The one where I ask “what the fuck am I allergic to? AIR?!”
Brand-new readers to this blog might not know the back-story; so briefly… I have some food allergies (among other things) and a couple of months ago I had a bizarre and random allergy attack that culminated in a trip to the ER.
Just after midnight on Saturday (so I guess technically that would have been Sunday) I woke up feeling like my hands were on fire. I ran them under cold water, trying not to tell myself that it was the exact same itching/burning that I had the day Kristin took me to the ER. It was the same, though, and I sat there for a minute imagining texting Sharon that I couldn’t open the store in the morning, imagining waking Tim up to take me to the ER. Neither thing did I really want to do. So instead, I took two Benedryl and after a while the burning/itching faded away and I went back to bed. If it had not gone down, or my face had started to swell, I would have woken Tim up in a heartbeat. I’m not that pig-headed!
Sunday I just tried to get through the day without thinking about it too much. I mean, I thought about it; but I tried to think more “what did the two days with burning, itching hands have in common” and less “OMGWTFBBQ!!!111!1!!!”
Here are some things those two days had in common:
I knit something (which I do every day).
I ate shrimp (which I do 2-3 times a week).
I drank water (which I do every day).
I took a pain relief product.
Yesterday I called my allergist, and although she is away I was able to get in and speak with her PA this morning. After telling her everything about both situations, and we talked about other things that have happened or not happened when I also have done the above things, here’s what she thinks.
- She doesn’t think I am developing an allergy to wool or mohair, as I work with those products every day; if I were allergic, I would have had more than two instances of a reaction in the last two months.
- She isn’t worried that I’m developing a shellfish allergy, considering the number of times a week I eat shrimp or crab; but I am to go back in two weeks and get tested for allergies to shrimp/crab/lobster, etc. In addition, she’ll test me for dairy allergies, and anything else I can think of between now and then that I’d like to be tested for. (Anyone got any ideas?)
- Obviously I’m not allergic to water, duh.
- Mostly I am a Tylenol girl (when I was first diagnosed with asthma years ago I was told to take Tylenol as it was the one least likely to affect my asthma); however, my new chiropractor suggested that I switch from Tylenol to Advil, being that this muscle in my back is still bothering me. She said that Tylenol will work with the nerve receptors to block the pain, but Advil (ibuprofen) will decrease the swelling and will be better for me. Saturday night before going to bed I took some Advil. Two months ago when this happened, I had taken some Excedrin. Excedrin contains acetaminophen and aspirin. She said that both ibuprofen and aspirin are NSAIDS, which some people can have a reaction to. So she suggested that I go back to Tylenol.
- She also said that they’d draw some blood and run a few tests when I go back in two weeks, “just to make sure there’s nothing else going on”.
- They’re going to contact the ER from two months ago and get my records, to see what my vitals looked like, etc. She also laughed when I said that the ER doc had suggested it was just stress. “What are you supposed to do about that?!” she said. To which I answered, “I don’t know, spend the rest of my life on Xanex?”
So… there ya go. I’m allergic to… something. No idea what. Hooray.
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There's also caffeine in Excedrin. Not that you're likely allergic to caffeine, but it can speed other things through your system faster. (In fact, that's why it's in there in the first place.)
I'm sorry. If it helps, I feel you on the weird allergies. I mean, hello? Sunlight? Glycerin? Yeah. I totally feel your frustration.
*hugs*
I'm sorry. If it helps, I feel you on the weird allergies. I mean, hello? Sunlight? Glycerin? Yeah. I totally feel your frustration.
*hugs*
Posted by * ~ Miss M! ~ * on July 15, 2008 at 11:38 PM | #
It entirely possible that you are allergic to the food they are serving you on the mothership when they take you up for testing. Of course they erase your memory afterwards so there’s no way to be sure. I’d suggest putting a yellow sticky on your forehead listing your allergies (preferably using a universally comprehendible pictograph).
Another possibility is that you are sleep-eating-chickens, a surprisingly common form of sleep walking (I must wake up twice a week in a chicken coop with a butcher knife and a can of Easy Cheese™). If you find yourself waking up covered in blood and feathers this just *might* be the explanation. Wearing a bell collar to alert neighborhood fowl of your approach might be a prudent measure.
Lastly this could all be some kind of karmic connection to your secret-evil-twin-sister Kiki, who as President of the Greater Cleveland Area Republican Housewives Association may be exposing you to allergens via her monthly “Keep Cleveland Terrorist-Free Club” garden parties. Your only defense here would be voodoo. Wearing a necklace of garlic and onions always did the trick for me but in a pinch you may have to sacrifice a goat so be sure to keep one handy.
No need to thank me for the help here, I do it because I care.
