Question:
True enough. Unfortunately a lot of people tag anything that causes them the slightest bit of bother as an "allergy", when it may well be a simple intolerance. Then they wonder why taking an antihistamine doesn’t do them any good. 
What did you go to school for?
My PhD is in "Veterinary Medicine" but my interest areas are actually nephrology and urology…. but I took at least a bit of immunology. Hope your exam went well… and thanks again! -kathy
Response:
Hi Kathy, My PhD is in "Veterinary Medicine" but my interest areas are actually nephrology and urology…. but I took at least a bit of immunology. Hope your exam went well… and thanks again!
Cool. My goal is medicine as well, but with patients who can tell me where it hurts. My exam was a relative breeze (funny how studying affects that <G), and I’ll probably get my results by email today. Right now I’m just going to enjoy the luxury of an entire day with no set deadlines….a bubblebath may be in the works. — Take care, Carmen
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Hi Kathy, Do you mean hypersensitivity reactions? I thought Type 1 is what is commonly referred to as an "allergy."
No, it’s just that most normal people don’t have to ever differentiate between the different types, so an allergy is an allergy is an allergy. Hypersensitivity and allergy are the same thing. Penicillin allergic reactions are IgG mediated, caused by the drug attaching itself to red blood cells and becoming an antigen in the process (Type II). Poison ivy is another example of an allergy that isn’t IgE mediated. It’s a T-cell mediated allergy (Type IV), same with the "cheap jewelry" (nickel) allergy that makes it so I can wear only gold <G. (Both of those are also due to haptens.) I can point you to some excellent resources probably tomorrow evening or so. I need to study a bit more for my last final exam of the semester tomorrow – in Immunology & Serology. <G — Take care, Carmen
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Okay, well I ran off to look at Steadmans….. They have a long blurb, so this is a tad out of context; but the relevant info is "For a time, allergy was restricted in usage in some areas to type 1 allergic reactions, but the present tendency is to return to the more general usage." So, I guess I’m from a different era, although I was in courses phase of grad school all of ten years ago. In any case, it doesn’t change the discussion we were having about allergens and haptens even if you include all the other hypersensitivity types. -kathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Kathy, Do you mean hypersensitivity reactions? I thought Type 1 is what is commonly referred to as an "allergy." No, it’s just that most normal people don’t have to ever differentiate between the different types, so an allergy is an allergy is an allergy. Hypersensitivity and allergy are the same thing. Penicillin allergic reactions are IgG mediated, caused by the drug attaching itself to red blood cells and becoming an antigen in the process (Type II). Poison ivy is another example of an allergy that isn’t IgE mediated. It’s a T-cell mediated allergy (Type IV), same with the "cheap jewelry" (nickel) allergy that makes it so I can wear only gold <G. (Both of those are also due to haptens.) I can point you to some excellent resources probably tomorrow evening or so. I need to study a bit more for my last final exam of the semester tomorrow – in Immunology & Serology. <G — Take care, Carm
Response:
my husband just told me that a nurse friend of ours has come down with an allergy to SPLENDA. anyone else here have that problem?
I,m ok with splenda, but aspertame makes me very hot, makes my joints hurt and irritates my bladder something awful, to the point that it is extremely painful.
Response:
Hi Kathy, Okay, well I ran off to look at Steadmans….. They have a long blurb, so this is a tad out of context; but the relevant info is "For a time, allergy was restricted in usage in some areas to type 1 allergic reactions, but the present tendency is to return to the more general usage." So, I guess I’m from a different era, although I was in courses phase of grad school all of ten years ago. In any case, it doesn’t change the discussion we were having about allergens and haptens even if you include all the other hypersensitivity types.
True enough. Unfortunately a lot of people tag anything that causes them the slightest bit of bother as an "allergy", when it may well be a simple intolerance. Then they wonder why taking an antihistamine doesn’t do them any good. What did you go to school for? — Take care, Carmen
Response:
Good point… if the aquagenous urticaria mechanism is that water is a hapten, then sucralose could be a hapten too. Something about the chlorine? But even so, it doesn’t fit the usual composition of a an antigen so playing the odds, it would seem unlikely that an adverse response is allergic. I think this is important because Splenda hasn’t been around that long and if there are adverse reactions to it, it’s important to consider what the mechanism really is rather than dismissing it under the convenient rubric of "allergy" when it’s not a likely antigen. And if it is actually an allergy because sucralose is capable of being a hapten, it’s pretty important to know that given the spectre of immune-mediate disease. -kathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If the theory they provide for it is correct, then it’s a situation where the water effects some protein in her to make it antigenic, ie to make her allergic to some part of her own skin and mucous membranes… but it sounds like they don’t know. Sounds to me like they don’t know either. But if that could happen with water, theoretically it could happen with anything else.
