Miserable Fruitcake...

[zoefruitcake]

Hello all,

wasn't sure where to put this as I'm just after a general whine.

For everyone's information the nachos at UGC cinemas have lactose in the coating. How do I know this? Well I have spent the weekend with my left eye swollen shut and looking like a panda. That would be if pandas had red patched around their eyes instead of black ones :D

My hands are also a mass of tiny blisters. Many thanks to my dear husband who went out in search of Piriton syrup.

Seriously, I'm a very miserable and uncomfortable fruitcake, victim of my own greed.

On a more cheerful note I finally found some of the melting mozzarella cheezly and it is fantastic :drool:

[Lan]

Hi Zoe.

Poor you. I didn't know there was lactose in nachos. Oh well. I hope this article cheers you up. I thought it was quite funny.

Take care.

Lan. :D

The following letters are taken from an actual incident between a London hotel and one of its guests. The hotel ended up submitting the letters to the London Sunday Times.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Maid,

Please do not leave any more of those little bars of soap in my bathroom since I have brought my own bath-sized Imperial Leather. Please remove the six unopened little bars from the shelf under the medicine chest and another three in the shower soap dish. They are in my way.

Thank you, S. Berman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Room 635,

I am not your regular maid. She will be back tomorrow, Thursday, from her day off. I took the 3 hotel soaps out of the shower soap dish as you requested. The 6 bars on your shelf I took out of your way and put on top of your Kleenex dispenser in case you should change your mind. This leaves only the 3 bars I left today which my instructions from the management are to leave 3 soaps daily. I hope this is satisfactory.

Kathy, Relief Maid

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Maid

I hope you are my regular maid. Apparently Kathy did not tell you about my note to her concerning the little bars of soap. When I got back to my room this evening, found you had added 3 little Camays to the shelf under my medicine cabinet. I am going to be here in the hotel for two weeks and have brought my own bath-size Imperial Leather, so I won't need those 6 little Camays, which are on the shelf. They are in my way when shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Please remove them.

S. Berman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr Berman,

The assistant manager, Mr Kensedder, informed me this morning that you called him last evening and said you were unhappy with your maid service. I have assigned a new girl to your room. I hope you will accept my apologies for any past inconvenience. If you have any future complaints, please contact me so I can give it my personal attention. Call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM.

Thank you. Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Miss Carmen,

It is impossible to contact you by phone since I leave the hotel for business at 7:45AM and don't get back before 5:30 or 6PM. That's the reason I called Mr Kensedder last night. You were already off duty. I only asked Mr Kensedder if he could do anything about those little bars of soap. The new maid you assigned me must have thought I was a new check in today, since she left another 3 bars of hotel soap in my medicine cabinet, along with her regular delivery of 3 bars on the Bathroom shelf. In just 5 days here I have accumulated 24 little bars of soap. Why are you doing this to me?

S. Berman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr Berman,

Your maid, Kathy, has been instructed to stop delivering soap to your room and remove the extra soaps. If I can be of further assistance, please call extension 1108 between 8AM and 5PM. Thank you,

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr Kensedder,

My bath-size Imperial Leather is missing. Every bar of soap was taken from my room, including my own bath-size Imperial Leather. I came in late last night and had to call the bellhop to bring me 4 little Cashmere Bouquets

S. Berman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr Berman,

I have informed our housekeeper, Elaine Carmen, of your soap problem. I cannot understand why there was no soap in your room since our maids are instructed to leave 3 bars of soap each time they service a room. The situation will be rectified immediately. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.

Martin L. Kensedder, Assistant Manager

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Who the hell left 54 little bars of Camay in my room? I came in last night and found 54 little bars of soap. I don't want 54 little bars of Camay. I want my one damn bar of bath-size Imperial Leather. Do you realise I have 54 bars of soap in here? All I want is my bath-size Imperial Leather. Please give me back my bath-size Imperial Leather.

S. Berman

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mr Berman,

You complained of too much soap in your room, so I had them removed. Then you complained to Mr Kensedder that all your soap was missing, so I personally returned them The 24 Camays which had been taken and the 3 Camays you are supposed to receive daily. I don't know anything about the 4 Cashmere Bouquets. Obviously your maid, Kathy, did not know I had returned your soaps, so she also brought 24 Camays plus the 3 daily Camays. I don't know where you got the idea this hotel issues bath-size Imperial Leather. I was able to locate some bath-size Ivory that I left in your room.

Elaine Carmen, Housekeeper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Mrs. Carmen,

Just a short note to bring you up-to-date on my latest soap inventory. As of today I possess:

* On the shelf under the medicine cabinet -18 Camay in 4 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
* On the Kleenex dispenser - 11 Camay in 2 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 3.
* On the bedroom dresser - 1 stack of 3 Cashmere Bouquet, 1 stack of 4 hotel-size Ivory, and 8 Camay in 2 stacks of 4.
* Inside the medicine cabinet - 14 Camay in 3 stacks of 4 and 1 stack of 2.
* In the shower soap dish - 6 Camay, very moist.
* On the northeast corner of the tub - 1 Cashmere Bouquet, slightly used.
* On the northwest corner of the tub - 6 Camays in 2 stacks of 3.

Please ask Kathy when she services my room to make sure the stacks are neatly piled and dusted. Also, please advise her that stacks of more than 4 have a tendency to tip. May I suggest that my bedroom windowsill is not in use and will make an excellent spot for future soap deliveries? One more item, I have purchased another bar of bath-size Imperial Leather which I am keeping in the hotel vault in order to avoid further misunderstandings.

S. Berman

[zoefruitcake]

The milk derivative is in the powdery coating of the nachos.

I love the soap story!

[ellsie]

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

[Pam]

I've found that most tortilla chips contain milk within the flavouring. I think there is one variety of Doritos that are ok and Morrisons plain variety are ok. Hope you feel better soon Zoe.

