Expert: David W. Richardson Date: 12/29/2006 Subject: anaphylaxis or something else
Question For the past year I have been intermittently breaking out in hives on my face and have had an all over body itch. I went to a Dermatologist and had patch testing for chemicals and wasn't allergic to anything. I continued to have a problem and my primary doctor ran a basic allergy screen with my blood and nothing showed up although my Immuniglobulins were 505. Over Thanksgiving I ate a slice of orange and within a few minutes I developed a few itchy hives on my face, felt very close to backing out, and had the feeling my throat and tongue were swelling. I had the presence of mind to take a benadryl, but when my symptoms worsened my husband took me to the ER, where they pumped me full of steroids and antihistamines. Of course I have been avoiding all citrus just to be safe and had no further incidents until 3 weeks later. I went to lunch and had oysters with cocktail sauce and felt safe doing so since shellfish didn't show up as an allergan and I ate shrimp the night before with no issues. Within a few minutes of finishing them, I felt like I was going to pass out, my whole body began to feel tingly and my movements were impaired, I was also having difficulty breathing, and had the strong sense that I was breathing my last breath. I was rushed to ER where once again I was pumped full of meds. Now nearly everytime food enters my mouth I become dizzy with a slowing of movement, begin to pass out and seem to have labored breathing. I went to an allergist who is adamant that this doesn't sound like a food allergy. However, it is only happening when I eat and I keep benadryl nearby because I always feel like I am having difficulty breathing. I am currently on Clariten in the am, flonase, pepcid, and benadryl at night, plus prednisone for the past week. If this isn't anaphylaxis from some food allergy, what is it? I am otherwise a healthy 39 year old with no other health issues. Thank you.
Answer Dear Martina,
Some people just get hives for no reason. The recent spells sound more like hyperventilation from fear. Try carrying a brown paper lunch bag or any quart-sized bag with your and breathe into and out of it when you feel dizzy. The dizziness and pass-out feelings come from blowing off too much carbon dioxide so your blood gets too alkaline and calcium can't get used properly by the cells of your body. Breathing into and out of a paper bag prevents loss of carbon dioxide. I hope that maneuver will help the dizzy spells, tho it won't prevent hives. Please carry benadryl and prednisone with you and take both at the onset of hives, (try 20 mg of predisone, and decrease the dose to 10, 5, 2.5 and zero over the next four days) but not for the dizziness.
