i'm also part of the "i love garlic" tribe - i love garlic, the smell, the taste. just this slight problem . . . LOL

I'm in the GI camp, too, though I also get fatigue and crankiness which might or might not be psychosomatic.* It has definitely gotten worse over the years, though I don't know exactly when it started, I used to eat onions in EVERYTHING. I had all kinds of tests at around age 20 and ended up with a diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which means "we don't know what's wrong with you, but yeah, you have a collection of GI symptoms anyway"). It wasn't until about 10 years later than I noticed my symptoms were worse after eating Indian food, and then I narrowed it down from there and figured out it was onions. Since avoiding onions and garlic, I hardly ever have IBS symptoms anymore! Imagine that.

My father and sister still eat onions and garlic all the time. My father doesn't seem to have any GI ill effects from it, but I think my sister does... she just doesn't want to give up onions and garlic (or, more accurately, convenience food). My mother had a lot of GI issues, so it's possible that she had some sensitivity to onions and garlic, though we'll never know for sure; I didn't figure out what my problem was until years after she died.

My onion/garlic intolerance has increased over the past few years. I used to be okay with small amounts of dried onion/garlic (like the powders or "minced onions" you get in the spice department) and with boxed broth like the amazing organic veggie broth that Trader Joe's and various natural food stores sell, but over the last few months, I seem to be reacting to those now, too. This is a blow; I will have to start making my own veggie broth now...

But one very cool thing that has emerged from my allium intolerance is that I have become a good cook, out of necessity! I didn't enjoy cooking very much 15 years ago, but now it's one of my favorite pastimes, and I'm considering writing an onion-free cookbook someday! I get a lot of joy out of cooking for and feeding my friends and loved ones.

* Re: fatigue and crankiness possibly being psychosomatic in me: It occurred to me yesterday, as I moped around after having had restaurant food on Friday night and then a potluck brunch on Saturday, that the fatigue and crankiness are brought on from a feeling of not being "safe"--it's depressing to share food with friends and then get sick, and often there is an element of feeling "betrayed" when I eat something that I thought was safe and then it turns out not to be... or when I have to pass on most of the yummy things at a potluck because I know they have onions or garlic in them. Then again, I also happened to have a lot of allergic symptoms yesterday morning which I attributed to something else, but it's possible that there is an allergic/histamine component to my allium issue as well, which could also bring on the fatigue and crankiness. In fact, fatigue and crankiness could be the direct result of GI misery; it takes a lot of energy to process toxins through your system!

It's amazing the number of us there are, and each of us thought we were the only ones! There is a yahoo email list (onionfree) that has a pretty good number of people, and one night I read many but not all of the 38-or-so PAGES of posts on about.com about onion intolerance.

I am seriously considering shifting my career in a direction more towards researching and treating this and other food intolerances... but specifically this allium one, since it seems to be waaaay underestimated and much more prevalent than most people realize.

that's me for the most part although recently, it's cooked stuff too. but i sometimes deal because it's so hard to avoid altogether esp. out or at get togethers unless the host(ess) knows about my allium *issue*.

Hiya, its good to no that i'm not imagining my symptons. ive been thinking for ages that its wheat or milk. then i thought that in was tomatoes that were causing all the trouble. since then it clicked for me that it was garlic that causes me the biggest problems and i'm starting to think that onions do too but to a lesser degree. if i eat garlic i sleep really badly and wake up with terrible cramps and wind and am on the toilet all day. the skin on my eyelids gets all scaley and red as do my arms and a few other places. my eyes puff up and i have really big bags under them. i get a sore throat and feel like i'm comiong down with the flu or have a really bad hangover and cant think properly, i always feel a bit fuzzy for a few days after.
i'm finding it really difficult finding food to eat. i have a susspision that not all foods make garlic as an ingreadient and that when it says "spices or seasoning" garlic is in there.