Have you tried the El Paso nachos kit? plain tortilla chips, a tin of refried beans and some salsa, you layer them in a large dish and top with cheese (could use dairy free) then bake/grill to melt the cheese. Very nice!!! Sometimes on BOGOF at Morrisons too.

[kirstyh]

Some of the Pringles chips have milk in them as well. The regular flavour is one I remember, but the salt and vinegar doesn't for some reason!

Kirsty

[Copper]

Hi Zoe I hope that you feel better soon. I am not sure which is worse your reaction to lactose or mine - mine is feeling very sick for hours usually all night so I get the added bonus of no sleep.

Lan I thought the story was very funny.

[lyndamc]

My sympathies to you Zoe, my eyes and face also swell when I have a bad reaction, my husband fondly refers to me as his cuddly hamster!! When I'm like that all I want to do is curl up and sleep, and not have to see anyone at all, or rather not let anyone see me at all. Thats the problem with the face you can't cover it or hide it, and if I try make-up that the dermatologist suggested it just makes it worse!!!!
Hope you'll be feeling better soon.
Lynda

[matt]

i hope the film was worth it? it wasn't ruined by the onset of the reaction?

great story lan :lol2:

here's an idea, why not write to the company and complain that there was no warning on the tacos. etc etc. i recon worst case scenario is you'll be given a couple of tickets by the manager. don't ask don't get.:naughty:

[linny]

Hi Zoe I hope you're feeling better and feel well enough to indulge in a few pancakes.:o

Great story about the hotel soap Lan, I always bring them home, you can always give them to the school fair etc. Mind you I can't ever remember being given as many as that!!! Must stay at the wrong hotels!

[zoefruitcake]

Hello all,

Thanks for all your good wishes x
update is it is getting better but painfully slowly - I'm just about ready to claw my eyes out! I'm very tired as it is waking me up at regular intervals during the night.

Another interesting thing, after a random conversation on Monday night I've found that sweeteners in tablet form contain lactose :o How silly am I? I mean I am usually so good at checking everything, yet there are some things I am obviously blind to. So I have got rid of all my sweetners. I will not be beaten by this!

Z x

[ellsie]

Glad you are on the mend Zoe. :D

[Copper]

Oh yes when I am tired or in a hurry I forget to check labels, luckily I have not bought something with lactose yet! I recently bought some paracetamol and forgot to check that they did not contain lactose - lucky for me they did not. Lactose turns up in lots of things but in tablets is a real pain.

Glad that you are starting to feel better Zoe.

[matt]

asked for those tickets yet?

good to hear you're on the mend.

last time i went to the cinema i just took my own treats, no one challenged me and if they did i would just have asked for written confirmation from the manager that the products he sold were lactose free. that would shut them up.

[zoefruitcake]

Ha! :lol2:
Thanks for the reminder, I'll get on to that today. I've had free tickets from them once before when the cinema was late in opening and we were let in then made to go out and left standing out in torrential rain whilst the staff milled around aimlessly inside!
Just to add insult to injury I've come out in a coldsore as well :( I've really upset someone to deserve all this!

[linny]

Hi, we always take our own food and drinks to the cinema! At Bluewater, if you queue for them you could be late for the film!! I always get the Butterkist Cinema popcorn in a packet from Sainsburys, it's delicious! I don't wait for a cinama trip to buy it. :drool:

[Pam]

Is the Butterkist Cinema popcorn ready popped or do you do it yourself? I always thought Butterkist would have had milk in being sort of toffee coated.

[linny]

Hi, the Butterkist popcorn is ready to eat, but it's not toffee coated it's called 'Cinema Sweet', I'm sure it's dairy free, but do please check just in case.

[Lan]

Hi Zoe,

I would definitely complain. When I complained the last time I had a meal for two worth £50 (drinks not included). So definitely worth complaining.

Kind Regards,

Lan. :D

[matt]

a complaint only cost the price of a stamp and the chances are they'll bung you something that's worth more.

and they should label their stuff. bearing in mind people have sued mcdonalds for too hot coffee you'd prob be able to take it further if you really wanted to....

being wheat free aswell and needing to eat at specific times etc etc remember i'm cranky/nuts. i'll always take my own stuff and rarely eat out at pubs etc. just not worth the hassle. if anyone wants to challenge me i'll just ask for the written confirmation of wheat/dairyfree status. no one will take that responsibilty so i'm home free.:lol2:

[Pam]

I need to complain to B&Q about the wallpaper that we've just put up in the bedroom. Despite being from the same batch one roll is definitely darker than all the rest and another roll has dark marks in it. All this wasn't visible until it was on the wall and dried out so I'm not about to re-do it all again, particularly now that we have the new carpet fitted as well.

[matt]

go for it they may pay for someone to do it for you. it's their mistake afterall....


i've been up since three so i win!

[Pam]

Ah but I was here longer than you Matt!

[ellsie]

:starwars: :cheers: :hug: Chill you two!

[matt]

but i'm claiming something of getting so much action on the forums. remember how quiet it used to be pre "where is everybody"

[Copper]

Actually everything was very quiet and more serious until you arrived Matt!!! I think we have accepted you now even though you are a bit quirky :)

[linny]

Pam, I can't believe your bad luck with the wallpaper, complain and tell them that 'your decorator' needs paying to come back and start again!! I've been watching the '60 minute makeover' programme on tv this week as Megan and I have both had 'the virus', how I'd love them to come to our flat. One question though, where do they put all their belongings when the team arrive??! They'd need a removals lorry and a skip in here!

[matt]

Actually everything was very quiet and more serious until you arrived Matt!!! I think we have accepted you now even though you are a bit quirky :)

i see it's like that is it?:lol2:

what's this bit quirky? i like to think of myself as round the bend and bordering on insane.

so you'd prefer the quiet life again? tough i'm here to stay:bleh:

[Copper]

Oooo Matt I never said in my post that I preferred the quiet life. You have changed the forum for the better I think - can't speak for Steve and Lan but I am sure that they would agree.

