Do You Have Any Allergies???

[lizbud]

I have never experienced allergies in my whole life, until this summer.
It started in July with rash on my face & neck, with swelling & itching.I
also had edema in my lungs which made breathing difficult.

I saw my Doctor and he determined it to be a allergic reaction to some new medication & stopped the med & began treatement of Pred & anti itching pills.Condition cleared up & breathing was much better.

Last Sunday a few red patches popped up on my face & a few on my neck.
By Monday morning the whole right side of my face was puffy with my eye
completely swollen shut. Had trouble getting enough air.I looked like I had
been hit with a Mack truck.

Saw the Dr. again last Monday morning & he is stumpted as to what is
causing this. The Pred has helped bring the swelling down & I go to see
him again tomorrow. This has got to stop, I'm becoming paranoid about
everything I touch or eat.

Question: Do you have any allergies that you know of & how do you treat
for them? Did you go through any allergy testing? How do they test you?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[moosmom]

I've got seasonal allergies. It starts in the Spring and goes through the summer. This season is unusually bad. My allergies aren't that bad though. Just alot of sneezing.

[Laura's Babies]

I have year around allergies with seasonal flare ups, NOTHING like yours though! That is scarey!

Try washing your bed pillows and drying them.. Wash sheet and things.. If you use Tide, a lot of people are allergic to that so try some other brand. If you use make up, stop! What you are going to have to do is either go for allergy testing or stop the use of things that you use on a daily basis. (LOOK at EVERYTHING!) I would be insisting the doctor gave me a RX for one of those pens that injects you when you have a allergic reaction to carry around at all times. This sounds scarey and I can't believe he didn't give you one or send you for allergy testing..

Unless it IS that medication and it is taking it awhile to get out of your system but even so, you need one of those pens!

[Grace]

I agree about the Epi Pen. Even without a definitive diagnosis right now, it could save your life.

If you have the breathing problems, use the pen and get to an ER STAT!!

I'm allergic to Penicillin - had it when I was a kid, so don't remember exactly what sort of reaction. I think it was a huge local rash.

My husband is allergic to 5 stinging insects - from wasps to yellow jackets to honey bees. He was stung several years back and would have died if I hadn't taken him to the ER. He didn't have the hives, and swelling in mouth and throat. He simply crashed - blood pressure went way down, even after some drugs. It was scarey.

He carries 2 pens, as their effect lasts only 15 minutes, and he wants to make sure he has time to get to an ER.

If it's a med, with you, you might have to go off everything, and then add one back at a time. Or it could be food. You'll probably have to have skin tests to be absolutely positive.

The thing with allergic reactions is - you can take some med, or eat some food for years and years - and one day, totally out of the blue, you're allergic. I've taken care of patients in the ER with just that situation.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Being allergic to things is no fun .

I'm allergic to Penicillin, Amoxicillin (anything that ends in -cillin!) and Sulfa drugs. Plus I'm allergic to some detergents/soaps/shampoos.

I don't have huge reactions like yours though, I hope you get things worked out.

[Freedom]

I had allergy testing as a child. As far as I was concerned, I was allergic to everything (everything I LIKED, anyway!) - cats, milk, chocolate, pine trees, grass, lots of stuff.

You asked about the testing. They used a block of fine tiny needles, and just poke on your arm or back. You really don't feel it, less even than a pin prick I think mine was 5 across and 5 down.

Then you go sit in the waiting room for 10 minutes, and return for the doc to look. And "poke" which swelled up like a mosquito bite, means you are allergic to that item. Like a mosquito bite - as I recall, they didn't itch or anything, it was just the visual thing.

Since our allergies change every 7 years (no idea where I read that!), I am sure I am allergic to a whole different slew o GOOD stuff now, lol.

I take Claritin and Benadryl - this one puts me to sleep so I use that at night.

I hope you identify the trigger soon; when it impacts your breathing, this is a HUGE issue!

[Karen]

I have allergies of all sorts, including food allergies. I also have food intolerances, which are just as bad, if not as life-threatening.

There are several different type of allergy tests. The traditional one - the skin test, is what Freedom described. It is good for some things, but sometimes they have to do further testing. There are two different kinds of blood tests they can do, as well. They just take vials of blood and send them off to Kansas City, to a lab there. That takes longer, but is more thorough.

Liz, I know this is scary. For now, eat very simply. Try for things with few ingredients as possible. A tomato with a sprinkle of salt is better than with a salad dressing with 20+ ingredients, for example. Once you've eaten something and had no reaction that day, you can add something else. It's tedious, but the safest. Make a diary of what you eat, and when.

I, for example, have an anaphlactic reaction to pistachios, almonds, and other "tree nuts," as well as chick peas and fish, and am allergic to carrots, celery, anything in the cabbage family, "stone" fruits like peaches and nectarines, citrus of just about any sort, strawberries and even beef and lamb and olives/olive oil. I could go on, but you get the picture! I also have environmental allergies - pollens, dust, dust mites, cats, and more. My reactions also vary - besides the usual ones, my body's response can be "exploding gut diarrhea" that goes on for several hours, or 12-16-hour bouts of vomiting, long past the point when anything I might have ingested is in my body.

The sooner you can get some answers, the safer life will be for you!

And yes, I carry an epi pen at all times. I have never had to use it, but that is because I am annoying and ask lots of questions.

Freedom, 7 years is an urban legend. Anyone's allergies can change at any time, there's no statute of limitations, or predictability to it. 12 years ago, I had no known food allergies, just environmental ones. I don't wish my existence on anyone, but I manage to get by!

Any questions you have, I'd be happy to answer.

Lizbud, switch to Tide Free - the lack of scent is perfect, and it doesn't bother even me.

[lizbud]

The thing with allergic reactions is - you can take some med, or eat some food for years and years - and one day, totally out of the blue, you're allergic. I've taken care of patients in the ER with just that situation.

Now that's a scary thought. Then Dr did give me an antibiotic this
time (Sulfameth/tmp ds tab) and a albuterol sulfate inhaler to use for the
breathing.

On another note, I do use Tide, i always have used it. My Mom used Tide.
Unless they have changed the formula, that shouldn't be aproblem.

I'm really going to press the Dr for some answers, tests or something
tomorrow. This is getting old fast.