I have had some luck with really strong ginger. I will steep ginger root in hot water and sweeten with raw honey, or the real, strong ginger ale (Reed's?), or even Ginger Altoids. It relaxes the "smooth muscles", which includes the intestines and stomach. Peppermint Altoids sometimes help, too, and one good thing I have found is the Chamomile Pepsin capsules from "Nature's Herbs".

For mild GI problems, as you mentioned, simethicone (Gas-X, etc) is very helpful. I always carry it in my purse in case of accidental onion/garlic ingestion. I haven't found anything that helps with the headaches, stupid-feeling, crankiness, or nausea.

That sounds like allergy. I'd go to a doc right away to have that diagnosed. Not good if it progresses to something requiring an epi-pen.

Hi Zirenton,
Wow - I cannot believe someone else has itching in their intercostal muscles - that is unbelievable. I fall into the histamine group as well. My symptom onset was about age 23 (7 years ago). I have no idea why. Actually, Sx onset may have been sooner b/c my scalp has been very sensitive for over 10 years (thanks again for that symptom!). I am sensitive to any raw onions and garlic especially. I have to carmelize them otherwise. Leeks, shallots, etc. are slightly less disturbing to me. I am also very sensitive to vinegar (except apple cider... or so I thought until today at lunch). About 20 minutes after I eat I will suddenly realize:

- I am in a deep mental fog. I cannot think straight and cannot focus. It feels like poison fog is surrounding my head.
- I get angry (feeling like this whole allergy is so stupid!)
- My eyes are very dry
- My mouth is sore and I am salivating, though my lips and margins of my tongue are parched.
- I am thirsty for water.
- My teeth feel like they are going to rot out.
- All of the muscles (including diaphragm) in my body ache - it literally feels like a poison gas has permeated every cell of my musculature and brain.
- I find the only "useful" thing I can do is go to sleep and hope the Sx are gone when I awake.
- I feel sometimes like the Sx are best likened to a high school experience of smoking "bad pot".

Interestingly enough, I am much better for exercise (though I am a bit of an exercise junkie as it is). It is as if by increasing my metabolic rate, I am somehow purging my cells of the toxin sooner. I also seem to be better for massage... but I don't get that opportunity much.

Longer lasting symptoms include the:
- Itching over my intercostals - such that I will have scratch marks along them directly parallel to my ribs.
- Itching over the fronts of my shins - to the degree that I scratch them raw sometimes (using Badger Body Oil helps some).
- Tenderness of scalp. It feels really good just to move my hair a tiny bit from it's usual pony-tail position.

I am vegan, and my roommate has Celiac Dz, so we have a pretty restrictive household as it is.... this just makes it that much more difficult. Thank goodness I can handle the carmelized and powdered versions.... although after reading much of this, I wonder how long that will last. I find it interesting that many of us have said how much we like ethnic foods. I LOVE Thai and Indian. I wonder if eating "too much garlic/onions" can contribute to this. I also came across someone saying dental amalgam Hg+ may be related to this intolerance. Anyone else hear of that (I have way too many amalgam fillings in my mouth)?

I am also a big user of homeopathy, and it just seems to me that there must be a remedy out there to help me (and others). I'll let you all know what I find. I am a medical student, and this whole intolerance is making it very difficult for me to function at maximal capacity (which is what is always required of us). At least I will be a much more compassionate doctor for the journey! I wish there were more in the medical literature on this!

Yep, yep, yep. You are not alone. It takes me DAYS to stop tasting/smelling/feeling garlic and onion. :/

Hi Everyone!

I was so excited when I found you guys that I could hardly contain myself! I knew I couldn't be alone, but it sure felt like I was. Then I wrote this, but I wasn't finished with it, and I've been really tired since.

My symptoms are GI mainly, but now that it's been mentioned, I bet I'll find that my tiredness, fogginess etc. is linked to this.
My GI symptoms are GI pain / cramps that are so bad that I just want to curl up and disappear, wind, diarrhea and loose stools, and sometimes my body gets achy. It's as if there is a layer of acid all over my body under my skin, about the strength of lactic acid or stomach acid. Sleep is a good escape, and usually by the time I wake up, it's all gone away.
I found I got so bad that I couldn't have anything that was cooked in the same dish with onions (and had juices run over) or salad with onions picked out, or even small amounts of onion or garlic powder.