[matt]

don't worry i have very thick skin. takes alot to insult me. have been insulted by experts and learnt to ignore them.

downside being that i don't pay any attention to subtle hints either:D just blindly carry on. :lol2: :lol2:

oops seem to have highjacked another topic.

zoe, how the reaction? all calmed down now? what did you go and see? any good.
might take my daughter this week, trouble is don't know what to go and see.
magic roundabout just too likely to disapoint. not going to be as good as i remember the series.
sponge bob square pants......need i go on?

and i don't think she'll like oceans 12 as she's only 6!

those probs and i've got to overcome the major problem of being in enclosed place with more than one other person.:( not something i'm good at now.

knackers yard time for me, that or the asylum:bleh: you'll have to catch me first.

[Copper]

I dehydrate in the cinemas these days - must be the air conditioning. Why do they think that people can sit for over 3 hours without a comfort break? Bring back the ice cream lady :)

[Lan]

Hi Matt,

Why don't you take your daughter to the earliest showing? I to hate going in the cinema when it is full, so we go first thing on a Sunday morning. We always find it is quiet and have no anxiety attacks that way.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[matt]

yeah the plan is to go to the 11am showing of something on tuesday. get a cheaper ticket (miser that i am) and hopefully not too busy.

then go round southampton for a little shop with her, just to waste time. and spend some with her.

might go and see magic roundabout. don't think i could put up with sponge bob or that talking zebra one. hopefully they'll have put a couple of adult jokes into magic like they did for shrek 2.


well i've broken the 500 barrier, and have replied to every thread that showed on the new post!!! lots of comments without necessarily saying much.:lol2: :bleh:

[Pam]

We have our mobile phones on Orange so get BOGOF tickets on Wednesdays (but have yet to take advantage of the offer).

I was hoping that my eldest wanted to go to the cinema for his birthday but he's decided that he wants to go to the Royal Armouries instead. Not my cup of tea, especially with a couple of extra psycho 12 year olds tagging along (and one of them really is on another planet) - think I'll stick them in the jousting arena as targets.

I had a look at the popcorn in Morrisons the other day. Butterkist do cinema sweet in ready made or microwave packs and the ready made is definitely dairy free (didn't check the other). We also use the Pop Pop brand of microwave popcorn in the sweet variety which is dairy free.

[zoefruitcake]

Just thought I'd let you know that I'm on the road to recovery now! :) I ended up with an emergency doctors appointment when I couldn't open my eyes. I'm now on 6 steroid tablets a day, steroid eye drops every 4 hours and massive doses of antihistamine syrup. All this syrup and I've put on 2lbs! Anyway, I no longer look like a monster, more like a hungover old lady who has been crying. I must write to the cinema, now that I can see properly! :rant:

[Copper]

Oh dear that sounds really awful Zoe. I hope the cinema show great sympathy with a refund at the very least. I am glad that you are feeling better and looking more human :)

[Pam]

That sounds terrible, I hope you are feeling a bit better now. Give that cinema hell!

[Lan]

Hi Zoe,

I'm glad to hear you are now feeling better than before. I agree with Pam, give that cinema hell.

Let us know how it goes.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[linny]

Hi Zoe, I'm so sorry to hear that it made you that ill. I'm glad you're feeling better and DO write and complain, send it to the head office of the cinema chain marked for the managing director, always start at the top!

[Lan]

Hi all,

Another thing you could do is mark the envelope Private and Confidential. That way only the person it is addressed for will open it, hopefully.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[ellsie]

Tes I agree and find out the name first of the MD as it makes it more personal. A quick phone call to the cinema will do that. Good luck!

[matt]

important thing is you're on the mend but the cinema is in for a rollicking. i'd even be tempted to think about one of these no win no fee solicitors to just have a chat and see what they recon.

if you'd just felf a bit off then a free set of tickets suffiecient but this is a bit more serious. your choice but talking doesn't cost anything and you never know. it'll teach them to be more carefull in their products.

[Pam]

I know that Zoe has suffered here, but unless she actually asked for an ingredients list, or asked if the nachos contained milk, then she doesn't really have a claim against the cinema. Unfortunately it is our duty to check if foods are suitable for our special diets and not for suppliers/manufacturers to put warnings up everywhere just in case.

We should always assume that foods are not safe unless we can actually see a detailed ingredients list.

A good manager should still offer at least two free tickets though as a gesture of good will.

[lyndamc]

In the last hour I have just had a major allergic reaction, and I have no idea what to!
I was making gravy, dealing with the onions that I'd put around a joint of pork. I lifted the pork out and onto a plate, seived the juices into a pan for gravy and put the onions back in the oven to crisp up. Can't remember anything splashing on my face but the next minute I could feel my eye swelling and really itching. Now I have a very swollen left side of my face which is bright red and i can hardly open my eye. Took an anti-histamine as soon as I realised what was happening!
The most upsetting bit is that it made my son cry when he looked at me, so I've been locked away crying myself, which of course just makes matters worse.
It's really annoying as this kind of reaction takes days to go away, and my skin had been brilliant for the last seven days after a homeopathic remedy that seems to be helping.

[linny]

So sorry to hear about your face Lynda,:( did you use any sort of gravy powder or granules? I can only have Bisto as a lot of the others contain milk products. I hope you're feeling better soon. Best Wishes, Linda

[Lan]

Hi Lynda.

I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling so unwell. I know this happened to me when I had orange juice and I looked like someone had punched me.

Steve and myself hope you get better soon.

Kind Regards,

Lan.

[Copper]

Hello Lynda

I am sorry to hear about your allergic reaction. I hope that it goes away soon.

[matt]

hope your feeling better.

re cinema.....not necessairly. they have to put up signs now saying they can't take responsibilty for the food being free from. you see it in cafe's now. i'm not saying i actually agree with it but remember someone succesfully sued mcdonalds for the coffee being too hot!!! that's why i said it would n't hurt to just ask a no win no fee solicitor. see what thy say.;)
then take us all out with the proceeds.

