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Suspected allergy but symptoms have persisted for weeks

Posted , 7 users are following.

jess2196
jess2196

Hi everyone,

Im hoping someone can help me as im starting to get a bit concerned. Im 19, 5"8, 125 pounds and up to the start of my symptons i went to the gym 5 times a week and am a big health freak. 

Almost a month a go i suffered what i believe was an extreme allergic reaction and from googling (i know you shouldnt!!) i had all the symptons of an anaphylactic shock. I am certain it was from fruit as the symptons came on around 15 minutes after i had a fruit salad i made with strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango and grapes in. (I already avoid bananas as everytime i eat one i suffer from extreme bloating and end up being sick and/or diarrhea) Over the course of 8 hours, until i went to sleep, i had cold sweats, then i was boiling hot and then cold again, bloating, developed a rash on my arm, dizziness, nausea and then sickness, diarrhea and then my chest tightened up, i could hardly breathe and it brought asmtha-attack like symptons on (i do suffer from asmtha). I was driving when this happened and just rushed home as i didnt know what to do. When i got home i was sick and had diarrhea and then i had a constant acid like burn in my throat for the following 2 days - i guess thats just from being sick. I also developed eczema on my neck and still have this now, it flares up sometimes but i have never suffered from this before.

When i woke up i was ok apart from my stomach which still felt a bit iffy but that didnt surprise me.

I went to my GP and he basically said nothing can be done as 'i am a young, healthy girl with no family history of this problem' but said he will just send me for a blood test as nothing else can be done and doesnt like doing allergy tests as they are hard to find!?! My white blood cell count came back satisfactory and i am awaiting the other test results.

I have eaten each fruit seperatly since this happened to see if i get any of these effects and i did get a bit of stomach ache after eating mango and pineapple but im starting to think its now developed into something else (if possible?!) as the stomach ache has never gone away since, every day i had an ache in my stomach, which flares up and i get sharp pains or an acid like burn - but not necessarily after i eat anything, it just comes and goes.

I have also had dizzy spells, hot flushes and bad fatigue since this occured.

I have eaten fruit all my life which is also why im thinking it wasnt the fruit but i just dont know what else could have caused that???  I do drink a lot of coffee but always have drank cit, although i do feel i am dependant on it as i get headaches when i dont have any.

I am starting to think maybe its IBS as dairy products do effect me - i cannot have cream and cheese and milk makes me very bloated and makes me need the toilet. I don't eat any bread, rice, pasta etc, i only eat oats for breakfast which contains gluten??

Sorry for the long post, i just hope someone can help me. It's effecting my moods, i constantly feel upset and down as i can always feel an ache in my stomach and always bloated and has stopped me from going to the gym which is also getting me down. 

Thank you for any help, it will be appreciated x

 

1 like, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • SteV3
    SteV3 jess2196

    Posted

    Hi Jess,

    Maybe IBS but it could be a Lactose Intolerance, maybe try a few foods that will not affect you this way, Milk (full cream), cheese, and dairy products are the worse possible products that can irritate this condition.

    Try without for around 48 hrs, you can purchase Lactose Free products.

    Please let me know how you get on.

    Regards,

    Les,

    • jess2196
      jess2196 SteV3

      Posted

      Hi Les, thank you for your advice I really appreciate it. I definitely think lactose has something to do with it as earlier this week I had a meal with cheese (and I never eat cheese)  and I felt awful afterwards for hours. I will avoid all things dairy and see how I get on.

      Thank you smile 

  • Bumblebea
    Bumblebea jess2196

    Posted

    Jess. how interesting. This is an excellent post.

    You have to try to help yourself here. I suspect the coffee !! Go one or two weeks without any coffee. (this has a terrible effect on the brain). If you are keen on good health, I am surprised you would want to damage your body by drinking it. Maybe if you could start by having decaf. On another week, go a whole week without having any fruit. (far less damaging than coffee). Then try another week with gluten free products.

    My suspicion is the coffee. It is just sending your body and brain into overdrive.

    You could also consult an Allergy specialist privately. Google it and find someone near to you. This would be a very good investment, and as you are abviously keen on good health, the only way you are going to get a definative answer. Ignore your doctor, they cannot be bothered with anything that is out of the ordinary. It takes up too much of their time. Look forward to hearing how you get on.

    • jess2196
      jess2196 Bumblebea

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply, it has been really helpful. I am suspecting that it may be coffee now you've said that, I did have a coffee half an hour before I ate my fruit (when the reaction happened.) I have read negative things about coffee but also positives which is why I have just continued drinking it. 

      I have looked into an allergy clinic, they are quite expensive but I do think it will be a good investment as then I hope I will have an answer to my problem. 