I was lucky, after only 4 years of experiencing the pain and discomfort, (in Fall 2002) I took a Nutrition course in college. When I told my teacher about my symptoms, she told me right away that it was an intolerance. I just accepted that as a fact and got over my denial. I really needed that verification from somewhere. When I told my Doctor about it, and asked him if there was anything I could do, he said "Don't eat onions!" That wasn't the kind of help I was looking for, but I guess that was his way of trying to be funny, and telling me there was nothing he could do for me.

Starting in 1998, I removed what onions and garlic I thought I had to. Gradually I found my tolerance was decreasing, and so I removed more and more from my diet........ I think I managed to cut garlic and onions out of my diet completely (except for the odd mistake with items that never occurred to me that might have them, and I didn't check it out before I ate). I guess I kept my diet onion and garlic free for at least a half a year. 2 weeks ago, I risked it, and had Cesar salad dressing, and I had no symptoms!!! Yay! Maybe, just maybe I'll be able to increase my tolerance now, very slowly, bit by bit. It makes me nervous though. I'm actually scared to start trying things again. I'm the type of person who likes to try everything too, but not since this started, not with anything risky.
It's awesome that deserts and almost all beverages (except Mott's version of V8) are all worry free foods.

Since my teacher who is a nutritionist reassured me that it is an intolerance, and that I'm not imagining it, I decided to stop being shy and let my friends know. It is a medical need, and I know that none of my friends would wish that pain on me if they understood, so I decided it was my job to make them understand. I am perfectly fine with having a peanut butter sandwich if I'm at a friends, although they all seem to want to accommodate me. Some make a mini pot for me, and others leave the onions and garlic out completely, although lots of times, they miss it.

Sometimes, I get a little depressed when I go to a restaurant, but there is one near me that is really tasty, and pretty reasonably priced. They seem to make everything from scratch, and they know me. As soon as I come in the door, they smile at me and say "No onions". : ) I'm really happy about that, it's Thai food, and lots of times it's difficult getting ethnic food because lots of times with the ethnic food, comes a language barrier.

The worst are the people who tell you there are no onions (when there really are) because they just don't care, and won't take the time to look, or think, or ask the cook. That is mostly the fast food places. Although, I must say “Wendy's” in Cookstown Ont. went above and beyond for me. I was VERY impressed!
I think dislike of onions is so common, and actual medical intolerance is so rare that people think we're just being picky. I had a few friends who were sure I was just being picky too, sometimes, it takes a lot to convince them. I had one friend who was giving me a hard time (he'd been drinking). It wasn't the first time he was bugging me about it. I got so emotional, that that night, I wrote him a 2 page letter explaining the whole thing. After he read it, he apologized to me. I didn't need an apology, I just needed him to understand so he would stop trying to get me to say I just didn't like onions. Of course he stopped.
I'm concerned that now that I've finally convinced everyone that this is for real, that if it is starting to go away that they're all going to think I'm phony. *Sigh* I guess (if it does fade) explaining that will be my next hurdle.

I find that lots of times the best way to communicate the problem to someone is to say “You know lactose intolerances? I'm intolerant to onions and garlic” Then they want to know what my symptoms are, but most of the time, the topic comes up before or during a meal... or I'm embarrassed to explain it to the person because I don't know them that well, lots of times, just saying “I get digestive problems” is enough, or intestinal if they persist, and “I'll tell you later” if they still persist.

No one else in my family seems to have any allergies, except my dad with bad dust, must and mold or something. But that's pretty normal. He gets stuffy and head-achy I think.
I also have a bad reaction to 2nd hand smoke, it gives me a sore throat, itchy watery eyes, a head ache and if it's thick enough, or for long enough, nausea and or gaging. I get a bright red, hot, itchy, blotchy rash when I take Niacin pills or when I use benzoyl peroxide.

