lead happier-healthier lives!!!

i will post more info when i get that visit with the naturalist. i guess there are natural remedies...she told me " you will be able to digest garliic and caffeine again if youcome see me"... i will have to see if there was any validilty to that!

cheers

K

First off let me say I am SO thankful to find this site, it is just a weath of information and a relief to find I'm not the only one.

I have been struggling for the past 3 years to figure out what is wrong with me.  I recently bit the bullet and got the skin tests for allergies.  The Dr found that I was not actually allergic to anything.  She did spend some extra time brainstorming with me about my issues for about an hour, even after a 2.5 hr initial visit/testing....so I am grateful for that extra attention she gave me.  She seemed to think I was, as was mentioned here, sensitive to both caffeine and garlic (being that both things naturally stimulate the bowels). I had thought it was MSG or EDTA as that seemed to be a common ingerdient in foods that I react to, but she disregarded that and I am starting to think maybe she was right and I was looking a bit too deep.

I too have the same GI symptoms, I get nausous but dont actually vomit thankfuly, but I feel sweaty and dizzy when I'm in the bathroom with horrible gas/cramps/runs...this onsets maybe anywhere from 15-50 min after ingesting the offending items.

I can handle caffeine to a point, but its becoming harder to find the point of no return so to speak....I have to aviod coffee altogether, I think something about the heat of it bothers me more then other ways of caffeine ingerstio. I can normally have an energy drink/soda with no issues, as long as I have something in my stomach or, I have not eaten a garlic item that day!

I am finding the garlic thing to be a much lower threshold however.  It sucks because I LOVE garlic, and used to eat it all the time with no issues.

Im so relieved to find that the "buttery flavor" in movie theatre popcorn has garlic, I missed the end of the new Harry Potter movie because I had to run to the bathroom. :(

and I didnt understand why!

Thank goodness for this thread and the suggestions for garlic free foods, I will have to start introducing these items in my grocery list and seeing if these symptooms subside, as well as requesting garlic-free items when eating out.  Im also going to try the gas-x/immodium/pepto pills (because I hate drinking the stuff LOL) and chammomile/mint tea ideas as well.  I have also joined that facebook group.  Again, I am so appreciative of this thread I thought I was crazy!

I have many of the problems described above but wanted to respond because of your emphasis on the sweats and dizziness.  I have had this problem for about 20 years but only figured out that garlic was the source about 7 years ago.  I now believe that Garlic led to two seizures I had about 15 years ago.  Weeks of exams by experts at UCLA Med center ruled out neurological sources (including epilepsy). 

The connection came when living in Miami where my favortie food was Cuban Garlic Chicken and rice which would make me feel like I did prior to my seizures (I also had he smelly belches).  I then realized that before both seizures I had had quite a bit of garlic  in the form of garlic lobster and garlic balls in an Italian meal.

Also, the problems I have are MUCH worse if I eat garlic at night.

The solution:   I take a prescription version of pepcid called ranitadine every night before I eat.  It knocks out 80% of any garlic problem I might face.  If I've eaten a lot of garlic I will still get the sweats, but I do not get the dizziness or feel like I am going to pass out.  one other side benefit--the doctor tells me that these pills are also a very light antihistamine whcih may serve to suppress any form of shock.

I first stumbled upon this when I was at Harvard med center in graduate school where they diagnosed me with an ulcer.  I found that taking these pills allowed me to eat shrimp scampi loaded with garlic which, prior to this, made life unbearable.

This has allowed me to eat some of my favorite foods (e.g., paella) without worrying about it.  I hope it might work for you.

I did find one thing that takes a bit of the edge off- Chamomille Tea. ( i tryed this after a nurse once told me chamomille flower helps heal bowl problems, i was in a huge attack and i drank the tea and felt some of the pain relieve...like it wasnt so unbarable.

 also Peppermint tea is good for stomach problems and digesting. if i can't get my hands on chamomille, i will use peppermint instead. i find it really does make a big difference for me, if i can get my hands on a chamomille tea if i know its coming ( we probly all feel it when it starts...we know its not just a normal belly ache coming..for me the sooner its in my belly the less intense it will get..almost like it stops it wherever point i am at when i drink the tea.)

i often mix both Peppermint and chamomille together and it tastes good! ( i do drink alot of herbal teas, so i am used to the taste, honey is good to put in if not used to this type of tea)

I am certainly not a Dre, and i am not sure if this is an individual thing for me, but id love for someone else to share with me if they do try it! i never had the chance to speak to anyone before about this specific " garlic allergy", so i thought id share in hopes that it can help someone else like it helps me.

and if it works for anyone else well spread the news!

well i'm not british, (acadian/spaniard), but i have the same social problems with this garlic allergy and its infuriating! yeah, WE'RE  stupid because THEY'VE  never heard of it.restaurants lie and family/friends are inconsiderate and unaccomodating. not to mention the medical profession. my mom and both maternal grandparents have the same problem. my symptoms include(immediately) feeling like i got punched in the diaphram, nausea, vomiting and diahrea. once i ingested some crabcakes that must have had garlic powder in the batter and i got nauseated, so i took a sleeping pill because i figured if i went to sleep, i couldn't throw up, instead i woke up swimming in diahrea. sorry about the graphics, but this is a serious issue that deserves to be addressed! also i get very dizzy. everybody in the world adores garlic in mass quantities. even the faintest smell of it throws me into a gagging fit sometimes with vomiting.

In 2000, I was hospitalized for 10 days of tests to determine why I had almost instant diarrhea and severe stomach cramps after eating.....most meals.  No conclusive results. By keeping a food diary for weeks, I finally came to the conclusion that I can't eat garlic, caffeine, peppermint and "hot" spices and hot peppers.  I grew up in an Italian family eating garlic regularly with no ill effects.  The difference now is that restaurants have elevated the humble garlic clove to an entree.  It's in EVERYTHING.  I really believe it is used to mask inferior quality food, especially in chain restaurants.  When dining out, I too quiz the waiters.  On a cruise I choose to eat all of my meals at the buffet setting so that I can "quiz" the servers and see what is available.  I actually lose a pound or two when cruising.  :-)  I eat a lot of broiled hamburgers and turkey sandwiches.  As a result of my problem, I try to manipulate friends into eating after we have completed an activity (movie, shopping, etc) if i am near my home.  Or, I can eat and then go directly to a movie.  My life is measured by the proximity of restrooms.  Eating garlic can produce severe cramps and diarrhea within 30 minutes...sometimes even before leaving the restaurant.  I take a probiotic daily (Healthy Trinity), drink ginger tea and ginger ale, take Metamucil daily, crystalized ginger and saltine crackers when traveling.  One friend refers to my diet as eating prison food.  I'm not complaining as long as I can have some control over this problem.  I travel with imodium and was thinking of asking my doctor for lomotil.  I eat a lot of carbs because they seem to "stay with me" better than other foods.  So, I am still not at my goal weight.  Finding these postings has really helped me, and I appreciate all of the suggestions made.

Benedryll has never worked for me. Sleep is definately the best best. I also find that extra strength pepto bismal helps relieve some discomfort at least for a short while (depending on the severity of my reaction)

Decided just tonight to do some web research on my garlic allergy and was totally surprised (and totally FEEL for!) all the other seemingly tons of people with my garlic allergy!  IBS be damned! I too did not get my severe reactions until I was older and started eating out more, my parents (german not British descent) were quite poor and eating out was not an option for me.....but to make a long story short I too cannot tolerate garlic in almost any form.....some forms worse than others and I am constantly trying to figure this out....I will try the Camomille tea and Peppermint tea as I grow Camomille and love Peppermint!  However you are the first one to suggest my favorite remedy: Extra Strength Pepto Bismo!! If I feel an attack coming on and ofcourse by now after years of dealing with the cramps and diarhea I know I've eaten something with garlic!...I quickly take a double dose of Pepto (I am never without it in the house or on vacation!) and the attack lessens and doesn't last more than a couple of hours! I know Pepto is not everybody's favorite tasting (I happen to like it) but it might be somethng to consider!  So wonderful I have found so many people with my same symptoms! People look at you like your nuts when you tell them you're allergic to garlic and would they stick to salt and pepper on my steak please?   Thanks to all of you who have written in!

Wow..This is incredble that there are so many others out there.  Everyone I tell thinks i'm lying, and in restaurants they just brush me off.  I jsut get really sleepy and feel like I can't even function.  I just have to lie down and wait til it passes - anywhere from 24-48hrs usually.  And the smell and taste just stick to me like glue!  I can constantly taste it in my mouth no matter the amount of mouthwash/parsley/mints/gum i've consumed. 

I ate garlic all my life, and cooked with it in every meal - until I became pregnant with my 1st child.  I thought that after the pregnancy passed i'd be able to go back on to it - BUT NO!!!  Not even after breastfeeding.  I was still able to consume products that included 'flavours', such as gravy powder, ketchup/tomato sauce, stock cubes etc...But since becomming pregnant for the 2nd time, even these products make me sick.  It is so infuriating.  When ever we eat out I get the waiter to find out the meals that don't contain garlic, and most often than not, they do anyways....I really miss eating at italian places, and I know my husband does too. 

Seems as though my son is fine with garlic though...I hope it doesn't continue to get worse with each pregnancy, and I'm hoping it goes away. 

Once my children are old enough and I can afford to be sick, i'm going to try and wean myself back onto it and see what happens.  But that won't be for a while.  My 1st is only 19mths old, and my 2nd is due in 2 months...And we're planning on having more.  So looks like no garlic for me for the next 5 or more years.  blah.

I also had my first real reaction to garlic in my 30s.  I had an anaphylactic reaction.  I was tested with a skin test (not with the fake stuff though, they actually rubbed garlic on my skin and then used the pin) and it came up a big old hive.  Nowadays if I get garlic in my mouth, it burns.  I have had some success eating out (I travel for business), but this may be due to the fact that I am only allergic to the fresh stuff and not the garlic powder, and not onions.  Few things:  Italian food ONLY if you really trust them, and only good restaurants, not the Olive Garden. (Neapolitan Italian uses less garlic and sometimes none).  Ditto Indian food (vegetarian dishes only) and Thai.  Chinese food, only sweet dishes and I tend to avoid them now. Mexican food is spotty, some do and some don't.  Pizza:  Papa Ginos and Bertucci's are ok.   Always speak with the chef, or ask the waitstaff to speak with the chef.  Waitstaff who answers too quickly "no, no garlic" gets sent back to the kitchen to check.  Ask again when they get to the table, and smell it first.  Pick a few places that work and stick with them.  I eat a lot of hamburgers when I'm out.  My BF has celiac disease and restaurants that are gluten-free friendly tend to have an awareness of allergy issues and work better for us.  Good luck!

Wow!  Like so many of you, it is really great to know I am not alone.  However, I have less of the intestinal problems that so many of you do (although looking back there probably have been some effects, just not as severe as many of you).  My main problem is that my throat and sinuses react.  I feel like I'm coming down with a cold or having a hay fever attack.  Sore throat, glands swell up, nose runs and eyes water.  But it is not seasonal and I think I have just figured out that it is garlic (fresh only, light powder ok) that makes me sick.  The worst part is that after I have the reaction, it sticks with me for 3 or 4 days like I have a cold and then can even settle in my chest.  Does anyone else have this happen or is everyone all stomach/intestine related?

It is only just dawning on me as I sit here reading the comments on this site that I have exactly the same problem as you and I have literally just realised I am allergic to garlic. Like you I am not sick, nor do I suffer from extreme diarrhea, but I get a strong awful taste in my mouth, my eyes are watering as I write this and I feel sleepy and heady! I have been to the doctor with stomach problems and re-curring urine infections and am wondering if this too could be one of my symptoms! I am thinking that this could be different for each individual, but I know staying off garlic for a while and seeing what happens definately can't hurt!!

I have the same symptoms that you report having after eating garlic! I was reading many of the other posts that state other symptoms incliding rashes, tongue swelling and eczema.  I don't have any of those so I started to doubt whether I have a true allergy; once I read your symptoms (and remembered that I'm also allergic to onions) I felt better... answers to my "symptom questions" are relieving.

Hi there,

I completely know how you fee.  I got the exact symptons like you, on top of it my joints are extremely saw, it takes about 3 days for the system to get rid of the garlic and then it is ok again.

Keep well

I would love to hear what restaurant food (specific dishes, which restaurants) and food products you consider safe. I have a hell of a time eating out. When you tell a chef not to season something, you usually wind up with something so totally bland you'd rather eat cardboard! I'm also allergic to dairy which makes things even more difficult since they can't use butter or cream either. I usually request fish, chicken or steak grilled with salt and pepper. I also get steamed vegetables and a salad (no croutons) with olive oil and vinegar for dressing. The Outback is great for this type of meal.

I would never consider going to an Italian or Mexican restaurant. I once got sick from eating at the Spaghetti Factory even after the staff insisted they washed the pan with soap and hot water before preparing my food. I think the pan (or perhaps some other cooking utensil) had absorbed garlic from previous meals and transferred to my food. I got sick once at a party after I ate cantaloupe from an unglazed pottery dish. I asked the host about it later and she told me she had used the dish for garlic dip the day before. I thought the cantaloupe tasted a little funny, but I didn't think anything of it. It had absorbed the garlic from the ceramic dish.

