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  • May 13, 2006, 10:33 AM
    Chief845
    Water allergy
    I have developed an allergy to drinking water.I drank poland spring bottled water for years and have suddenly developed an allergy which I think has to do with the plastic bottle.Now I can't drink any water at all without a severe allergic reaction.I also have acid reflux which I think might have something to do with it.Anyone else have this problem ?
  • May 13, 2006, 10:48 AM
    RickJ
    You need to get to a Dr. to confirm exactly what it is that is suddenly causing you to have the reactions. Don't yet assume that it's all water - or all bottled water.

    As for the acid reflux, why do you think there is a relationship? The two are likely unrelated.

    Here's a good article on acid reflux:

    Experts Lay Down the Law on Acid Reflux

    Definitely get to the Dr. on the water "allergy"... and while there, let him know about the acid reflux, which is not uncommon and fairly successfully treated.
  • May 14, 2006, 06:17 AM
    fredg
    HI,
    Your previous answer is very good.
    I also have acid reflux, diagnosed by an ENT (Ear-Nose-Throat) specialist. Prescription medication now has returned me to "normal", if I take the medication every day as I am supposed to.
    I also, recommend seeing a Doctor about the allergy to water. Getting a Doc's opinion could put your mind at ease, knowing what exactly is wrong.
    I do wish you the best, and good luck.
  • Jun 15, 2006, 10:22 PM
    Hologram
    Oh My Goodness! Finally! Someone That Has The Problem I'm Having! Yes! I Am Known As The Guy That Always Has Bottled Water With Him. I Drink Usually A Gallon A Day. However, For The Last Couple Of Months I Could Swear I Had Bad Acid Reflux, But Worse Than Usual. I've Acid Reflux Disease For Years Now And I
    Ve Learned To Keep It Under Control With Foods I Eat And Calming Down Severely... I'm A Worry Wart. But, Recently It's Been Really Really Bad. Or So I Thought... I Have Come To The Conclusion That It Is Either Bottled Water Of All Brands, Or The Clear Plastic That Bottled Water Comes In. I Have Come To This Conclusion Due The Fact That I've Experimented And Have Only Drank Tap Water In A Glass Cup For The Last Couple Of Days And Soda In A Can. I Drank Some Zepherhills Today And The Burning Itchy Sensation Came Right Back. It's So Weird. This Has Never Happened Before. I Thought I Was Going Crazy. But, I Really Think Now For Some Reason It Is The Bottled Water. It's So Frustrating. I Don't Know Who To Ask Either. My Doctor And My Mother, A Nurse Practitioner And A Proffessor Of Fsu, Think I'm A Little Looney. But, I Swear It's The Bottled Water That Is Causing My Thraot To Burn And Itch... badly!

    I Might Note That The Sensation Is Not Acute Either. It Feels Severe, Like A Very Sore Throat Feeling.

    All right... maybe Someone Can Answer My Dilemma. I'm Not Crazy! I'm Glad The Topic Starter Made This Topic. I Thought It Was Just Me.
  • Aug 23, 2006, 12:14 PM
    befidled
    I've just developed a similar problem. I started drinking a gallon of water a day this summer. Just last week I started breaking out in hives. At first I thought I had an insect bite, but now I'm starting to think that it has more to do with my drinking water.

    I'm going to try to isolate that it is the water that I am reacting to before I make any assumptions. I've been going to my local water store and filling up a 1 gallon polycarbonate container and then using that to fill a polycarbonate 1 liter bottle that I then drink out of.

    I think it is the water right now, though maybe a combination of the water and polycarbonate container, because I had the severe reactions last week after drinking water at my office. I had been fine all day and then realized that I hadn't been drinking water that day so filled up my container. Probably an hour later was having a severe hive reaction. I had it off an on over the next couple of days. At first I thought it was an insect bite but then was even having a milder reaction at home. At home we drink our water from a 5-gallon polycarbonate container. I didn't have any water on Monday and didn't have any hives. On Tuesday morning, I drank a 20oz glass of water at home and when I got to the office, about 30 minutes later, had some mild hives. Tuesday afternoon I filled up my 1 liter polycarbonate bottle and about an hour later had severe hives again.