[Pam]

Lynda, I think these unexplained reactions are the most frustrating. It is one thing knowing what has caused the problem but when you are left wondering it must be quite frightening, especially when you have had such a bad reaction. Hope it clears up soon.

[lyndamc]

In answer to Linnys question, no I hadn't even got the gravy powder out of the cupboard. I was just dealing with the meat juices, so now i'll have to check out pork and onions.
Still swollen, just the one eye, which I find odd, as usually when I get a reaction like this it affects the whole face, which makes me think it was maybe atopic yesterday.
Hopefully my three trips to hospital for patch testing will throw some light on it, although I doubt it, dermatology insist the problem is atopic and not food allergies, can't see them running any food tests!

[Pam]

My boss at work has just had skin patch testing (3 trips in a week) and these showed up nothing. She thinks she has a nickel allergy and had to stop wearing nickel jewellery and changes to non-nickel glasses but also started reacting to all sorts of other things, yet the tests picked nothing up. Very frustrating! I hope your tests show something.

[Lan]

Hi Lynda.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Pam, I have allergies to Nickel and when earrings made from it my ears crack, bleed and swell for days. Not a very pleasant experience. My arms also have what I call nettle rash.

You can get a special coating which is like clear nail varnish and helps protect you frfom the reaction. I can't remmeber what it is called though. Sorry.

Kind Regards,


Lan :D

[linny]

Hi, I sometimes get a rash under the arms of my metal glasses. I think it is psoriasis related and my optician who also suffers with psoriasis said (off the record!) to coat them with a layer of clear nail varnish. I'm not sure about doing that with earrings but it may work ok on the back of a watch.

[Copper]

I am allergic to nickel too. If I wear earrings containing nickel my ears start getting hot and swell within an hour. I try to stick to gold and silver - more expensive but that is life :)

[matt]

yeah right it's just an excuse to get the other half to fork out on 18 carat gold watches and earings etc. i know that trick!!:lol2:

i'd use the nail varnish thing on the glasses and go for more expensive earings if you must.

hope the tests come up with something. i'd not bother cutting out the pork or onions. it could have been anything, pollen coming in from outside, i don't know seems odd to have happened.

feel better soon

[Pam]

Lots of you seem to be allergic to nickel. I'm ok fortunately and can wear cheap jewellery, not that I wear much of it. I wear nothing but 9ct gold sleepers in my ears and my watch has a steel back, my gold rings don't cause me a problem unless I get some soap or similar trapped underneath them.

I have a problem with elastoplast - the adhesive brings me out in itchy blisters and has done since I was a child. I've always had a problem with saddlesoap making me itch and rubber gloves became a problem last year when I touched my face after wearing them - I got a burning sensation - so got some low allergy ones which seem a lot better.

[Lan]

Hi all.

I thought I was freaky not being able to wear cheap earrings, but I am not the only one.

Within about half hour my ears get hot, then they crack and bleed and are sore for about a week.

Kind Regards,


Lan. :D

[Copper]

Oh yes I am allergic to sticking plasters too. I can get away with low allergy ones though.

Rubber gloves - oh yes very bad for my hands - contact dermatitis. I used to use low allergy gloves but then about 4 years ago I got contact dermatitis again. It was so bad that I had to cover my hands in steroid ointment day and night for a week and had to stay off work. I now have to wear cotton gloves inside the low allergy gloves! It is a miracle that I don't break things when I wash up - I am even good with the glass beakers etc at work.

[Pam]

Get yourself a dishwasher Copper - no need to wash up then.

[Copper]

I have no where to put a dishwasher at home. We have a very nice industrial washer at work but I would feel silly putting that on for half a dozen beakers!

[Pam]

I sacrificed a cupboard to have a slimline dishwasher. Slimline isn't really big enough for a family of 5 but it is certainly better than hands in the sink. I had my first one for nearly 10 years and had to replace it last year after one of my little darlings stood on the open door spraining the hinges. We even used to bring our dirty pots home from the caravan when we were camping because I hated the 9" diameter sink so much - you couldn't even fit a plate in it. Life's too short to spend it with your hands in the sink.

[Mac]

Thats really interesting about the rubber glove thing..... I'm always washing up (feels like it anyway) Hubby washes up after tea always..... but I do the breakfast and lunch things and anything inbetween, started to wear gloves a couple of months ago, but the skin on the backs of my hands has got sorer and sorer, to the point where is is bleeding and cracked and dry, stings a bit also...... could it be an allergy do you think?

[matt]

could well be a allergy thing.

there's always space for a dishwasher! get rid of the cupboards or something:D

wouldn't be without mine. trouble is being on my own i almost run out before i can turn it on. that or run it half empty.:lol2:

best money i've ever spent.

[Pam]

It is quite often the flock inside rubber gloves that causes a problem. I bought some that didn't have the flock and didn't have a problem after that. You can also buy cotton gloves to wear inside rubber gloves which might help you. I think my problem was that I was using very old rubber gloves and the rubber had probably started to break down as it perished. As I don't wash up by hand I don't wear them very often - only for really messy jobs or for doing something using strong chemicals so they are left in the cupboard under the sink for months on end between use.

Persil washing up liquid causes the skin on my fingers to peel so I stick to Fairy. (To illustrate how strong Persil is, a friend who had an accident with a semi-permanent hair dye was told by the manufacturer to use persil washing up liquid to strip the colour out!). It's no wonder my skin is sensistive to it.

[Copper]

Hi Mac it sounds like a contact allergy to me. You could try low allergy gloves - I have seen then in Sainsburys and Tesco. Boots used to sell them. You could just try wearing cotton gloves inside the gloves you have now. I have to buy a sizle larger than usual to accomodate the cotton gloves though!

