allergy to shellfish

troptank · 01/29/2012, 01:07 PM

hello
newbie from scotland here

Well just really a question I have out of interest..

Does anyone on here have any fish or shellfish allergies?

when i was young i used to be fine with shellfish but.... I was about 16 years old and i had a job at a chippy (frying fish:laugh

anyway i cooked some pron scampi for my dinner as it was always a favourite but now i could eat it free.

first time my lips swelled up a little, got itchy all round my mouth etc..
second time i tried it same happened but my lips appeared to go a blueish colour...
third time... well there is no third time i have being scared off shellfish now...

a couple of years later i worked in a seafood restaurant and i used to handle alot of crab / lobster etc cant really remember it having much effect on me just maybe an itch over my hands.

it really does suck as i absolutely loved prawns but i'm too scared to try them again...

just wondering does anyone here have a fish or shellfish allergy and do they have to take any precautions with there marine tank.

I have never had a marine tank but i'm slowly collecting all the bits i need to convert my tropical tank over to marine, is there anything i need to do / not do or am i just thinking too deeply into this and being paranoid?

I believe the flaked food for my tropical fish has crustaceans in it and its never given me any grief,i just wash my hands after.

cheers all

troptank · 01/30/2012, 12:04 PM

no one have an allergy but me ? lol

wolfador · 01/30/2012, 12:06 PM

use gloves and wash your hands. And don't eat anything in the tank. I think you will be okay

troptank · 01/30/2012, 12:18 PM

wasn't planning on eating my tank contents

bdroptjj · 01/30/2012, 12:25 PM

Hi there! Well, I'm in a very similar situation to yours. As a young child, I was able to eat shellfish of all sorts without any difficulty. Being Asian, shellfish of all kinds were served in our house quite often. Along came puberty, which brought my shellfish allergy along with it. It took my parents years to figure out what the issue was, while continuing to feed me shellfish all along. Finally, after a couple visits to the doc, it was determined that I had the allergy.

Over the years, I have had various marine tanks - everything from FOWLR to nano to mixed reef. I take no special precautions, handle foods, live rock, livestock etc as anyone would. I just wash my hands/arms very well before and after messing with my tank.

My symptoms are similar to yours as well. I generally carry an Epi pen with me, but thankfully I've rarely had to use it. Also, I feel your pain about missing Prawns! It sucks being Asian, knowing that I love the taste of shellfish, and not being able to eat it!

PS, in college I worked in a restaurant where I had to prep lobster tails. In this case, I did have to wear thick gloves, as without them all the spine pokes they would leave would cause my hands to swell and itch like madness.

1DeR9_3Hy · 01/30/2012, 12:32 PM

I have a moderate shellfish allergy (My lips swell up and i get a tad itchy, but thats it).

I have never had a problem from anything reef/fish tank related. Fragging, feeding, getting pricked by fish...nothing.

05f150fx4 · 01/30/2012, 12:42 PM

I also developed a shellfish allergy in my late teenage years (Found out the hard way...throat closed and trip to the hospital). I do not have a problem handling anything in the tank, just can't eat any shellfish.

jlylec · 01/30/2012, 12:44 PM

My dad is deathly allergic to shellfish (a little clam juice in potato soup makes his throat close up) and he takes care of my tank when I'm gone. He's still breathing!

troptank · 01/30/2012, 01:44 PM

thanks, just the sort of info i needed

although it sucks for us, i feel alot happier going into this hobby after reading just this few stories.
i know everyone reacts different to allergies but this has helped

troptank · 01/30/2012, 01:47 PM

ps bdroptjj, i have a epi pen also but never had to use it thankfully

I guess i just need to keep it closer to me now.

