Newbie

[Girlwithallergy]

Hi

I’m new to this support group and wanting to see if anyone can relate or help me to understand some symptoms I have.

In November I had a big and severe reaction to something I was using quite a lot of chemicals at the time so think this triggered something. I went to hospital as my throat was closing and my body was swelling up before that I always reacted to new products I.e itchy head, hives that sort of thing but didn’t think anything of it I just chose different more natural products! I also always had a big belly but put that down to my body changing after I had my daughter (5 years ago). Now I am swelling up every day my face is the worst I will go bright red and it burns so much and then every part of me will become inflamed but systemically (all seems to be internal!). My throat and face are the worst feelings. I can’t use antihistamines for it because they are making me very depressed and also don’t seem to be working- I seem to react to every antihistamine going and not found one that will help.

I’m just not really understanding what my body is doing at the moment- I think it’s probably MCAS or something similar but wondered if anyone can relate. I am not getting the usual hives response that indicate allergies but more anaphylactic type responses. As I say most of it is internal and I’m not usually out of bed before 3pm in the afternoon!

I am in contact with my GP but they say they don’t know what’s going on and standard blood tests seem fine.

I’m also wondering if in time my reactions will get less and less severe.

[Topnumpty]

Hello, Girlwithallergy

Sorry you are having a tough time. When you have had symptoms and had blood tests, did you have tryptase levels measured? That can be an indication of mast cell disorder.

A referral to an allergy consultant led to a diagnosis for me, starting with tryptase blood test. The antihistamines do help me, but it was trial and error, as I have medications for other conditions. These needed to be adjusted.

[Girlwithallergy in reply to Topnumpty]

Thank you for your reply no I haven’t had those checked by the looks of things. I will ask when I see the dermatologist to see if I can get that done.