I have a bad nickel allergy for food..rash on hands appear within a day of eating high nickel food..even potatoes which are supposed to be low nickel make flesh colored bumps all over my fingers. Trying to find a healthy diet for myself so that I do not become malnourished-I was always big but my last pregnancy I only gained 5 lbs and in the 2 months since delivering have lost 48 lbs without trying,.I am also being tested for celiac disease. I am somewhat new to nickel diet because I was told a few years ago that I was allergic to that amoung other things but not told that alot comes from diet..well was told this last pregnancy that I was allergic to soy (which is in a TON of stuff as soy) but now other stuff sets me off like prunes and whole wheat wraps so thats when I did research and discovered nickel was culprit...I also get chest pain (non cardiac)within hours of some meals and throughout day that even 40 mg prilosec wasn't helping so curious if it could be

I just had an immediate reaction with hive/bumps on my forearms after eating a handful of pomegranate seeds which I read someone in this thread back in '08 suspected as well. I'm thinking this is another food to put on the "Do Not Eat" list for me falling under the seed category, possibly.

Hi there,

I know this quote is older, you probably have some answers now, but I was recently diagnosed with allergies to nickel, balsam of peru, lanolin, gold, bacitracin, propolis, fragrances, and certain rubber accelerators, all of which have supposedly been causing my dyshidrotic eczema for over 10 years. Your questions are natural and even now I am finding the answers difficult myself. I think a good bet is to get patch testing done by your dermatologist or allergist to see what you are allergic to (they usually test about 80 common allergies). I found that I was allergic to so many everyday things that were irritating my eczema it was hard to pinpoint what exactly was making it flared. I am unsure of detoxes from heavy metals like nickel, looking at these option currently, but my dermatologist did enter my allergies into a database that spits out all the soaps, makeups, shampoos, cleaning products, etc. that I can use, which has been very helpful. The FDA did do an analysis of levels of nickel in common foods that you can find when you search "total diet study statistics on element results" from 2008, but it is very difficult to find out what you can eat if it has not been analyzed.

Best of luck

I started with what I thought was eczema on my right hand about 6 months ago. The dermatologist treated me with a topical steroid cream. It helped with the itch but I was getting worse. I started getting little blisters on my fingers and palm. It was so bad in December that they put me on oral steroids. It helped but within three days the blisters and eczema came back on both hands. My right palm looks like it was burned. I now have eczema on both arms and lower legs/feet. I was patch tested and found out I am allergic to a specific preservative, nickel and gold. The preservative that I can't pronounce let alone spell is in shampoo, hair products and lotions. I am now using all free & clear products. I still kept getting worse.

Last week the Dermatologist food tested me and NICKEL came up again but this time I reacted even worse. (I am also allergic to cinnamon.) So the dermatologist hands me a paper, tells me to follow the diet and I will see you in 6 week. Meanwhile I can barely write since my hand feels like it was burned 10 times over and I felt totally lost with this new found allergy. (Oh and now I can't eat Chocolate or drink Red Wine - was feeling very upset!

The best is when I tell people it is a nickel allergy they think I am crazy. I have done an exhausted amount of research the past two weeks and still feel like I am on a roller coaster. There is so much conflicting information and not enough research. It was nice to stumble across this thread to realize I AM NOT ALONE.

I started the diet 5 days ago and have seen small improvements. How long does it take to start to see drastic improvements? My skin looks horrible and my self-esteem is shot. My whole world has been turned upside down and I feel like the doctors just don't have answers or know how to help.

--that you may be showing dermatitis hepatiformis (your description closely matches the symptomology) you might also want to look inot gluten sensitivity/celiac, if you haven't already . . .

Was diagnosed today with Nickel allergy and Kathon cg which is a preservative that comes under many names and is found in many personal and household products. I did not even need the results to tell me that this was causing many of my outbreaks because I figured it out myself after being silly enough to use a Huggies wet wipe on my eyes last month that sent me straight to the ER. The Nickel allergy was a big surprise, I have never had signs of nickel giving me a reaction. I did read all your posts and not once did the doctor mention anything about food. Is avoiding nickel in food showing results? It has been a long five months for me, where I look ugly as sin not to mention the discomfort. My eyes look like they are surrounded by third degree burns. Let me know what is working for you if you have eyelid dermatitis. I will be seeing a naturopath to guide me and I will post what I am told.
Hope together we can all find some relief....soon.

Hello everyone. I have read a few posts where people are saying there is no cure for nickel allergy. This is not entirely true. There is a drug called Psorizide Forte. It is used to de-sensitize from nickel.

Bless all,

Bobo

As mentioned before, I was on the low nickel diet in January - it slightly cleared up the itchy skin reaction I was having (shins was/is the main area, elbows, lower scalp, hips, and hives usually occurring on my stomach and forearms). Since it didn't completely clear, my dermatologist suggested a Balsam of Peru free diet b/c I had tested positive to that on my patch test as well. Didn't help at all! In fact, everything seemed to worsen within two weeks. So I've been back on the low nickel diet since then and had a follow up appointment recently.
I think he may be stumped b/c the low nickel diet should have made a bigger difference. My shins are...well let's face it - disgusting! Does anyone else experience the worst spot on their shins?
So he wants to try Cyclosporine, which suppresses the immune system, I believe, and try to flip the switch in my body to "convince" that it doesn't need to react to nickel...or whatever the cause. It supposedly begins to work within a week! Has anyone ever tried this drug?
Here's the kicker...the darn insurance company (I'm being nice in my choice of words) asked for a pre-authorization (um, isn't that the prescription my doctor wrote??), we sent that in, and then they denied it...interesting thing is that it costs $500. Would you like to take a guess why they denied it? Grrrrr....

