I Have A Peanut Allergy.

[2naSalit]

15. Mint, even the smell

burns me. I can tell from a distance when someone is enjoying a mint product because it burns my nostrils and sinuses instantly. I get an immediate rash when anything containing mint makes physical contact.

A couple years ago I had major dental surgery - I have to go to a clinic on a college campus where the rotation of practitioners is annual. So I don't have a regular dentist but the other staff are always the same. They have a sliding scale fee that is the best I can do... mind you the dentists are already graduated from their education and come from the very best as the clinic is the practicum portion of a post grad program for special extreme cases (only four dentists per year are accepted) prior to going into private practice so I don't mind that they change every year - but even after the hours in the chair I was given a bottle of rinse, Rx grade, that was flavored with mint but no info on the label identifying it as an ingredient. I live over 150 miles from the facility and was really poor at the time (nothing new) so I took it gratefully. After the first use I knew I had a problem because it burned really badly but I used it for a couple days due to the Rx quality... upon the second day the entire interior of my mouth peeled, gums, tongue... I called the dentist and he researched the ingredients and called me back an hour later so we could come up with an alternative rinse.

Several years back I made the mistake of trying a sample shampoo, it passed the smell test so I used it. Big mistake because not only did it burn my scalp on contact, it was now in the steam in the sower which burned every inch of my body exterior and my respiratory system. I thought I was going to die a couple hours later as I started vomiting uncontrollably and was ready to call the ambulance I couldn't afford but I couldn't get to the phone. I survived but was in pretty rough shape for over a week.

So I have learned some hard lessons regarding my allergy... I seem to get more sensitive to exposure as I age so I am hyper vigilant about it. Cinnamon is okay and I use it sometimes as a flavor in my toothpaste but I seem to do well with my experiments since the dental staff are always impressed with the condition of my teeth and gums during my sporadic visits... I'm still paying for the surgery and I qualified for 50% discounted service, maybe I can go back after I start my summer job where I get insurance this year.

Anyway, when the offending substance burns the crap out of you, you have to be very aware at all times.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out, anything new is a blessing.