Allergy Inquiry
September 8, 2020 4:48 AM Subscribe
The other day I had a severe allergic reaction that required an Epinephrine shot. I have never had such a reaction and still dont have the foggiest idea what could have caused it. Are there any among you with an allergy so rare but symptoms that are common enough to need to carry an Epi-Pen? So far my
Guesses have been Gypsum dust because the boyfriend works in a home remodeling retail store in the shipping warehouse, plus the Apt we just moved into has dust everywhere but my symptoms came on gradually over a period of a month then one day it just made obvious sense I was allergic to something. Other guesses were a new medication I have been taking for roughly three months. And a makeup foundation I hadn't worn yet. The symptoms were a small bit of numbness in the corner of my mouth, swelling and itchiness all over my face, a swollen tongue and throat and a feeling of panic .
Guesses have been Gypsum dust because the boyfriend works in a home remodeling retail store in the shipping warehouse, plus the Apt we just moved into has dust everywhere but my symptoms came on gradually over a period of a month then one day it just made obvious sense I was allergic to something. Other guesses were a new medication I have been taking for roughly three months. And a makeup foundation I hadn't worn yet. The symptoms were a small bit of numbness in the corner of my mouth, swelling and itchiness all over my face, a swollen tongue and throat and a feeling of panic .
Seconding the recommendation to get allergy tested. Tell the doctor your symptoms and guesses so they can tailor the patch test to you. They test you for a couple dozen (depending on your insurance limit--the number of tests was specified in my plan documents) things at a time but in your case you can probably skip some animal dander and plant pollen in favor of more household allergens.
I have a severe allergy to topical iodine that I discovered after a medical procedure (on my face!) in my late twenties. It was... not fun. So it definitely happens and it can be anything! But it's important to know what it is for sure, so you can avoid it and so you can be aware of any related allergens to be aware of (iodine is related to seafood allergy, for example).
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 5:55 AM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have a severe allergy to topical iodine that I discovered after a medical procedure (on my face!) in my late twenties. It was... not fun. So it definitely happens and it can be anything! But it's important to know what it is for sure, so you can avoid it and so you can be aware of any related allergens to be aware of (iodine is related to seafood allergy, for example).
posted by jessica fletcher did it at 5:55 AM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Definitely see an allergist if you can - the pinprick skin test is easy and painless.
My guess is also that's it's a new allergy to something relatively common, not an allergy to something rare that you've never encountered before - but a reaction severe enough to need an epinephrine shot definitely merits seeing an allergist
posted by insectosaurus at 6:43 AM on September 8, 2020
My guess is also that's it's a new allergy to something relatively common, not an allergy to something rare that you've never encountered before - but a reaction severe enough to need an epinephrine shot definitely merits seeing an allergist
posted by insectosaurus at 6:43 AM on September 8, 2020
You should specifically see a dermatologist for a patch test for contact dermatitis and an allergist for a skin prick test for other allergens. Probably see the allergist first if you can to rule out as much as you can that might cause such a severe reaction. These tests typically test different things, but an allergist will be the best person to help investigate things that can affect the airway like that.
posted by limeonaire at 7:00 AM on September 8, 2020
posted by limeonaire at 7:00 AM on September 8, 2020
I kept having this thing happen where my cheeks would swell up--inside my mouth, weirdly. It was never my tongue or my throat, so I wasn't afraid I'd suffocate or anything, but it kept happening and it was weird enough and unpleasant enough to cause some foreboding--you know, because what if it got worse. I didn't know what was causing it. So two things happened. One, Lucky's went out of business. Two, COVID-19 lockdown. A month or two ago, I realized it hadn't happened in forever. So I figured it was something I was doing pre-lockdown but not since.
Then I went shopping for my aged father for once at his favorite idiotic store he thinks is the shit because he has no resistance to advertising and falls for their "we're basically Harrods" ambiance and will buy things like "Pink Lemonade Blueberries awyeah," a disgusting pimplepink, antioxidant-free blueberry cultivar that California decided to make because all our agworkers are dying of COVID why not behave even harder like it's the golden age and we are The Sun King, and my father buys this obvious nonsense because Fresh Market advertises their bullshit marked-up crap like it's truffles which it distinctly is the hell NOT and he can't see it, I don't know why.
