I think my husband is allergic to erythritol

(Jennifer) #1

I bought some different sweeteners to play with. A couple weeks ago my husband started using them to sweeten his BPC and he broke out in hives. All over. He let it heal and we tested it yesterday with him trying some peanut butter bars I made with Swerve. Now he is breaking out again.

I’m really bummed. It tastes awesome to me - almost a perfect replacement. Now I won’t be able to cook for the family with it.

I guess I will look into the stevia only sweeteners. Or maybe the monk fruit only sweeteners. I won’t get any of the xylitol since we have dogs in the house and they have a knack for getting into things.

I guess this is pretty common? Anyone else allergic?

(jketoscribe) #2

If he has hives he has to stay away.

Erythritol is about the only sweetener I tolerate but I usually don’t sweeten food for the rest of the family, it’s for my occasional treats and indulgences. I did make a flourless chocolate cake for Passover with it but that’s the only time I “share”.

Could he be allergic to the source? Some erythritol is made from GMO corn, but not all.

Ive also heard that erythritol occurs naturally in grapes, pears, and mushrooms. Curious whether he has any issues with those?

(Michelle) #3

I heard xylitol is also a good sugar substitute, but I don’t use that. It’s poisonous to dogs, and since I have a dog, I stay away from it.

(Jennifer) #4

Interesting info, thanks. I am trying to get him to do some trails to verify. There are a couple other things that could be causing it, but those things he has always eaten and never had any issues.

He has never had a problem with those foods, but he doesn’t tend to eat them every day, (not a mushroom fan). He has had a reaction to seafood stock made from lobster shells, but never a problem with seafood. But he isn’t a huge shellfish fan, so probably hasn’t eaten the quantity needed to have a reaction.

(Sondra Rose) #5

Be careful about doing trials when he has already had a skin reaction! He may get anaphylactic shock and that can be life-threatening.

I almost died from eating 1/2 a Brazil nut.

#6

I guess I am allergic too - in larger doses. I finally figured out why, all of a sudden, I was getting hives - six of them on various parts of my body in the last week. I am 71-years-old and have never had skin allergies in general. I went to Dr. Google to try to track down my culprit. It turns out that I used way too much erythritol in baking a recent batch of brownies. For more than a year I have used a packet of Truvia to sweeten my coffee - three to five times a day - with no side effects. But the brownies really took me into allergic response time. (I used SWERVE in the recipe. I had used it in other baking projects before but this recipe called for a cup and half for 16 brownies. They tasted great but now they are heading for the trash can.) Lucky for me that my allergic response didn’t progress any farther than hives. I do appreciate this forum; it was one of the places where I found some information. I’ve been eating Keto with daily fasting hours for over a year in order to keep weight off.

(Marta Loftfield) #7

You might want to try Bocha Sweet. Both hubby and I like the taste for the occasional treat.

#8

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I will give it a try.

(Lisa Stevens) #9

I bought some electrolytes with that in it and it immediately upsets my stomach. I only use Truvia. I used to use Stevia in the Raw but it contains maltodextrin which is a carb.

#10

Have used the Bocha Sweet in some recipes … so far like it a lot. It is much sweeter than Swerve - I only use about 1 1/3 as much and the taste is fine.

#11

In larger amounts (like baking with it) I’t bloats me pretty descent. For anything you could use a liquid for use liquid Splenda (granular has maltodextrin in it) there is also Splenda naturals which is a Stevia / Erythritol blend (could be Swerve specific?). Xylitol really is an awesome sugar replacement. I know the dog argument as SO many people say that, but all kidding aside, I’ve got a 4yo, and knives, and tools, and poisonous chemicals, and other things that can kill him. I keep them the hell out of his reach. Dog’s are no different. On the monk fruit blends your bringing fructose into the mix at that point, may be an issue, may not be. I use the Good Earth sweetener that Starbucks has which is a Stevia/Monk mix and so far no issues.

#12

My allergic reaction to most things are migraines and hives from head to toe. I usually take a 10 mg Loratadine (generic Claratin) 30 minutes prior to known allergens. But tonight I baked a pound cake using Swerve (and Almond flour). When testing the doneness, I literally had about 2 crumbs and put in my mouth. Now my bottom lip has swollen in the corner, and my top lip is itching. Now I’m scared to eat the cake. I wasn’t really making it for myself, because I have no desire for sweets since starting the keto diet. But I was gonna have a pinch. I may have to take allergy pill first. Definitely have to warn family before serving.

(Marta Loftfield) #13

@Scared2Eat this is probably too late, but if you had swelling and itching with crumbs you might trigger a much worse allergic response with a pinch. Do you have an EPI pen, 911 close? (It takes 20 minutes for EMTs to get to our house)

I would not chance it.

(Rosemary Richards) #15

Hello!! I just saw this , but I am a 20 yr old female , and I am almost positive that I am allergic to Erythritol !
Some things I have had an allergic reaction to:
-Halo Top ice cream
-Sobi water
-Body Armor peach mango lyte
-monster energy drink sugar free orange
I break out in hives, wheezing, coughing, trouble breathing, etc.

So weird, but when looking at nutrition facts I saw that erythritol was a common ingredient in all. I am not allergic to other sugar free foods and not stevia or Splenda. I hope to find an allergist who will confirm this for me. But when I’ve gone , they say they don’t know how to help me…

I’ve read that it is VERY rare, but I’m pretty confident that erythritol is the culprit.

(Rachel Dolan) #16

Hey all - I’m another female with the same issue! Did any of you happen to learn more about your reaction?

I’ve had throat swelling and / or hives from : Orgain protein powder, Swerve, and a protein bar with erythritol.

I also had a reaction to a Trader Joe’s cauliflower stir fry, and I’m determining whether the vinegar or the mushroom must have had traces of erythritol… working to get it figured out with an allergist.

(Rachel Dolan) #17

Let me know if you are still around!! I’d love to know how you managed this! I was in the ED twice this week with my erythritol reactions.

(Rossi Luo) #18

I am allergic to erythritol too. I will have diarrhea if I take in a large amount of it, or I can hear sounds in my belly. I have stopped using it.

#19

I wonder what is a large amount for people…
And why would anyone need to eat a large amount of any sweetener including sugars…? (Unless it’s some extreme situation.)

(Rossi Luo) #20

To me, 2 or 3 spoons make me allergic.

To me, 2 or 3 spoons of erythritol can’t make me feel sweet, I even want to add more to my soft drinks.

(Bob M) #21

Sadly, while I can eat some erythritol, too much seems to cause me digestive issues. For instance, I can eat chocolate chips with sugar (highest percent I can find is about 63% cocoa) with no issues, but if I eat chips with erythritol, I have issues.

I still can eat smaller amounts, but haven’t been able to figure out how much. For instance, I made a chocolate liquor with erythritol and monk fruit, 50/50 mix, and that doesn’t cause an effect. But I’m only having 50ml out of a liter at a time, and I haven’t figured out how much erythritol I’d actually be getting in that 50ml.