Itchy lips after a lobster roll, or hives at a crayfish party? Lobster is a crustacean, like shrimp, crab and crayfish, and they share a main protein that survives cooking. Our test checks your blood for IgE to whole European lobster, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, next to shrimp, crab and house dust mite.
The main crustacean allergen is tropomyosin, a muscle protein. Lobster, crayfish, crab and shrimp have tropomyosins that are almost identical. So IgE to lobster often comes with IgE to shrimp and crab.
Tropomyosin survives boiling and grilling, so cooked lobster still carries it. Some people react to the steam from boiling lobster or crayfish.
Crayfish are not on the panel, but they are freshwater relatives of lobster with the same kind of tropomyosin. If you react at a crayfish party, your lobster, crab and shrimp results are what a doctor looks at.
House dust mites and cockroaches also carry a tropomyosin that resembles the one in lobster. Some people show lobster IgE because of mite sensitisation. Seeing both on one report helps a doctor tell the two patterns apart.
Reactions people describe after shellfish include itching in the mouth, hives, swollen lips or face, vomiting, stomach cramps and wheezing. They usually start within minutes to two hours. Shellfish reactions often first appear in adults.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
From a finger-prick sample, the lab measures IgE to a whole European lobster extract. Shrimp (ten markers, including tropomyosin), crab, squid and clam are on the same panel of 300 allergens and allergen components, together with house dust mite and cockroach tropomyosin.
Your lab report gives the value a class from Negative to Very high. That shows sensitisation, not a diagnosis. Discuss the result with a doctor before you change your diet.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
Not as a separate marker. Crayfish share tropomyosin with lobster, crab and shrimp, which are all on the panel. A doctor can read your crustacean results together with your history.
Often, because crustacean tropomyosins are nearly identical. Not always. Your report shows lobster, crab and shrimp separately, so you see the whole crustacean pattern.
Some people report reactions to the steam from boiling shellfish, because proteins get into the air. If that happens to you, mention it to a doctor.