I go to Subway about 3x per week for lunch. Subway's website provides a complete list of all their ingredients. I ask for the light mayo rather than the regular mayo as the regular mayo has "natural flavors" in it. Since I'm allergic to dairy, I can't get any of the sliced meats (I'm allergic to the dairy preservatives). I get the plain chicken strips on wheat bread, toasted with onion sauce and onions. All other sauces contain garlic or dairy. I avoid pickles, peppers, peppercinis, and olives as well, and get lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. That sandwich is the only semi-healthy thing I can eat out and it has been a lifesaver over the years. I also love plain SunChips. All other flavors have garlic. 

If I'm in a jam, I'll get a hamburger and fries. Of course, I can't get anything else on the hamburger but lettuce, tomato and onion, so it's totally dry and boring. If I can take it home, I'll put some Organic Mayo from Trader Joe's and Annie's Organic Ketchup on it. 

I think one reason your reactions get more severe over time is that your body has cleared out the allergen and healed. When I was eating garlic all the time, I wasn't even aware I was allergic to it. I had low-grade symptoms for years and was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, GERD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I wasn't satisfied with those diagnoses and requested more tests, which is how I found out about all my food allergies. About a month after I stopped eating garlic, I was at a party and was enjoying some tasty dip when I realized it was garlic dip. I had completely forgotten what garlic tasted like and thought I was eating horseradish. I have never been sicker!!

We should make a list of "safe" foods. Sometimes the only way to find out if the natural flavoring used in a food contains garlic is to test it. One day, I was so totally desperate to eat something (I had been out running and was totally crashing from lack of fuel), I ate some of my husband's Oberto Beef Jerky. Even though the label says it contains "flavors," I am pretty confident it doesn't contain garlic because I didn't get sick and I eat it all the time now. 

I keep a little "black book" of all the foods I have researched not to contain garlic or dairy. Here are my notes: 

- Annie's BBQ sauce - garlic-free

- Basiltops garlic-free pesto - garlic-free

- Foster Farms frozen ground turkey contains garlic 

- Boboli - all have garlic 

- Guiltless Gourmet Chips - White Corn Chips, Red Corn Chips, Blue Corn Chips, Chili Verdi Chips, Yellow Corn Chips, Potato Crisps Sea Salt - garlic-free

- Frito Lay - company states garlic will always be a listed ingredient on the label if the product contains garlic; garlic will never be listed as spices or natural flavors

-  Hidden Valley - all products contain garlic

- Maggi Ketchup is garlic-free (I haven't been able to find it, though)

- Lipton cup-a-soup - all have garlic

- Lean Cuisine - I have the following frozen meals on my list to test, but I never got around to testing them and some have dairy anyway: Chicken Fettucini, Fettucini Alfredo, Macaroni & Cheese, Penne Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce, Roasted Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Baked Lemon Pepper Fish, Honey Mustard Chicken, Roasted Turkey Breast, Oven Roasted Beef, Roasted Turkey & Vegetables

- Libby's - German Potato Salad has garlic, 3-bean and 4-bean Salad has garlic 

- Mt. Olive Pickles are garlic-free, although I've never been able to find them

- Newman's Own Peach, Mango & Pineapple Salsa is garlic-free

- New Covenant Food Company - the following soups/sauces are garlic-free but contain dairy - Butternut Squash & Nutmeg Sauce; Smoked Haddock Chowder; Broccoli & Stilton Soup, Parsnip & Bramley Apple Soup; Plum Tomato & Creme Fraiche Soup; Spinach & Nutmeg Soup; Pea & Ham Soup; Beef & Vegetable Soup; Butternut Squash, Apricot & Ginger Soup; NCG Vegetable Soup

- Pawdaddy's Miss'ppi Magic Seasonings is garlic-free

- Ragu - all products contain garlic

- movie popcorn either in a theater or microwaveable - butter flavoring contains garlic 

Well, that's it. Pretty sad, isn't it? I have to advise that the ingredient lists on food products are always subject to change, so you should check the label each and every time you buy it. Also, some of the products listed above may have changed their formulations, or may be untested so I can't be sure that they are garlic-free. I think garlic is so widely used because it is a food preservative. I also find it interesting that some cultures don't cook with garlic but when their foods migrate to the U.S., they add garlic (Japanese food is a perfect example of this) to accommodate to American tastes.

Please add to this list!!! 

I can't believe how many other people have this allergy! And yet, almost every prepared product out there contains garlic--it's crazy. I too would like a "I Hate Garlic" t-shirt. : ) Anyway, as for restaurants and prepared food, it's always a risk. Even if they say something will have no garlic, you can't be sure that a cook doesn't use the same spoon, spatula, pan, whatever, as for something that did have garlic, and it only takes a tiny bit to set off symptoms (for most of us). So, if you are willing to take the risk, my experience is that small local places are more willing to accommodate than chains, but there are always exceptions. IHOP has been good, and if you like breakfast food, it's usually a safe bet. Just watch out for seasoned hash browns or home fries. California Pizza Kitchen does a Margharita pizza, no tomato sauce, that is garlic free. You can even buy it in the supermarket. In a Chinese restaurant, steamed entrees are an option (no seasonings) -- bland, yes, but soy sauce can help. Fast food is actually pretty easy, if you're not vegetarian: At Wendy's, McDonalds and Burger King you can get plain burgers and fries, grilled chicken, etc.

As for packaged foods, it's really better to avoid them, and as has already been pointed out, you have to always read labels because companies can change ingredients without warning! In general, the simpler the better, if you are going to buy any convenience foods. Unseasoned snack foods like Lay's potato chips, plain Ruffles, plain Fritos or plain pretzels are fine. Canned beans and canned or frozen vegetables are generally safe. If you can eat dairy, Totino's Cheese Pizza's are garlic free, as well as Ore-Ida Bagel Bites in the three-cheese flavor. Plain bagels with plain cream cheese are an option. Plain Spagetti-Os, suprisingly, don't have garlic. Annie's salad dressings are great, and there are several varieties without garlic -- honey-mustard and shitake-mushroom are my favorites. For pasta sauce, there are some expensive (but delicious) varieties that don't have garlic, such as Coppola's--check labels at places like Whole Foods. Heinz ketchup is safe, as well as some natural versions. And Grey Poupon mustard is one of my favorite ways to spice up bland food.

I hope this helps! Good luck, all.

I am still fantasizing about a cure. Anybody ever tried the homeopathic remedy for garlic? I wonder if that would help. 

"Natural flavorings," too. 

I dispute this - a) garlic is not a spice, and b) every company I have ever called has told me they don't include garlic in this, so I consider "spices" safe now.  I don't react to garlic powder, though, so as long as it's dessicated (no proteins) I'm okay.

Heinz ketchup is not safe! 

I had been getting sick and could not figure out why, so we called the company.  After getting lots of attitude about everything being "top secret," my mom was finally able to talk to the supervisor.  The supervisor told her that yes, garlic is in the ketchup and it is their *secret ingredient.* 

Oh, and I forgot... Annie's Organic Ketchup is safe.  I callled to make sure, and everything that is in the product is on the label (for a change!).  You can find it at Health food stores, like Better Health and Nutrition or Whole Foods, or buy it online (I think!) at www.annies.com. 

I'm looking for a BBQ sauce that doesn't have garlic in it... does anyone know of one? 

FYI- Kraft BBQ sauce does not have garlic labeled, but a call to the company confirmed that there "may or may not" be garlic in the sauce.  The "Natural flavorings" and "spices" that they use vary from batch to batch-- and may contain garlic.

My tongue swells when i eat garlic, but I have no reaction with Kraft BBQ sauce.

Thank you for this tip! At one time, Heinz ketchup did not contain garlic -- or at least, so I was told. Part of what makes this so difficult is that companies change their recipes/ingredients whenever they feel like it. So products we consider safe may suddenly not be -- and the only way might be from a reaction! "Natural flavorings" may or may not contain garlic oil, and I think the company doesn't even necessarily know what's in it.

Shivani, I wasn't trying to be rude when I put in big, bold print that Heinz ketchup is not safe.  I hope it didn't come across that way.  It came as a surprise to me that the ketchup has garlic, and I wanted others to know, too!  I have been mysteriously getting sick after having a burger and things that I really thought were safe, and lo and behold it's the ketchup.  I would believe that at one time it didn't have garlic; or maybe not every single batch does.  A lot of these companies are inconsistent with what they put in their products.  Who knows... but I know I won't be eating Heinz ketchup anymore. 

While we're on the subject of condiments, add mayonnaise to your unsafe list. Best Foods contains natural flavors, as do many other popular brands. Japanese mayonnaise (the kind used to mix crab rolls in sushi restaurants) does not usually contain natural flavors, which you can see if you visit an Asian grocery store that carries traditional Japanese mayo from Japan. My safe brand of mayonnaise is Trader Joe's Organic Mayonnaise.

I agree -- people should definitely know this! At home I use Annie's ketchup, not Heinz, and as far as I know Annie's is garlic-free. But just because I have never gotten sick from it (or Heinz), that doesn't mean someone else might not. We all have varying levels of sensitivty, and it's great for the most sensitive among us to share our reactions. Regardless of what it says on the label (or not), or what the company tells us, our best guide is always going to be our own reaction. I have been able to smell garlic distinctly in foods that I have been promised do not have garlic in them--so I just don't eat those foods! Unfortunately, it isn't always possible for me to sniff out the garlic in a food, if it's a very small amount. And it's always easier to notice it with hot foods, since the heat carries the aroma, I guess.

They must have realised that lots of people are intolerant as it's now on the list of ingredients, Chef ketchup has also become unsafe, they changed their recipe recently and now add garlic too!

I find that LIDL and ALDI are the best places to buy ketchup and sauces as they are German and the Germans don't seem to have the same obsession with garlic as Ireland and the UK do! I don't understand this fad for garlic in everything, it overpowers the taste of so many other types of seasoning and just seems like lazy cooking on behalf of the sauce makers to me!

I have cut out all ketchup and mayo from my diet just from my experience with Heinz ketchup and kraft mayo! The only foods I am allergic to are in the garlic family (onions shallots and asparagus. I can handle Trader Joes organic ketchup even though it lists spices, I just try to use it sparingly. I have come to hate these companies that try to hid their ingredients. I am shopping at Trader Joes more often now because if I have a question I can walk upp front to customer service and they will call corporate for me to get a definate answer. Also, they have allergy sheets that list safe products for other allergies(I use these for my daughter).    

I love garlic.. but it just doesn't love me.. and yes you can ask them to leave it out... at any restaurant.. i also am allergic to dairy.. and tomato pastes.. and many many other food allergies..some i can tolerate.. garlic i cannot and dairy i cannot and they both have the same effect.. you do get sick of taking the pills and now i just avoid the foods that bother me.. it only takes about 5 min for my body to tell me that their is garlic or dairy in my food.. some it's longer.. headache.. cramps and the unmentionable , my son also suffers from the same allergy to dairy and my daughter is fine with dairy and cannot digest onions. or garlic it's no fun being afraid to eat out.. but.. most places are fairly good to you if you ask them nicely without seeming too picky.. i've never had a problem anywhere i have dined (not yet anyway) i just figure if i get caught in the ladies room on a fine night out.. i'll tell them either leave or get a gas mask.. lol... c'est la vi!

Laurie, which variety of Annie's BBQ sauce does not contain garlic?  The other day I was at the health food store to get my ketchup, and I looked at the Annie's BBQ sauce and the only variety they had contained garlic. 

Thanks for your informative postings-- and that goes out to everyone else out there, too.  It has been helpful to know what other foods others have found that are "safe."  It is also helpful to know that others share the same problem, although I'd never wish it on anyone. 

I'm not sure about Annie's BBQ sauce anymore. I put it in my little red book about 3 years ago after researching ingredients on the internet. Maybe they changed their formula. I've never actually bought or eaten it. 

I've been eating out a lot lately, socially. The other night I went to Gordon Biersch (a brewery in the Seattle area - I'm not sure if they have them all over the country). I ordered my usual - hamburger, no cheese, no mayo, no ketchup, no pickles with plain fries, lettuce, tomato and onions. It was the best burger I've ever had, and I eat a lot of burgers, not really by choice but because it's the easiest thing to order. By the way, you should always ask if the burger patty has garlic mixed into it. A lot of restaurants buy frozen burger patties which may or may not come pre-seasoned. I wish they made a travel-sized Annie's ketchup. It would be nice to tuck in my purse when eating out. 

Hi, 

My daughter has sever food allergies, garlic being one of them. Do any of you have any suggestions for a garlic substitute? We cook almost all of her meals at home and are looking for some alternative to garlic that still gives her dishes a similar flavor.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Heather

I like cooking with dried onions. They are pungent and flavorful, probably like garlic.

thank you Laurie, 

do you find these dried onions at the market? if so, what brand do you suggest? if not, how do you prepare them?

I buy dried onions in bulk from Costco. I use them in everything, especially guacamole. I believe you can buy dried onions in most grocery stores in the bulk section.

