People Share Their Oddly Specific Allergies

As if Cancer isn't Enough.

While getting chemotherapy treatments... I discovered I am allergic to an obscure chemotherapy drug.

The idea of being allergic to what's essentially a toxic poison already... it's kind of funny in a way. UndeadArgos

No Tequila. 

It was my brother's birthday and i baked him a chocolate cake, i was 14. Later that night i snuck out with friends and drank tequila. By the time i got home i had broken out in hives. I waited till morning and showed my parents.

They assumed it was the chocolate cake and for the next few years i was not allowed to eat chocolate. Flash forward a few years and as a young adult i drink tequila again. Sure enough within the hour i start breaking out in hives.

I went years not allowed to eat chocolate when in fact it was the tequila i was allergic to. figaden13

The Scents.

I found out I was allergic to scented period pads when the brand of pads I used to use started scenting the pads but didn't say so on the packet. Thrush was mild in comparison. Raichu7

The Hives. 

Benadryl. The magic, cure-all, miracle drugs for allergies. Also penicillin (any -cillin med).

Benadryl and penicillin taken as a kid I would get hives. As an adult, benedryl only causes itchy face and throat. Haven't chanced penicillin as an adult. I_disable_replies

The Eyes have it!

Certain eyeshadows make my eyes swell so bad I can't open them. Still haven't narrowed down the right ingredient.lulu42912

I also had this issue... turns out it's the red dye in the eyeshadows, so anything pink or even having a red undertone (sometimes some of the golds would have it) caused my eyes to react. For me, it doesn't affect me if it's in a lipstick or blush, but only if I put it on my eyes. huskerred07

The burns....

I got burned on my arm from the grill at the restaurant I was working at. The manager grabbed the first aid kit and got out the burn cream. I ran it under cold water and it was not too uncomfortable.

The second the cream touched my skin it burned worse than the original burn had. Huge hives all over the area. I instantly washed it off under the cold water.

And that's how I learned I am allergic to something in burn cream. Synyite

What Worms?

I'm the second known case of an allergy to mopane worms.

I ate a bbq'd one in South Africa as my girlfriend brought them at a restaurant. About half an hour later in the back of an Uber on the way back to where we were staying, I was doing that whole unable to adequately breathe to stay alive thing and had to change the destination to a Hospital while my girlfriend called insurance. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ snuggleybunny

Latex & Fruit? 

Latex. Made my privates look like those of a female baboon in heat.

Also, Avocado, Bananas, Kiwi, Papaya and Mango. All Latex - related fruits. First, they cause excruciating stomach pains, then itchy mouth, nose, ears and throat. Then the throat swells shut. Sucks.

Edit: It's called Latex-Fruit Syndrome. Also includes some vegetables. The same protein that may make a person allergic to latex is also found in numerous fruits and veggies. darkpixie1

"compared to Oil of Olay"

Name brand Oil of Olay. Feels like a million painful paper cuts on my face. Generic knock off one's that say "compared to Oil of Olay" are like sweet heaven on my skin. I figure poverty is in my DNA at this point and my body rejects anything boujee. invisible_for_this

Lovin' Lemurs.....

Lemurs.

Fiancé and I paid to do this 15 minute play with the lemurs encounter at this sketchy animal park in Panama City Beach. 20 minutes later, I'm dizzy and my arms and face have broken out in a red rash. Yep - I'm allergic to lemurs. LolaZe

Aloe-Infused. 

Friend found out she's allergic to aloe vera by using aloe-infused toilet paper.

donoteatkrill

Ouch that's an unpleasant way to find that out.

Goofball412a

Sex Ed Issues.

The first time I ever experienced what an allergic reaction was when I had sex ed class in middle school and the instructor was passing around a lube latex condom. I of course, touched it with my fingers just to kinda feel how the texture was like. After a few minutes I got this severe rash on my hand and my body started getting super itchy and irritating. I went to the nurses office and they gave me some medication. So yeah, I'm allergic to latex condoms.

milkyberries

Meds.

I found out I'm allergic to bandage adhesive when I accidentally scratched my nipple and cut myself when I was itchy and had to use one. That scratch grew into a rash the size of the bandaid and eventually must of my chest. I had to go to the allergy doctor and got prescribed prednisone, cephalexin, and mupirocin ointment because it's been a month with no improvement.

FermentedFishGuts

Moisturize. Moisturize. 

I got hives from an antihistamine once. Talk about feeling betrayed.

KitteNlx

The ultimate irony.

fuurin

This winter I had horribly dry skin so I bought some body wash that was supposed to be soothing and moisturizing. As soon as I started washing myself I broke out in hives.

clumsyc

The Skin Revolts.

Sodium lauryl sulfate and it's variants. It's literally in all our commercial soaps. Dish soap, handsoap, facial cleanser, toothpaste, shampoo. I can't even go to the hairdresser without bringing my own sulfate free products. I also can't use most liquid makeups, but I haven't figured out what ingredient triggers my allergy. I struggled for most of my early twenties with dermatitis on my face.

It was horrible, horrendously itchy, and made me look like a mutant. I have a light scar from my last breakout three years ago. It took me 5 years to figure out the real culprit. I haven't had a breakout since, mostly because I am so incredibly paranoid of any contact with soap whatsoever. I don't even hug people who have just washed their hair and left it wet. I bring my own handsoap into public bathrooms.

spankqueen1

The Taste.

I have friend who is allergic to garlic. Eating at restaurants can be a headache. A lot of restaurants have never heard of such a thing and don't believe her, so a lot are unwilling to accommodate. They think she's just an annoying person that hates the taste of garlic.

StarChild7000

Damn the Sun.

My son in allergic to chemical sunscreens. He started breaking out on his arms and legs in the summer and we couldn't figure out why. One day he didn't wear his rash guard so I sunscreened his torso and he immediately developed a rash there and it clicked. He can use most mineral based sunscreens right now, as long as they are also artificial fragrance free.

Reneeceeuu

"spicy fruit"

My boyfriend had to tell me kiwis and mangoes do NOT taste like jalapeños apparently. I was complaining about the mixed fruit he bought because there was too much "spicy fruit" in it. You don't really compare what kiwi tastes like with people usually, so I went 23 years on this earth wondering how people could eat a mango but didn't like hot sauce.

HomeboySucks

I'm the lucky 1% 

I'm the lucky 1% of contact users that develops an allergy to the Silicone in them. My eyes one day randomly started turning really red (it can be mildly itchy) and it freaked me out. Found out it creates bumps on the inside of my eyelids that can take months to go away. I use Acuvue 2 and everything is great now.

Samj204

No Shots for You!

Alcohol, specifically hard liquors. Took my first shot, hit the ground in a seizure within 10 minutes of it hitting my stomach.

Birdiepie20