Travel, Triggers & Testing Boundaries

Hello! Can you believe it’s been 4 years since my last newsletter?! A lot has happened since then — I got married, moved, traveled a bunch, and changed my approach to living a low metal lifestyle. Since life has been so exciting with travel and new friends, it’s made sense for me to test my boundaries with this allergy. I’ve prioritized adventure, which naturally has led me to expand my diet, push my limits, and deal with the inevitable consequences — flares!

Keep reading for a list of my most memorable flares over the past 4 years and the most likely triggers (it’s a guessing game when you are constantly testing boundaries like I am). The adventure continues… I am going to Hong Kong for 10 days with my husband at the end of April. My strategy is to eat a very low nickel and histamine diet — Phase 1 of my program — until then. Empty “my bucket” and calm my immune system down to avoid major flares while I’m there. Stay tuned for a follow-up post on how I manage.

Memorable Flares

ROSE GOLD WEDDING BAND - We were in a rush to by bands for our small garden ceremony. We settled on a thin sparkly rose gold band. After a few months of wearing it I developed a rash (rose gold can contain nickel). Luckily my engagement ring which is pure gold is fine. Tip - when I developed a rash, I took off my gold engagement ring until my skin healed to avoid being sensitized to gold. We are more likely to develop new contact allergies if our skin is broken down. 

SUSHI - without fail! I still eat it a few times per month but every time I get itchy. The soy and seaweed are the biggest culprits. 

CAPSULES  - (Not all capsule but some) I tried taking oral progesterone capsules daily for perimenopause. I had a major flare! I switched to progesterone cream and I tolerate that form no problem. I also started low dose Prozac for anxiety and again the capsules were a problem for my skin, I switched to tablets and I am tolerating it well. I will dig into this topic more in a future newsletter.

TOMATO SAUCE - I really struggle with letting go of this one. Pizza and pasta are not the same without tomatoes! I have had many delicious white pizzas and creamy pastas but I sometimes miss the tanginess of tomato sauce.

AVOCADO - Another one I struggle with! I LOVE guacamole and I also love sushi with avocado. I can usually get away with small amounts but not these days since my bucket is full.

Research Alert

Dietary Intervention for Control of Clinical Symptom in Patients with Systemic Metal Allergy: A Single Center Randomized Controlled Clinical Study (2023)

Mikajiri R, et al.

This Japanese study took place at a hospital and involved 44 patients with chronic eczema who tested positive for one or more metal allergies. Participants were randomly assigned to either a dietitian group, which received individualized counseling on a metal-restricted diet, or a control group, which received usual dermatology care without structured dietary guidance.

The dietitian group received education on foods high in metals, personalized strategies to reduce intake, and ongoing support for one month. Both groups tracked their dietary intake, and researchers estimated metal consumption, though the source of the dietary metal content data was not specified.

Results showed that the dietitian group significantly reduced their intake of nickel, cobalt, chromium, and tin, and demonstrated major improvements in eczema severity, including redness, swelling, crusting, and dryness. In comparison, the control group had only slight reductions in nickel and tin intake and modest improvement in oozing or crusting. Among nickel-allergic patients, 93% in the dietitian group improved versus 57% in the control group. Blood tests remained normal, no nutritional deficiencies occurred, and urinary metal levels did not consistently reflect dietary changes.

Limitations of the study include its small sample size, single-hospital setting, short one-month intervention, and lack of long-term follow-up. Strict metal-restricted diets can be challenging to maintain, and the accuracy of the dietary metal estimates is uncertain. Most participants had atopic dermatitis with metal allergies, so findings may not apply to other forms of eczema.

Overall, this Japanese study suggests that working with a registered dietitian to reduce systemic metal intake can meaningfully improve eczema symptoms in the short term. While promising, these results require confirmation in larger, longer-term studies to assess sustainability and broader applicability.

I would love to hear about your most memorable flares and any ideas you have for future blog posts. You can email me at info@nickelallergycoach.com If you need help managing a metal allergy you can book a free consult. or you can enroll in the NICKEL ALLERGY COURSE