Allergy injection help

[HJam5880]

Not sure if this page is still active, but if so, I need help with ways to help allergy injections be more comfortable. One of my injections really doesn’t bother me, but sometimes makes a little itchy place on my arm or it might make a small bruise. However the other shot (specifically the one that has Trees, Grass, Weeds, and something else) makes the whole back of my arm swell (from the shoulder to my elbow). I have tried Zyrtec, Benadryl, Benadryl cream, and ice packs, but nothing works. It hurts more than it itches because of the swelling.

[TinTinRin]

Hi! I haven’t had allergy shots in a long time, but my arm would swell quite a bit at the injection site. After decades, I developed a severe latex allergy. Since those vials had a rubber stopper, and rubber plungers in the syringeS, I wonder if that was the beginning of my latex allergy. That may not be what’s going on, but consider looking at other signs* to see if you’re starting to show sensitivity. (Now, when I get shots for flu, I seek out preservative free, latex free ones. )

*Does anything latex rubber give you a rash, or make you feel ill? Also check food cross reactors (bananas, kiwi, etc.) This may not be it at all, but since it’s a progressive allergy, please make sure it’s not one of your problems. Good luck!

[HJam5880 in reply to TinTinRin]

Thank you for replying! I do have a mild latex allergy that I developed the day after I was born due to a surgery. However, I’m not so sure that it would be an issue. I have really bad allergies to environmental factors, and I think it has just gotten worse as everything has started to bloom also. I have not been tested for any food allergies, however I avoid foods that upset my stomach for the most part, and it doesn’t seem to have any correlation to the injections either.

[TinTinRin in reply to HJam5880]

I hope you figure it out! Please keep the latex allergy on your radar, though, since you’ve already shown sensitivity. Looking back, I realize I was having minor reactions to latex rubber since early childhood (also dairy) I’m 65 now, and my latex allergy has progressively worsened with each exposure. You just don’t want it to increase, so start minimizing your exposure when you can. You are wise to stay away from offending foods. We seem to have a “tolerance cup” for allergies, and when we’re exposed to many things, it can overflow and we have bad symptoms. It is so much worse during the pollen seasons. Best of luck to you.

[HJam5880 in reply to TinTinRin]

I usually treat any allergies I have like hay, latex, and gain laundry detergent like they are severe and I avoid them unless I have accidental exposure to them. This just helps me not to have a reaction pretty frequently. I haven’t really thought about the latex in the syringe and the bottle, because I have a mild allergy that usually only reacts after a long time of touching me, however it may be becoming an issue and I will bring this up the next time I go to get a shot!