I have a sensitivity/allergy to things like cucumber, lettuce and star
fruit. I was wondering what common 'ingredient' or substance in these
fruits and begetables causes it. It causes my throat to 'swell up' and
feel like there is something in it. Not life threatening but not
great!! It doesn't happen with all of them though. I can eat carrots,
celery, tomatoes etc. it's just the above 3 and some otehrs that I
can't remember right now! Thanks!

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Oh I know. It isn't in place of medical advice because it isn't
something which needs it. It's like hayfever - annoying and
uncomfortable but not life threatening...to me anyway.

Hi there 

Here's a very interesting site which has heaps of info, including a
good Q&A section. You might find some answers to your particular
allergy there: www.foodallergy.org/questions.html

Plus, I found the following information on the Auckland Allergy Clinic
site: www.allergyclinic.co.nz  and thought you might find it
interesting because it mentions cucumbers and suggests a remedy. But
of course,it's only meant to provide general info and not be taken as
professional advice. (!)


"Fennel, cucumber, and melon allergy successfully treated with
pollen-specific injection immunotherapy

Ricardo Asero, MD

Background: In subjects with both pollinosis and vegetable food
allergy, most allergenic epitopes of fruits are present in pollen. A
recent study showed marked reduction or total disappearance of
apple-induced oral allergy syndrome in patients receiving injection
immunotherapy with birch pollen extracts.

Objective: To assess whether vegetable food allergy following other
kinds of primary pollinosis may be successfully treated with
pollen-specific immunotherapy.

Methods: A 34-year-old woman with long-standing pollinosis and typical
oral allergy syndrome (OAS) with the ingestion of both fennel and
cucumber and whose OAS was associated with laryngeal oedema after the
ingestion of melon, was treated with 2 commercial depot aluminium
hydroxide-adsorbed extracts of grass pollen and mugwort pollen 50% +
ragweed pollen 50%.

Results: After 36 months of injection specific immunotherapy, the
patient was able to tolerate both fresh fennel and cucumber without
consequence on open oral challenge tests. After 43 months of
immunotherapy, the patient tolerated fresh melon as well on open oral
challenge. She has re-introduced these vegetables in her normal diet.
Skin tests show no reactivity to fresh fennel and there was a
reduction of the wheal induced by fresh cucumber.

Conclusion: Vegetable food allergy following primary sensitisation to
pollens, other than birch, may also be effectively reduced by
pollen-specific injection immunotherapy."

Interesting stuff. Hope it helps.