So while I was getting whatever idiotic crap was on their e-Flyer that day I also picked up $50 worth of St. Andre cheese... and then... right by the checkout... bags and bags of pür gum! So I got some for me and some for my friend and chewed one piece of my very favorite, which is the cinnamon, and POW, there went the cheek weirdness for the first time since probably February. So then I knew. I looked it up, and people's cheeks getting freaked out by strong cinnamon flavor is a definite thing.
posted by Don Pepino at 7:01 AM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Then I went shopping for my aged father for once at his favorite idiotic store he thinks is the shit because he has no resistance to advertising and falls for their "we're basically Harrods" ambiance and will buy things like "Pink Lemonade Blueberries awyeah," a disgusting pimplepink, antioxidant-free blueberry cultivar that California decided to make because all our agworkers are dying of COVID why not behave even harder like it's the golden age and we are The Sun King, and my father buys this obvious nonsense because Fresh Market advertises their bullshit marked-up crap like it's truffles which it distinctly is the hell NOT and he can't see it, I don't know why.
So while I was getting whatever idiotic crap was on their e-Flyer that day I also picked up $50 worth of St. Andre cheese... and then... right by the checkout... bags and bags of pür gum! So I got some for me and some for my friend and chewed one piece of my very favorite, which is the cinnamon, and POW, there went the cheek weirdness for the first time since probably February. So then I knew. I looked it up, and people's cheeks getting freaked out by strong cinnamon flavor is a definite thing.
posted by Don Pepino at 7:01 AM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for these words of comfort and reassurance. I do have a latex allergy but cant remember if I had any rubber bands on my wrists. It is true though bodies are weird. :)
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 7:02 AM on September 8, 2020
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 7:02 AM on September 8, 2020
I'm an emergency physician/medical toxicologist
1) I have never had such a reaction and still dont have the foggiest idea what could have caused it.
Completely normal. What makes anaphylaxis so dangerous is that it almost always comes as a complete suprise.
As for not having any idea what caused it, the chances are about 1 in 3 that you never will. Hopefully, your trigger will be either a food or a medication. Along with bee stings, they're the most likely culprits, and they're easily identified through allergy tests.
That said, just about any physical substance seems capable of triggering anaphylaxis. I've seen it caused by chamomile tea, zinc when paired with copper (pennies), baby poop, running a marathon (exercise induced anaphylaxis is actually not that uncommon)...
The immune system is weird, yo
2) Anaphylaxis usually occurs within an hour of exposure to a specific allergen. This can help you exclude possible triggers, ie, if you're not itchy and swollen inside an hour of seeing your boyfriend, it's probably not gypsum dust.
3) In addition to epinephrine, antihistamines have to be a part of your arsenal. The next time you feel the slightest itch or tingle, take two Benadryl (AKA 50mg of diphenhydramine) immediately.
In addition, Benadryl can be used prophylactically. If you think you'll be coming into to contact with a possible trigger, take a Benadryl 20-30 minutes before you actually do.
posted by BadgerDoctor at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2020 [7 favorites]
1) I have never had such a reaction and still dont have the foggiest idea what could have caused it.
Completely normal. What makes anaphylaxis so dangerous is that it almost always comes as a complete suprise.
As for not having any idea what caused it, the chances are about 1 in 3 that you never will. Hopefully, your trigger will be either a food or a medication. Along with bee stings, they're the most likely culprits, and they're easily identified through allergy tests.
That said, just about any physical substance seems capable of triggering anaphylaxis. I've seen it caused by chamomile tea, zinc when paired with copper (pennies), baby poop, running a marathon (exercise induced anaphylaxis is actually not that uncommon)...
The immune system is weird, yo
2) Anaphylaxis usually occurs within an hour of exposure to a specific allergen. This can help you exclude possible triggers, ie, if you're not itchy and swollen inside an hour of seeing your boyfriend, it's probably not gypsum dust.
3) In addition to epinephrine, antihistamines have to be a part of your arsenal. The next time you feel the slightest itch or tingle, take two Benadryl (AKA 50mg of diphenhydramine) immediately.
In addition, Benadryl can be used prophylactically. If you think you'll be coming into to contact with a possible trigger, take a Benadryl 20-30 minutes before you actually do.
posted by BadgerDoctor at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2020 [7 favorites]
What did you eat before the episode? My mom had a one-time anaphylaxis episode after using stale pancake batter.
Anaphylaxis usually comes on quickly after eating the offending food, but sometimes can be delayed by many hours.
posted by justkevin at 7:17 AM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
Anaphylaxis usually comes on quickly after eating the offending food, but sometimes can be delayed by many hours.
posted by justkevin at 7:17 AM on September 8, 2020 [1 favorite]
An anecdotal extreme case - Andrew Rea, the guy behind the Binging With Babish youtube channel, said in an interview that he always carries an Epi-Pen because he once had a super-strong allergic reaction to...something. But he and his doctors never figured out what. They ran him through the patch test, all kinds of allergy tests, and they all came out negative...but he had clearly had a reaction to something that was strong enough to put him into anaphylactic shock. So, his doctor advised him to just always carry an Epi-Pen so "in case you ever run into....whatever it was...again, you'll be prepared."