    So I've read about the possibility of water allergies, could it be the polycarbonate or maybe the chemicals that they treat the water with at the water store?

    I'm going to buy prebottled water today to see if I have a reaction to that. It's kind of interesting and kind a pain in the tush.
  • Aug 23, 2006, 12:19 PM
    J_9
    Does anyone drink tap water anymore? Believe me it is the safest as it is treated to kill any living bacteria.

    It also contains fluoride, which bottled water does not, and thus tap water is better for your teeth, especially children's teeth.

    Oh, yeah, and by tap water I do not mean the water that comes from a well, it means water that comes from a city system and is treated with chemicals that kill all forms of bacteria.
  • Aug 24, 2006, 05:36 PM
    vertigo83
    Hi... I stumbled across this looking for something in regards to "Agent orange" for someone with a serious allergy to water. That person puffs up like a balloon around their joints when they come in contact with large amounts of water(rain, pools, shower, etc.) More so for those of you questioning polycarbonate plastics, I am knowledgeable in chemicals and biology as a Marine Science Technician. Polycarbonate are a form of thermo plastics and are used in bullet resistant glass, headlight lenses, and oddly enough nalgene bottles(neat water bottle), there are many other uses but this post will be long enough as is. Most forms of plastics and especially polycarbonate should not cause problems as a water bottle... it is not water soluble therefore your water won't absorb it. If for some reason particulates of the material made it into your digestive system it would pass completely un-absorbed. Plastics are commonly used to store a variety of acids, even the most potent organic-acids and non-organic. The hydrochloric acid found in your stomach can not break down the plastic in water bottles and therefore the plastic would pass with out absorbing(kinda like corn). I am only speculating but I would say you could be over-hydrating and upsetting your bodies PH balance and becoming mildly allergic to your own watered down body fluids that circulate through your veins and what not. PH mis-balancing could cause rashes and maybe even hives but then again that last part is just a guess. Good luck to you all. By the way I agree with the tap-water comment for most cities. For those that buy nice bottled water, stop complaining about gas prices because in most instances you're paying more for water (the most abundant material on earth) than you are for gas. Food for thought.
  • Aug 24, 2006, 05:48 PM
    aqua@home
    Oh my goodness... I hope I don't develop an allergy to water.

    I would definitely recommend seeing a doctor.
  • Aug 24, 2006, 05:55 PM
    J_9
    Stick with tap water Aqua, you will be safe!!
  • Aug 24, 2006, 06:18 PM
    vertigo83
    I just realized with polycarbonates if you use bleach to clean them the bleach could cause a breakdown of the polycarbonate and cause it to release one of its building blocks- bisphenol A. this has caused some problems in studies but I am not sure as to its extent or how much it would take to show symptoms of poisoning from it.
  • Nov 27, 2007, 05:45 PM
    AllergySufferer
    You may be allergic to sulfite in the bottle water. For years, I would break out in hives without knowing why. Finally, through trial and error, I found out it was sulfite . Bottle water may contain a huge amount of sulfite (often added as a flavor enhancer). Some brands contain a lot more sulfite than others, and I am now very careful about which brand of water to drink. My experience is that if I drink a 16 Fl Oz bottle that contains more the 5 parts per million in sulfite, I would get an allergic reaction. There is generally less sulfite in water (by volume) than in wine, but most people do not drink wine by the gallon. I found that Crystal Geysar and Aquafina have the lowest concentration of sulfite.

    You may want to check out my non-profit website: AllergySulfiteInWater.com. I hope this is helpful to you.

