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Can I be allergic to mineral water?

Posted , 21 users are following.

Lizzie46881
Lizzie46881

My alchohol intake got out of control and I managed to come of it pretty much, just the occasional drink now, BUT I like to have a long drink in the evening so started drinking San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water instead, up to 3 litres a day, but often less.  I soon noticed that I was getting an itching all over my skin, especially in the evening.  When I stop drinking the mineral water the itching stopped.  I've never heard of this before and wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar.  Also, back in November 2014 I had an anaphalactic reaction to some treatment in hospital, nothing too serious, breathing difficulties and rash, but might this have comntributed too?  I know very little about allergies other than hayfever

Any advice greatly appreciated

Lizzie

p.s.  I take cetirizine every day but its next to useless

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • GeorgiaS
    GeorgiaS Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Have you tried still mineral water?
    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 GeorgiaS

      Posted

      Hi Georgia

      I have tried still water but I don't enjoy it as much.  I saw my GP since last posting and he has changed my anti-histamine from  Cetirizine to Hydroxyzine, which helps my allergies in general quite a lot and also helps me to sleep as its a sedating anti histamine. Regards the water, its just that one brand as far as i can tell so I'm steering clear of it.  I have other allregies too so I have to be careful. I find diet lemonade flavoured with elderflower cordial very pleasant and doesn't bring me out in itching or a rash.  Its all trail and error really, 

      Thanks for your reply

      xxx

    • GeorgiaS
      GeorgiaS Lizzie46881

      Posted

      You've answered your own question. It's not about enjoying when you have allergies, it's about what your body can tolerate.
    • GeorgiaS
      GeorgiaS Lizzie46881

      Posted

      Good point about brands! Some may not be as clean as others, even the plastic bottles might be better quality than others. Plastic is a petroleum product and I can taste it in mineral water but I hope the benefits outweigh the harm.
    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 GeorgiaS

      Posted

      I appreciate your comments, I've switched to another brand and I'll see how that goes.  I've heard that some of these plastic bottles can have toxins in them so that is a possibility.  My gp also thought that as I mainly get my allergic skin reactions in the evening it might be to do with the fact that I'm relaxing when during the day I'm more distracted by the things I'm doing.  Anyhow, it doesn't seem to be a problem now that I'm on the hydroxyzine

      Thanks for your support

      xxx

  • alex.buckanan
    alex.buckanan Lizzie46881

    Posted

    you can't, that's what I've read^^ wink
    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 alex.buckanan

      Posted

      Thanks Alex, thats what my GP told me too.  It may have just been a coincidence.  Anyhow, since I've been put on the hydroxyzine all my itching has dissapeared and my urticaria has improved too.  Its been a miracle drufg for me in many ways, especially in that its helping me get off diazepam as well due to its anti-anxiety properties.

      All the best

      xxx

  • tom_M
    tom_M Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Lizzie, I am having the exact same weird reaction at night.   I have awoke with severe hives that move around my body.   The strangest thing is that the itch will move around to not one side...  But, both sides of my body.   So, if my foot itches... both feet itch.  if my forearm itches,,, so does the other and it moves around in quadrants.   I wake up in middle of the night and it ranges from severe to not so bad.   I thought it was additives in a specific seltzer water.  So I discontinued drinking that.   But one night I drank Pelligrino and woke with the exact same symptoms.    Pelligrino has no additives that I know of.   Is it possible we are allergic to carbonated water?   I answered this because I can find nothing on line about it and it seems very rare..... If I have even diagnosed correctly.  Where can we get info.   
    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 tom_M

      Posted

      Hi Tom

      I switched from Pelegrino to Buxton and the itching went away.  I can't see anyhting on the bottles that is much different so have no idea what is casuing it with some mineral waters.  

      I had to come off the hydroxyzine, which had been brilliant as not only was it a great anti-histamine but enabled me to get off my diazepam  and helped me sleep.  The reason being that in conjunction with my SSRI anti-dep Citalopram it was casuing heart problems, specifically an extended QT interval, one of the symptoms of which is sudden death!  So I am now on Fexafenadine as my anti-hist and it works most of the time, though not being sedating doesn't help with my sleep and I'm, back on occasional use of diazepam.

      Lizzie

  • wendy37677
    wendy37677 Lizzie46881

    Posted

    I thought I might be crazy to think that sparkling water could be the cause of my itching. I have always enjoyed it... but recently took notice of the itching after not having any and then a day of about 4, 12 Oz cans noticed the itching . I'm going off it now. I may never touch it again. Curiosity has me wanting to know how you are doing now and if you found any other info.