I had no idea lillies were related to onions. No wonder I call them "evil flowers" I can't even be in the same room with one! I can't have onion cooked or raw (although raw seems worse, and onion powder) or garlic (raw is even worse!). Only tried leek once, but I was deep in the throes of a lot of onion allergy symptoms at the time anyway, so I stay away from them as well.

DOH, I never connected the lilies to my allium food issues. I might have a slight allergy as well as intolerance because I get skin issues when I handle irises and lilies as well as those little white flowers (also allium) that seem to grow wildly.

Hello! I discovered this tribe in doing some googling on onion allergies. Now, I am 98% sure that I am allergic to onions, but I haven't been diagnosed or anything. About 2 years ago I started developing some really bad digestive problems along with some weight gain. At first it just seemed to be foods that were highly seasoned, but then even the plain food would upset my stomach. I would get really bad cramping along with serious bloating. The pressure that was building inside of me was SO painful and embarassing. I was recomended by my grandmother to take acidopholus before my meals and if that didn't help... I would always have to reach for some gas-x. Like I said this has been going on for the last 2 years and I just got to the point where I was so sick of hurting! I am the kind of person who is not a picky eater. I love ethnic foods and spices, but they don't love me. I just love to eat period!
I recently found a web site recommending an intestinal cleansing for people who have stomach problems from IBS to extreme constipation. I felt that this site fit me to a T and I started the cleansing on March 19th. What a huge difference!! I can eat for the most part without hurting or having to take acidopholus.

However, I still found myself feeling sick after eating foods that had either raw onions or onion powder in them. At least that's what I can pin point. My husband suggested that I try eating a couple bites of an onion on a empty stomach to see if it's truly the onion I am having a reaction to. I haven't done this yet, but I will. The symptoms that I am having after what I feel is a reaction to onions are cramping, bloating and diarrhea. I have also never been able to be in the same room with someone cutting an onion or cooking one and me cutting an onion?? Forget it! I literally tear up, my eyes burn like I just put them near bleach and they go blury and I get blinded. To me that's not normal. I have even had people tell me it's all because I don't cut an onion right, but trust me... I have been taught the many ways to cut an onion and I always have the same reaction.

It's so refreshing to hear other people talk about this. I get blank stares when I tell people that I am trying to stay away from onions. They look at me like I am making some sort of an excuse, bu if they truly know me they know I love to eat and I especiallys love onions.

I am so glad I found this! Yay! More people just like me! :)

Hi Cameron,

I have to say there have been times when the cramping would be so intense that it would definitely have me in fetal postion in pain and yes... it was probably close to a burning sensation. Would you compare the fire ball pain to having heart burn in the stomach?? If so, then I have had similar pains after eating certain foods. It doesn't happen every time. I think it depends on what foods I have eaten. Just like you, Mexican food does havoc to my system and it's a long night. Also, Indian food (which I love) makes me very sick.

Before I started my intestinal cleansing (which I mention above) I was about to make an appointment with a gastrologist, but then I had this fear of going through all of that and dealing with spending tons of money to have someone tell me that there is nothing wrong with me.
If you are interested in looking into it, I would highly recommend the intestinal cleansing that I am doing. It's not the cheapest, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than going to a specialist (as you know). The web site is www.drnatura.com and the I am using Colonix. It really has made a huge difference aside from what I think is a sensitivity/allergy to onions.

Just like you I gained 15-20 lbs during the 2 years that I developed these digestive issues and I didn't put the two and two together until recently. I would diet and exercise and not lose a pound or if I did... it was back on the next day. I have lost 4-5 lbs doing the intestinal cleansing and people keep telling me that I look great. Even though I haven't lost a ton of weight my stomach is flatter and it's like I have gotten my shape back somewhat. I'm not puffy and bloated looking all the time anymore.