    S. Tang
  • Nov 29, 2007, 06:59 PM
    speedypanda
    I didn't think for one minute it could be the bottled spring water!! I was even drinking it to take the antihistimines. I was covered head to toe in hives and scratching myself to death every night, but during the day wasn't so bad ( I was taking a bottle of water to bed every night)! Better than taking a sweet drink, or so I thought. Tonight I couldn't sleep waiting for the antihistimine to kick in and found this site. Hopefully it's the answer to all my problems - well the main one for now anyway!
  • Nov 30, 2007, 11:03 AM
    special_lil_kitty
    I have had a similar problem. About two years ago I started having very bad heartburn. I tried every over-the-counter heart burn relief medication but it didn't seem to work. Eventually I saw a doctor and was put on nexium. Then a year ago I started to get awful outbreaks of hives. It got so bad that I was breaking out with hundreds of hives all over my face and torso every day! I tried everything to get them to go away, I even saw a doctor and was put on allergy medication, but nothing worked. I changed everything about my lifestyle (which included stopping the nexium for my heartburn) but I kept breaking out in hives. Then last summer I went to a wilderness camp for about 5 weeks where the only thing to drink was well water. Magically I stopped having hives. Since then I drink only bottled water and the problem has pretty much gone away. I've also found coffee gives me hives (probably because of the water used to make it). I am happy to say that my heartburn hasn't been giving me too much trouble lately either because of a change in my diet. I don't know if it is some chemical in tap water or what, but I can tell you that if I even have a small glass it will make me break out in hives. Yay over-priced bottled water!
  • Dec 1, 2007, 05:16 PM
    AllergySufferer
    SpeedyPanda,

    Please let me know if avoiding the sulfite in bottled water helps. I have been writing letters to bottled water companies and government agencies to ask them to label the concentration of sulfite in their bottles so that I know what to avoid. If this is the source of your allergy, please join me to help other allergy sufferers. You can find the contact info of bottle companies and government agencies at AllergySulfiteInWater.com

    Also, if you get more rash at night, try wrapping the mattress and changing to a new blanket. I found that once the sulfite reaction kicks in, I would become very sensitive to dust mite.
    Good luck.
    S. Tang
  • Dec 29, 2007, 12:12 AM
    chinok24
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AllergySufferer
    You may be allergic to sulfite in the bottle water. For years, I would break out in hives without knowing why. Finally, through trial and error, I found out it was sulfite . Bottle water may contain a huge amount of sulfite (often added as a flavor enhancer). Some brands contain a lot more sulfite than others, and I am now very careful about which brand of water to drink. My experience is that if I drink a 16 Fl Oz bottle that contains more the 5 parts per million in sulfite, I would get an allergic reaction. There is generally less sulfite in water (by volume) than in wine, but most people do not drink wine by the gallon. I found that Crystal Geysar and Aquafina have the lowest concentration of sulfite.

    You may want to check out my non-profit website: AllergySulfiteInWater.com. I hope this is helpful to you.

    S. Tang

    I've been going threw the same problems I'm 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that I scratch, right now I don't no what is making me scratch but since I heard that could be the water cause I've been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, I quess is the filter that I put in it, which you have to change, which I do?
  • Jan 23, 2008, 07:31 PM
    sarahmmd
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chief845
    I have developed an allergy to drinking water.I drank poland spring bottled water for years and have suddenly developed an allergy which I think has to do with the plastic bottle.Now I can't drink any water at all without a severe allergic reaction.I also have acid reflux which I think might have someting to do with it.Anyone else have this problem ?

    Hi. I am 25 and am having what seem to be allergies to water. My tongue and cheeck go numb and swollen to point of difficultly to maneuver. I have tried every brand of bottled water on the shelves and I am able to tolerate each for a short period with no reactions (typically 1 week) Then I get a terrible well water/minerally taste in my mouth and then the swelling and numbness begin. This lasts for nearly 24 hours. Does anyone else have these symptoms? I have tried tap water and also tap water with carbon filters, but I keep having the problems no matter what I do. Please Help!
  • Jan 23, 2008, 07:36 PM
    chinok24
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by chinok24
    ive been going threw the same problems im 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that i scratch, right now i dont no what is making me scratch but since i heard that could be the water cause ive been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, i quess is the filter that i put in it, which u have to change, which i do?