I just started reading this forum, because 2 days ago, my barely 2 year old son was diagnosed witha severe garlic allergy.  By the way, garlic really IS in EVERYTHING.  Anyway, last night I substituted dried onion in for garlic in my home made concoction, and he had a reaction to that.  I called the allergist, and he said it is VERY possible that if you have a garlic allergy, you also have an onion allergy.  I just wanted to let you know to be careful giving your daughter onions, she may be allergic as well.

I am allergic (or sensitive) to both garlic and onions  - I have a very predictable reaction, starting with a severe headache, followed by gastric symptoms and then vomiting for several hours (yesterday it was 13 hours - hence me checking out this forum). I usually am really careful, but now and again slip up, and on this occasion used stock which contained onion powder. The reason I am responding to you is that I had a similar reaction, although much more severe, when I was given morphine after breaking my wrist. I had a terrible headache, my body temperature dropped and I couldn't stop shaking or vomiting. When I phoned the doctor to tell him what was happening he told me to call an ambulance. I don't know what the connection is, or even if it is something that other people might experience, but thought I would mention it as you have a small child. Perhaps you should bear this in mind in case your son needs morphine at any time in his life.

Thank you!  I will keep that in mind if any doctor ever wants to give my son morphine.  I appreciate these comments, because if there is one thing I have learned over the last couple of years, it is that doctors don't know everything.  Your doctor isn't around you or your children every day, and if you wait for them to be able to answer all of your questions correctly, you could wind up in a dangerous situation.  It is nice to be able to talk to other people who have these same problems, especially since my son is very young and (although can talk very well,) does not vocalize his symptoms.  My son lived the first two years of his life in pain, screaming all the time and never sleeping (I nursed him, so he was getting all this food he was allergic to).  People would just always tell me, "That's what babies do."  It was so nice to read on this forum after I found out about all of my son's allergies, and know that I'm not crazy.  All of these feelings that adults described was exactly how my son was acting.  He still has small reactions sometimes.  He tested allergic to garlic, pork, oats, cinnamon, egg yolks, and is intollerant of casien in cow's milk.  I have since found tomatoes and possibly oranges to be another culprit.  If anyone has any ideas as to what may still be causing the reactions (which are a lot less severe and less often,) I would appreciate the input.  Thank you!

Dear Judi,

I sympathize with your reaction, but I am a in the medical profession and there should be no relationship between garlic and morphine.  Please do not spread misinformation.  It sounds as though you have an allergy to morphine or a sensitivity to narcotics, which is not unusual.  If a doctor has told you about a relationship between the two, that would be news to me, but you weren't specific about that in your post.

Hi "goldfish"

I have noted your response to my post and would like to say that I am not trying to spread any misinformation, merely making an anecdotal comment.  I found it most interesting that my reaction to morphine was identical to my reaction to garlic, although more severe. There may or may not be an association, but I still think it was worth mentioning and could be significant. I am interested that you say you are in the medical profession, and hope that your interest in this forum is in an attempt to find a solution to this growing problem. Thank you also for mentioning that I may have an allergy to narcotics, which is an important consideration I may otherwise have overlooked.

Hi Judi, It would not be an allergy to narcotics, but it would be an intolerance.  There is a significant difference.  I believe that many people on this thread may have an intolerance to garlic and not necessarily an allergy.  it might make the person feel the same, but biologically speaking, it is a very different process.  there is information on this available and I encourage people to look.  Those who found benadryl have no effect may well have an intolerance, not an allergy.  An intolerance is no less serious than an allergy and in fact is more difficult to isolate and manage.  As an example, I myself have a documented allergy to garlic (so, my interest is not medical! LOL).  it raised a hive during subcutaneous (under the skin) testing, makes me wheeze, and gives me a violent intestinal reaction.  This is an IgE response and involves proteins that are in the offending food (another reason those with garlic powder problems may not have allergies - there are no more proteins in powder).  (Wiki allergy - you'll get what you need in the first paragraph).  I also have a food intolerance to something that is in canned beef soups (not chicken).  Before I figured this out, and was still eating Dinty Moore and the like, after eating it, I would vomit completely undigested food hours later.  (Wiki food intolerance and it will lay out the difference between allergy and intolerance). 

As another aside, of course I am now a little nervous when eating out and if I think I have gotten garlic, I can very easily give myself an anxiety attack, which FEELS like the beginnings of an allergic reaction... I can now get a handle on it.

I was told recently that I should have my garlic allergy re-tested, since it has been over ten years and body chemistry changes can occur to make this worthwhile.  I don't think that I will be eating scampi anytime soon, but it would be nice not to be so worried about getting a miniscule amount in food.

I didn't mean to jump on you about the misinformation - I just didn't want people to start panicking about an association between garlic and morphine.  This is such a nuanced topic...

I have found ginger powder a good flavor substitute for my garlic cravings. I do not think allergies to garlic is an Irish, English, and/or other caucasian affliction because I am asian. I have actually met a few other asian people bemoaning the sad fact of NO GARLIC in our lives. My own mother who is the nicest person in the world said I can not make anything you like because it is impossible to cook without garlic. To this day she can not cook without garlic. It is really hard on me more so (not that is is easy for you guys) because every single food I like from my ethnic background contains garlic even some desserts.

Since companies seem to want to deny they use garlic, try telling a company that your child is allergic and that you need to know if the product in question contains garlic. If they say of course there's no garlic, you can verify by saying well if they said it's safe and it turns out not to be, there will be a big lawsuit and negative PR.

Turkey Burgers also have garlic!  So do Boca Burgers.  The pre-made turkey burgers you can buy that may not have it (you will have to check with Jennie-O), are the BLUE LABEL Jennie-O Turkey Burgers.  READ THE PACKAGES, OBVIOUSLY.  I buy mine at Smart & Final and I seem to do just fine.  The Red package specifically states:  "Seasoned" and on the back it lists garlic as an ingredient.  The blue one says, "Spices" - which usually contains garlic, but I thought I'd try it out since they went to the trouble of listing garlic on their red labels, I figured they would've also listed it on the blue label if it was in there.

Double check with them before you eat it, though.

Add Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup to your list of garlic foods.  Used to not,but now it is a listed ingredient. Campbell's Cream of Chicken an acceptable substitute.  I make a spaghetti sauce with cream of chicken soup and tomato paste that I like regardless of comments from others.

Suspect all the Banquet TV dinners as well, although not listed.

Doritos a total killer.

Read carefully peanut jars...the cheap ones use garlic!

On the good guys side, my wife loves Red Lobster and has their shimp.  If you ask, they will make their steaks without any garlic and they are good tasting without!

Fritos have no garlic.

Don't write off all Meixcan restaurants..at least here in Oregon a number do not use garlic.  Ditto for Chinese restaurants...but it is a matter of trial and ouch.  Then sticking with the good guys.

Also British Isles origiin.  My symptons, interminable cramping, are delayed usally till the next day which making tracking down the offender difficult.

Add also fried chicken from Fred Meyer stores to the list too.  They sell an 8 piece pack hot or cold and it does not seem to bother me.

Me also. I used to eat a lot of garlic but in 1976 I became seriously alergic to garlic. If I smell it I have to run away very quickly or I stop breathing. It is like a nerve gas. I dare not eat out as I live on the border of France an Spain and everything has garlic in it. If, by accident I eat a little cooked in a curry where I can't taste it, exactly 11 hours later, the top of my head comes off and I suffer a blinding headache, vomiting and nausea. This condition the lasts for 12 hours at least. I would give my left leg for something that could protect me from this allergy.

Someone should advise TV chefs not to throw loads of garlik into their menues. 

      I'm so grateful to have found someone else in the same boat.  Just the presence of garlic in the air causes swelling of my tongue, lips and throat, massive  headaches like I've been hit by a baseball bat, hives the size of saucers and lymphedema.  I carry epi-pens at all times. 

     My question is how are you able to travel at all?  The thought of travel in anything but my own car strikes terror into my heart.  How might I travel by plane, train or boat under these circumstances? Any help would be appreciated.

Travel is a tough one if just the smell of garlic sets off symptoms. Even though you can order a special meal on airlines (I have had success with requesting "bland" meal), that won't help if you're seated next to someone eating the pasta with pesto! Definitely carry your epi-pen, plus a prescription anti-histamine, if you have one. Or just get Benedryl if that works for you.

I always try to bring meals with me when I travel, even if it's just a sandwich or two and safe snacks. Don't hesitate to tell people about your allergy, and usually they are helpful and understanding. If you are going to a motel, try to get one with kitchenette, so you can keep and prepare some safe foods, which you've packed with you. I won't pretend any of this is easy, but I think it is possible to travel -- at least by car -- if you plan ahead and pack well.

I have traveled a great deal, all over the world, and if I am planning to go somewhere where I don't speak the language, I have always made a point of learning the words for "garlic" and "allergy" in the native tongue, before I even worry about how to say "hello." Seriously! It helps.

Good luck!

From: peter clarke UK.

I have suffered garlic allergy for 40 years or more - The effect is to make me very agressive and difficult - eg:  i KNOW i;m right and everybody else is wrong, I can get very very angry. I have managed to avoid ingesting garlic , and when I do, in error or by mistake I take Bach Remedy four drops under my tongue, this helps.

I believe my children have this same effect - not quite so severe.

I was tested for allergies by a UK practitioner who correctly diagnosed my allergy, despite my taking great care to give no clues.

So Yes Please to including Garlic in all lists of ingredients. My opinion is that manufacturers and cooks generally don't know how to cook with flavour and stick garlic in as an easy-out.

Which Bach Remedy do you take for garlic antidote? There are several unless you mean the all purpose Rescue Remedy. Thank you.

Me also. I used to eat a lot of garlic but in 1976 I became seriously alergic to garlic. If I smell it I have to run away very quickly or I stop breathing. It is like a nerve gas. I dare not eat out as I live on the border of France an Spain and everything has garlic in it. If, by accident I eat a little cooked in a curry where I can't taste it, exactly 11 hours later, the top of my head comes off and I suffer a blinding headache, vomiting and nausea. This condition the lasts for 12 hours at least. I would give my left leg for something that could protect me from this allergy.

Someone should advise TV chefs not to throw loads of garlik into their menues.

Me also. I used to eat a lot of garlic but in 1976 I became seriously alergic to garlic. If I smell it I have to run away very quickly or I stop breathing. It is like a nerve gas. I dare not eat out as I live on the border of France an Spain and everything has garlic in it. If, by accident I eat a little cooked in a curry where I can't taste it, exactly 11 hours later, the top of my head comes off and I suffer a blinding headache, vomiting and nausea. This condition the lasts for 12 hours at least. I would give my left leg for something that could protect me from this allergy.

Someone should advise TV chefs not to throw loads of garlik into their menues. 

Must Read!!! I'm CURED

egg burps,,,,,,and garlic problems

is caused by my antacid meds side effects,

if you take antacid meds ask your dr

if you can change them im now taking Zantac 300mg

and i can eat all the garlic I want

 no  more egg burps IM NOT A DR BUT IT WORK FOR ME

I posted above but a generic, prescription version of zanac works for me too.  I had the severe sweats, stomach pain, dizziness, belches, etc.

now with ranitadine I can handle it most of the time (it knocks 80%+ of it out)

(for more deails see the above)

It's great to be able to compare notes with people who suffer problems with garlic, after searching around for ages. I really can't understand why it needs to be in nearly every prepared savoury product on the market, and included in nearly every restaurant main course. It may be good for some people, but it can't be natural to have one ingredient included in most of the food that a person consumes.

My problem has been ongoing for 23 years now, although I spent many years continually getting sick and not knowing why before I found the cause. 

Once I discovered what was making me ill I stopped having garlic (and onions) in my food, and my family are used to that now.

My reaction is a severe headache, upset stomach which gets worse and worse and then I start vomiting and this continues for at least 24 hours.

Eating out is no fun. I always feel embarrassed at having to go through the menu with a fine tooth comb, and generally end up with something plain so that I'm comfortable that I will not get ill. The reaction of most people is "garlic is good for you, why wouldn't you want to eat it?"

Does anyone also react to other foods, like onions, dried fruits, white wine etc?

Judi - you look like you might have a sulfite issue...wine and dried fruits are both high in sulfites.

Yes I believe that sulfites are also a problem for me. Luckily its a little easier to avoid them.

I wish I could taste or smell garlic... I can't, even in quite high doses, so I tend to start eating something with gusto and then my hubbie says "wow, that smells garlicky", by then it's too late... 

My mum is alergic to garlic and onion, so I didn't have them much growing up and was fine, but within the last 3 years I've become increasingly intolerant.  Interesting, I've just been diagnosed with IBS, but having read all of these, I'm now wondering whether it's the garlic instead??

No one seems to be mentioning the fact that if your system is not balanced with the beneficial "good" bacteria in your gut, in other words...you've got yeast or fungus imbalance from eating to much sugar/carbs over the years...garlic would kill it off and give what they call "die-off" symptoms of headache, vomiting and fever.

Sounds crazy, but if you did a detox with organic foods (no pesticides) and alkaline (high PH) of garlic, lemon, veggies, ginger, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, leafy greens...it would be really bad at first but eventually your body may balance out. Not a doctor here but I've experienced the same types of things on and off over the past decade or so. This may not work for you but has worked for others. You may need a couple weeks or so to do this.