You could try something like E45 cream to "mend" your hands. If that fails you are allowed to buy 1% steroid cream over the chemist counter now. If that fails you will need a stronger cream which means a trip to the doctor for a prescription. Hopefully your hands won't be as bad as mine have been in the past and it won't come to the latter.

[Lan]

Hi all,

I use aqeous cream on my hands and is great. No scent at all and kind to skin. A big tub from Boots costs around £3.00 and it lasts forever. I use it as a soap. Even the very sensitive skin on my face will tolerate it, so must be good.

Kind Regards.

Lan. :D

[matt]

i can't stand e45 cream. feels really greasy. i use atrixo intensive repair. not cheap but it sorts out my hands. mine are always cracked as i was them far too much. so several times a day and every night i put some on. winter plays havoc with them aswell:(

my own fault obsessional compulsive disorder, isn;t it fun!

[lyndamc]

The rubber glove thing could be a point, the only other thing that could have touched my face, may have been my gloves. Although I've got a dishwasher I've got quite a few bits that can't go in it, so every evening I've got the gloves on to wash those bits, even if everything does go in the dishwasher, i don the rubber gloves to wipe down the table and worktops etc. Have noticed periodically that I get slight rash on my arms where the gloves end, and if I'm wearing them too long, ie spring cleaning my hands get really irritated.
I've got 54 different things covering my whole back, including a test for rubber! They even took blood to send off, so we'll see!! Bit uncomfortable, but the worst bit is my whole back feels cold!! Which makes me think I'm not reacting to anything, surely it would feel hot if i was reacting?? I'm actually shivering. I'll be glad to go back tomorrow and get them off.
Interestingly last evening I had a runny nose and couldn't stop sneezing and I've got a rash on my arms!! You wait, my backs not reacting but the rest of my body is!!

[Pam]

Very curious! I hope you get a result with the tests as it would be so frustrating to know that you have a problem but not be able to identify it. Unfortunately the tests didn't show anything up on my boss and they put her skin problems down to psoriasis.

[matt]

cold back could be a good sign. if getting a reaction it would slightly inflame ie more blood drawn to surface. blood near the surface would extract more body heat?? hey i'm just speculating. the rash and runny nose also point ot something reacting. good luck with the results.

[linny]

Hi, I know this is the miserable fruitcake thread but can I post a 'miserable Linny' post? :( Well I had the colonoscopy - just about! The liquid to 'clear me out' also made me VERY sick, dizzy and gave me a major headache. :angry: My husband and a neighbour got me into the car and I had to go up to the emergency doctor on Monday eve. He said don't drink anythingfor a few hours! The drugs they injected (including pethidine) also made me sick and didn't sedate me! I've managed to eat some boiled rice and white fish yesterday but I feel ill!! The good news so far is that there's no sign of crohns but they have taken 5 biopsies to see if I have 'microscopic colitis'. Evidently psoriatic people can be prone to this. Hopefully I'll be happier again soon!

[ellsie]

You can get non latex gloves in Boots Sainsbugs and some other places and you don't need cotton gloves with those. My hands are in blisters if I put latex near them.

[Pam]

Poor Linny, I've been wondering how you got on. Hubby was well sedated and didn't remember anything, he fell asleep as soon as he got home and then polished off a huge portion of fish and chips. You must have had a bad reaction to the nasty liquid. Whilst it would be nice to think that your bowel was healthy, it would also be frustrating to find no reason for your problems. Hope the results come back ok.

[Copper]

I hope you feel better soon Linny. I have been thinking of you. I had pethidine when I gave birth to my first daughter and it made me very sick, so I know how awful you must be feeling.

[matt]

you have my sympathy linny, hopefully you'll be feeling better by now.

try to look on the bright side, crohns is not nice and not curable so that a good thing. if they find nothing then it's not a failure they'll have been able to discount several things.

get out there and buy a treat or two for when you feel a bit better.;)

[Pam]

Hope you're feeling a bit better today Linny.

[matt]

:( so to take your mind off it what treat are you planning on? get hubby to take you out or a nice meal in?

i'm sure he'll happily do either:)

[Pam]

I know that Linny isn't well, she hasn't been in the arcade recently. Come on Linny, I need some challenges.

[linny]

Thanks for your kind messages they brought a smile to my face:) this afternoon. I'm feeling a bit better, my GP told me to take Immodium today. She says I'll be a bit bruised and tender for a little while:( . Haven't decided what I fancy to eat for a treat yet - I'm sure I'll think of something! Toasted teacakes are what I fancy at the moment and I've got some defrosting now!

Megan's over the moon as she went to a neighbours for tea last night and we had a few inches of snow this morning! Luckily (sadly for her!) it's all melted now.
Pam I'll be back at the arcade when I feel a bit stronger, I get a bit dizzy if I stare at the screen for too long at the moment. Hope nobody has had too much snow and hope you have a good weekend. I'm of to toast those teacakes! Thanks again.

[Pam]

Linny, we can't have too much snow. We seem to be a bit sheltered here and even the other side of our town gets more snow than we do. I had to go on a course 5 miles away yesterday and they had about 4" of the stuff but we had nothing that stayed around long enough to appreciate. My kids feel really left out. Hope you enjoy your teacakes.

[ellsie]

Sorry Linny, I had so many messages to catch up on as I didn't check in for a couple of days and I missed your message about your test.

I do hope you are feeling better now. It sounds like an awful experience. Treat yourself to a new cross stitch and relax.

[Lan]

Hi Linny,

I hope you are feeling better now. Nothing worse than feeling ill. Take care and treat yourself when you are feeling better.

Kind regards.