I'm so glad I found this tribe. It makes me so happy to know that I am not some freak of nature.

"the fiery ball of death that left me close to unconscious and in a fetal position for hours until I fell asleep."

That sounds like my experience the last time I accidentally ate some raw garlic. I usually have to avoid salsa for the same reason (raw onions).

Our family is similar. My symptoms are just as you describe, which is why I carry Immodium AD chewables with me everywhere. It reduces the severity, or at least the amount of time, for those symptoms.

My sister and father and I are all onion intolerant.

I married into a family with an onion allergic individual who has to be dosed with an epi-pen or large doses of antihistimines if he's exposed to onions (that includes grilling his food on a grill that had onions on it and wasn't cleaned, or putting ketchup on things).

It's interesting that some of us are ok with garlic and others not.

Jes: Over time I have become more and more sensitive to onion powder. Now I can't use much catsup even because there is onion in it. The Lipton onion soup - I used to love it - but now it is impossible to even think of it.

Hi, welcome all...

Yes also for me, Olly, the problem developed in my 20's. I have been meaning to post my news here...

About 2 1/2 wks ago my daughter (age 20) went to the doctor because she has been having a lot of stomachaches. (I had told her maybe it was onions.) The nurse practitioner actually saw her, and told her that since she had in the past been on antibiotics, she might need to regain the live cultures in her digestive system. She told her to buy a certain supplement. She is home from college and when she called from the store I asked her to get me a bottle of whatever it was, since my stomach problems have been getting worse in the last year.

So the news is, my stomach is feeling a TON better. After I was on it for a week, on my boyfriend's encouragement, I ate about 3 tablespoons of a raw onion. My stomach afterwards had only very minor problems. I have now been taking this stuff for about 2 1/2 weeks and I plan to do this again and see if I can eat onion with less problems. I am also going to try to eat other things I haven't been able to eat like beans and broccoli. One weird thing when I ate the onion was -- after not having eaten onion in years -- was that my mouth just had a terrible taste of onion for hours afterwards. Wow.

This stuff is called Probiotic Defense. It is made by the "Now" company, it is a white bottle with an orange label. I do trust the Now brand because I've taken a couple of their vitamins for about 10 years. The ingredients are different types of cultures I guess.

Anyway, maybe this could help others here, my stomach is feeling back to normal for the first time in a long time. If you take it please let me know what you think.

Jane :)

So, I panicked today when I got to the party/brunch and found out that EVERY dish was prepared with either garlic or onions! I thought about the pain, the gas, the extreme bloating that will occur almost immediately after eating these dishes. I was so hungry that I almost didn't care, but I knew the high price of pain I would pay later. For the first time ever, I decided to try something. I asked my host for a Claritan allergy tablet. I complained that my "hayfever" was bothering me. I swallowed it with some apple juice and helped myself to some clam linguine and garlic toast with a side of onion rings (things I have stayed away from for 4 years)!! Afterwards, I sat alone waiting for the familar rumbling in my stomach. BUT.... No niose. NO bloating! 30 minutes later, no puffy gut! 1 hour later, a flat tummy still!!!! I found something that works for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I figured that if my intolerance to these 2 things is an ALLERGY, then maybe allergy medication should help. And it did!!!!!! I can't wait to try again tomorrow night with a salad dressing that contains onions and/or garlic!!!! To think that I have avoided so much food all these years and endured so much pain. I hope this works for others!! Good luck!!

So, not knowing if this was just a "placebo effect" or not with the claritin... I talked with my friend who is a medical researcher with a pharmacology degree and has done a lot of work around allergies and things like asthma for medical reports. She immediately said, "That makes sense." I told her, well, I don't get a reaction like runny nose or breathing issues, but she said it makes sense that it would work. She explained in medical lingo but the way I understand it, when you have an allergy your body produces certain responses that trigger mucous etc. and you can have the response in your stomach or other parts of the body besides the head.