Here's a link I found about the PH balance, scroll down and there's a list of alkaline and acidic foods. My Dad had prostate cancer and I found a book about the fact that cancer cannot survive in a higher PH (Alkaline) environment. The American diet is mostly acidic with red meat, caffiene, sugar, alchohol where cancer thrives.

http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/acid_alkaline_foods_list.html

Thanks for the info. Given the fact that many of us with garlic allergy have actually tested positive on allergy tests, and even have a reaction as soon as it touches our tongue (long before it enters our gut), I think the "yeast" connection and acidity of diet are not the culprit. But it may be the case for some people, who knows?

Very true, just wanted to mention it where it may give someone info that could really help.

I agree about the web site. I suggested that to a friend of mine and she said yeah... it would get two hits, one from her and one from me, to see if anyone checked it out...sigh.  There is no respect for people who can't eat garlic. Garlic eaters really don't believe that we are allergic they think that we just 'don't like it' and that 'a little bit won't hurt'.  I feel like a high maintenance princess when I go to restaurants and half the time the servers and chefs don't really know if garlic is in what they are serving.  As soon as I put food on my tongue, I get a reaction if there is garlic in it and I know that I'm going to have problems and yes, feeling the need to sleep and am distracted by the fact that I am having these symptoms, all the gastro ones previously described by others and itchy skin.

Garlic Haters Unite!

I too have started a list of non-garlic, seemingly safe products but I'm Canadian so they may not be applicable.(I didn't know about the 'spices' issue until I read your posts, now I have to be even more careful-- I thought I was safe if it wasn't listed on the label)... and so it goes...what's worse, is that I don't cook, I suppose I will have to learn.

Vel

I live in Ottawa and will try to find the salad dressing you recommended.  I have discovered that Kraft Signature Raspberry Vinaigrette doesn't bother me.  I can't say for sure that there is no garlic in it as it has natural and artificial flavourings. 

I carry Gas-X with me at all times-- I find it really helps with the gastro symptoms, at least.  I don't have a strong histamine reaction at this point but Benadryl may be in my future.

I am Canadian and also have an intolerance to garlic.  I have no anaphylactic symptoms, but suffer from headaches, bloating, cramps and diarrhea almost instantly after eating garlic.  After some research I discovered I have an intolerance to garlic (may be the case if you have intestinal symptoms only) because I lack the enzyme to process the garlic oil (much like someone without lactase can not process lactose, or milk sugar).  If garlic is cooked, the heat/processing removes some of the oil and my reaction is less severe, but still there.  I don't react to garlic powder so I can eat most processed ketchups and salad dressings (Kraft Raspberry Vinaigrette is one of my favourites).  Apparently about 10% of the population lacks the enzyme to process garlic oil.  My father, brother and niece all suffer from the same problem leading me to believe there is a strong genetic component.  I do eat out a fair amount and always tell the wait staff about my allergy. I was at a luncheon at a golf course yesterday and the menu was a pasta bar (YIKES). Fortunately I had phoned ahead and the chef broiled me a chicken breast in a separate pan and made a separate salad.  I often use balsamic vinegar and oil and mix it at the table for a salad dressing that is safe.  I have resorted to eating off the kids menu in some places. My food of choice when eating out is salmon as it is one of the few items that is hardly ever seasoned with garlic.  Although we went to the Milestones restaurant chain last week and they didn't  have one thing on the menu (even the salmon was marinated in a garlic containing brine) without garlic, other than dessert of course.  I ended up having a cup of tea while the rest of my family ate dinner.  I wrote them a letter when I got home! Hope some of this helps. Mo

Ditto, I look about 6 months prego and intense pain, etc. The garlic salt seldom bothers me but everthing else does.  No probs with onions. All started about 20 years ago. I'm now 40, and still trying to eat out occassionally.  I swear they'd try to put garlic in eggs too. Anyhow, this is my saving grace cure but it takes over night but without it I'd awake in the same perdicament. (In fact nothing moves anywhere for days) 

1 phazyme (simithicone sp??) I sometimes top it off with a chewable GAS X

1 milk thistle

and sometimes I throw in an acidofilus for good measure

and I'm good to go the next morning

Chhers Lynette in Victoria

No-Garlic (or Garlic-Free) Tomato Sauce
for pizzas, pastas, and other tomatoey dishes

(1) You don't chop the onion. You cut it in half and throw it into the pot.

(2) You don't use olive oil, you use butter.

(3) You don't use garlic.

Here is what went into the pot pre-tomatoes:

(Half an onion, 2.5 Tbs butter, big pinch salt and maybe some basil or oregano or thyme - depends on the use of the sauce)

Then I added 1 lb of canned tomatoes(crushed, stewed, whole or fresh chopped up - once again depends on the use):

I cut them up in the pot with two knives. Then I turned the heat on, got it to a simmer, and simmered for 45 minutes. It was honestly that easy. I ended up with this:

What a brilliant sauce! Seriously--who knew using butter instead of olive oil would make such a difference. It had a creamy richness that may make this my signature tomato sauce for tomato sauces future. The lack of chopped onion had no impact on the flavor--meaning, cutting the onion in half and throwing it in is an excellent alternative. I'm not sure how the garlic affected it--all I can say is that the end result was top notch.

And that, my friends, is  No-Garlic (or Garlic-Free) Tomato Sauce . (Oh, and don't forget to add salt when you add the tomatoes.)

Hi Sacza,

I'm from England too. I've been suffering with what I think is a garlic allergy for about 5 years now. It seems to be getting worse. Just a trace of garlic results in me looking 4 months pregnant for several hours.

Tonight I ate a Birds Eye chicken pie and used Bisto turkey gravy. Neither of these listed garlic in the ingredients. One of them must have had garlic in because within around 30 minutes my stomach had swollen really badly and after about an hour and a half I had diarrhoea.

I'm also intolerant to wheat, cows' milk and onions. The worse reaction I’ve had is when my friend cooked me spaghetti bolognaise with onions, garlic, with whole wheat pasta and cheese grated on top (she cooked it before I was tested). I had very bad stomach pains and came out in a rash over my legs and chest.

When I had a food test the woman suggested that I try a remedy. It involved cutting out the food completely and taking the garlic remedy drops twice a day for a week. It didn't help and all I got from it was a very uncomfortable week.

Sometimes I just try to put up with my symptoms but I’m worried about how it might be affecting me long term. I regularly get IBS.

I’d like to cook all my food from scratch but sometimes I work quite late and don’t have the energy to spend a lot of time cooking.

I often get a funny look if I’m in a restaurant and ask if something I like on the menu contains garlic. Depending on what mood I’m in sometimes I just take my chances.

Shopping in the supermarket takes me a long time as I try to read all the labels for what I buy – but it looks like even the items I pick that don’t have garlic listed do actually contain garlic.

When I first started getting problems with garlic I’d say to my friends “look I’m pregnant”, almost like it was a party trick. But my symptoms have been getting worse and I’m now very annoyed at how difficult it is to avoid garlic.

Bye for now,

Mandy

I also got the pregnant bloated look (very painful, causes stretch marks) after eating garlic and dairy. I have both allergies, too, and the combination makes it especially challenging to eat anything pre-packaged or pre-made. When you're reading labels, look out for "natural flavoring." This is most often garlic of one form or another. Because you're allergic to milk, I'm going to list the milk ingredients to look out for too:

Milk Ingredients to Avoid

Ammonium/calcium/magnesium/potassium/sodium caseinate
Casein/caseinate/rennet casein
Curds
Delactosed/demineralized whey
Dry milk/milk/sour cream/sour milk solids
Hydrolyzed casein, hydrolyzed milk protein
Lactalbumin/lactalbumin phosphate
Lactate/lactose

Possible sources of milk

Artificial butter, butter fat/flavour/oil, ghee, margarine
Baked goods and baking mixes e.g., breads, cakes, doughnuts
Fried foods
Brown sugar, high-protein flour
Buttermilk, cream, dips, salad dressings, sour cream, spreads
Caramel colouring/flavouring
Casein in wax, e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables
Casseroles, frozen prepared foods
Cereals, cookies, crackers
Cheese, cheese curds, cottage/soy cheese
Chocolate
Desserts, e.g., custard, frozen yogurt, ice cream, pudding, sherbet, yogurt
Egg/fat substitutes
Flavoured coffee, coffee whitener
Glazes, nougat
Gravy, sauces
Kefir (milk drink), kumiss (fermented milk drink), malt drink mixes
Meats, e.g., canned tuna, deli/processed meats, hot dogs, pâtés, sausages
Pizza
Potatoes, e.g., instant/mashed/scalloped potatoes, seasoned french fries/potato chips
Seasonings
Snack foods, e.g., candy, fruit bars, granola bars
Soups, soup mixes
Tofu

Non-food sources of milk

Cosmetics
Medications
Pet food

Ingredients that do not contain milk protein

Calcium/sodium lactate
Calcium/sodium stearoyl lactylate
Cocoa butter
Cream of tartar
Oleoresin

You're right to wonder about the long-term health effects of continuing to eat foods you are allergic to. I haven't described leaky gut syndrome in previous posts, but this is a good time to bring it up. It's pretty disgusting and debilitating if you allow the condition to continue. Here's an article:

http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/altered-immunity-leaky-gut-syndrome/85/

In layman's terms (my sister-the-scientist would probably be rolling her eyes at my description here), the walls of the intestine become weakened due to the constant immune response of your body to the allergen. The weakened intestine allows matter from your intestines (very tiny particles, toxins & fluids) to pass into the body cavity. This creates further immune response which causes the bloating. Bloating is a form of inflammation. Inflammation in the body can cause increased fatigue, headaches, poor concentration & irritability, among other things. This condition can take many years to cure, especially if you continue to accidentally ingest the allergen.

My ultimate goal in life is to avoid my food allergens completely and AT ANY COST (I don't care how rude I have to be!!), and to keep from getting sick ever again. This said, I still get sick by accidental ingestions about once every 6 weeks. Because of this, I tend to eat the same foods over and over again. Knowing my diet lacks a certain amount of diversity and spontaneity, I've worked very hard to create a balanced diet. I have about 7 different dinner recipes that I consume on a regular basis. I make more than I need for dinner so I can have leftovers for lunch the next day. I consume a lot of raw vegetables, chicken, and beans. I recently stopped eating out completely, with the exception of sushi about 4x a year.

Changing your diet like this is a huge committment, but one that I encourage you to take up. You will eat better than anybody you know and you will feel so much healthier. You may not notice changes at first; give it about 3 months. You will start to feel less tired, less bloated, and have fewer aches and pains.

Cooking everything from scratch is inconvenient, especially when it's late and you're tired. I would suggest creating a few easy, quick recipes you can rely on. My quick and easy dinner is a burrito and consists of: wheat tortilla rolled up with scrambled eggs, 1/4 c. kidney beans (from can, rinsed), 1 oz. soy cheese, 1/4 c. diced tomatoes (from can, drained), 1 tablespoon soy sour cream, and tabasco sauce. I can throw this together in less than 10 minutes. Another dinner that you can make on the weekend and eat off all week uses a slow cooker. I make this on Sunday when I'm at home all day:

2 chicken breasts (okay if frozen)

2 cans black beans (do not rinse)

2 cans tomato sauce (take care to find a brand that does not have natural flavoring)

1 can jalapeno peppers, diced

1 can whole corn, drained

1 tablespoon cumin

Salt & pepper

Mix of grains: rice, quinoa, couscous, etc. (approx. 1 1/2 cup)

Spray the slow cooker pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of the pot and top with all the canned ingredients, cumin and salt & pepper. Slow cook on high setting for approx. 4 hours. After 4 hours, shred the chicken in the pot and add the grain mix (I use Trader Joe's Quinoa Blend - can't remember exact name of product) and cook for about 10-20 minutes longer (add water if mixture is too dry for grains to properly cook; cook longer if rice is not done). Serve with tabasco sauce and soy sour cream.

While this recipe takes 4 1/2 hours in the cooker, it only takes about 5 minutes of prep. I can eat off this all week long.

Hi Laurie,

Thank you for the list of milk ingredients. The woman who did my food allergy test suggested using hazelnut milk or soya milk as an alternative. I think the first sounds more appealing.

The information about leaky gut syndrome is very worrying. I’ve been thinking about seeing a GP but I’m not sure they are specialised enough so have decided to see a nationalist. She is going to give me an allergy test and a full MOT. I’m not sure what a full MOT will entail and I thought that it would be good to have a second allergy test as it will give me more confidence in knowing what I am allergic too if it has been confirmed by two different people. Plus I wasn’t tested for a garlic allergy the first time as they don’t normally test for it.

I spoke to someone today that said allergies could change over time and you could just stop being allergic to it. I wander if this has happened for anyone you know?

I feel like I’m in a spiral. Because I’m not avoiding my allergies I feel unmotivated and bored with my life and because of that I carry on eating convenience food. I know that I do feel better when I cut out the food that’s bad for me because I’ve done it before. I’ve heard different things from different people. Some people, including the woman that did my allergy test, said that I shouldn’t try to cut the food out completely as accidental introduction of it again could cause more sever reactions.