    Thanks for your help and ill try to see if I could do something about it, and I'll deffinitly check out the website, again thanks
  • Apr 10, 2008, 06:23 PM
    iuyiuy
    You are crazy as s---. There are people in 3rd world countries who have access to no water to drink. Thirsting to death. Say thank you for having access to water. Can't drink water? Then don't drink it... very simple solution to your problem. Drink beer instead or become a cast member in a Woody Allen film. Don't worry be happy that if this is all you have to worry about.
  • Apr 10, 2008, 06:27 PM
    iuyiuy
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by chinok24
    ive been going threw the same problems im 15 years old and every night for the past 2 months there are this small bumps that grow out of my skin that i scratch, right now i dont no what is making me scratch but since i heard that could be the water cause ive been drinking the water that is filtered into a gallon, the company is BRITA, i quess is the filter that i put in it, which u have to change, which i do?


    TRY CLEARASIL!
  • Jul 16, 2009, 02:06 PM
    cpc71783
    I've been breaking out in hives for the past 8 months, every single night. I've resorted to taking Benadryl every night, but as it was making me so tired, I decided to switch to Claritine, which made things better.

    I recently realized that it was the bottled water that I'm drinking (Nestle brand) and more than likely the Magnesium Sulfate is what is causing the problem. Bottled water companies use Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) as a mineral to sweeten and flavor the water, yet a lot of side effects of Magnesium Sulfate can be pretty scary if you take the time to research it.

    Magnesium Sulfate is a type of sulfite and is used in many foods and medications.

    In the past, sulfites were added to fresh foods in restaurants and grocery stores to prevent browning. An increase in reactions led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of sulfites in fresh foods in 1986, particularly on fresh lettuce in salad bars. The FDA now requires that any food containing more than 10 parts per million (ppm) concentration of sulfites to be declared on the label. Foods that contain less than 10 ppm of sulfites have not been shown to cause symptoms, even in people allergic to sulfites.
    Which Foods Contain Sulfites?
    Greater than 100 ppm of sulfites (very high levels, strict avoidance advised in people with sulfite allergy)

    * dried fruits (excluding dark raisins and prunes)
    * bottled lemon juice (non-frozen)
    * bottled lime juice (non-frozen)
    * wine
    * molasses
    * sauerkraut (and its juice)
    * grape juices (white, white sparkling, pink sparkling, red sparkling)
    * pickled cocktail onions

    Between 50 and 99.9 ppm of sulfites (moderate to high levels of sulfite, avoidance advised in people with sulfite allergy)

    * dried potatoes
    * wine vinegar
    * gravies/sauces
    * fruit toppings
    * Maraschino cherries

    Between 10 and 49.9 ppm of sulfites (low to moderate levels of sulfite, may cause symptoms in people with severe sulfite allergy)

    * pectin
    * fresh shrimp
    * corn syrup
    * pickled peppers
    * pickles/relish
    * corn starch
    * hominy
    * frozen potatoes
    * maple syrup
    * imported jams and jellies
    * fresh mushrooms
    * imported sausages and meats
    * cordials (alcoholic)
    * dehydrated vegetables
    * various cheeses
    * corn bread/muffin mix
    * canned/jarred clams
    * clam chowder
    * avocado dip/guacamole
    * imported fruit juices and soft drinks
    * ciders and cider vinegars

    Less than 10 ppm of sulfites (very low sulfite levels, generally do not pose a risk, even for people with sulfite allergy)

    * malt vinegar
    * canned potatoes
    * beer
    * dry soup mix
    * soft drinks
    * frozen pizza and pie dough
    * beet sugar
    * gelatin
    * coconut
    * fresh fruit salad
    * domestic jams and jellies
    * crackers
    * cookies
    * grapes
    * high fructose corn syrup

    You can read more at:
    Sulfite Allergy -- Learn From An Allergist About Sulfite and Sulfate Allergy

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