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Chocolate is everywhere! But you don't realize how many things contain chocolate until you develop a chocolate allergy! I was a dedicated chocaholic until about 10 years ago, when I started having serious episodes of hives and swelling in various areas of my body. After a particularly scary event, I went to see my doctor, who asked me what I had eaten for dinner. I told him a cola and some bread. He said, "I think you are allergic to chocolate." "But I didn't eat any chocolate!" I replied. He explained to me that colas have "caramel color" - which is derived from chocolate. You will be amazed how many products contain caramel color - AND chocolate! I've since done a lot of research, and it doesn't appear to me that my doctor was right about CARAMEL COLOR containing chocolate; however, caramel color DOES contain other additives and derivatives to which I am indeed allergic.

While my allergy to chocolate may be in question, I am definitely allergic to corn, and neither allergies showed up on the skin tests administered by my allergist. She told me that quite often food allergies do not show up in the skin tests, and she recommended I keep a food diary to see what my "triggers" were. This is how I discovered the corn allergy. Meanwhile, I stopped chocolate completely, and about a six weeks later, armed with my antihistamine and an Epi-pen, I ate one square of the best chocolate I could find as a test, and I broke out in hives. So that was my last chocolate! Looking back, I am not sure that the allergen wasn't an additive IN the chocolate, as that "good" chocolate may have contained some corn additives, but again, I've not tested that theory - yet!

Allergies are tricky buggers! For me, the reactions to my allergens range from hives and swelling to stomach cramps, headaches and a stuffy head, and even bladder infections. I'm told that something in the allergen irritates the lining of the bladder (and probably other internal pathways - hence the stomach cramps!), and allows for infection to take hold. I recently heard of someone who is allergic to corn - and corn products (especially corn chips) give her bladder infections and/or make her "dizzy and drunk."

As I mentioned, it is possible that your allergy is not actually to CHOCOLATE itself, but to some of the additives in the chocolate products. If you can eliminate all chocolate from your life for a few weeks and then reintroduce a small amount of cocoa powder, or PURE chocolate, you might be able to determine this.

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