    • Lizzie46881
      Lizzie46881 wendy37677

      Posted

      My itching completely cleared up and in the end I concluded it didn't have any connection with the sparkling mineral water, never did pin down the cause, stress maybe? allergic to soemthing else? beacuse I can now drink any brand again without my legs flaring up.  Something that I did find helped the itching was a cream called zerobase, you can get it from Amazon etc. I think but I had it prescribed.

      I'm only rarely taking the diazepam now and they have upped my fexofenadine to 180mg a day for hayfever etc.

      Wishing you well

      Lizzie

  • maddi40611
    maddi40611 Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Whenever I touch mineral water or ignore there's minerals in a product my skin starts stinging and going red and it also starts to swell up

  • ThatGirl1988
    ThatGirl1988 Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Hi sorry might be too late on the reply but In case anyone else need this. I also noticed a year ago as soon as I drink San pelegrino or cocktails from Tesco and other shops in a can - I get itchy so I completely stopped drinking them last year. However it doesn't mean you are allergic to mineral water. It is probably some of the ingredients in it..

  • 2EllaD
    2EllaD Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Thought I'd share my San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water adverse reaction.. but it shoukd be noted I'm drinking San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water from Glass Bottles - - which I really thought was a good for me & a real healthy thing to add to my diet... and so I just recently started drinking it with dinner... but shortly afterwards when sitting & relaxing after dinner I started to ITCH really bad all over, especially my hands got a bit swollen and a bit red & VERY itchy, with some generalized itching all over.. at first I thought it was something I ate.. but then it starter happening more frequently ... & suddenly I noticed a pattern, that my itching attacks we're happening the nights I consumed large glass of San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water... so I checked my symptoms with my good friend "Dr. Google" & found I'm not alone with these allergic type reactions to drinking the brand "San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water"... along with feeling a little headachy & sinus congestion too... I know my symptoms are not caused by drinking from plastic or from aluminium cans because I'm drinking it from GLASS bottles... so then it has to be caused by something they're adding? Something about the ingredients/types of minerals &/or quantity of each ingredient/ minerals that's causing my allergy??... in any case, when I took 2 Benedryls with filtered spring water my itching & other symptoms greatly subsided, thankfully... so I'm wondering if I'm allergic to Sulphate SO4 2- ?? Cause after checking their ingredients I noticed Sulphate is listed?? Hmmm...and I noted I don't have these reactions when drinking plain Seltzer or club soda. . I'll have to do some more research to see if this is the cause for me... but I'm glad I'm not alone with experiencing itching after drinking San Pellegrino Sparkling Mineral Water... thanks so much for Lizzie for starting this thread.. and hoping you're doing better... all my best..

  • Seattleredhead
    Seattleredhead Lizzie46881

    Posted

    Short story: San Pellegrino has magnesium. A very small part of the population is reactive to magnesium with an itchy rash.

    Long story: Last summer I was prescribed a magnesium supplement to help with restless leg syndrome. About a week into taking it I would get these patches of hot, itchy skin that really bothered me at night. Nothing else in my life had changed but it took me three weeks to realize that a week after I started taking supplements these symptoms appeared. Stopped taking supplements, symptoms stopped. Tried to talk to my allergy doc about it who completely blew me off and said she has never heard of anything like this. 

    Fast forward to February.  For a big party we bought a case of San Pellegrino. Not a lot was consumed at the party to I've been drinking it every day like its tap water. A week after the party I started getting red, itchy, burning patches behind my knees and on my elbows.  Went to the doctor who said eczema (which it totally looked like) and gave me a balm to use plus low dose steroid cream and allergy medication.

    Went to the dermatologist four days later once it "spread" and got itchier.  She gave me an intramuscular steroid shot and full strength steroid cream to use topically.  Neither worked except I got a wicked yeast infection.  Went back to the derm a few days later who said my body was reacting to the yeast infection. Gave me a week of fluconazole. 

    Yeast infection cleared up, rash got worse. Went back to my doctor who diagnosed me with petryiasis rosea. Started me on acyclovir for 7 days. She drew my blood to see if anything systemic was wrong and to see if I am gluten intolerant. Blood work came back all normal, 4 days into acyclovir nothing has changed.

    So last night for s**ts and giggles I googled “health benefits of San Pellegrino”. All mineral water has some level of magnesium in it but San Pellegrino’s is higher than most.

    My conclusion: It is not viral, it is not fungal, it is not an allergy and I am in perfect health otherwise. I am going to stop drinking mineral water and see if the rash clears.  I literally cannot think of anything else in my life that has changed.

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