Bird Egg Syndrome - Egg Allergy!

[ErinG]

Has anyone had any experience with this? I fear that it is happening to me...
Essentially you develop an egg allergy from inhaling bird dander/droppings/feather bits. Something has been giving me diarrhea (sorry if this is too much info) for the past few weeks. I'm narrowing down still, it's not for sure, but I think it might be eggs.
Some background, I do have other allergies (tree nuts and yellow jacket stings, both life threatening) so I may be prone to more allergies. I have a call into my allergist to see if he can shed some light.

Has anyone even ever heard of this before?

Here is a quote from http://foodallergies.about.com/od/eggallergies/p/eggallergies.htm:

Some people may develop an allergy to eggs after developing an allergy to birds. This is called Bird-Egg Syndrome, and is most common when people have long-term exposure to birds, such as having parrots as pets. People with pet birds may develop a sensitivity to proteins in the bird's feathers, droppings, or dander that can cause the development of an allergy to eggs. It is more common in adult women than in men or children.

 

[ErinG]

Anyone?

 

[Dar]

I cant really see it giving you the runs.. maybe you have another bug hanging out in your gut..

 

[ErinG]

That could be possible. It feels like it is linked to what I eat though. I had a bite of egg this morning to see what it would do, I had mild symptoms after, but there are so many variables. I may try a whole egg to see what happens.

 

[satay]

I would think more a virus too but I am no specialist.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
I would actually do the opposite... stop eating all eggs and egg products and see if the runs get better... you dont want to make yourself worse and risk getting sick or have a life threatening reaction

 

[ErinG]

That was also a concern, I was going to speak with my doctor first to see what he says. Thank you.

 

[jessicalbustos]

bird-egg syndrome is REAL and SUCKS! skin allergies, respiratory problems, horribly incapacitating stomach cramps, INCLUDING diarrhea.... Internet research is the ONLY thing that helped me diagnose this... all the doctors thought I was crazy. Not "everything" on the internet is screwy--- talking to one another can reveal things doctors still dont ,or don't care to know.

 

[fuzziebutt]

There is a disorder that you can get from bird droppings called hystoplasmosis encapsuled, that comes from many things, including being around chicken droppings. As the droppings turn to a powder, the powder is breathed in, and becomes encapsuled in mucus, causing no problem, unless you take steriods. The steriods break the mucus around the histoplasmosis, causing trouble. I don't know what kind of problem it causes, but you probably need to inform all your doctors that you raise chickens, and ask them about it. Google it for more info.

 

[ErinG]

So update from my end:
It turns out I am not allergic to eggs - thank god! What a horrible allergy to have, so many things to avoid. I believe my issues are from MSG, although I'm not sure how to confirm it. It doesn't seem to be an allergy, but a sensitivity. I can eat something with MSG - chips, soy sauce, pretty much anything processed - and be fine. But if I eat it every day it seems to make me very sick. When I first posted I had been eating an egg on rice with soy sauce every day (which is why I was suspecting eggs). I have cut out MSG for the most part, it's very hard to avoid it all the way, but in moderation I feel fine. I don't know that I would have ever figured this out if my mom and sister didn't have the same issue, food allergies/sensitivities are so hard to narrow down!