She said the FDA has not approved of claritin or other similar drugs to be used for this purpose and that is why it is not advertised to be of benefit for these types of problems. But it made absolute, clear sense to her that it would work.

I asked if the medicine was dangerous to use frequently and she said no she does not think so.

Next... a big experiment with onions for me, next weekend. Onion rings! Wish me luck!

Jane :)

I am so glad to find more people with the same problem as me. I have the GI symptoms and only to onions. I can tolerate a small amount of onion occasionally. It will just make me feel bloated and uncomfortable. If I have too much or too often, I get the severe cramps and diarhea until it is out of my system. I found that simethicone helps some. One thing that bothers me is peoples' attitudes who do not understand this ,and there seems to be many of them. They either think I am just being picky or don't like onions when I ask for "no onions" or ask if onions are in the food. Some people even think it is funny. I had one man tell me he could understand an intolerance to gluten but an intolerance to onions was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

It took me a long time to figure out it was the onions causing my problems. I knew it happened often after eating Mexican food or pizza. I had to just try eliminating certain foods until I knew what it was. I do not know how long I have had this. When I was a child, I loved onion rings but they always made me sick. My mother thought I ate too many.

Barb,

It appears this claritin solution doesn't work for everyone. But here it is several months later and I still am now able to eat onions if I start by taking one claritin copycat pill. For me it is a miracle, really.

If you decide to try it please post here to let us know since I am curious. My brother has this allergy but hasn't tried it, I think he is deathly afraid of onions at this point.

Gradually increasing onions into my diet surely did not work for me unfortunately - your Mom is lucky.

Well take care Barb and thanks for the post about your experience..

Jane :)

My husband just sent me this link - I had no idea there were others like me. I was diagnosed 2 yrs ago (after 2 yrs of mis-diagnosis) with Oral Allergy Syndrome and just a few months ago with Eosinophilic Entritis. My main allergies are onions & eggs (but I have other food allergies including peaches, cucumbers, chocolate and a few others). I'm on an elimination diet and haven't had the nerve to try garlic yet. I do get anxiety about trying out new foods. At first, I started out being able to have small amounts of onion powder in things (dressing, mainly). Over the last 2 yrs, it has gotten so bad that I can't even smell onions or touch a pan they were cooked in without getting a reaction. My reaction starts within one hour of touching or smelling - bloating and the inability to swallow. Then pain in my chest and dry heaving. If I can catch the reaction in time, 2 zyrtec work for stopping it within an hour. Zyrtec is the only antihistamine that has anti-eosinophilic properties. There is a yahoo group I belong to for people with eosinophilic disorders (including diarrhea, intestinal issues, etc.). There's a great website about them & the conditions - apfed.org.

My dr just started me on Flovent to see if that helps the EE. I've only been on it 3 weeks, so we'll see how that helps in the long run.

I am a vegetarian and my diet is severely limited. It is nice to find others in similar situations.

oh... and I don't seem to have a problem with onion and garlic salt (that I know of)... They seem to have different properties.

Hi, I am new here. I just found this when I finally was fed up with my condition and wanted to see if there was any information on the internet about an intolerance to onions and I found this. I have never been able to eat onions. I am in my 30's and my intolerance has just gotten worse since my late teens/early 20's. If I eat any onion at all I will have effects. The only onions I can eat are ones that have been cooked in soup or stew for hours and are virtually cooked into nothing. Any other onions will leave me with severe stomach cramps and running for the bathroom repeatedly until there is no food in my system what so ever. It is very annoying.

I am posting to ask if anyone else has tried Kaopectate? As soon as I feel the horrible cramping start I take a dose of Kaopectate and then if I need to in a half an hour I take another. This method usually makes the cramping stop within 30-45 minutes. Without the medicine I will have cramping for hours. If I take the Kaepectate at the very first sign of problems they usually don't get so bad. I even keep a bottle of Kaopectate in my car usually so that if I am at a restaurant, I can get some as soon as we leave if I am feeling bad. It has really helped me a ton since I started doing this.