I’m going on a ski trip to France in March. I was worried yesterday as I had visions of going to restaurants every night and trying to ask for no garlic – in France! I checked today and we have a chalet maid cooking for us. I had the same setup last year and she was very helpful and made sure that she cooked something separate for me or added the garlic after she served my dish.

It would be really good if there were handheld testers that you could put into food to detect garlic. It’s really difficult to know if you’re eating something with garlic in if it takes half an hour for the symptoms to appear – then it’s too late. I went to Florida on holiday a couple of months ago and most places were quite good about making sure there wasn’t any garlic in my meal – sometimes the chef would come and speak to me too. I was annoyed though when walking past someone handing out chicken samples. I asked if it contained garlic and she said no. I stupidly put the whole thing in my mouth and could taste the garlic straight away. I spat it out really quickly and I will not be making that mistake again. I was so angry inside because I couldn’t believe that she lied to me – it was so obvious that it had garlic in – it had just as much garlic as garlic bread. And sure enough after half an hour my stomach swelled up – even though I spat it out.

The annoying thing is that I used to really like garlic when I was younger and don’t understand why I’m allergic to it now when I wasn’t before.

I’m going to try really hard to commit to cutting out my allergies. I will defiantly be avoiding garlic and after next Wednesday I should have a more conclusive list of anything else I’m allergic to.

Having to avoid certain foods really requires a change in the way you think about food and eating. It would be nice to sample handouts in stores, but I can't. It would be nice to eat convenience foods, but I can't. It would be nice to have a piece of banana-cream pie like everybody else at the party, but I can't. It's just not fair!!!! But get beyond feeling sorry for yourself so you can focus on being healthy. That is much more valuable than whatever small pleasure you will get from sampling a tasty morsel or enjoying dessert with friends. 

It's hard because we've been conditioned to turn to food for so many reasons other than nutrition - emotions, feeling good about yourself, celebrations, rewards, etc. You have to learn to eat only when you're hungry and your body needs it. Try to get used to this idea, turn it over and over in your mind until you can accept it: food is just fuel for the body, nothing more. It's a very hard thing to accept and I don't want to come off like it's easy. But seriously, if the only thing I can eat in a restaurant if I want to avoid getting sick is some steamed veggies and a dry piece of grilled chicken, I guess that's my dinner. I wish I could have the cheesy piece of lasagna that everybody else gets to enjoy, but it's just food after all.

i can't tell you how many times i have said "garlic free zone."

Hello Everyone

Look what I found: 

http://www.recipezaar.com/cookbook.php?bookid=51115&ls=o

As a cullinary challenged person I think even I can make most of these, and they sound yummy. There is hope for us yet!!

(some have dairy and are non-veg but, there are enough to choose a few favourites from)

Vel

Most meats are marinated or rubbed with something involving garlic. I'm a vegetarian but my mother is also allergic to garlic and she has just as hard a time finding foods that aren't pre-prepared with garlic. Eating animals is not the answer.

I will add my post to this as it contains a little tip--hope it helps! Good luck!

oops...here it is:

I am so relieved to find this site. Just thinking about garlic makes my tongue feel black. I have googled "garlic allergy" a bunch of times but all I get is sites telling me the health benefits of garlic--so frustrating!!
It started with me when I hit my 30's which is right about the age it happened to my mother, too. For years I dealt with my mom going to restaurants and having to go through the whole thing and of course they always assume it's just a preference, not an allergy. In fact, once in a while, the waiter would go "talk to the chef" and come back and say "so can you tell me your symptoms, ma'am..." as if to say, unless this is life or death we're not really concerned.
Now going out to dinner is so wrapped up in anxiety I'd rather just stay home which is sad because my whole family has always loved dining out together as a way to bond and treat ourselves at the same time.
Okay, so that's enough venting...now for my little tip:
CARRY LACTAID WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.
I hope it works for you, it seems to have helped relieve symptoms for me and my mother in an emergency.
There is no medical evidence for this but maybe someone out there may be able to shed some light.
I realized one day that my symptoms were very similar to what I hear about lactose intolerance. I figured if it was a digestive problem then maybe whatever is in lactaid would help aid in digestion for things other than dairy products. I also did find out in some research that garlic is toxic and certain people are very tolerant of the toxins to the point where garlic can be used to kill bad things that cause illness. However, for those of us who are intolerant of garlic's toxins, it tried to kill us and in a very miserable way: through our intestines!!!
So, it may not be a cure but I find that lactaid helps.
Would love to know if it works for you too so please post!

Mee too, this works over night for me

1 phazyme (simithicone) sold in stomach aids- Somtimes I top it off with a chewable GAS X, but I hate the dry mouth which I already get with garlic

1 milk thistle

also sometimes 1 acidophilus

Quite the cocktail but by the next morning good to go

I just found out my 2-year old son is allergic to garlic. I understand some alergies in children can go away. Do you know if this is one of them? Right now it seems his symptoms are limited to skin reactions, but I'd appreciate suggestions for symptoms to look for at this age. As you mentioned with limited verbal communication I'm finding this a challenge. He's also allergic to eggs, but I'm not finding that as challenging.

I'd love any tips you have for dealing with this in a young child. I'm particularly concerned about how to handle daycare. He always wants to eat whatever everyone else is eating. I tried bringing in food for him and was told he really wouldn't eat much. I'm planning on trying to make foods that will be similar to what the other kids are eating, but would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks

It's been awhile since I looked at this site.  My understanding is that any of the allergies can be outgrown.  Eggs is a very common one to outgrow, but there is not much data on garlic.  My daughter also has the egg allergy and I agree it is much easier to deal with and people/restaurants are able to deal with it much better than garlic.  We have seen skin/hives reactions with my daughter and one instance where her eye swelled up.  For ketchup we have gone with the Annie's Naturals which we buy at Whole Foods Market, I've also seen it online at amazon.com for anyone that doesn't have Whole Foods in their area.  It is hard to make foods that are similar to what other children are having.  Then you start to find most children birthday parties have pizza which is always a challenge with garlic.  My daughter does not mind eating pizza without sauce so we can order papajohns or dominos with no sauce and it is safe, otherwise it is make your own.  Many local pizza places have garlic even in the crust and some egg (pizza hut is a no for this reason). 

I believe it should be possible for children to outgrow their food allergies, but I'm not so sure about adults. I'm hoping I can outgrow this allergy. I only just developed it when I was 25 and I've had it for 9 years. I now firmly believe that I developed the allergy after my digestive system was compromised by several different parasitic diseases: giardia, amoebic dysentery and blastocytosis. Following my illnesses, I took heavy-duty antibiotics and this is what, I believe, weakened my intestines. The intestines are a part of your immune system, so being weakened I became more susceptible to food allergies. I believe my intestines are now fully healed, but I am still sensitive and/or allergic to these foods. I would like to get the RAST test again to make sure, but the test is somewhere around $500. I don't think I'm allergic to citrus anymore, but I know if I get garlic or dairy, I get pretty sick.

My almost two year old daughter is also allergic to garlic as well as peanuts and peas plus minor allergies to a handful of other things which she is starting to outgrow.  We also discovered the garlic allergy because of a reaction to spaghetti which happened just two days before we were going to the allergist anyways.  I'm a package cook, so she never eats the same meal I do.  I feel bad sometimes because I get in ruts of feeding her the same things all the time and I think she gets bored.  One of my problems is that we are still discovering new foods she is allergic to, so if she has a reaction to something new I have to play the guessing game of was there hidden garlic in there or is there something else she is allergic to.

Just found out my 8 month old had a garlic allergy (hives on face after eating a baby snack), tested positive on skin test.  My allergist says, he just doesn't know if she will outgrow it or not.  I asked him if I should try to completely cut garlic out of my diet or continue to eat in small portions, while still breastfeeding to try to "desensitize" her.  He said I shouldn't deprive myself but I feel so guilty eating it!  Any suggestions as to whether I should continue to expose her in small amounts (gives eczema through breastmilk) or if I should begin the process of cutting it out of her diet completely.  Any suggestions as to which option may help her outgrow it?  It is the only known allergy for her.

thanks

heather

I've got some good news.  Although every child is different, Charlotte has already outgrown her garlic allergy.  She has now outgrown 6 of her 8 food allergies.  As far as continuing to eat garlic while breastfeeding, my theory is to go with your gut feeling on whether it is actually bothering your baby or not.  Cutting garlic out of your diet may be more difficult than you are prepared to do.  You can't trust anything that says spices or flavors in the ingredients.  Almost no sauces, soups, condiments, or anything breaded.  Charlotte had a lot of unexplained rashes while I was breastfeeding.  I knew she was allergic to peas and I assumed peanuts, so I cut those out of my diet (but those are fairly easy to do).  She was still getting rashes but since the cream the doctor gave me kept it under control and didn't really seem to bother her we left it with that at the time.  It wasn't until she started eating more real food that things got bad.  It took a long time to figure out all her allergies and trust me if I was still bf at the time, I would have quit if I had to follow her strict diet.

Thank you so much for that info.  My allergist isn't being uninformative, I really think he just doesn't know how to advise me as what I should do.  Can you give me any more helpful info?  How long did it take Charlotte to outgrow?  Was she completely garlic-free for that time? Do you feel as though Charlotte's upset skin may have been from your eating garlic?  And what was her reaction when exposed to the sauce at first?  I have already cut garlic out of my diet immensely (made my own garlic free meatballs, sauce...) but incase I do minimally expose her I want to be sure that it's not the wrong thing to do.  I feel like I have such an opportunity since she is so young to give her the best chance to outgrow the allergy and I don't want to screw it up!  Sorry to be such a pest but I have one son with a peanut allergy and I'm trying my hardest to keep this from a life-long thing for my daughter.  Thanks in advance!!!

First I'll give you a little background on Charlotte's story.  Her eczema started when she was two months old, she also had a lot of diaper rashes.  We couldn't find a cause at the time but the doctor gave us some cream that worked great for both.  When she five months old, she had peas for the first time and broke out around her mouth almost immediately.  I then avoided peas and peanuts (I read that if you are allergic to peas, you are probably highly allergic to peanuts which turned out to be true for her).  When she was about 11 months old, she started eating more real food and started getting awful, bleeding, painful diaper rashes, so the doctor sent us to an allergist.  Between allergy testing and trial and error, We eventually discovered she had at least a slight allergy to peas, peanuts, garlic, onion, soy, milk, eggs and corn.  Every new food I gave her, I had to wait a week to make sure there was no reaction and then I would add that to a list make sure to note brand name, type, etc...  It was a long and grueling process.  Some foods she would only have a slight reaction to so I noted those as well and tried them later.  In most of those cases, she outgrew them within a few months.  By her two-year testing, she was down to just onion, peas, and peanuts.  I was very surprised that garlic didn't show up, so we cautiously tested it and now Charlotte lives for garlic bread.  Since then, we have been slowly adding onion back into her diet and it seems that allergy has also cleared up leaving us with just peas and peanuts.   The good news with Charlotte is that she has never had any sort of breathing issues, so we feel a little more comfortable testing things.  Peanuts, however, is by far her worst allergy according to testing, so we are still completely avoiding that.  The bad part for you and your daughter is that I've learned that dealing with a garlic or onion allergy is MUCH, MUCH harder than a peanut allergy.   Companies are not required to list this as an ingredients and some companies won't tell you even if you call them.  As far as whether you should be eating garlic or not, I would say keep a diary of everything you eat as well as when and how bad her reactions are.  You can judge for yourself whether what you are eating is really bothering her or not.  You might want to start by completely eliminating anything that says spices, seasonings, flavors or any other ambiguous wording until she is completely cleared up.  Charlotte's reactions didn't get really bad until she started eating the food straight, so I quit breastfeeding and only did any type of elimination dieting with her.  Also, it turned out her eczema was caused mostly by environmental allergies as oppose to the food allergies, so figuring out what she was allergic to was hard enough without both of us being on a strict diet.  I would recommend finding as many garlic allergy messageboards, etc... They are few and far between but can be a life-saver.  Also, see if you can find a nutritionist who specializes in food allergies.  We went to one (mostly because of Charlotte being so small) who helped tremendously.

Just found out my 8 month old had a garlic allergy (hives on face after eating a baby snack), tested positive on skin test.  My allergist says, he just doesn't know if she will outgrow it or not.  I asked him if I should try to completely cut garlic out of my diet or continue to eat in small portions, while still breastfeeding to try to "desensitize" her.  He said I shouldn't deprive myself but I feel so guilty eating it!  Any suggestions as to whether I should continue to expose her in small amounts (gives eczema through breastmilk) or if I should begin the process of cutting it out of her diet completely.  Any suggestions as to which option may help her outgrow it?  It is the only known allergy for her.

thanks

heather

Just found out my 8 month old had a garlic allergy (hives on face after eating a baby snack), tested positive on skin test.  My allergist says, he just doesn't know if she will outgrow it or not.  I asked him if I should try to completely cut garlic out of my diet or continue to eat in small portions, while still breastfeeding to try to "desensitize" her.  He said I shouldn't deprive myself but I feel so guilty eating it!  Any suggestions as to whether I should continue to expose her in small amounts (gives eczema through breastmilk) or if I should begin the process of cutting it out of her diet completely.  Any suggestions as to which option may help her outgrow it?  It is the only known allergy for her.

thanks

heather

Just found out my 8 month old had a garlic allergy (hives on face after eating a baby snack), tested positive on skin test.  My allergist says, he just doesn't know if she will outgrow it or not.  I asked him if I should try to completely cut garlic out of my diet or continue to eat in small portions, while still breastfeeding to try to "desensitize" her.  He said I shouldn't deprive myself but I feel so guilty eating it!  Any suggestions as to whether I should continue to expose her in small amounts (gives eczema through breastmilk) or if I should begin the process of cutting it out of her diet completely.  Any suggestions as to which option may help her outgrow it?  It is the only known allergy for her.

thanks

heather

BF is gluten free, and Kraft is well known in that community to be good about their ingredients list.

