| Sunflower Seeds
Two weeks ago, I made bean burgers and put some ground sunflower seeds in them. I thought that I should be fine them as I had eaten sunflower seeds for years as a child (my mother always had them for salads). The bean burgers turned out really well, and tasted great. However, within about 30 minutes of finishing eating one, I had quite an asthma attack, my throat hurt, and for hours afterward, a ton of post-nasal drip (from no post nasal drip to almost choking in a very short time). I took benedryl even though it makes me hyper. Which was good as I thought I was going to pass out. I knew the only thing different in the been burgers that I hadn't eaten in a long time were the sunflower seeds. So I took another bean burger to lunch the next day at work. Just to perform a test on myself. In the middle of the work day Smart idea, huh? No, within 30 minutes, I though I was going to fall out of my chair, the world seemed so dim, and I had to use my albuterol inhaler often as my airways were doing unwanted things to my breathing. I emailed my boyfriend that he can eat the rest of the bean burgers. I probably should have taken myself to the emergency room, but I took lots of benedryl and was mostly fine the next day, ie I could breathe without coughing.
Last year it was discovered that I am allergic to tree nuts and peanuts. I looked up sunflower seeds, and it could be connected with ragweed pollen allergy. That same week, the ragweed was hitting me very badly, so could have been a cross reaction, or something.
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