I thought I was the only person who suffered from this. My family thinks I am just picky about eating onions and my mother in law refuses to leave onions out of her cooking because she likes onions and I should just get used to eating them. Raw onions are the worst and I try not to ever let any get into my system. Cooked onions will tear up my insides as well though, so I do try to watch what I eat. We had dinner at my neighbors and although they know I have an intolerance they still cook with onions. You will never find an onion in my kitchen because I can't eat them. My in-laws get so upset when they come over and there are no onions to cook with. People just think it is all in my head, but when I eat something that has onions in it and I don't know there are onions in it and I get very sick and then ask if there were onions and find out there were, that doesn't sound like it is all in my head to me.

Thank you so much for there being others out there with this same problem! I am glad I have found this group and plan to read more of the posts on here in the coming weeks.

Hi all, just found this site and have been reading all the posts on onion allergies etc.

I myself have been having stomach cramps followed by diarrhea for many years, since 15/16 years old. I have only recently had a food allergy test done (31 years old) and they highlighted a few food allergies, anyway I elimated the milk, cheese, coffee, orange and lemon to find that it is onions. It all makes sense now.

If I have pizza, indian food, onion rings, I have the problems and can actually remember times when this occured and what I ate.

I have been a good few months now without any episodes, i.e. I have left onions out of my diet and been using leek instead in bolognaise etc, I seem ok with garlic and have lots.

I also seem ok with spring onion but have not been chancing it too much to honest.

I only found this site as I ate an onion baji last night to test, I am currently taking Chewable Acid Offolous (typo?) tablets which I get from Holland & Barrett (health food shop in the UK), which supposidly give me good bacteria. I would say these only seem to have worked in terms of extending my time in not having cramps/diarrhea as normally I get the problems half hour after eating, but this time it took 16 hours..!?!?! Still felt as bad and now I feel weak as I am empty...

I LOVE ONIONS TOO....!!

I feel so sorry for you guys with this problem and the guys who suffer worse.

My worst problem at it's worst is being stuck on a coach or train and the cramps/diarrhea comes, not a good situation.

Cheers

Wow, what a great thing to discover this community! I too have felt lonely, ridiculed, and like I was just being picky or weird.

I think I've had onion allergy ever since I was a kid. I remember as a child never being able to help my mom cut onions because I would cry so hard and painfully when the vapor got in my eyes. Ever since my teenage years I've had to cope, pick the onions out, or beg for my food to be made without them.

It's also a revelation to read of people having symptoms associated with flowers like lillies! I've often experienced severe allergic reactions to the pollen of lillies, but I just lumped it in with my other allergies (dust mites, dogs, cats, etc). Now I can recall that it was stronger than my other nasal/sinus/eye reactions.

For the bulk of my reactions, I can definitely say my symptoms are GI, not histamine. (I guess I've had my fair share of irritability, headaches, and grogginess / drowsiness, but I think this is just what normally happens when I'm in pain from the GI symptoms!)

My symptoms seem to be triggered NOT by garlic, only by onions. Cooked or raw. Onion, scallions, leeks, spring-onions, etc., all give me painful symptoms. Sometimes I can eat it if it is cooked to obliteration. But merely carmelizing the onions does not prevent them causing me great pain and GI symptoms.

Onion powder is the worst! The three or four times in life I've eaten onion soup, I felt I was gonna die! You might as well just stick a fork in me and turn me over, cause I'm done! Horrific gas, bloating, severe pain. Within 20 minutes! I hate to be explicit, but the flatulence reeks of sulphur: One day I noticed that I seemed to be having a GI reaction to molasses, too, which contains sulphur. Ever since then, I've avoided molasses just as fearfully as I've avoid onions.

Oddly, I'm pretty sure that garlic does not give me the same problems. Yes, I notice my breath reeks for a day or two, and my body-odor, too. But honestly, I think this is just because I am overly sensitive to the smell, given how religiously I avoid onions and other alliums.