Hey, the insurance rejected that because without an approved diagnostic code it wouldn't be covered. If a test or scrip isn't considered 'necessary' they aren't required to go along with it, and that kind of immunosuppressant isn't appropriate for an allergy. There isn't enough known about its long term effects to validate the administration to someone without a chronic disease.

I think people here are attributing too many of their reactions to this metal. Hypersensitivity is becoming common, as is Leaky Gut from gluten intolerance. Particles that escape the permeable epithelial lining of the intestine enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune cascade. So much more than just metals can create this inflammatory reaction.

I have a nickel allergy as well, and many foods do cause a problem for me, but so do a lot of chemicals, dyes, medications and other irritants. I also have lupus, previously diagnosed as fibromyalgia before the disease markers showed up. Speaking from experience, you don't want to go on a strong immunosuppressant without extremely good cause. The risks are too high. I would look at other aspects of your diet and hygiene- such as what detergent you use. A problem with yeasts or molds is also quite possible, and it could be coming from a dietary or environmental source.

You can end up developing an autoimmune syndrome or full-blown disease from chronic inflammation. Consider it as the immune system getting exasperated and finally going mad. There is rarely just one issue, and the potential irritants can mount up over time. If other factors are present when the body reacts to one substance, the immune system may begin reacting to those factors, because it can no longer differentiate. Hyper-vigilance and hypersensitivity ensues.

It's grueling (and fairly ineffective) to attempt self-diagnosis through elimination or any other method. Look up the ALCAT test. Anyone suffering from long term allergic reactions should get a complex food and chemical sensitivity panel done. The skin prick tests aren't enough. Insurance will cover at least part of it.

Reply by lutheraner:
Avoid all canned foods as the metal in the can contains Nickel. Starkist chunk light Tuna comes in a mylar pouch - No metal! UPC code
0 8000049524 2. Wild Planet sells sardines in an aluminum container with a BPA free lining which is the only thing that touches the sardines. You cannot eat regular greens but most can tolerate baby greens if they are organic. Try Trader Joes organic Power to the Greens - UPC code 00980883. Nuts are high Nickel except Walnuts and pine nuts and thus to be avoided. Note most pesticides contain Nickel. So Alway go for the organic foods. You can eat grits for breakfast. But organic Blue corn Grits are much healthier than the other kind if you can tolerate them. All organic grits should be low in Nickel. Add cinnamon, liquid Stevia, 1 teaspoon of Agave Nectar and 1/2 teaspoon of organic coconut fat to your breakfast grits. This cinnamon, low sugar and good fat will turn grits into a healthy low glycemic food. Never microwave fats as this turns the fat into a trans saturated unhealthy fat. Add the fat last after you have cooked the food. Lunch is organic yogurt with organic fruit. e.g. banana blueberry or blackberry. I add a tablespoon full of organic Lecithin (fat) to help make my banana blueberry yogurt dish low glycemic. Rasberries are high in Nickel and I cannot tolerate strawberries which are supposed to be low in Nickel. Dinner is vegetables and meat (preferably omega 3 fish). Scallops, Haddock, swordfish, shrimp, crab and sardines are low glycemic. But I can tolerate salmon which is allegedly not low glycemic. Vegetables: beets, red potato squash, brussel sprouts and possible 1 small carrot or 3 brussel sprouts if you can tolerate the later two. If you get a mild rash add 1/2 of a zinc vitamin pill or 1 teaspoon of liquid iron before you eat. I like Gaia Plant Force liquid Iron. Organic kefir will help with digestion. Most people can tolerate white rice and pasta. Buy your tomato paste in glass jars. Safe fruits are peach, pear, watermellon, apricots, grapefruit, oranges and possibly organic apples, other melons and pineapple. Safe Vegetables are cabbage, cauliflower, brocolli, radish,baby spinach (organic), yams, frozen peas and possibly onions. Rye flatbread from Germany is the only low Nickel bread that is whole grain. Most people can tolerate white flour flatbread but I cannot. Corn tortillas and cassava are tolerated by most. Beware of fillers like yeast and seeds when experimenting with bread. I do not know the Nickel content of Quinoa, amaranth, flax or chia but all are healthy foods IF they can be tolerated in small amounts. Steam your food in a stainless steel free container and do not eat with stainless steel silverware. They contain Nickel!! I use a BPA free steamer from Aroma. Water from old galvanized pipes also emits Nickel. So buy a water purifier that takes out heavy metals including Nickel. Mine is an expensive one from Tyent. I buy green tea from Nilgiri India which has the lowest Nickel soil in the world. Upton tea sells this in America in either Black Nilgiri tea or green Nilgiri tea. Other teas are all suspect as tea is very high in Nickel as are cocoa and chocolate - which must be avoided. Safe spices are: black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic and rosemary. Although some can tolerate almost any spice in small amounts if they are organic.