Lan. :D

[lyndamc]

Hope you are feeling better Linny.
I haven't been on line for a few days, my broadband is still playing up.
Also spent three days this week trekking to the dermatology unit, boy was I glad to get those patches off on Wednesday. Then the itching started!
I reacted to two of the tests, perfume and hairdressing products which the dermatologist said came back to perfume again, so a few minor adjustments and there has a been a slight improvement overnight!
Have bought perfume free shampoo and conditioner and my ears are feeling a lot better.
Even bought perfume free washing up liqiud, which could explain the reaction I had a week ago, I'd had my rubber gloves on and was using a particulary smelly washing up liquid so could have been that.
My reaction was quite bad so the dermatologist has warned me that even being in the presence of someone wearing perfume or deodorant will cause me to react, basically if I can smell something I'll be reacting!!
Blood was also taken at my first appointment which is being tested for dust mite, dairy, wheat and eggs, but those results will be a couple of weeks.

[Pam]

Perfume is a bad one, you can't go out anywhere without there being somone smothered in perfume or aftershave. Soaps and washing powders can be really strong too so you're going to have difficulty avoiding those. What a nightmare.

I hope the blood tests don't come back with too many things to be avoided.

[lyndamc]

Washing powders ok, I've used Persil non-bio for years at half reccomended dose, if I use anything else I react immediatley and I never use conditioner, suprisingly our clothes don't seem that 'rough', I'm convinced washing machines don't rinse enough and quite often put our clothes on for another rinse.
I personally don't use lots of 'smelly' things at home, I'd rather open the windows than spray air freshener, and I've dusted for years with a damp cloth
which will probably explain why I tend to react in other peoples houses more!
I've bought a Dove perfume free soap, so we'll see how that goes and I'm going to treat myself to some Almay makeup.

[Pam]

White vinegar is supposed to be a good alternative to fabric conditioner, it also helps get rid of soap residue. I've also heard a lot of people say that the normal dose of washing powder is too much so they just use half, a few soda crystals can give it an odour free boost if required. I also don't think my washing machine gets all the soap out when it rinses - if I put tablets in the drum there are still lumps in the washing when it finishes and if I put them in the drawer they don't always get taken in, leaving mush in the drawer. It is one of the more energy efficient ones using less water so that is probably my problem.

[matt]

beware hidden perfumes. waitrose rubber gloves have lemon scent!! seems they try to hide smells and colours in damn near everything.

hope you get def. results from the blood test, no maybe's just yes or no's

[lyndamc]

Well, I guess this is Goodbye.

I've had the results from my blood tests and I have an extremely high level of allergy to house dust-mite and to cat protein! I also have a low level allergy to eggs but none to milk. Still waiting for the wheat result.
The dermatologists letter strongly advises that I live cat free, as the protein is very light and gets around the house easily so confining the cat to one room won't make any difference to my skin. What an awful decision to make, keep Pippin and put up with a red face which is seriously starting to depress me and affect my social/work life, or give her away. :(
Thanks to all on site who have helped me, and I wish you all well.

Regards
Lynda

[Pam]

When I read the first sentence I wondered why you were eating cats!

Don't leave us Lynda, you can still come to talk to us and tell us how you're doing. Let us know, too if you come across any good dairy free products. I hope you get some relief from your symptoms now that you have identified the causes. Poor you for having to make the decision about Pippin - it might be worth a visit to the vet because there is some type of spray that you can use to reduce the amount of dander that comes off them and it might help you. I'm sure I heard about it somewhere so it might be worth doing a bit of research before you part company.

Good luck for the future anyway.

[zoefruitcake]

what a hard choice to make :(

[matt]

put the cat in a sealed bag with just it's head poking out!!!


no just kidding ofcourse. not an easy decision to make but one with only one answer unfortunately.

if you really must leave then ok but i'm sure no one will mind you visiting. it's not like it's against the rules. i mean what rules?

one little pointer. the blood tests look for the antibodies. you only produce antibodies to stuff that you are being exposed to. if you hadn't had any milk for a few weeks prior to the test then the chances are it could have been a false negative. i'd try milk out carefully if i were you. i had the same problem with my blood tests. i hadn't had milk or wheat for months then they test me and, what a suprise they came back negative. i also didn't have antibodies to moon rock! :lol2:

[Pam]

I was told yesterday that if you are on a milk free diet for too long then your body stops producing lactase so you actually become lactose intolerant whether you were before or not. That's something that I didn't know and has got me a little worried really. I'm milk free by choice for ethical reasons (keeping cows in a false state of pregnancy, taking their calves away too early, all the hormones etc - a bit hypocritical when I'm still a carnivore) as well as the health benefits I feel, rather than by absolute necessity so I don't know if I could ever go back if I wanted to. I don't seem to have any bad reactions in the digestive department if I lapse (as I do from time to time) so I don't know if I'm still producing lactase or not.

[Copper]

Well from my experience you must be producing lactase still Pam. If I just have the wrong marg on a roll I know about it. I am still producing lactase but obviously not a lot.

[lyndamc]

When the nurse took my blood, I did question the fact that if I'd avoided certain food the results wouldn't be true. She didn't really know what to say, so I assume she doesn't fully understand the testing. Hopefully the test was genuine because a week before the blood was taken I had eaten some milk products. I don't know for sure the time limit though, doeas anyone else know how long the antibodies stay in the blood???
I have actually been eating dairy products, in small amounts for a couple of weeks now. In the past I might have had one good 'face' day a week or even not at all, but over the last few weeks I've moved up to 4 or 5 good days, so things are definately improving.
I've been looking around at other forums for allergies etc (more relevant to mine) but there aren't many out there!! Some have as many as 11 members and hardly any activity. I would be sorry to leave this site as eveyone is so freindly.
My daughter has problems with constipation which I believe is linked to dairy.
She's had a lot of dairy at her Grans at the beginning of the week which is affecting her now. So maybe I've got a legitamate reason to stay!!

[Pam]

Well, now you've found a perfect reason to stay. My daughter had a problem with constipation and it was lactulose on prescription that made me realise she had a problem with milk (she was climbing the walls after one dose).