I say this not to scare you - that is likely an outlier example. But it does lend credence to the notion that "allergies can be weird, yo." A more friendly "allergies are weird" anecdote - my own allergies are just the sneeze-your-head-off kind, with bonus sinus-congestion-headaches, that are quelled by Flonase; but the only thing I've noticed that triggers them is...temperature. If the temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees, I need to hit the Flonase and I don't know why.
Allergies are weird.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
I say this not to scare you - that is likely an outlier example. But it does lend credence to the notion that "allergies can be weird, yo." A more friendly "allergies are weird" anecdote - my own allergies are just the sneeze-your-head-off kind, with bonus sinus-congestion-headaches, that are quelled by Flonase; but the only thing I've noticed that triggers them is...temperature. If the temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees, I need to hit the Flonase and I don't know why.
Allergies are weird.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:28 AM on September 8, 2020 [2 favorites]
Echoing what BadgerDoctor and EmpressCallipygos have said. I've been going through this since May. My lips swelled horribly one day and again the next week and has happened to lesser degrees since then. Then I started getting what felt like horrible bug bites on my legs, abdomen, butt, feet and hands that itched and continued to expand...turns out these were hives. This has been happening on and off throughout the summer and I finally saw my main doctor in August who prescribed an EpiPen and advised that I should see an allergist. I'd been tracking everything that I ate/came into contact with and had previously done the food allergy test.
The allergist advised that it's likely Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria. It's mostly seen in women 25-50 and can continue for 2-5 years without ever figuring out the cause before it burns out. In addition to the EpiPen, I always have Benadryl on me and have been taking Zyrtec each morning to suppress the possible reactions and I haven't yet had a breakthrough of hives or lip swelling...if I do, I'll take another Zyrtec or a Benadryl if it's close to bedtime. He did advise to make sure I was up to date on my Pap, have a mammogram even though I'm two years before it's recommended and to monitor my thyroid, as the hives/swelling can sometimes be indicative of cancer.
You should discuss this with your doctor, but wanted to share my experience as it's been puzzling until I saw the allergist two weeks ago amidst another episode.
posted by icaicaer at 9:50 AM on September 8, 2020
The allergist advised that it's likely Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria. It's mostly seen in women 25-50 and can continue for 2-5 years without ever figuring out the cause before it burns out. In addition to the EpiPen, I always have Benadryl on me and have been taking Zyrtec each morning to suppress the possible reactions and I haven't yet had a breakthrough of hives or lip swelling...if I do, I'll take another Zyrtec or a Benadryl if it's close to bedtime. He did advise to make sure I was up to date on my Pap, have a mammogram even though I'm two years before it's recommended and to monitor my thyroid, as the hives/swelling can sometimes be indicative of cancer.
You should discuss this with your doctor, but wanted to share my experience as it's been puzzling until I saw the allergist two weeks ago amidst another episode.
posted by icaicaer at 9:50 AM on September 8, 2020
Nota Bene: Epi-Pen is a brand name, and an expensive one. "generic epinephrine auto-injector" is what you should be buying from your pharmacy.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:19 AM on September 8, 2020
posted by Sunburnt at 11:19 AM on September 8, 2020
My ex has a moderate allergy to aspirin (it makes parts of his face swell and break out in a rash). This was difficult to figure out because he takes medication so very seldom, and it's unfortunate that one of the few instances when he did take aspirin was in a cold remedy when he was already feeling ill. Fun times! Before we figured this out we thought it was some exotic shampoo ingredient.
posted by confluency at 2:59 AM on September 9, 2020
posted by confluency at 2:59 AM on September 9, 2020
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And it's totally possible to become allergic all at once to something you've been exposed to your whole life. It could be anything. Bodies are weird.
About a year and a half ago I suddenly became allergic to bandaid adhesive, out of nowhere. Now I can't wear bandaids or medical tape without 10 other places on my body I've ever worn bandaids lighting up like a Christmas tree. | My brother used to love playing with cats as a kid, then one day he babysat for a family with a new kitten and came home with his face so puffed up he could barely see. Now he can't get within 10 feet of a cat owner without having problems. It's weird. Bodies are weird.
posted by phunniemee at 5:37 AM on September 8, 2020 [5 favorites]