Ugh this is me. I used to love spicy food but something happened a few years ago where it switched to just destroying me.

All it takes is a little bit and I’m sent into an uncomfortable, mouth-searing sweating fit for essentially the rest of the day. I’ve got bottles of alcohol-based mouthwash like Listerine stocked up since it’s one of the few things that helps in those times when I accidentally get a hit of the ol’ spicy stuff. Once I do that and wash off my lips with face cleaner I’m alright, otherwise I’m struggling to keep hydrated because I’ll sweat for hours and hours.

Finally went to see an allergist that found a ton of underlying allergies and thinks that having all those go untreated is what increased my sensitivity overall. I’m currently getting the allergy immunotherapy shots and hoping that results in some regained resistance to capsaicin. It’s super embarassing to be out and start sweating like a maniac when I get a bite of an appetizer I didn’t know had pepper extract or one of those steaming plates of hot spicy stuff that sends a pepper cloud in my face and just leaves me drenched the rest of the night.