01/29/2012, 01:07 PM	#1
troptank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 11	allergy to shellfish hello newbie from scotland here Well just really a question I have out of interest.. Does anyone on here have any fish or shellfish allergies? when i was young i used to be fine with shellfish but.... I was about 16 years old and i had a job at a chippy (frying fish:laugh anyway i cooked some pron scampi for my dinner as it was always a favourite but now i could eat it free. first time my lips swelled up a little, got itchy all round my mouth etc.. second time i tried it same happened but my lips appeared to go a blueish colour... third time... well there is no third time i have being scared off shellfish now... a couple of years later i worked in a seafood restaurant and i used to handle alot of crab / lobster etc cant really remember it having much effect on me just maybe an itch over my hands. it really does suck as i absolutely loved prawns but i'm too scared to try them again... just wondering does anyone here have a fish or shellfish allergy and do they have to take any precautions with there marine tank. I have never had a marine tank but i'm slowly collecting all the bits i need to convert my tropical tank over to marine, is there anything i need to do / not do or am i just thinking too deeply into this and being paranoid? I believe the flaked food for my tropical fish has crustaceans in it and its never given me any grief,i just wash my hands after. cheers all

01/30/2012, 12:25 PM	#5
bdroptjj Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 131	Hi there! Well, I'm in a very similar situation to yours. As a young child, I was able to eat shellfish of all sorts without any difficulty. Being Asian, shellfish of all kinds were served in our house quite often. Along came puberty, which brought my shellfish allergy along with it. It took my parents years to figure out what the issue was, while continuing to feed me shellfish all along. Finally, after a couple visits to the doc, it was determined that I had the allergy. Over the years, I have had various marine tanks - everything from FOWLR to nano to mixed reef. I take no special precautions, handle foods, live rock, livestock etc as anyone would. I just wash my hands/arms very well before and after messing with my tank. My symptoms are similar to yours as well. I generally carry an Epi pen with me, but thankfully I've rarely had to use it. Also, I feel your pain about missing Prawns! It sucks being Asian, knowing that I love the taste of shellfish, and not being able to eat it! PS, in college I worked in a restaurant where I had to prep lobster tails. In this case, I did have to wear thick gloves, as without them all the spine pokes they would leave would cause my hands to swell and itch like madness. __________________ "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley" Current Tank Info: Reef Savvy rimless 60x24x18 ~ ATB Elegance 200 Pro ~ Apex ~ MP40wES x2 ~ Radion XR30 x3 ~ Nextreef MR1 reactors ~ ATB Flowstar 1500 ~ Bubble Magus doser ~ Trigger Systems Ruby 36 sump

01/30/2012, 12:32 PM	#6
1DeR9_3Hy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 2,575	I have a moderate shellfish allergy (My lips swell up and i get a tad itchy, but thats it). I have never had a problem from anything reef/fish tank related. Fragging, feeding, getting pricked by fish...nothing. __________________ I hope it never catches on, I like having the oldest tank on here and I don't have to worry about calcification, bio pellets, Vodka dosing, DSBs, Chaetomorpha (I don't even know what that is) Carbonite hardness and all of these other things many people worry about. If I had to think about all of that stuff I would get a stroke. My test kit came in a wooden box and the directions say to keep in a cool chariott. I throw some food in the tank, wave hello to the fish and go out with my wife and have a nice glass of merlot with dinner. Have a great day but most of all, have fun. -PaulB Current Tank Info: 27 Gallon DAS softy/fish reef

01/30/2012, 12:04 PM	#2
troptank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 11	no one have an allergy but me ? lol

01/30/2012, 12:06 PM	#3
wolfador Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Posts: 161	use gloves and wash your hands. And don't eat anything in the tank. I think you will be okay

01/30/2012, 12:18 PM	#4
troptank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 11	wasn't planning on eating my tank contents

01/30/2012, 12:42 PM	#7
05f150fx4 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Stoughton, MA Posts: 140	I also developed a shellfish allergy in my late teenage years (Found out the hard way...throat closed and trip to the hospital). I do not have a problem handling anything in the tank, just can't eat any shellfish.

01/30/2012, 12:44 PM	#8
jlylec Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Charlottesville, VA Posts: 559	My dad is deathly allergic to shellfish (a little clam juice in potato soup makes his throat close up) and he takes care of my tank when I'm gone. He's still breathing!

01/30/2012, 01:44 PM	#9
troptank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 11	thanks, just the sort of info i needed although it sucks for us, i feel alot happier going into this hobby after reading just this few stories. i know everyone reacts different to allergies but this has helped

01/30/2012, 01:47 PM	#10
troptank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 11	ps bdroptjj, i have a epi pen also but never had to use it thankfully I guess i just need to keep it closer to me now.