[lyndamc]

lactulose... now i come to think of it Megan was prescribed that and it didn't help at all. I gave up using it after a couple of weeks as a nurse freind mentioned that the more you use that type of medicine the higher the dose needs to be as time goes on.
I try to give her fresh juices, but these give her sore bits as she insists on wearing pull-ups. All the constipation problems have led to her refusing to use the potty or toilet for no 2's. But she does know what it's all about.
Roll-on spring/summer when we'll accidentally forget to buy any pull-ups and force the issue, shes three in May and she desparately wants to go to nursery.
Actually, I must add that Megan has very poor diet which doesn't help matters, she's not at all like her brother who'll eat anything.

[Lan]

Hi Lynda.

Please come back and talk to us. I am so sorry for the situation you find yourself in. I know I could not bear to part with any of my four cats. I wish you the best for the future and look forward to talking to you again.

Kind Regards,

Lan. :mellow:

[matt]

firstly, like i said it's not a problem as far as i can see for you to carry on visiting.

secondly, you're not even sure if you are ok or not. give it some time and some experimentation to see.

your daughter. i'd not immediately assume that it's dairy thats a problem. diet is going to be more likely to cause constipation. try amending the diet to include some more fibre etc and see if things resolve! i'd not rush down the dairyfree option. bad enough for us adults nightmare for kids.

re the tests. do you know who did the testing? get in contact with them and ask. most firms etc will be quite willing to help and explain. no point asking the nurse as all she really knows is how to take the blood. most will not know specifics like that. unless at an allergy clinic.

[ellsie]

Been out of touch lately andnow trying to catch up with all of you. Hope all of you are well. Blood tests. I have had 1 lot of blood tests done after I cut out dairy because of the anaphalaxis. I showed me to be allergic even though I was not eating it at all. I also had skin prick tests done last summer and I still showed a severe allergic reaction to milk and I have been off dairy since 1987! It makes no difference to the test if you have had any dairy or not. If you are allergic it will show up anyway. That is why I have to avoid it totally as my body sees it as an "invader" I think and always reacts to it. I have no problem with lactose though as I take piriton but don't consume anything much else with lactose and I have not noticed any problems with lactase.

Sorry to upset the theories!:unsure:

[Pam]

Does Piriton contain lactose? Is it the tablet or syrup? You've got me worried now.

[Mac]

Just to add further to the confusion.......... you all know my tale, (I eat dairy, I breastfeed, son gets blood in his poo, I stop dairy, blood in poo stops...blah blah blah) So we have exluded milk 3 times now and when it is reintroduced the blood comes back within days. I am convinced that my son is allergic to milk because of what happens everytime I reintroduce milk into his diet. Our paediatrician is also convinced same..........even though my sons bloods came back negative!!! said he was not allergic to milk!!! The paed told us exactly what Matt said earlier.......... a false negative because he had not been exposed to dairy for 3 months.

[matt]

to try and clear up the confusion as best as i can to my limited knowledge:

the blood tests are to see if they can find the ig antibodies that the body produces when invaded by undesirable. if no exposure then no antibodies. i think this will also show up for intolerances mainly.

allergy skin prick test work differently. you are actually being exposed to the pathogen and seeing if you have a reaction to it. hence it will always show a reasonably accurate positive.

does this make sense bearing in mind it's 4:15am when i write this!!

[lyndamc]

Yes, it does make sense Matt, I'm not going to worry about it any more as I'm pretty sure I ate dairy in the lead up to the blood being taken. The bloods went off to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth so I'll trust the results. Have been eating dairy since, some egg slipped through accidentally and I had a minor reaction and apart from the days I had a blitz on the house my face has been fine. It's a relief to finally realise whats causing the problem.

[ellsie]

Well matt I was told I had the ig things as well which are produced as a reaction by your body but I am not an expert either just a poor soul:( . Also I have had a lot of allergy tests in my time and I may not recall accurately if they were blood or skin prick.

Pam as far as I am aware there is lactose in piriton tablets but I don't have (don@have) any syrup so I can't help you there. Slipping it into medicines again. We've been here before!:rant:

[lyndamc]

Just had my blood results back for the wheat tests, and I have a moderately high allergy to wheat. So I've been surfing looking for info, totally confused about wheat and gluten!!
Face has been so so, not overly bad, but not clear either so will cut out wheat and see how it goes. Not sure how I'm going to cope without bread though! I know there are substitutes have tried some but their not up to much - I guess it's like finding a replacement for cheese - impossible!

[matt]

the tesco's own wheatfree bread, rolls etc are ok and not too expensive. relatively that is.

granny ann's premier biscuits red packet, available from holland and barrett.
farmhouse biscuits do shortbread/cherry and almond/ginger and choc chip
doves farm have lemon or almond biscuits and do a flour.
what you have to watch for is the hidden ingredients. wheat turns up in all sorts of places. in gravy, in crisps, sauces, in tablets....

it's not impossible by any means but a pain.
have you spoken to your gp? if you have shown an allergy to wheat he might be able to prescribe the wheat free stuff. then you've a good selection of glatafin stuff and so on and cheap. especially if you pay for presciptions a year in advance. worth asking him.

i'll help in any way i can. feel free to ask on forums or pm me.:)

[Lan]

Hi Lynda,

What about making your own bread? I have heard that xanthum gum makes it soft like normal bread and that cornflour works as a substitute. You could also try contacting Gltuafin as they produce a range of substitute flours. AllergyUK should be able to help.

www.allergyuk.org
www.glutafin.com

You could also contact Matt, I'm sure he would not mind helping.

Hope this helps.

