Do You Have Any Allergies???

[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.

[robinh]

Hope you find out what's going on soon. That swelling can be very frightening.

Wow Karen, I thought I was allergic to a lot of things but mine are not nearly as bad as yours. I have some allergies to environmental, but my main allergies as I get older are more and more different types of foodl. Currently, I have to avoid corn, wheat, milk, chocolate and alcohol of any kind. Thank heavens I don't have life threatening reactions - mostly I end up with migraine headaches that can go for days.

I did the "stick" tests but my doctor at the time wasn't impressed with the results so he did the blood tests and they showed a higher reaction to different food allergies. So I do my best to avoid them and if I can't avoid I try to mix up my meals to balance them out.

[Laura's Babies]

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

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

The people I know that are allergic to it were not always allergic, one day they woke up with a rash.... However, I was rethinking this, if the swelling and rash are mostly on your face... it is probably something else. Tide allergy is all over the body since everything you wear is washed in it..

Ok... now... I am going to say something REALLY creepy and this can happen to ANYBODY.. It happened to me many, many years ago..

I spent the night at a friends house and woke up the next morning with my eyes swollen almost shut and rashes all over my face.. Every time I spent the night at her house that happened. It was bed bugs. Those darn things are spreading all over the USA, in clothing stores, hotels and everywhere and spreading more and more. I was extremely allergic to them but I never had a problem breathing.. Just throwing this in the mix as something to consider so do not take it as anything personal against you.. We are ALL going to have to be on the look out for these critters until this population explosion of them has been gotten under control..

Also, you can get those allery free matress and pillow case covers and I would try that right away.

Let me remind you again, it could be something you have eaten all your life or used all your life and never had a problem, then wake up one day and you are suddenly allergic to it. As you age, your body changes and so does it reactions to things..

[Asiel]

Has your doctor suggested sending you to nuclear medicine to test for nuclear antibodies? Your allergies could depend on your immune system not working properly. I remember being told I was allergic to my own body and at the time I took it as a joke but down the line after many other tests the doctors discovered that I was indeed allergic to my own body, my immune system doesn't function and I can get flare ups to anything or everything depending on how run down I get or what triggers my immune system to react. And I do carry an Epi Pen for safety. I have RXs that I use if I notice the faintest red spot on my body because if I don't catch it in time I will break out and it could take weeks to control it.

[Alysser]

When I had my first surgery for my heart problem at 9 months old or so, they found out I was allergic to a certain anesthetic, I don't remember which one it was. For some reason, I think it was Penicillin but I am not sure.

I am also allergic to pollen, I get sick from it every spring. But I'm not sure what type of pollen, it could be flower or grass pollen. I never underwent allergy testing. I am just glad I am not allergic to animal dander

I hope you find the problem with your allergies soon. That reaction isn't something I'd want to go through! Good luck!

[Grace]

When I had my first surgery for my heart problem at 9 months old or so, they found out I was allergic to a certain anesthetic, I don't remember which one it was. For some reason, I think it was Penicillin but I am not sure.

Penicillin is an antibiotic, not an anesthetic. You should contact the hospital where you had that surgery, and get the name of the drug. It could save your life one day.

[pomtzu]

I never had any allergies until I hit my 30's, then it was just seasonal allergies as so many people have. Since then I have developed a few more. It does seem as you get older, then the more they hit you.

As a kid I was always getting stings, since I liked to go barefoot and was forever stepping on things like yellow jackets. Never had any reaction till a few years ago when I got stung on my leg by several, and my leg swelled like a balloon over night. Ended up going for a shot with that one.

I also developed a reaction to a potent antibiotic (name slips my mind right now but it was sulphur based) several years ago. I was on a 6 week i.v. treatment for a serious bacterial infection I received from a bone graft during surgery. I had a pic line in and administered the dose twice a day at home. For 4 weeks I had no problem, and then one day, I had a mild anaphylactic reaction on the first dose, but didn't think much of it - some pain and tightness in my chest and shortness of breath. The second dose of the day was even worse and accompanied with a blinding headache, so it was off to the doctor. He wanted to put me in the hospital to monitor me for the remaining 2 weeks of treatment - I said no - and that I wasn't going to continue with it - and I wanted the line pulled. He didn't want to, but when I said I'd pull it myself, he agreed to have it removed. The 4 weeks must have been enough to kill the infection tho, since I'm still kicking.

It does seem strange that these reactions can just pop up over night in some instances, but I'm proof that they can.

Liz - I hope that your doc finds out what's going on, and can get you feeling better soon. I can't imagine going thru what you are, and for so long.

[pomtzu]

Geeze - I'm sorry I read or posted here - I think I jinxed myself.

I fixed 2 crab and shrimp cakes for lunch today. Before I even got the 2nd one down, I started itching all over, but mostly my scalp, arms, chest and back. My ears are ringing and my hands are partially numb - tho can't figure those 2. I popped 3 Benadryl before it got totally out of control, and that seems to be helping.

So I guess I can add shelfish to my list. I LOVE all seafood - this is going to be torture if I can't eat shellfish now.

[cassiesmom]

When I worked in the hospital I was sensitive to the powder in latex gloves. I'm not allergic to latex, but the powder gave me red blotches on the backs of my hands and fingers. Unpowdered gloves helped but didn't solve the problem completely. It couldn't really be avoided which is partly why I left bedside nursing.

I get raised red welts when I get insect bites. A friend who's a dermatology nurse told me it's sort of a hypersensitivity reaction to the bite. I need a prescription topical steroid to get them to quiet down.

When I was little I had some sort of reaction to either Hi-C or Hawaiian Punch, but I can drink them both with no problem now.

My brother-in-law carries an Epi Pen because he's allergic to bee stings.

[lizbud]

I saw the Dr this morning and told him about all the ideas & suggestions
you all shared about the allergic reactions. He & I sorta agree that Tide
probably is not the culpret because the rash would be more wide spread.
He also felt the inhaler I have will help control the shortness of breath,etc
and doesn't think I need carry the epi pen.

The swelling is way down on my face & eye and just a little redness left
on the skin. So I am to continue the meds & especially the antibiotic, to
treat for any lingering infection in the lungs.( He thinks this might have been
helpful the first time around.)

If this happens again, he will send me to an Internist or Allergist to follow
up for testing for specific allergies. I told him if this all comes back again
for him to just shoot me & get it over with. Thanks for all your help
and suggestions.

[momcat]

My Mom was terribly allergic to tomatoes. She couldn't even slice them because getting the juice on her hands would cause a bad reaction. It was a problem because tomato is in so many different things and even a minute amount would cause serious problems. When I was small, Mom got a reaction so bad that she broke out in hives internally that blocked her airway. Any allergy is a serious situation and should be handled with the utmost care.