I find that mylanta helps the painful stomach ache I get after I have garlic, but it doesn't totally take it away.  It also seems to help relieve some of the bloating.  Sometimes it also helps when I have milk or yogurt or something else to coat my stomach, but I know a lot of you have mentioned being allergic to that, too. 

I also try to eat foods, like oatmeal, that are very high in fiber to try to get the garlic out of my system ASAP-- and to combat any constipating effects it might have.  Sometimes I take citrocel to try to get things to move faster, too.  When I have garlic it feels like my entire digestive track has a chemical burn from where the garlic enters to where it exits.  Once, I even got an ulcer that lasted 2 months.  My stomach and intestines feel like they are burned, swollen, and inflamed and it is very painful.  I think that the reason some of us get constipated when we have garlic is because our instestines swell and won't allow the the digested food (w/garlic) to move through. 

I heard recently that Benadryl contains a milk product. I know Benadryl has been recommended for garlic allergy symptoms, but you'll want to avoid it if you are also allergic to milk. No wonder it never seemed to work for me...

I heard recently that Benadryl contains a milk product. I know Benadryl has been recommended for garlic allergy symptoms, but you'll want to avoid it if you are also allergic to milk. No wonder it never seemed to work for me...

Im so glad im not on my own here! i am sick of going to a restaurant and having the waiter as well as the people im with look at me as if im just a fussy eater?! people dont seem to understand that if a food makes you projectile vomit for hours, its not really too enjoyable to eat. fortunately some staff can be very understanding and go check the ingredients of what you want. (leads to a lot of frustration when there is nothing on the menu garlic-free though) i once went to a restaurant and was told they could cook nothing without garlic so i had an omlette, hours later i had a terrible stomache because it had obviously been cooked in a pan that had traces of garlic. i would love to be able to re-introduce garlic into my diet but dont know if this allergy will get better or always be there?!

i have wondered whether only certain types of garlic affect me though because where traces of garlic have made me ill, i have eaten heinz ketchup which has garlic powder in and been fine. i dont know why this is. people keep saying to me "you should re-introduce it a bit at a time", i doubt they would do that if they knew how ill it makes you feel!

Has anyone managed to reintroduce garlic into their diet successfully, i dont know whether its worth the risk, especially in cases where breathing is affected!?!? But im just sick of people insinuating im being a fussy eater!

I've been turned away from restaurants before because they were afraid to make anything for me or didn't want to take the time. I will never eat at McGrath's Fish House again.

As for reintroducing garlic, I've been testing foods lately and have been surprised a few times by not getting as sick as I used to. Overall, however, I will say there has been no improvement in my condition and I still must avoid garlic at all costs in order to avoid getting sick. I would rather go hungry and faint from low blood sugar.

I have to share that I had Asti sparkling white wine and garlic bread and frozen lasagna and ended up violently ill about a year ago.  I felt naseated, eventually went in to convultions, then emptied my stomach.  Sleeping was the only thing that eventually made it stop.  Thank goodness a friend of mine that is a nurse was with me.  I really thought I was going to die.  Since then, I have sworn off all wine, grapes, garlic and onions.  I have not been tested but I don't get sick any more.  Anyone know what all three might have in common?  I am researching to find out.  Maybe there are more foods I should be avoiding.

Thank you

I'm not sure if all three have anything in common, it could be that you reacted to one or two things.  It's an elimination/isolation process... was that the first time you had wine? have you ever reacted to grapes before?  Garlic would be in the garlic bread (obviously...) and most likely in the lasagna.  You would probably need to introduce these items one at a time to discover which one you reacted to.  Your symptoms appear to resemble what a lot of us have experienced when we eat garlic, but who knows really, it could be anything. At least you have narrowed it down to three items so far, just need to isolate the source... good luck.

Re the wine - you could have a sulfite allergy, that is common.

Don't keep eating it and testing your luck.  Seriously.  Every time you ingest garlic, your food allergy gets worse and worse. 

I used to eat a little here and there, thinking I'd be ok, but my allergy has gotten so much worse. 

Thanks for the tip Danny. I never thought of Tums... I'm also going to try the Lactaid suggestion by Melissa. If it helps with the bloating and cramping that will be a bonus-- garlic creeps into everything and going out to eat is becoming more of a chore than a pleasure. 

I also discovered that you can order pizza without sauce, nachos without salsa.... Man, these things are so obvious, I'm not sure why I didn't figure it out sooner. 

I was told by an allergist not to take TUMS while having an allergic reaction to garlic.  It actually counteracts your body's natural ability to fight off the reaction.

Wow! Interesting theory about the cause of the allergy. Definitely let us know how the enzyme therapy goes. There are so many of us desperate for a cure.

By the way, I wanted to add that I recently went to Puerto Vallarta for vacation and discovered a Mexican brand of salsas that does not contain garlic. This brand is also sold in the U.S.; look in the Ethnic section of your grocery store. The brand name is Herdez. Check it out!

Laurie--yes, Herdez--we have it here in Canada and that's the salsa brand I use--Nachos anyone? 

Also, I recently discovered a tomato pasta sauce, product of Italy:

Star (brand) Sugocasa Pasta Sauce--Tradizionale (tomatoes, tomato concentrate, salt, onion, acidity regulator, citric acid)--just add whatever you want and voila we are eating pasta again

imported through Italpasta, Brampton Ontario 1-800-361-8983

hey everyone.

I have had a garlic and onion (all forms) allergy all my life... I faint and have dizzy spells for days if im just around the food (any smell sets it off). does anyone have any idea how to treat this? I'm getting tired of blacking out most days (i used to black out much more) but there has got to be a cure. or just something to make this less infuriating!

please let me know

It's possibly the swollen lips could be another symptom. Read this article about leaky gut syndrome. I think it provides a good explanation of how allergens can cause all sorts of symptoms throughout the body, not just within the digestive system:

http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/altered-immunity-leaky-gut-syndrome/85/

Here's a quote from the article:

"...The antibodies created by the leaky gut phenomenon against these antigens can get into various tissues and trigger an inflammatory reaction when the corresponding food is consumed or the microbe is encountered.

Autoantibodies are thus created and inflammation becomes chronic. If this inflammation occurs in a joint, autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) develops. If it occurs in the brain, myalgic encephalomyelitis (a.k.a. chronic fatigue syndrome) may be the result. If it occurs in the blood vessels, vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) is the resulting autoimmune problem. If the antibodies end up attacking the lining of the gut itself, the result may be colitis or Crohn's disease.

If it occurs in the lungs, asthma is triggered on a delayed basis every time the individual consumes the food which triggered the production of the antibodies in the first place.
It is easy to see that practically any organ or body tissue can become affected by food allergies created by the leaky gut. Symptoms, especially those seen in conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, can be multiple and severely debilitating."

I think this statement provides a good explanation as to why we all have such varying reactions to garlic. Some people have described trouble breathing or tightness in the throat; I have described extreme fatigue and digestive trouble; others have rashes. It all depends on where that the inflammation caused by the autoimmune response is occuring within the body.

I'd be very interested to learn the link between enzymes and the autoimmune response. Many recent posts indicate that the allergy to garlic has been caused by the body "losing" the enzyme needed to process garlic. I have heard this said before about dairy; if you stop eating any food for a long period of time, it's possible your body will lose the enzymes required to digest that food and you will then become unable to digest that food. Is this the same thing as having an allergy to that food, though? I ate garlic practically everyday, even after I started developing symptoms, right up until the day I found out I was allergic to it. 

If there is a link between enzymes and the autoimmune response to food, what does this say about our increasing reliance on processed foods in the Western diet? Is modern society doomed to a lifetime of digestive problems because we now subsist primarily on refined sugar and flour and fruits and vegetables have become so minimized in our diets? Is the rate of people developing food allergies proportionate to the West's changing diet over the past 30 years? It doesn't seem like other societies (i.e. Asia, Africa) have such an overwhelming occurence of food allergies in their populations.

Also, how can the autoimmune system change over a person's lifetime? Why do some people have food allergies in childhood which later disappear in adulthood? And why do others develop food allergies only in adulthood? I have many questions and wish a scientist or doctor would post on our list. Certainly, the many doctors I have encountered over the past 7 years don't have a clue how any of this works.

I became intolerant of certain foods after I got some bad chicken from KFC.  I had a classic case of Campylorbacter (comes from under-cooked chicken.)  The symptoms usually occur 24-48 hours after ingestion - I ate the chicken on Friday night and by Sunday had uncontrollable diarrhea.  By Tuesday I went to my doctor, and she told me to take Imodium... which caused a fever of 104 and did not stop the diarrhea.  By Thursday morning, my parents took me to the ER and I was admitted.  They gave me a bunch of antiobiotics which did wipe out the infection, but afterwards, I found that my stomach was very sensitive.  I used to be able to eat anything.  Now I find that too much garlic (especially fresh crushed) causes me to have horrible cramps, headache and fatigue.  I thought that perhaps the antibiotics killed not only bad bacteria but also good bacteria in my digestive system, leaving me disadvantaged.  I wonder if this is the same thing that happened to you too.

Iv had a garlic alergy now for 5 years Im also alergic to wheat and intollerent to dairy too.. For referenceto all above threads there is a list of alergens well a top 8 the FDA only require companies producing foods to warn of these..the current ones for reference are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Soy
• Wheat

Please note there is no legal requirement for a manufacturer to list Garlic on its label unless its weight is above a certain threshhold in part of the mix so the golden rule here is if it says spices on the label it probably has garlic in it, In order for new alergens to be added to the list enough reported cases have to be reported over each year so if your suffering see your doctor but be warned the blood test for alergens works on antibodies in your blood and if you have avoided garlic for say 1 to 12 months the test will probably return as mine does as equivical the medical term for borderline (my moms a nurse my dad works for a major sauce manufacurer)  the bad news is to get it to now show up they want you to eat garlic everyday for 30 days min.... I think if I did this id be dead by day 2 as it has a cumalitive effect in the system!

So what can you do to help?

1) dont spend your hard earned pennies getting diagnosed what you already know the outcome will only be one of avoid it anyhow... why pay a quack whos already overpaid to tell you what you already know

2) If you do ingest garlic take the following combination  in this order!  x2 30mg  merbreverine (this will control the gut spasms and reduce the gut agony wait 3 mins and take x1 piriton alergy (the standard one not the hayfever only)

flush down with 1 pint of water and lie down within 20 mins relief should kick in you must now drink as much water as you can at a steady rate throughout the next 4 hours to fush your system through.

3) psylium Husk buy some! this will help detox your gut and return it to a less inflamed state take with alovera for best effects.

4) dont eat crisps (chips if your american) unless there readysalted

5) garlic can be replaced with lime zest in some foods such as pesto add chives (if you can eat them) these also reduce the need for salt reaping other health benefits. make your own salsa's and ketchups and mayonaise! (mayo is the easy one)

if you want somthing with kick try econa west indian hot pepper sauce or the mango chilli sauce which I get through about 3 bottles a week!

6) dont buy processed foods period! they are bad for you and guess what if you react to one thing your twice as likley to get more alergies along with a really bad immune system and hayfever!

7) stick to the same places when youve had a great meal out and come home symptom free I know this is obvious but I know the embarasement of having to explain it all the time... now I go in and they say "without garlic right?"

Food groups

Chinese... Yes loads you can eat here and also make yourself avoid the pork it always has garlic in char sui and black bean sauce otherwise ask for without and with out MSG (you maywell react to this too alot of people do its also in many things garlic is)

Thai food in honesty unless you want rice is pretty much off the menu unless your making your own curry pastes, if your making your own its easy as pie.

Indian food is a poss but try and find somwhere that does kashmir quisine this region use hardly any garlic if at all and will be happy to create meals without for you!

Italian Forget it unless its ALL homemade!

french Dont bother! ( my family is french try telling them not to put garlic in!)

Morrocan.... poss but only if its homemade!

lastly my final advise is to always carry antihistamines and colofac (mebreverine) If eating out somwhere new take a mebreverine before leaving the house and half an antihistamine to prevent any major problems.

Hope my guide helps anyone who suffers  and has suffered like I do. 

Cheers Andy

This site has been so reassuring. People who don't have this problem really don't understand how serious it is. The enzyme theory is interesting. We've been calling this an "allergy," and some people have come up positive for garlic on allergy tests. I get the stomach involvement, the headache and lethargy, plus aches all the way to my toes and fingertips, almost like feeling it spreading through my body. I interpret this as more like being poisoned -- and the last time, it took three days to clear up completely. Is there an expert out there who can explain what the heck is going on chemically to cause all of this?  (Many thanks ... and hang in there, gang.)