      I am quite scared to stop drinking coffee as I have read withdrawal symptoms can be quite bad but in the long run it will be for the best if it is coffee causing this. I will definitely try the week by week elimination diet , I think this will help.

       

      thank you for your support Bumblebea smile 

  • Guest
    Guest jess2196

    Posted

    Bumblebea is totally right, I find the allergic attention in the NHS a waste of time, however.

    Should you be in england this is a list of the allergic clinics in the NHS

    http://www.bsaci.org/find-a-clinic/index.htm

    A GP may refer you to one.

    I would not even bother to see the same GP, it seems that every time I post I have to recall that a GP is not compulsory, that you can change him at will.

     

    • jess2196
      jess2196 Guest

      Posted

      Thanks for the info Dave, I'm thinking about paying to go private I think it will be worth it! 
  • mrsmop
    mrsmop jess2196

    Posted

    Bumblebea's post is interesting because as I read your post, Jess, I thought that it was the caffeine that was causing your problems.

    When you withdraw the caffeine, you will go cold turkey and get headaches.  It takes about a fortnight to recover.

    Caffeine isn't only in coffee, it is in tea and soft drinks, like Coke.  It is in some over the counter medication too

    I have found a link which I will send you and hope it helps.

    Good luck!

     

    • jess2196
      jess2196 mrsmop

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply, after reading bumblebea's post I am now suspecting it may be the coffee causing this problem. 

      I have heard the withdrawal effects from coffee can be quite bad but I guess it wil be better in the long run if it is the cause of my illness. 

      I only drink coffee, tea and water I don't drink fizzy drinks but I think the high levels of caffeine I drink may be the reason. 

      Thank you for your support smile

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop jess2196

      Posted

      I have just remembered that in the past, I have occasionally had a pain in my abdomen following drinking coffee.  I like espresso coffee and am very fussy about flavour!!  I now restrict myself to on mug of tea when I get up, the one or 2 coffees before lunch, otherwise I can't sleep at night and then I might have a cup of decaf tea at about 3pm.  The rest of the time,  I drink water.  I take a mix of drugs for my various conditions and have gone off  a lot of foods/drinks, hence the water.

      As yet, I haven't found a decaf coffee that has the flavour of the caffeinated coffees but with tea, I like the flavour of Yorkshire decaf and Sainsbury's decaf.  I like what they refer to as 'builder's tea'!

      Have you ever tried Red Bush tea?  I drink it with milk, which you can.  It is very refreshing and totally caffeine free.

      I tried the fruit teas but found they made me very thirsty.

       

    • SteV3
      SteV3 mrsmop

      Posted

      Hi mrsmop,

      I like this line in your post "I tried the fruit teas but found they made me very thirsty."

      My wife drinks these and many others, she asked me once to try one, the smell alone was enough to put me off.

      To me tea is "normal" tea, not a concoction of flavours! lol

      Regards,

      Les.

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop SteV3

      Posted

      You are completely right Les,  I ought to have written Tisane, which is what I was referring to and not a proper tea!

      I only started to drink it because it was caffeine free but to me, it has very little flavour.

       

    • jess2196
      jess2196 mrsmop

      Posted

      Thank you for your help. Since Friday I haven't had any coffee, apart from feeling extremely tired I haven't had any bad stomach pains really. I did however have a bad reaction to a smoothie I made on Saturday which made me sick and dizzy but once I sas sick I was ok (won't be having that again!!) 

      i bought some of the Redbush tea you mentioned, I love it, it's got such a nice flavour, thank you for recommending that smile 

      im going back to the doctors on Friday so I'll see what my GP says, Im thinking about paying to go private, it will be worth it if they find out my problem.

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop jess2196

      Posted

      You sound brighter, Jess.  I'm glad you like the Red Bush tea.

      What did you put in the smoothie?  

      I forget what I was watching on television but they said that it was better to eat fruit as it comes, rather than juice it or liquidise it.  And blueberries really are the super foods that they say.

      My daughter gave me some Blueberry bushes for Christmas.  It appears that they are very easy to grow but you might have to compete with the birds when they fruit!

      Good luck on Friday, let me know how you get on.

       

    • jess2196
      jess2196 mrsmop

      Posted

      I had strawberries, blueberries, a couple of dates, some cashews, greek yoghurt and some soya milk. Yes i have heard that as well, better to eat them in their natural form and i think that might be right! 

      Oh that sounds a good idea, i would love to grow my own fruit, i might look in to that although the birds would probably get there first!

      Thank you smile

    • mrsmop
      mrsmop jess2196

      Posted

      We'll have to invest in nets to keep the birds off!
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