March 9 -- Holy Itches, Batman!!
8Wowsers… my sympathies to all of you out there who have had Chicken Pox!!
I had an allergic reaction to something yesterday, I suspect almonds. I was itchy from the top of my head to the top of my feet!!
I was in my training class and my neck got a little itchy. Sometimes that happens when I wear cheap jewelry, but I have worn this necklace before with no issue (and it wasn’t cheap, but falls into the category I call cheap). Then my hand start to itch, ok using new handsoap, not an issue. THEN my scalp started to itch and my ears and my forehead… hmmmmm Brain is engaging, think something is wrong. Then I realize I had grabbed this small tartlet at lunch, looked like a pecan pie but with almonds on top. I loveeee almonds.
Last week, I was eating trail mix, and my tongue and lips were itchy…
sigh, I think this confirms I might be allergic to almonds.
Of course, I was at a training class, different environment, new soaps, different foods, etc. Who can tell what caused it.
Since I am a wreck medically, I called the DR office to get a recommendation on what to take to alleviate the itchies. They said, go to the ER. This is NOT a hurry case (yesterday, not saying next one won’t be). Shake my head and keep scratching during the class.
I apologize to all those drivers on the Mass Pike yesterday who had to see me squirm and wiggle to scratch all those itchy places. Luckily, they were all safe-to-scratch-in-public places.
I finally arrived home, 7 hours after the start of all of this. Took the child’s size dose of benadryl and woke up this morning feeling like I had been run over by a steamroller equipped with sandpaper rollers!!!
Soooo what do I have to expect from here on out?? Do I have to go for that scratch test? Is there a medicine that will work fast but not knock me out? What gotchas should I expect – like cross-allergies, someone mentioned peaches – do I have to give up making macarons?
arrghhh, I am imagining I am itchy just writing this!!
Obviously, I will follow up with my dr, but help me allay my nerves, please!
- 11 comments, 24 replies
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So… We should send you bags of almonds?
@PlacidPenguin don’t tempt me…
@mikibell
With what? Eating almonds?
Although to be honest, what you do with your almonds is your own business. Unless it causes personal harm or monetary damage to me. Then it’s personal.
@PlacidPenguin yes, if you send me almonds, I will be tempted to eat them… I love almonds…
Is this a properly formatted address;
@mikibell, (Somewhere in the) USA
?
Zyrtec or Claritin or similar might not have knocked you out at least.
Had a similar reaction to pomegranates once. Broke out in hives for a while.
@f00l on singulair, so I was concerned about taking those. Seems there is no conflict though…
Fexofenadine OTC (Allegra-D) works for me. Benadryl is a very effective sleep aid. Your doctor may send you for a scratch test- they draw a chessboard on you and put dots of allergens on the squares to see what you react to. It’s fun. It’s much better than suddenly collapsing because you can’t breathe.
Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweth sed and bloweth med
And springeth the wde nu,
Sing cuccu!
@OldCatLady The -D means it’s also got a decongestant (pseudoephrine? phenylephrine? depends on if it’s on the shelf or if it’s behind the counter, at least in the US). At minimum it’ll cost more compared to the antihistamine without the decongestant, at most you’re risking side effects for something you don’t need. That being said, if you’ve also got respiratory symptoms, the combination is a wonderful thing.
@OldCatLady I was surprised that Benadryl was used as a sleep aid and to help with Parkinson’s… so strange…
@Kawa good to know…
I was gonna say you might have oral allergy syndrome, but since the itching was all over (but somehow not the bottom of your feet
) I don’t think that would be the case. Almonds are part of the birch pollen oral allergy, so might be something to keep in mind, just in case.
@pitamuffin bottom of my feet might have been itching, but I was driving for most of the afternoon
I read somewhere that birch pollen can affect apples too… sigh… I hope it was something environmental that was unique to the classroom…
You’re doomed.
@Barney yes, yes, I am…
@mikibell At our food co-op last month, we got these chicken breasts that were stuffed with an apple and almond stuffing. Yum! Oops, sorry about that. (No, not really. Anyway, I wouldn’t share with you. I wouldn’t want to make you itchy.)
@Barney you are meannnnn!
@mikibell Hey, since you are mfladd’s shirt orderer, what size does he wear? And yes, I am mean. Sorry.
@Barney he wears a large…I can forward it to him if you want…
@mikibell Thanks, but if he wants a flask shirt, he’s gonna deal with me directly whether he likes it or not.
My experience with antihistamines is that the non-drowsy ones (fenofexadine/Allegra, loratadine/Claritin) are less effective than the sedatives (diphenhydramine/Benadryl/Unisom, hydroxyzine/Atarax), but can work for less intense cases. Fenofexadine works better for me than loratadine, to the point where I can hang out in a tiny apartment with a large cat for a few hours without distress, though I haven’t tried cetirizine/Zyrtec for comparison and I don’t pet the cat.
