Is An Allergy to E Numbers My Problem?

I think that I have finally uncovered the mystery of why I have been having strange symptoms for the last few years- I think I have an allergy to E numbers. I can go days without any symptoms and then suddenly get all the symptoms at once. My symptoms have include rashes covering large parts of my body, bowel problems, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, and swelling. At one point I was seeing a rheumatologist, a dermatologist, an oncologist, and a haematologist.

Mystery Not Solved by Tests

Nobody could find out what was wrong with me but they did find several other problems. For example, I had a severe vitamin D deficiency and moderate levels of lupus anticoagulant in my blood along with raised red and white blood cells. However, none of this explained my symptoms. 

Tracking My Diet and Symptoms

I began to wonder if my diet was having any impact on the symptoms. Several doctors agreed, saying that my rash looked like an allergic reaction to something. I have racked my brains to think about what I have eaten that has triggered the symptoms, even keeping a food diary at one point. 

Suffering Flare-Ups

Over the past few weeks, I have not had many of the symptoms. This week, I have had two bad flare-ups. The first was after visiting my local Indian restaurant (for which a review will follow). I have eaten take away food from there on several occasions, usually ordering the madras. 

The night I visited the restaurant was a special promotional event. They were giving away free food on a set food menu. We had a selection of dishes including a tikka masala, a rogan josh, and a vegetable curry. When I got home, my skin was in a terrible state, covered in hives. My bottom lip was so swollen that it felt solid.

Making Some Diet and Lifestyle Changes

The second flare up was this morning. Over the past few weeks, I have made several diet and lifestyle changes and this may be why I have not had many of the symptoms. One thing I have given up is fizzy drinks.

At the shop this morning, I decided to treat myself to a bottle of fizzy pop that was on offer. I am not sure if I should name the brand on my website, but it is bright orange and associated with Scotland. I will let you guess. Within minutes of drinking a glass of this beverage, I was itching all over and had huge hives all up my arms. 

Is an Allergy to E Numbers My Problem?

I Googled the name of the drink along with the word allergies and thousands of results came up stating that people are commonly allergic to this beverage because it contains a colouring called E214, also known as cochineal. This made me think about the tikka masala I had eaten. Food colouring is often used in this dish to achieve a bright red colour. 

More Potential Evidence of an Allergy to E Numbers

The more I have looked into E numbers in food today, the more convinced I am that this may have caused my health problems. For the most part, I cook all the food in the house. I use fresh produce and very little canned or pre-prepared food. Therefore, my meals contain very few additives, such as flavourings, preservatives, colourings, and stabilizers.

Anything that I have included in my diet in the past that would contain such things has been beverages, such as fizzy drinks and wine. As these are things I have avoided over the past few weeks, it makes sense that this is potentially the cause of the problems. 

Interesting Reading About Allergy to E Numbers

I also found an interesting chart that identifies the most harmful E numbers, the alternative names for them, what they are used for, and the symptoms they are known to cause. If you are interested in this subject, you can read this here.

Disclaimer

I think that it is also important that I add a DISCLAIMER at this point. This article is not intended as dietary or health advice. The information included is based on my personal experiences and not on any proven medical studies. My degree is in education and not in medicine or nutrition!