One summer studying abroad where I had no little control over my diet, I learned that I could tolerate onions if I ate them with beef. I reckon that my stomach gets geared up to digest the beef, and the strong acids just destroy whatever it is in the onions that hurts me so badly. No such luck with chicken. I've never tried pairing onions with pork, etc. But now that I think about it, I recall an authentic Chinese meal where I ate scallions with fatty duck and I think I got away with it.

What do I take to relieve the symptoms?
As a youngster (teens and twenties) I used to chew maalox or tums when I knew I had to eat onions. It didn't really help very much, so I quit. More recently, I've tried to take strong tea of chamomile, and that seems to help. Ginger also helps. And I've read that fennel and anise seeds are very good for indigestion (you often see them at Indian restaurants, in a little bowl by the exit).

When I get the gas so bad I feel like calling 911 (doubled-over on the floor in pain), it helps to do yoga. www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogaprac...eving.asp These gentle stretches and movements seem to help massage the gas out. Sometimes I get relief by just rolling around on the floor, or inverting my body in the "shoulder stand" pose: www.abc-of-yoga.com/yogaprac...stand.asp

I'm intrigued to read about using antihistamines to prevent a symptomatic reaction in the first place. I'll try that sometime!

I'm also interested in trying dietary approaches. Because I have so many dietary sensitivities (onions, most fruits and juices, acid foods, sugar, corn syrup, tomatoes, cheese, milk, brassicas {broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts}) I am planning to explore gluten intolerance. I have read that some folks with celiacs disease have been able to "heal" their gut, and then return to eating some things they previously could not eat. Maybe if I avoid gluten long enough, my gut will return the favor by letting me eat some other things. Doing without milk and cheese is so easy compared to the chore of avoiding onions: They're everywhere!

Thanks to everyone who shared their experience! And big thanks to the angel who set-up this 'tribe'!

Cheers!

John

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll look for those capsules... : )

I feel drugged when I eat red onion, but it is accompanied by a headache.

Also, I'm watching my son for a true allergy. Since I started him on Third Foods size baby food, many of which contain onion powder for seasoning, he started getting a rash on his cheeks sometimes. I haven't been able to pinpoint it but we're watching it.

This is the first time I've even considered that I might have an allium intolerance. I've had extreme IBS symptoms for the past week which were getting better with vigilant food watching right up until yesterday. Yesterday my darling mum cooked a tuna and almonds casserole and brought some over for me to have for lunch. I noticed that she had used red onions in it which she normally would not do. Consequence? This morning, extreme diarrhea, cramps, flatulence all of which were so bad that I only managed to stay at work for 45 minutes before it became too much. I've never been a great one for eating onions or garlic but I do like leeks in a casserole. The beginning of this particular episode, I believe was a barbecue where I made caramelized onions and ate them, then the next day I made a casserole with sliced leeks. My stomach is growling just thinking about this. I am also a thyroid patient and have been for 15 or so years. I noticed that as soon as my thyroid started being troublesome, my reaction to certain foods increased. I never liked tomatos as a child but I ate them as I grew older. Tomato's fortunately only cause hives. I am astounded at how many people have a reaction to onions and garlic though. My background is that I am a mature age student looking to attend university next year. Throughout my 2 entry years of study I have written several papers on food allergies and intolerances. I am intending to study either nutrition or biomolecular science at university. Nutrition for the intolerance and allergy aspect OR biomolecular science with a view to agriculture, food additives etc. In this thread alone I have read numerous statements about food additives and like all of you here, I am appalled at what the food industry is allowed to include in our diets. Good on all of you for having a say and for recognizing that doctors aren't the be all and end all of diagnostic capabilities. We all know our own bodies and I regularly say, if you think something is wrong with your system, you can almost guarantee it is. Self diagnosing also is not the be all and end all but knowing yourself goes a long way toward helping yourself to a healthy life.
Cas xxx