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Hi Kathy, Very interesting… thanks for the info. The photodermatitis is, I believe, allergy-like and not that rare. I didn’t read about it much, but it appears not to be IgE-mediated so not a normal "allergy" … but some commonality of mechanism so I see why they use the word.
Allergic reactions aren’t all IgE mediated – only Type I is IgE mediated. The other 3 types are a mixed bag. — Take care, Carmen
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Allergic reactions aren’t all IgE mediated – only Type I is IgE mediated. The other 3 types are a mixed bag.
Do you mean hypersensitivity reactions? I thought Type 1 is what is commonly referred to as an "allergy." -kathy
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I don’t believe this is correct. Reference?
Here’s a story about it. I heard about it on the news several years ago. <http://lifestyle.ninemsn.com.au/goodmedicine/factsheets/db/general/di… es/1157.asp Another name for sun allergy is photodermatitis. Both of these are rare AFAIK. .. Bridget M. CAD 2/94 LC 7/01 SC-LC 3/02 Celiac & Diabetes T2 3/02
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Very interesting… thanks for the info. The photodermatitis is, I believe, allergy-like and not that rare. I didn’t read about it much, but it appears not to be IgE-mediated so not a normal "allergy" … but some commonality of mechanism so I see why they use the word. The water thing is just plain weird. If the theory they provide for it is correct, then it’s a situation where the water effects some protein in her to make it antigenic, ie to make her allergic to some part of her own skin and mucous membranes… but it sounds like they don’t know. -kathy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t believe this is correct. Reference? Here’s a story about it. I heard about it on the news several years ago. <http://lifestyle.ninemsn.com.au/goodmedicine/factsheets/db/general/di… es/1157.asp Another name for sun allergy is photodermatitis.
Response:
If the theory they provide for it is correct, then it’s a situation where the water effects some protein in her to make it antigenic, ie to make her allergic to some part of her own skin and mucous membranes… but it sounds like they don’t know.
Sounds to me like they don’t know either. But if that could happen with water, theoretically it could happen with anything else. .. Bridget M. CAD 2/94 LC 7/01 SC-LC 3/02 Celiac & Diabetes T2 3/02
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I have read/seen many stories on people who are allergic to the sun, they can’t go outside at all w/o a sun proof suit. If they don’t have the suit, they die. They can’t allow sunshine into their houses either and require special dim lighting. The whole thing is really quite sad. Sun alllergy is also a side effect of Lupus. A friend of my mother’s has Lupus and she can’t go out in the sun w/o sun screen. Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a disease that causes sun allergy- http://my.webmd.com/encyclopedia/article/4115.487
The term "allergy" is bandied about these days to mean any kind of hypersensitivity or intolerance (the same way "addiction" is bandied about to mean any kind of dependence or habituation, and "migraine" to mean any bad headache) but people with Xeroderma pigmentosum are not allergic to the sun. It’s a genetic defect resulting in a severely damaging sensitivity to ultra-violet light. There are developed photosensitivities that cause people to sunburn very easily, which can be a side effect of some diseases, more often a side effect of various medications and supplements (SJW, for one), but that isn’t an allergy to the sun, either. — "There’s a seeker born every minute."
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People can be allergic to water. Or sunshine. There’s no protein in that. I don’t believe this is correct. Reference? -kathy
I have read/seen many stories on people who are allergic to the sun, they can’t go outside at all w/o a sun proof suit. If they don’t have the suit, they die. They can’t allow sunshine into their houses either and require special dim lighting. The whole thing is really quite sad. Sun alllergy is also a side effect of Lupus. A friend of my mother’s has Lupus and she can’t go out in the sun w/o sun screen. Xeroderma Pigmentosum is a disease that causes sun allergy- http://my.webmd.com/encyclopedia/article/4115.487 HTH! — -Michelle 285/265/175 Started Atkins 3/1/01 On hold for pregnancy and breastfeeding since 3/29/01 Post partum weight: 270 Current weight:260
Response:
Many adverse reactions, not allergies, are confused with allergies. For example, I can’t tolerate aspartame, but the reaction is not allergenic. However, sucralose is an unnatural substance. It is possible to develop an imune system reaction to foreign substances.
Chemical complexity determines whether an immune response will be mounted to a molecule.
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