Hi everyone. This is my first discussion. I was diagnosed last week with lupus, but have had symptoms for 12 years. The dr first suggested lupus the day before thanksgiving, so it’s been a rough couple months trying to wrap my head around everything. I want to do anything I can to feel better! I don’t remember what it feels like to be normal. For me, the worst is allergies. I’m allergic to EVERY tree and grass (severely), as well as more foods than I can write. I’ve done a good job of eliminating allergens from my diet, however, I read about “lupus friendly foods” and foods to avoid, and I’m just at such a loss. I can’t eat many fruits or vegetables, as well as no oats, legumes, nuts, the list goes on. Gluten is one of the few things I CAN eat, but I keep seeing how you should eliminate it! I know allergy shots are not an option (not that they can help food allergies, but I also have oral allergy syndrome), but does anyone else experience this predicament or have any advice? I used to be such a foodie; loving to try most things, and now I eat so few things it’s depressing. I’m just feeling lost and was curious if medications can help? I’m hypersensitive to most meds; I can’t handle allergy pills and even Benadryl almost sent me to hospital because of throat tightening. I start Plaquenil today so here goes nothing!
Hi Kelly,
My name is Jen, and I was just diagnosed as well.....after suffering with symptoms for over 15 years. I am trying to go all organic, un- processed foods myself. I thought getting all the toxic chemicals out our house might help as well. Nice to meet you :)
New allergies and sensitivities pop up all the time for me. I was born and bred in Savannah, GA and grew up eating shrimp. By the bucket. We moved to OK when I was 10 and I still ate shrimp every chance I got. Then in 1998, I was out to dinner with my husband (then fiancé) and his parents. I got my shrimp and immediately my lips started tingling. I assumed it was something in the sauce and kept eating trying to wipe off as much of the sauce as I could. By the end of the meal, I looked like I had gotten bad collagen injections in my lips. I tried shrimp one more time after that and had to take Benedryl before the end of the meal. Now, I can’t even be around shrimp while it’s being cooked. I was tested for allergies and all shellfish was very high. I also share your allergies to all nuts, pollens, trees, etc. and the list if medication allergies grows every year. My 13 yr old has the same issues. She is even allergic to apples and bananas.
Keep a list on you if your allergies. And on gluten, if you can eat it with no problems, then don’t worry about fads. We’ve been eating gluten (humans in general) for centuries. It has become a almost popular to say your gluten sensitive but I have a friend and former co-worker that actually IS gluten sensitive. When she caved and ate something containing gluten, she paid for it dearly. Painful stomach cramps, flatulence, nausea, in short you would know there was a problem.
As far as an SLE diet, the best thing to do is to experiment. Remove one item at a time. This is especially crucial for you because of you limitations already in place from allergies. You need to have as many alternatives as you can. If you cut several things at a time, you may be cutting a food that you could actually eat.
Good luck with this and don’t worry too much.
Amy
Thanks Amy. I definitely feel my current diet isn’t “healthful” but your words make sense that I just need to stick with what I don’t react to. I never had a food allergy in my life; the one day it was nearly everything. It’s something people used to think I made up when I “didn’t feel well” after a meal etc. at least I finally know I’m not crazy 
I'm sorry you are having such a hard time of it. What do you mean when you say you have oral allergy symdrom?
I had terrible mouth sores but they weny away after I started taking plaquenil. I'm luckyI don't have the food allrgies that you have.I'm just allergic to most antibiotics. My stomach issues went away whe I started on probiotics.(VSL#3).
You will probably get some help wth someone in this group.
Cindy
Oral allergy syndrome is when you don’t test to having a true allergy to a food, but still react with allergic reactions. for example, when scratch tested, I am ok with avocado, but if I have even the slightest bit, I react terribly (itchy throat, tongue swelling). OAS is when your pollen allergies are do bad, that you can’t eat fresh fruits and vegetables that you react to their pollen so to speak. I can’t eat an apple or orange; my gums swell, throat closes. But I can drink orange juice without a problem. So not only do I have tons of “true” allergies, but also so many of those. I just wonder if I’ll ever have hope of getting better, or will live this way for the rest of my life.
Best of luck to you Kelly, I have been on plaquenil since 2002 and it seems to work well for me, I hope that it will work for you as well. I don't have many food allergies now but when I was diagnosed I was allergic to sour cream potato chips, potatoes and tomatoes.
get yourself a diary and write down what you eat each day try to figure out what makes you feel better and what make you feel sick!. Also you may want to go to specialist who deals with allergies, if you have trouble with fruit try juices, ACAII and
you can juice cactus pear and mango's, fish and sea food is good for lupus and i take a multi vitamin. You may also want to clean with natural product's instead of the harsh cleaning products you find out there. I know it hard you have to change your lifestyle a little but you will be OK.
Check out the AIP diet (autoimmune protocol). Also Kris Carr has a book Crazy Sexy Diet where she guides you thru a 21 day cleanse then you can reintroduce foods, healthy foods back in.
Kim