Another possibility is that you are sleep-eating-chickens, a surprisingly common form of sleep walking (I must wake up twice a week in a chicken coop with a butcher knife and a can of Easy Cheese™). If you find yourself waking up covered in blood and feathers this just *might* be the explanation. Wearing a bell collar to alert neighborhood fowl of your approach might be a prudent measure.
Lastly this could all be some kind of karmic connection to your secret-evil-twin-sister Kiki, who as President of the Greater Cleveland Area Republican Housewives Association may be exposing you to allergens via her monthly “Keep Cleveland Terrorist-Free Club” garden parties. Your only defense here would be voodoo. Wearing a necklace of garlic and onions always did the trick for me but in a pinch you may have to sacrifice a goat so be sure to keep one handy.
No need to thank me for the help here, I do it because I care.
Posted by Dave on July 16, 2008 at 06:24 AM | #
I'm betting it was the Advil. Stoopid Advil. Unless maybe the batch of shrimp had an extremely high amount of iodine in it that just pushed you over that edge. Damn. Allergy suck. Especially food allergies. Feel better.
I'm sorry you had another "whatever", and I'm really glad you are OK but next time WAKE TIM UP!!!! By the time you really need him you might not be able to!!!!
Posted by Cathy on July 16, 2008 at 09:05 AM | #
Niacin can cause a similar reaction to what you describe - especially if you're getting a lot of in in a short amount of time. (The good news is that effect wears off after awhile.) So you been taking vitamins?
And (it's happened to me) that you have an allergic reaction to something for awhile and then it goes away. Which is why you'll see me avoid purple colored 409 cleaner... Say, suing any new cleaning products (and by new I mean new packages, not necessarily new products...)?
And (it's happened to me) that you have an allergic reaction to something for awhile and then it goes away. Which is why you'll see me avoid purple colored 409 cleaner... Say, suing any new cleaning products (and by new I mean new packages, not necessarily new products...)?
Posted by Skipernicus on July 16, 2008 at 09:22 AM | #
@Smilch - everybody's a critic! 
@Miss M - I thought about caffeine, too... but I drink two or three cups of coffee a day. So if that was going to get something into my system faster, I'd think it would happen regularly... Sigh. Down with weird allergies! Boo hiss!
@Dave - You? Crack my shit up.
@Chris - Iodine; I hadn't thought of that. The allergist did mention that it might not be a seafood allergy, but might be an allergy or irritation to something having to do with with the shrimp (red tide, something in the freezing process, etc; in fact, I think Knitting Gnome mentioned something about this in my April post-- I'll have to go back and check)!
@Cathy - Yes, mom!
@Skip - I have not been taking vitamins. Hrm. maybe I should start? And no, no new cleaning products (what is this earth thing called "cleaning" anyway?), or any new clothes/sheets/etc. Haven't changed laundry detergents, and don't use dryer sheet thingies.
@Finn - I will feel the same way if they tell me I'm allergic to cheese. You can all start writing my obit if that's the case. mmmmmmm. cheeeeeeese.
@marie - back atcha!
@Miss M - I thought about caffeine, too... but I drink two or three cups of coffee a day. So if that was going to get something into my system faster, I'd think it would happen regularly... Sigh. Down with weird allergies! Boo hiss!
@Dave - You? Crack my shit up.
@Chris - Iodine; I hadn't thought of that. The allergist did mention that it might not be a seafood allergy, but might be an allergy or irritation to something having to do with with the shrimp (red tide, something in the freezing process, etc; in fact, I think Knitting Gnome mentioned something about this in my April post-- I'll have to go back and check)!
@Cathy - Yes, mom!
@Skip - I have not been taking vitamins. Hrm. maybe I should start? And no, no new cleaning products (what is this earth thing called "cleaning" anyway?), or any new clothes/sheets/etc. Haven't changed laundry detergents, and don't use dryer sheet thingies.
@Finn - I will feel the same way if they tell me I'm allergic to cheese. You can all start writing my obit if that's the case. mmmmmmm. cheeeeeeese.
@marie - back atcha!
I once read a story that involved allergies that only showed up when certain _combinations_ of things occurred - each item alone was fine. Assuming that was based on fact, maybe it's something like "shrimp within 3 days of X". Good luck. For me it's buckwheat...
Posted by =Tamar on July 19, 2008 at 11:45 PM | #
@=Tamar - Allergic to buckwheat?! Ohes noes! I would have gotten kicked out of my hometown, as it is the home of the Buckwheat Festival. Hrm. Come to think of it, that might not have exactly been a bad thing. =)
@=Tamar - That's really what I'm hoping for; that it's some sort of ... perfect storm of allergy attacks. That any one of these things alone won't push me over the edge, and as long as I avoid the cocktail of doom I'll be fine...! Hope! Hope!
And ... buckwheat?! Don't you just love random food allergies?!
And ... buckwheat?! Don't you just love random food allergies?!
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