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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Lupus / July 2003Mair?
How are you hun? Is Pigment taking care of you? Worried about you. Did the tongue/allergy problem go away? Epipen, I think allergist. My friend's GP gave her a free sample. It's for when the standard like Benedryl doesn't work and life-threatening swelling of tongue or neck. J (hope you're okay) Hi Sweetie, I am fine, it was not a big fat hairy allergic reaction. I have been to an allergist when I had problems a few years ago. They laugh when they do the allergy tests on me... nothing comes back positive! I just think to myself "how typical." If I were going into an anaphalactic allergic response, I would hopefully know it and call 911. The Fire Department and the rescue truck are parked right around the corner; the hospital is the block after that. Yes, the problem with the cherries went away. It was not allergic; I get an irritation reaction to fruits and vegetables high in ascorbic acid--tomatoes, oranges, bell peppers--the kind of reaction where your lips and tongue swell, and the sides of the mouth crack. I hate that. But I have gotten it since I was little. I know that little things can suddenly become allergic reactions, however, and I guess I should keep some Benadryl around. I react badly to Benadryl. Is there another antihistamine on the market other than diphenhyramine that might work? As I sit here, Pigmet is at the other desk next to me. He has my drawer out, and all my medications lined up. He is concentrating, his little tongue hanging out to the side. "Two waitin fer autherization," he says. "One needs a renewal." and he sets the bottle for renewal up next to the phone. "Busy," he says "But send my love to all of them, specially my Ant J, okay?" "Okay, Met!" Our love to all of you especially Aunt J Mary & Pigmet > How are you hun? Is Pigment taking care of you? > Worried about you. Did the tongue/allergy problem go away? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > J (hope you're okay) Hi Mair (sweetie) I think your allergist is an idiot and/or doesn't understand autoimmune and thyroid problems. I had a severe reaction to (of all things) fresh pears twice when I was a kid. Unfortunately (or fortunately) my mom took me to doctor or ER because my face and neck (and probably tongue) were all swollen, I don't have clue what they gave me, because it's so long ago. About thyroid a lot of allergy medicines make my thyroid "wonky". http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/urticaria.html In many cases, a single attack of hives is due to an infection or virus and these go away within a few days to a few weeks. Some people get repeated attacks that occur as an allergic reaction to a variety of things (foods, most commonly nuts, chocolate, fish, tomatoes, eggs, fresh berries and milk, insect stings, and medications). In this case, they usually break out within a few hours of the exposure. Usually, the patients figure out the cause by themselves, and they never bother coming to a doctor. [] This one has a list of "well-tolerated" antihistamines. I check www.rxlist.com and no warning about thyroid for them, but I always check the boxes/containers before buying any to see what the mfr has to say. At the most with thyroid gives me jittery, can't sleep symptoms. I note that there's This one is Zyrtec Extend tabs and seems to have sulfate in it http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/loratd_wcp.htm Loratadine and Pseudoephedrine The other Zyrtec http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/cetiriz.htm http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lorat_ad.htm Claritin Loratadine > Hi Sweetie, > [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > > > J (hope you're okay) Whoops ! I wasn't finished and my computer took over and sent before I was ready. Me wondering if Mair has Tagamet or Zantac or Tums if any of those are safe and would calm your mouth/tongue down? I don't know sweetie and wouldn't want to cause med conflict. What's the med reaction that you get? Some say that benedryl is sedating, it wakes me up! (maybe thyroid) If it's too much sedation, maybe pharmacy (drug store) is best to talk to , they should know what else you are taking, so maybe tell you what is best to try and what not. Lots of love, back to you and Pigmet from Ant J, J - thanking you very much for your trust, but not a doctor. > Hi Mair (sweetie) > I think your allergist is an idiot and/or doesn't understand autoimmune and [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > exposure. Usually, the patients figure out the cause by themselves, and they > never bother coming to a doctor. The most well tolerated initial treatment is the non-sedating antihistamine Claritin. Zyrtec is similar but may sometimes cause sedation. If that doesn't eliminate the hives, a sedating-type of antihistamine (hydroxyzine, cyproheptadine or doxepin) is added at night. High doses may be needed and this will cause sedation. Fortunately, most patients will become less affected by sedation after they have taken the drug regularly for a while. If that doesn't work, some doctors may try a short course of cortisone (steroids) to clear the hives completely. Then the patient can maintain the effect with the much safer antihistamines, since steroids have significant side effects if used long term. A drug used for psoriasis and kidney transplants, cyclosporin, is almost always effective in clearing even the most severe cases of chronic hives at low doses. However, it causes significant side effects if taken for a long time. There are other medications that may be added to the antihistamines, but these non-standard therapies are not always effective. However, if the hives are not responding, they are worth a try. Examples are anti-acid pills (Tagamet, Zantac), dapsone and sulfasalazine (anti-inflammatory antibiotics), nifedipine (a blood pressure medicine), Accolate (an asthma drug), colchicine (a drug for gout), and several others. > [] > This one has a list of "well-tolerated" antihistamines. I check www.rxlist.com [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lorat_ad.htm Claritin Loratadine Hi J Diphenhydramine--I think it is okay for my alllergies... it just put me to sleep on a very important day when I needed to be awake. I forgot they use it as sleeping medicine. As far as my allergist goes... he gave me skin patch tests and I really was not allergic to the things he tested me to, so why should I think he's an idiot? And I do have albuterol if I need it.. so that's about it. I survived thanks for your concern Mair and Pigmet > Whoops ! I wasn't finished and my computer took over and sent before I was ready. > Me wondering if Mair has Tagamet or Zantac or Tums if any of those are safe and [quoted text clipped - 65 lines] > > > > http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/lorat_ad.htm Claritin Loratadine Hi Mair, I read the allergy newsgroup too. <http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=3F012186.E62B2F06%40jps.net> Food allergies are difficult to test for; you can use an elimination diet and food diary to help identify the foods you are allergic or intolerant to. More info at: http://www.foodallergy.org/ [] From that website: What are the common symptoms of a reaction? Symptoms range from a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, to death. Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after the person has eaten the food to which he or she is allergic. What is the best treatment for food allergy? Strict avoidance of the allergy-causing food is the only way to avoid a reaction. Reading ingredient labels for all foods is the key to maintaining control over the allergy. If a product doesn't have a label, allergic individuals should not eat that food. If a label contains unfamiliar terms, shoppers must call the manufacturer and ask for a definition or avoid eating that food. 5. Should I stop eating the food that I think I'm allergic to? Randomly taking food out of your diet can leave you with an unbalanced diet that can cause other health problems. Additionally, you may become frustrated because you reach a point where you believe that everything you eat is causing a reaction. Seek the help of a doctor before making significant changes in your diet. 6. What is the best treatment for a food allergy reaction? Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the medication of choice for controlling a severe reaction. It is available by prescription as an EpiPen® auto injector. What information should I provide my doctor? Keep a food diary, for 1 to 2 weeks, of everything you eat, what symptoms you experience, and how long after eating they occur. This information, combined with a physical examination and lab tests, will help the doctor determine what, if any, food is causing your symptoms. 9. What is the difference between a prick skin test and a blood test or RAST test? The prick skin test or a blood test, such as the RAST (or radioallergosorbent test), are commonly used to begin to determine if an allergy exists. A prick skin test is usually cheaper and can be done in the doctor's office. The doctor places a drop of the substance being tested on the patients' forearm or back and pricks the skin with a needle, allowing a tiny amount to enter the skin. If the patient is allergic to the substance, a wheal (mosquito bite-like bump) will form at the site within about 15 minutes. A RAST requires a blood sample. The sample is sent to a medical laboratory where tests are done with specific foods to determine whether the patient has IgE antibodies to that food. The results are usually received within one week. 10. Which test is better? Although both tests are reliable, there are instances where one is better than the other. Many doctors use a RAST for young children or patients who have eczema or other skin problems that would make if difficult to read the results of a prick skin test. The results of either test are combined with other information, such as a history of symptoms and a food challenge, to determine whether a food allergy exists. [] Since so far I've only had a reaction to pears, it's easy for me to eliminate w/o my diet suffering. I have no idea what the allergist tested you for. The standards are molds, grasses, weeds, trees, dust, pets I had something similar to this http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/19345.htm I think he tested for 15 or 20 things and said I had mild allergies to some of the above. He never tested /challenged me for food allergies. If the only thing you "react" to is cherries, then maybe it's easier just to eliminate them from your diet? (and note to your physicians and maybe a Medic Alert bracelet? Albuterol is for asthma? The friend I mentioned has asthma and is severely allergic to many things (foods not limited to but including eggs, honey_, but never been tested for bees, so why she asked for an Epipen, just in case. Hugs J PS I have no idea if albuterol can be relied on for food allergies > Diphenhydramine--I think it is okay for my alllergies... it just put me to > sleep on a very important day when I needed to be awake. I forgot they use [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > And I do have albuterol if I need it.. so that's about it. I survived I don't know what the heck I'm "allergic" too... sometimes I get the reaction and sometimes I don't. The last bag of cherries I had was fine. I think it may be an irritation due to the acid level in the fruit that I eat. The skin tests I had were for widely eaten foods (wheat, milk, eggs, soy...) and local trees (pine, redwood) and grasses. They were wheal tests which are very good. The only thing I tested even remotely positive for was cat dander. I know how to read these tests, and that was not even a positive test.... and you think I am going to get rid of Arlo? Albuterol is a bronchodilator. I have bronchitis. It helps when I breathe in an irritant of any sort, and my bronchitis acts up. take care Mair > Hi Mair, > > I read the allergy newsgroup too. <http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=3F012186.E62B2F06%4 0jps.net> > Food allergies are difficult to test for; you can use an elimination diet and > food diary to help identify the [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the medication of choice for controlling > a severe reaction. It is available by prescription as an EpiPen? auto injector. > What information should I provide my doctor? > Keep a food diary, for 1 to 2 weeks, of everything you eat, what symptoms you [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > > > > And I do have albuterol if I need it.. so that's about it. I survived > I don't know what the heck I'm "allergic" too... sometimes I get the > reaction and sometimes I don't. The last bag of cherries I had was fine. I [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Albuterol is a bronchodilator. I have bronchitis. It helps when I breathe > in an irritant of any sort, and my bronchitis acts up. Hi Mair, First I want to apologize for calling your allergist a bad name. - phooey to me. 2nd I was just cleaning out papers and found something where Andy was asking someone if they washed the food first. Did you? 3rd-ly - you might be right about acidic, maybe burns/irritates the tongue? Fresh cherries? I haven't had any in ages and ages, only the bottled or canned kind. Does it do the same if you eat the cherries with say, something else, like angel cake (for example)? Still it's weird that your tongue swelled up and I was worried about you. Glad the albuterol helps, Take care, J-allergic to cats too (a bit) |
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