They used to prescribe the sedatives in high doses as anti-anxiety drugs and as part of anesthesia! I had really severe hives from a mix of allergies and stress last year, and got prescribed hydroxyzine. I don’t use it regularly, just when I’m too anxious to sleep - and I can’t use it during the day. And if you want cheap diphenhydramine, pick up the version marketed as a sleep aid (Unisom), not as an anti-allergy med (Benadryl) - they’re the same thing!
@Kawa cool to know about Unisom… yes, I am cheap. I know I have to work on remembering to avoid almonds. Have a dr appt in May… smh…
Really sorry to hear that @Mikibell!
@dashcloud I normally would say, this too shall pass, but I am thinking it is not true!
For allergic itching, try a combination of an H1 blocker + an H2 blocker.
Of the H1 blockers, cetirizine (Zyrtec) is on average the strongest, but it’s trial & error to find the best for you. Decongestants won’t help for itching, just keep you up and raise your blood pressure. Of note, levocetirizine (Xyzal) will be available OTC soon and may be worth a try.
The H2 blockers are usually for stomach acid, but will add to the relief, although they won’t help by themselves. Best bets would be famotidine (Pepcid) or ranitidine (Zantac), but once again, trial will find the best for you.
The ED likes to use H1 + H2 + a steroid, but you can’t buy steroids, they need a Rx.
My choice for eating shrimp is Zyrtec 10mg + Pepcid 20mg.
Hope you feel better.
@2many2no I have a supply of steroids for the asthma/winter situation I normally have. I seriously considered popping one last night. I really wish I could have just talked to the dr… also, I read, if it gets bad enough that the inhaler I have would not have been a bad idea. But, luckily, breathing was not an issue
Why does the stomach acid help? I didn’t notice any stomach distress??
I feel better except for where I scratched myself raw without thinking about it…
@mikibell In this case you’re not using the H2 blocker for its acid blocking effects, but to augment the effectiveness of the H1 blocker. The reduction in stomach acid still occurs, but it is secondary to the boost in H1 blockade when used this way.
It is better to avoid use of systemic steroids unless absolutely necessary. Even though single doses are relatively problem free, repeated doses, even over a period of time can cause serious problems. For instance burst therapy (e.g., Medrol Dosepak) generally shouldn’t be used more than 2 or 3 times a year. Also steroids are immunosuppressants, which would be bad if you have scratched through the skin. The general warning is don’t start steroids unless any suspected source of infection is controlled.
Locally applied steroids, like creams or an inhaler, are much safer. Just don’t apply the cream all over (which can cause enough absorption to have systemic effects) or for a long period of time (which can cause the skin to become thin and fragile.) The warning about infection still applies though, so avoid broken skin.
@2many2no
What about all the OTC nasal steroid sprays? Is continuous use a prob?
@2many2no thank you…
If I am lucky, I do the steroids at most twice a year. It is definitely under dr orders… I always have a dose on standby for the day he requires me to take it immediately. Funny enough, the allergic reaction was mild (still serious) compared to the difficulty I have with asthma. Stupid cigarettes!
@f00l @mikibell The nasal and inhaled steroids are low-dose local applications that at normal doses rarely have systemic effects. They are designed for long-term use for chronic rhinitis/nasal allergies and for COPD treatment or asthma prevention.
As long as you don’t exceed the dose directions, you should be OK. They can mask early symptoms of infection, so you need to be aware of sudden changes in your condition and see your Dr pretty promptly just in case you need treatment for infection.
@mikibell, long story short, about 3-4 years ago after eating all sorts of nuts including almonds for about 50 years with absolutely no reaction at all, my girlfriend suddenly developed a severe almond allergy and now carries an epi-pen.
Would you please consider going to the doctor SOON to get tested for allergies? Sensitivities do not go away as you get older. They can get much worse very suddenly. Please go. And don’t try conch fritters. They broke me out in hives from scalp to between my toes, including ears.
@OldCatLady Yep, and she is an OLD lady.
@OldCatLady appointment with gp is already made…he will send me to the right place. It was always my intention to see the dr
I know that annoying feeling. I have allergies and mild eczema(mostly just makes my skin dry). Sometimes I think that itchiness is the eczema since I’m on three different kinds of allergy medications and I’m getting shots to build up my resistance.
I find that taking a shower usually helps along with moisturizer. Whether I’m washing off whatever I’m allergic to, or it soothes the eczema, I don’t know.
I actually go to a ENT office for my allergy shots. The scratch method was, uncomfortable, but not the end of the world. They did a majority of them on my back and then you have to lay there for twenty minutes to see what reacts. Then they did about a half of the amount as small injections on my arm. That was worse because I could actually reach what was itchy, so I was really tempted to scratch.
Luckily, I’m not deathly allergic to anything. Annoyingly, I’m allergic to really common stuff that I’m in contact with every day.