I was wondering if anyone gets hives when they eat garlic.  I get hives on my legs, sides, arms and shoulders.

I get a blotchy, itchy rash on my face that tends to show up about 24 hours after I've eaten the garlic.  Unfortunately, the blotches get worse over the next few days.  It usually takes about a month for me to get my skin together again (just long enough to get exposed to garlic again!).  We have a guy who comes by our office about every 2 weeks or so to sell homemade plate lunches.  I have explained my allergy to him and he ensured me that he would not put garlic in my food.  But...there is always garlic in the mix somewhere.  Last month, there was spaghetti on the menu.  He said he wouldn't put garlic in the spagetti...but he laid a piece of garlic bread right on top of the plate.  It touched all of my other foods.  Just last week, he brought another plate...I was on my way home, driving in my car, scratching my face like I was digging for gold!!!  He told me later that he was sorry...he thought that just a little would be okay, since he didn't want to compromise the taste.  People who prepare food are usually accommodating, but I've had instances where they haven't been.  For example, I was living with my brother and his girlfriend and I got into an argument with my brother's girlfriend because she didn't like the fact that she had to fix a separate meal for me.  I tried to explain to her that it wasn't my choice, but my life.  Hopefully, I will be able to enjoy certain foods without getting sick in the future. 

Thank you for all this Information, and I do have one little point to make.I tried to go out to restrants that say they will cook without garlic. This is decieving since they cure the pans with garlic oil, don't try it. I have strong gastrointestinal response to garlic and after a few days I can come out of the restroom, not fun. anyway. Thank you again.

                                                                      Jim

I'm blue in the face telling people that there isn't a "shot" or "pill" for a garlic / onion allergy (aren't well all?).  Unless someone discovers the panacea for this allergy, the only solution is avoidance; read above if anyone doubts the nearly impossible task of achieving that goal.  I'm happy to share some 15+ years of experience and advice with dealing / avoiding this allergy.

(1) It is likely a recessive gene.  In my case, 3 generations with 4 siblings in each resulted in 1 garlic allergy per generation (no joke) and the allergy showed at an earlier stage in life in each generation.

(2) I think long term exposure to garlic / onions is what finally triggers what I call "crossing the intolerance line".  Most likely due to the fact garlic is used in commercial food products more often and in great quantities now than in generations past.  Today it is darn near impossible to trust, or even know, if garlic is in commercially produced food products (forget canned soups, dressings, condiments, etc...you might as well play Russian Roulette with a fully loaded pistol and pray for a misfire).

(3) For me, the reaction has only gotten worse over time...I'm to the point where any food in proximity of garlic / onion will induce a reaction.  For you Subway eaters out there...watch out for the bread since it is placed in the warmer oven and the garlic and non-garlic varieties will be mixed over time (this includes bread baskets at restaurants or bags of bagels).

(4) If, like me, you are in a job where entertaining clients is the norm, learn to enjoy salads (dry of course w/ half the menu ingredients omitted) and steamed fish with rice or veggies w/ NO SPICE (you can salt-n-pepper it yourself).  If something is placed before you with ANY spice...send it back...it was hard for me to do at first but I've grown a thicker skin about it over time.  In short, order it without ANY spice (including salt-n-pepper)...statistically, that has worked best for me over the years.

(5) When at a restaurant, make sure the waiter WRITES DOWN "Garlic / Onion Allergy" on the ticket (trust me, I've been burned too many times when I was polite and didn't want to create a fuss).  5+ hours on a plane when the allergy strikes is miserable, to say the least.

(6) Initially, I lost a lot of weight and became somewhat despondent at first...then I developed my own approach to this -- "Learn to cook from scratch".  Start with the basics, and move on from there.  I do my own soup stocks once a month and freeze it.  At the grocery store I only buy from the produce department -- My Rule of Thumb: If it isn't picked off a tree, pulled from the ground, or butchered then packaged raw...then I don't mess with it.

(7) You really can live without condiments like mustard, mayo, ketchup, relish, etc...really, the sun will rise tomorrow without them.  So, say goodbye to ALL bar foods (your liver will thank you for that too).

(8) MOST IMPORTATNLY, learn to cook with basic food ingredients.  It wasn't long ago that food was cooked for it's core flavor and combined thus (not spiced to hell so it all tasted the same).  Fresh quality ingredients are key...you'll pick this up quickly enough over time.  An amazing dinner can consist of nothing more than 5 ingredients (e.g., steamed or broiled fish, some sort of veggie and rice with salt-n-pepper).

(9) Unless you are allergic to tomatoes too, you'll find they are your best friend in cooking (the acidity helps offset what most think of as a bland diet).  I've developed a salsa that is almost always eaten by the "garlic tolerant" faster than the jar brands (careful with the hot sauce you use...for me, Louisiana Hot Sauce works the best without a reaction and it doesn't take a lot).

(10) Most importantly, as frustrating as this allergy is, figure out what works for you -- yeah, I know, "easy to say"...but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

About being vegan: this probably means that animal products are a dietary source of molybdenum. I wouldn't be surprised if it was fish, given that it collects every other heavy metal under the sun. Whereas other heavy metals are dangerous to our brains, molybdenum collects elsewhere in the body. However, I remember in my late teens and early twenties, I would often have hangovers after a night on the town, but these would be accompanied by gastro-intestinal problems. I used to put it down to "bad beer" or "bad pizza", but now it's obvious to me that I had the same molybdenum deficiency back then as I do now.

Being vegan helped me trace this problem to a definite source. The doctors in the emergency room attributed it to bacterial food poisoning -- E. coli -- which didn't make sense, as I wasn't eating anything that would carry E. coli. Basically, they called me a liar, saying no, I must have eaten meat. So $800 the worse off and none the wiser, my wife and I did our own arrogance-free research -- something our medical professionals can't deliver. That's how we arrived at the answer, that garlic was causing this.

And a last point: I've never liked garlic. Like many others, I simply cannot understand why everything has to have garlic in it, or why people rave over it. It spoils every perfectly good flavour.

This is an interesting theory and I'll have to test molybdenum out. I just wanted to point out that you can get e-coli from food sources other than meat, particularly apples and leafy greens. It is transmitted via manure in the fields or orchards. 

If molybdenum deficiency is the problem, why is it I have no problems digesting onions or asparagus? I eat asparagus about 4 times per week, in fact. The only strange thing about eating asparagus is that my pee smells afterwards; perhaps this is undigested amino acids?

Thanks for your insight,

Laurie

Hi Laurie,

I'm well aware that e-coli can be carried in non-animal food sources. What was interesting was that, earlier that day of my hospital visit, my wife and I ate at the same two restaurants, and ordered exactly the same dish. She was fine, whereas I spent the evening with bloody fecal vomit, diarrhoea, and feinting. (Sorry to be so graphic, but it really illustrates both how differently we reacted, and how molybdenum has helped me since.) I guess I should have said so in the first message. When the doctors were made aware of this, they said that no, I had eaten bacterially contaminated meat. Basically, their arrogance got in the way of good medicine. There are some good ER doctors in the US, but my guess is they don't last long because they leave in disgust at their colleagues' behaviour.

As for asparagus and onion, garlic is the plant with the highest concentration of alliase. Onion comes in second -- the sharper the flavour, the more alliase. Also, alliase is broken down by cooking, so if you like your onions caramelised, it's unlikely there's much alliase left to affect you. Garlic's (alleged) flavour enhancing properties are destroyed by overcooking, whereas onions are cooked in a variety of ways. Asparagus doesn't have much alliase, which for most people is okay -- for me, it still leads to an uncomfortable few hours.

The characteristic urine odour is most likely the broken down amino acid, i.e. those beneficial chemicals garlic fans rave about. I'm pretty certain alliase can't enter the bloodstream, because it has to be converted either to those beneficial chemicals; or without a catalyst, sulphuric acid. (I mention the bloodstream, because kidneys filter the blood.) One thing to bear in mind is that the beneficial chemicals derived from alliase will smell vaguely sulphurous; for me it's reminiscent of eggshell. That's the sulphur being captured into a safe chemical compound. Without a catalyst, the sulphur binds with water to produce that dangerous H2SO4.

It's entirely possible to suffer both the genuine allergy as well as a molybdenum deficiency, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work for you. Myself, I'm lucky enough just to have the mineral deficiency.

It also occurred to me in writing this that there may be mineral catalysts other than molybdenum. I'll have to have a chat with my physicist friend again!

Thanks Laurie, for hosting this thread. I hope others benefit in some way. Good luck everyone!

Hello all

I too suffer from some kind of allergy to garlic.  Although mine is not as severe as Laurie's and others, I cannot eat "raw" garlic or onions.  Well, I can ... but I get severe stomach cramps and then, you guessed it, it's a mad dash to the restroom within the hour.  However, I noticed that if I eat them "cooked" such as garlic in tomato sauce, or carmelized onions, I do not suffer as much.  Hardly at all.  So I, too, pass up a lot of food in restaurants, or pull the onions out of salads, etc.  I just had a great dish today with sauted garlic and "wham" stomach cramps, and the dish "cleaned my clock".  Yes, every few months I try something, and still have the same problem.  Oh well.

Now som background.  I have seen an allergist for 10 years now and receive shots for mold and pollen.   I had tests done years ago for allergies and "milk" was one of the foods I was supposed to be allergic too.  However, I just had the same tests done last year, and "milk" didn't even show up.  So I said "why" and I was told by my doctor and his staff that allergies are very hard to diagnose, because we can be very sensitive one day, and then 3 weeks later nothing shows up.  And garlic and onions never showed up back in 2001 or in 2008.  But my stomach is proof enough for me. AND, ASPARAGUS is in the same family, and never noticed a problem with this vegetable.  Yes folks, if you have done your homework, all foods belong in families.  sooooo....

I'm thinking the explanation is in Richard Smit's answer.  His info on the break down of alliase may be my problem as I am allergic to "sulpha" in drugs and guess what, when I took it years ago (it was in an antibiotic) it gave me an upset stomach, more like nausea. 

Am I on the right track here, Richard??  any other theories on "sulphone hydroxyl" which is in garlic would be helpful as if you "Google" it, all you get is info on how great garlic is. 

I have been allergic to all members of that lily family from as young as 2 yrs old, when my mother gave me a cough medcine called liquafruta. I am also allergic to germaline and savlon cream which I`m told contains garlic, as its used as an antiseptic but I have not had this confermed.

 What gets me is food manufacturers who change their recipe without notice, Heinze was one of the first 10 yrs ago, adding it to their chicken, beef,ox tail, and several other products of their line including tomato ketchup. and these where products I`d been eating for 50 yrs.

 But you get round it I found that aldi`s soups did`nt have it in until 3 months ago, cambels have also followed suit. infact the only soupsI now buy are Lidl`s ox tail and they have a tomato thats free. Heinze beef broth, tomato, and mushroom did`nt contain any last time I bought them.

 Ive still managed to find alternatives to most products that have it in such as Daddys tomato sauce, boveril cubes instead of oxo, most sweet chilli sauces dosnt have garlic in.

 I went round a chineese supermarket in Manchester recently and I was amazed how many products did`nt have garlic in. I have had little problems abroad as cheif`s seem to know what they are doing. they either say you cant have it or they`ll cook it without. you cant even get roast beef these days in England without the dam stuff being in.

 I blame the TV cheifs, most recipes are Mrs beetons with garlic added cos its hip to add garlic to everything. Just waiting for birds to add it to their custard.  malc

Many cultures in the world simply don't cook with garlic. I'm not surprised that you were able to find so many garlic-free products in the Chinese section of your grocery store. It's once those cuisines get imported to America (and possibly Canada and England, other countries) that we add in the garlic. I now have to be careful ordering sushi for fear they've made it "spicy" with garlic. When I travelled through India, I didn't have to worry at all about garlic as it is against the Jain religion to eat garlic, many restaurants don't cook with it unless you specifically request it. I hope some food manufacturers read this post so they can see just how many people are affected by garlic.

I can't believe what am reading after yeasrs of feeling no-one else has this! I'm 48.

I'm allergic to garlic, chives etc and also peppers and chilies - a sprinkle of Paprika as a garnish makes me so ill.

I first reacted when Iwas 10 - I had a Chinese meal, which were pretty new then to the UK, and was violently ill. As the years went on, and garlic and peppers became more prevalent in our foods, so did the reactions.

My Mum has the same reacton and 2 of my 3 sons have it in a milder form - they react somewhat to garlic, but not at all to peppers/chillies.

Antacid in massive amounts can help with the pain, if taken right away, but nothing stops the vomiting, diarrhoea, headache. feeling cold and sleepy. I am extremely careful about what I eat now and am sick f people thinking I just don't like the taste.

I eat out very rarely.

Joy

I have not tried garlic injections, but it sounds like it could potentially help. I'd like to hear more, if anyone has tried that. What I have tried is allergy elimination therapy" with an acupuncturist -- NAET and Bioset are two available methods I know of, and there may be others. The treatment course is expensive, and not quick either...but I am happy to say that it has greatly reduced my symptoms when I have accidental garlic exposure. It has not "eliminated" them entirely, but made them much more tolerable. So, instead of severe headache, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea, I may get a mild headache and mild stomach upset. And instead of the symptoms lasting for 24 hours or more, they tend to resolve within a few hours. Overall, I consider the improvement worthwhile -- but I definitely continue to make every atempt to avoid garlic exposure.

