DEAR DR. GOTT: I suffered anaphylactic shock from hazelnuts and was advised not to eat any kind of nuts. Does this include palm oil, cocoa, pure maple syrup and coconut? It is hard enough to find powdered mixes without the facilities also processing nuts there. I also became very sick (vomited) after eating clams, so should I now avoid them and other types of shellfish? Thank you for any help you can give me.
DEAR READER: Let’s start with the clams, as this is the simplest question to answer. While you may have experienced an allergic reaction, it is more likely that you developed food poisoning from eating bad clams. An allergy to shellfish often includes swelling of the mouth, tongue, lips, throat and/or face — not simply vomiting.
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