Take care,



Lan. :)

[lyndamc]

Thanks Lan and Matt.
I will be looking into making my own bread, picked up some free from bread flour yesterday but noticed that the bread recipe called for eggs so put it back again! Hopefully I'll be able to find an egg substitute as well. Need someone to have the kids for me for an hour so I can check out the health food shops etc. Hopefully Granny will oblige later in week!
Can't find a really good forum for wheat free people, not as informative as this one anyway! Do you know of any Matt?? or anyone out there!!!
Have tried tesco's own breakfast rolls, but they were very sweet, i suppose i could get used to them though!
Granny Anns biscuits are lovely, not sure if i didn't have a reaction to them though - do they contain egg????
Bought a packet of doves farm lemon biscuits yesterday but haven't had a chance to try them yet!
Does the ingredient 'starch' mean there may be wheat in a product???

[matt]

i've never bothered to try to find a wheat free site. if you want something then i'd go for the glutenfree society based in high wycombe.

just looked at the ingredients for the premier biscuits: the red packet, original (they do a couple of other aswell so make sure it's the right one) does not contain egg that i can see.

health food shop does an egg free substitute.

the breakfasrt rolls are sweet. they do plain ones aswell, and packets of brown or white bread which are not as sweet by a long way and taste ok. don't know if egg free so check. but do remember to ask doctor. glutafin stuff can be bloomin expensive. because it's the one they prescribe.

no starch does not mean wheat , it can so you have to be carefull. i think the doves farm one are ok i'll check the website later if i remember.

if you're into cooking then get a decent gluten free cookbook. it'll have obvious receipes ie salads!!!! but they do have some good ideas.

[lyndamc]

Tried the Doves farm lemon biscuit today - not impressed!! Bit of an odd texture!!

Hit Tesco today and bought some bread and rolls - see what you mean about the price :rant:

One good bonus is that we have a wonderful coffee shop above our local health food shop that bakes specialist diet cakes and goodies so at least when I'm trawling around Pz I can have a break, they're child friendly too!

I've just realised - no more Cornish Pasties for me!!! Yes I know I could adapt and make my own but my pasty making skills were never very good in the first place!!

[matt]

yeah, it's what i missed the most when i was last down there, not being able to have a pasty! don't forget no sausages, check burgers, both use rusk as a filler ie bread crumbs.

care when you goto resturant. they'll often coat fish or meat in flour prior to frying. always ask.
to be fair you end up with quite a healthy lifestyle as you cut out alot of additives. as nearly everything that has additives also has milk or gluten in some form.

when's the appointment with the gp to discuss prescription?

[lyndamc]

Going to bypass GP as he's a non-believer!! Got to ring hospital for an appointment but first going to check dermatologist can explain the reactions fully, in her letter advising that I had a wheat allergy she doubted this could be causing the eczema!!
And theres me thinking quite a few eczema sufferers have a problem with wheat.
If no joy from there will go back to surgery and pick any doctor but my own!!!

Been doing a bit of detective work and it's amazing what you can find wheat in! Got a wedding to go to in May, so will have to find out if it's a buffet or sit-down, I assume sit-down would be better, I'll just have to take my own gravy and no yorkshire pud.

[Lan]

Hi Lynda,

Be careful with roast potatoes as they can contain dairy. I know Aunt Bessies definitely do. Also watch the meat as could have a lactose coating if not fresh. I have also found that some places add butter to vegetables.

Not trying to frighten you, but these are experiences I have had.

Hope you enjoy the wedding.

Kind Regards,

Lan. :D

[matt]

you need to be carefull of nearly all sauces. not avoid them just check them all. they add wheat to some roast's aswell for the potatoes to crisp up a little more! the best way is probably to speak to the hotel that's doing the reception and explain and ask them. then they can let you know.

good luck with the hospital/doctor . if there's anything i can help with either ask on here or send a message. i'll try my best to answer.

[lyndamc]

Standard Baked beans??? They're not safe are they??? :( Bought some organic ones that state they are gluten free, hope they are edible!
Going to try some wheat free bread in a bit, doesn't look very appetising though!

[zoefruitcake]

only the tablets, the syrup is ok

[matt]

and the verdict? the tesco one always tasted better to me lightly toasted with plenty of margarine. and with something nice on it.....yeah that's why i stopped buying it, i may aswell have been eating cardboard as i'd covered the taste all that was left was the crunch!

[lyndamc]

I have to admit that I backed out trying the bread yesterday and settled for some wheat free cheese biscuits! Will try and pluck up courage today!!

Spoke to a friend yesterday who also has a wheat allergy and she seems to think you only get prescribed foods if you're a diagnosed celiac (she's a nurse too). Also warned me that just because something is gluten free it doesn't follow that it is wheat free!!!

I stopped eating wheat last weekend, with the last 24 hours being almost definately wheat free and my face is clear apart from one cheek being ever so slightly red. I think I'm finally getting somewhere!!!

[Pam]

That's good news Lynda, it's a shame you've had to go to such lengths to get there.

[linny]

I got up this morning thinking, 'oh know it's 1st April'. I opened the fridge and everything was 'not cold'.:( 4L of soya milk, 8 Alpro yogurts and 4 pints of cow's milk to name just a few items that had to go. My husband has spent about 3 hours trying to find a shop that he can buy a fridge from and bring it home today! :angry: Comet and Currys were useless, he ended up in a small retailer - it's taught me how useless the big shops are now.

I wish it had been an April Fool joke!

[lyndamc]

You're right there, in my experience currys and comet don't hold any stock then want you to pay £10 plus for delivery, my problem with that is they haven't got any 'vans' only lorries and they wouldn't fit down my lane!
You get the best aftercare from a 'little' retailer too!

[matt]

yeah doctor should only prescribe if you are caeliac, have they said you aren't? i may be wrong but i think caeliacs can show itself in several different ways, skin problems being one of them doesn't have to be the full digestion one. my theory is you don't ask then you don;t get. bearing in mind you'd get all the wheatfree stuff for free.........

being gluten free is not the same as wheat free. or vice versa oat cakes are wheat free but not gluten free. like milk probs some people have problem with protein some with sugars some both.

atleast you're getting an improvement which makes the hasle worthwhile. keep at it.