I experience difficulty in breathing when I enter a supermarket and lots of different foods seem to set of a allergic reaction help?

[tamunhappy]

[pretender]

I get mine when near the bakery department. How new are the supermarkets?

[tamunhappy in reply to pretender]

there not new. I cant go near anywhere that makes bread, cakes, pasties.

[Hidden]

Hello tamunhappy. That sounds like a distressing problem - the modern supermarket can certainly be a challenging place, as it brings together a wide range of foods and man-made chemicals under one roof, providing a much more concentrated environment than your average home - the air-freshener aisle is particularly difficult!

Unless you already have a clinical diagnosis for certain allergies, it would probably be unwise to jump to any assumptions that a certain chemical or food group is specifically responsible for the symptoms you are feeling. The best course of action in the first instance would be to try and avoid the supermarket if at all possible - perhaps do your shopping in smaller independent shops that do not mix different types of products - the greengrocer, the baker, the butcher etc. When you do this, try keeping a diary to record your reactions in different places.

Then I would suggest you speak to your general practitioner about your symptoms - your diary will be a good record to discuss how things went when you were exposed to different places, smells, foods etc. Whilst you are doing this, try and keep all the other things in your life stable - so try to avoid new deodorants, perfumes, new contact with animals and birds you haven't been in contact with before.

Last thing I would suggest - avoid the internet diagnosis syndrome! The internet is great for many things (including being here!) but after 30 minutes on some sites you would be forgiven for thinking you had bubonic plague! There are many sites suggesting all sorts of unproven, weird and wonderful allergy testing and therapies - be careful you don't waste your time and money before you have run the full clinical path first - your GP will thank you too!

Hope that helps, and good luck

[tamunhappy]

Thank you for getting back to me.

I've seen my GP and i've been to Plymouth hospital to see a nurse there for testing on different foods as I keep going into Anaphylaxis. I carry around an EpiPen as I seem to get a reaction to food ive eaten all my life. they have done lots off tests and they have all come back as negative. life is becoming hard. maybe its time to go back and see my GP again?

[encanta11 in reply to tamunhappy]

I have had the same problems and symptoms for 28 years I have 3 diffrent hospital test me and they cant find the cause i find that the treatment I am on works really well at the minute I have 180 mg of fexofenadine a day it works most of the time if I start to get face swelling I take 3 piriton as well and if I cant control the swelling after all them I then have to take 6 prednisolone steroid tablet once a day I also carry 2 epipens I sound like a walking chemist but it has improved my life I can go in restaurant and shop and continue with my job I think you should go back to the GP and try diffrent antisemitism untill you find the right ballance

[tamunhappy in reply to encanta11]

my GP said its all in my head and insisted that I take antidepressants

[pretender]

My clinical diagnosis for my problems are Brittle Complicated Coeliac Disease, Gastroenterolgy dept, St Thomas' hospital London 2007. Also reactions to formaldehyde a positive reaction patch test, The Cutaneous Allergy clinic, St Thomas' hospital, London 2013. My reactions are respiratory/oral & Topical. I also suffer Anaphylaxis with a Blood Pressure reading of up to 212/110 with a five hour recovery period, noted in 2008

[tamunhappy]

i've been tested for coeliac, i'm clear. i've had the patch testing for lots off different things, all clear.

I seem to have a sore throat all the time and it feels like its closing if I eat something wrong or go in a supermarket.

[Annastasia]

If you've been tested for various allergies and are clear, have you considered that it might not be allergy but something else in the environment? For instance, lots of people in my family have neurological problems which are set off by the flourescent lights in supermarkets. Although you can't see it consciously, fluorescent lights work by switching on and off rapidly. Some people's brains (albeit not their eyes) can detect this. It can give you headaches, dizziness, and just generally feeling upwell. If you've a bit of asthma I'd imagine such a reaction could trigger it, as it is a stress. It can also cause you to feel anxious, but anxiety is the effect not the cause.

Of course, supermarkets are also full of cleaning substances, people with perfume, smokers with cigarette smoke on their clothes and hair, a lot of dust (not on the shelves but the cleaning process kicks it up into the air) and air conditioning which also puts particulates into the air. And then there's flower pollen near the entrance - lillies for instance are dreadful for some people.

Personally, if I were you I'd try online shopping instead. Sounds far too risky to go into a supermarket.