I have had this with increasing severity over the last 8 or so years...Now garlic and onions make me so ill..I get the craziest stomach pains...They consume my whole body and make me weak...I cannot stand up and with the most recent attcks (normally when someone says "it doesn't have garlic in it")my lips turn to fire and my breathing gets shorter and more difficult...The main annoyance for me is a lot of my friends just put it down to me being a fussy eater...This is the worst thing because if we go out for food they'll make a big deal over me being a "problem eater"....Im glad i've seen these posts...I've had enough...Im going to book an appointment with my doctor and get someone with skills to look this over...I had a friend who had his allergies tested and he's always hassling me to do the same...Good luck to all you guys with the same problem...Garlic is in everything.

Great idea! I'll look for you on Facebook.

Awesome!! I just joined it.

I have two suggestion for those who are only mildly affected by ingesting garlic. Mint tea and red wine. I've found that I can eat things that contain moderate amounts of garlic if I drink what I have named my "mint tea tonic", which basically is about 3-4 mint tea bags brewed in a single mug. Once brewed, it truly tastes medicinal. I drink it without sugar and make sure to have it during the meal and afterwards. I've found that the key is to be sure to drink the tea during the garlicky meal, because if I wait too long, it doesn't work.

Red wine with garlicky meals also works wonders for me, although, neither of the wine nor the mint tea tonic totally eliminate all symptoms. 

Lately I've stopped eating food cooked with garlic (at home) and have been feeling much better with the IBS-feeling, garlic-related symptoms, but last night I had some baked chicken from Costco, which must've had garlic oil or something on it.... I awoke this morning feeling nauseated and experiencing sharp pains in my stomach. This garlic sensitivity thing is no joke. Gas-X helps too.  Good luck all.

Thank you for the suggestion on fighting garlic intolerance.  I will endeavor to take red wine during a meal containing garlic and follow with mint tea.  At one point I had heard that there is a pill you can take before you eat garlic that is supposed to help alleviate reactions to the garlic, but I can't recall the name and haven't been able to find anything on line.

In my case, I was fine with garlic for many years.  I *love* the taste of cooked garlic.  But when I was in my 30's, I attended the Gilroy Garlic Festival and ate tremendous amounts of the stuff in the many incarnations that were available.  The next day I was a wreck.  Diarrhea and excessive flatulence plagued me for several days.  Eventually I was fine... but something about that incident changed my body from that point on.  I can eat garlic in very small amounts.  But if it goes above a certain level, I suffer from flatulence about 4-6 hours later and on through the next day.  Thankfully I do not suffer any other reactions, like fatigue and swollen tongue.  I am not sure if I have an allergy or if I'm stuck with intestinal flora that interferes with garlic digestion.

I've found something that might work:  BEANO.

http://www.beanogas.com/

Hi,

I have a much more mild response to garlic than most of you - flatulence and diarrohea - which are bad enough. It started only recently - I'm 60. My father had it too when he was older. He was living in Spain and found this very inconvenient. Then I read somewhere that if you remove the green shoot from the centre of the garlic clove, you have no reaction. He found this worked and was thrilled - used to get the chefs in restaurants to do it!! I haven't fully tested it - I have mostly just stopped using it for now - but have the impression it works.

I have also found I react to suphur. Recent soaks in hot sulphur pools (I live in New Zealand) have left me with a rash all over my body that moves down my arms and legs. I know that onions contain a lot of sulphur, so perhaps this is linked???????

Wild speculation, I know, but worth further investigation.

Good luck to all you sufferers, Deborah

Im glad to hear that there are others out there with a Garlic allergy.  My Dr told me there was "no such thing" as a food intolerance which prompted me for years to discount my symptoms.  It wasnt until I started working with a Naturopathic physician that I got a igG Antibody blood test for food intolerances.  Guess what?  Im off the charts for Garlic!!

In any event, whenever I eat Garlic, I get a stuffy nose, puffiness, fatigue ( feel like Im hungover) mood swings, dizziness, blood pressure rises, indigestion, eye twitches and nausea.  It is MISERABLE and like others, I inadvertently eat garlic all the time because it will be labeled as "spices"

Im about to try NAET, which Ive heard has excellent results for folks suffering from food intolerances.  NAET is a homopathic treatment  which eliminates allegies and I know some folks who have had these treatments and no longer have an allergy.

http://www.naet.com/

In case anyone wants to read more.  I start in a few weeks and will post back here.  Im feeling particularly miserable this weekend since I dined out and what was suppose to have been garlic free turned out to be laden with it!

Has anyone tried taking Acidophilous (sp?) for this problem?  It puts the good bacteria in the digestive tract and maybe, just maybe, you may find some relief.  

It seems to be working for me and I have an allergy to dairy.

Thank goodness I found this site. I've been having stomach/GI problems for appoximately 7 years and am only 23 years old. I've been diagnosed with NERD, GERD, had testing done for allergies, had acupuncture, celiac's testing, ultrasounds, H-pylori testing and more. I'm finally going back to the allergist with my own conclusion after my skin recently starting reacting to when I eat (and after ending up in the ER two times over a year period).I've maily had GI problems abdominal pain, excessive gas, etc...

I'm thinking garlic is the culprit. I didn't start eating it fresh until college, and am hoping it may be an allergy! My mother is also allergic to lilies which in the same family! If my allergy proves to be garlic its time to go cold turkey (which I have been trying on and off for a while)....

I am so glad to have found this site.  For years I blamed getting bad food, mainly chicken or just having a sensitive stomach on my bouts of diarrhea and vomiting.  It seems to start about 4-5 hours after eating and it has sometimes lasted for 2-3 hours.  After remembering that my mother had a sensitivity to garlic and my daughter mentioned that she was having issues with garlic, I realized that garlic was the real problem not the chicken or that I had a sensitive stomach.  I thank Laurie and others that have posted specific brands/items that do not have garlic in them.  Please keep them coming as you find them.

Since I really love tomato products, I contacted Furmano Foods about a couple of their tomato products and received the attached response below.  I found Furmano products in the Giant chain grocery store.  I also found another company with tomato products Rosa Foods (Rosafoods.com).  I have not purchased Rosa products so not sure where they can be purchased.  I went to their website today and some of their tomato products do not list garlic as an ingredient but have not contacted them yet.  I have started to make my own tomato sauce for pasta/pizza and will be making my own salad dressings.

Response from Furmano Foods - Thank you for your email with your question about ingredients in Furmano Crushed Tomatoes and Furmano Stewed Tomatoes.  Your questions are always welcome.   There is no garlic in Furmano Crushed Tomatoes or Furmano Stewed Tomatoes.  Garlic must be declared in the ingredient statement if it is in the product.  The spice in the crushed tomatoes is oregano. The spice and in the stewed tomatoes is celery seed while the natural flavors are extractives of black pepper, red pepper, and cinnamon.   We trust this information was helpful to you and that you will be able to use Furmano Tomato Products.   Thank you, Frank Furman Furmano Foods Frank.furman@furmanos.com

Three cloves of crushed garlic in a roast would make any garlic allergic person sick. Just reading your recipe made me queasy.   Try the roast without the garlic and just use olive oil, salt pepper and fresh crushed rosemary.  That works for me, and is still a very tasty roast.  PS Dried seasoning is still garlic. No garlic means no garlic.  Period.

Hi: I am still here! Dairy is actually much easier to avoid because I know all the potential names and can look for them on labels. Citrus is still a problem for me but only when I consume a lot, like a glass of orange juice. Thanks for the note!

Hi Laurie

I also think I have an allergy and have been to the doctor who said it isn't possible to be allergic to garlic.

I have narrowed it down to celery and garlic. Celery is now printed as a warning on some products but people think I'm mad when I ask them if it contains garlic.

Depending on the quantity I have my symptoms vary and I wondered whether you suffered with similar symptoms or am I just going mad !!!

I get a headache which doesn't respond to any medication, my eyes go blurry and I feel like I am in a bubble. The first time it happened my friends thought I had taken drugs as I had a spaced out expression (I have never taken drugs so find it difficult to explain the spaced out feeling)

It feels like everything is in slow motion but I can't join in. I have to be taken to bed to sleep it off. The next morning I suffer with diarrohea and sickness. Doctors just say it is IBS, if I avoid garlic and celery I don't get these symptoms. But as people have said garlic is everywhere, why do so many companies add it to there products ?

What is the best food allergy test where people don't just take your money and then tell you rubbish.

I had a chinese hair test which told me I had many allergies like wheat and dairy. I am intolerent to dairy but don't get any symptoms when eating wheat.

Sorry to go on but I really need some help and guidance.

The skin prick test has the best reliability and is the cheapest test. The blood test is called the RAST test and is quite expensive ($400) and can have some false positives. That said, I prefer the RAST test because all that is required is a blood draw. Your symptom of feeling like "you're in a bubble" is exactly what I feel right before I drop into my garlic coma. I can't think straight and I'm extremely tired and confused. I probably shouldn't even drive a car when I get like that because that's how out of it I get.

All I can say about dealing with it is total avoidance. Luckily, my symptoms have eased up quite a bit since I've been pregnant, so there is a little light in the tunnel for all you women out there!

As someone who does use an epi pin after eating garlic I have real issues with someone who claims more of a reaction than they actually get!  Because you insist on eating out and overstating your allergy, the next person who comes in might have the waiter thinking, "oh, I've has those people before, they just don't like it, they hardly notice".  My main allergy is to onion.  I am alleric to all bulbs.  Onion, garlic, leek, tulips, etc.  I went out to eat with friends after a day at an amuzement park.  Instead of asking the cook to make something speical for me, I let them know what I can not eat and ask if there is anything on the menu.  The cook, the waiter and the manager assured me the chicken was safe.  Less than 10 mins after the food was brought I was outside, turning blue, the ambulance was on the way and my boyfriend was preping my pin.  The response when I asked why they lied? "We thought you were a difficult customer who just didn't like it".  Then they tried to charge us for the meal that almost killed me.  I hardly eat out.  Yes, it has effected my social life, but I find breathing is much more fun that eating out. 

And for any doctor that says you should just re-expose your self until you get over it, should have their medical licence taken away.  True food allergies get WORSE each time you are exposed to the food.  And while the Dr's swear it is not something that runs in families, my grandmother and cousin are both sensitive, but I am the only one with a full allergy.  My grandmother takes bean-o before eating and is just fine.  There is a difference between allergy and sensitity.  Don't pretend you have one, be honest.  It does not hurt to call ahead to a place you are thinking about eating at and checking.  It gives them time to prepare.  If you go out and everything works, leave a nice tip and write a letter.  Waiting jobs are hard work, you are asking a lot, be sure they know you took notice of the extra work on your behalf.  Best of all, they will remember you next time and you'll enjoy your dinning out without the hassle.

My goodness, they sound like step-monsters, not step children!! If I were you, I would not eat ANYTHING those "loved ones" prepare, period. Obviously, they enjoy your suffering, and they do not plan to omit ingredients you are extremely allergic to. So why continue to make yourself suffer needlessly? When they cook, fix something else simple for yourself -- or have some "leftovers" on hand that you prepared before, and that "have to be eaten as soon as possible." If they inquire as to why you won't eat what they've cooked anymore, feel free to level with them and say their food always makes you SICK! That should stop them in their tracks! Best of luck.

You can take the Homeopathic remedy Allium Sativa 30 tds for 3 days to prevent any allergic reactions after eating food with Garlic.

www.jerrymohan.blogspot.com

Sanx for the suggestion! I learned this week that garlic and onions are all lilies, which explains some other things.  Makes figuring out which other foods I will react to easier. lol.  And why lotus stems got me this last weekend!

I have had garlic allergy for years.  When being tested in an allergist's office I had the symptoms of swollen tongue, feeling of being drunk and confusion, that was 15 years ago.  Now my skin prickles at the smell, I have had large swollen lips from the touch of garlic and the familiar swollen tongue and difficulty breathing.  The worst symptoms are from fresh garlic. 

Benadryl has only helped so far, so thank you for the tea suggestion.  I have been allergic since my teens and it is getting increasingly worse as I age, now that I am 40.  The swelling is the most disconcerting, but the confusion can complicate things as I do not have someone to drive me home from work events, as a single person. 

I sympathise with all contributors. I have the added problem that I'm a vegetarian. I'm writing this in a Premier Inn hotel room (in England), looking through the menu.Most of their vegetarian options have garlc bread, garlic croutons etc. I can't tell whether their vegetarian lasagne or ravioli has garlic, but I'm betting that it does. I think it should be complusory to state all ingedients. O also spend a lot of time in France...Need I say more?

I sympathise with all contributors. I have the added problem that I'm a vegetarian. I'm writing this in a Premier Inn hotel room (in England), looking through the menu.Most of their vegetarian options have garlc bread, garlic croutons etc. I can't tell whether their vegetarian lasagne or ravioli has garlic, but I'm betting that it does. I think it should be complusory to state all ingedients. O also spend a lot of time in France...Need I say more?