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Can Food Allergy Be Treated?

Posted on Thu, 2 Mar 2017

Question: My husband has intolerance for histamine . Whenever he eats bread, pizza, mushroom , any sauces, he has to eat citrizen . This we came to know 2 years back that certain foods are causing it. Please suggest is there any cure for it and what we should do

Answered by Dr. Shashi Dangwal (48 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Avoiding the food stuff to which he is allergic is the best method.

Detailed Answer:

Hello XXXXXXX

Thanks for posting your query on HCM.

Alergies generally cannot be cured, however they can be controlled.
So avoiding the food product to which your husband is allergic is the best thing. However if he still wants to consume them and if his symptpms are controlled with cetrizen as you have mentioned , he may take a tablet of it before consuming the said food products. Allergic immunotherapy is available to desensitize the person to the allergens but it is used mainly for environmental allergens and since not found to be effective for food allergens hence not recommended for food allergy.

Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Shashi Dangwal (8 hours later)

Is citrizen safe or is allegra better? Or is there any tablet which he can take which will not impact in long term. Because we are afraid to take this medicine frequently as it might have side effects

Answered by Dr. Shashi Dangwal (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Both cetrizine and allegra are more or less same.

Detailed Answer:
Both cetrizine and allegra are more or less same and either can be taken. There are not many side effects if taken for a short while from time to time. So you can take any anti allergic without worrying much about the side effects.

Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Shashi Dangwal (8 hours later)

The cost of allerga is much more than citrizen so just wanted to check. Also he takes 2-3 times in week as peas , palak also causes this .. So is this frequency fine or this medicine should not be takem this often

Answered by Dr. Shashi Dangwal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes he can take it intermittently.

Detailed Answer:
Yes he may take cetrizine 2 to 3 times a week. There are patients who take it much more frequently and at times I for months and years without major side effects. Every medicine has some side effect or the other but that does not mean that every person who takes it will develop all the side effects. He may also try another antiallergic by the name of monteleukast one tablet a day.

Take care.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D