What's your weirdest allergy symptom?

[SweetSilver]

Sometimes I feel like an old geezer predicting the weather....

(Say like an old geezer:)

Fat tongue and tickly lungs-- must be corn

Fat eyelids and tickly lungs-- peanuts must've snuck in

Tingly jaw-- soy in the forecast

Panic attacks/ racing heart--oats--dang allergies!

Today I started salivated heavily after eating a cookie with eggs (naughty, naughty) and I wondered, what are your weirdest allergy symptoms?

[nerdmomma6885]

Really?? when you suffer from oats, you get panic attacks and a racing heart?? I never heard anything like that before! so you're fine w/o oats- no racing heart or panic attacks? AWESOME! I wish I had the same thing going for me.....

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by nerdmomma6885 

Really?? when you suffer from oats, you get panic attacks and a racing heart?? I never heard anything like that before! so you're fine w/o oats- no racing heart or panic attacks? AWESOME! I wish I had the same thing going for me.....

I never heard of it before either!  But sure enough, it happens......  and panic attacks/racing heart/confusion were all on the symptoms list that the allergist handed me.  Why didn't I hear about this before?  Ah well....

Last night my tongue got swollen and fat after dinner.  What the hell !!!???  I had sweet potatoes, rice, chicken and broccoli and some butter.  Red wine.  Nothing different, but I did cook a pot of rice for dd and dh.  Does *rice steam* cause this kind of reaction?? (I am allergic to rice.)  I know if I get a lungful of oatmeal steam my heart races briefly about 3 minutes after, but tongue swelling?  Was it the sweet potato?  I know fruits and veggies can be touch and go sometimes, but this?

Weird, weird, weird.  I don't I will ever figure it out entirely.....

[nerdmomma6885]

Possibly. After all, there are people who if they get a whiff of peanuts will get a reaction. Why shouldn't yours be different? Just musing here....

[SweetSilver]

My daughter's allergist thinks reactions from smelling peanuts is all in the head.  Well, not "all" because people end up in the emergency room from it, but what he means is there is a powerful mind-body connection in regards to allergic reactions.  I can understand that.  It could have been a real reaction to..... nothing.... to the thought of it.  

Hm.  Who knows?

I "just muse" all the time.  

[scsigrl]

Some foods give off proteins and some don't.  It's been shown by several well known drs. that peanuts do not give off proteins.  I believe egg is a big one but I forget.

[SweetSilver]

That makes me curious then, what about cooking steam?  I mean for grains, etc. not necessarily peanuts.

[scsigrl]

I guess it would depend on if the protein is denatured at the boiling point?  I am not sure.

[nerdmomma6885]

Quote:

Sometimes I feel like an old geezer predicting the weather....

(Say like an old geezer:)

Fat tongue and tickly lungs-- must be corn

Fat eyelids and tickly lungs-- peanuts must've snuck in

Tingly jaw-- soy in the forecast

Panic attacks/ racing heart--oats--dang allergies!

Today I started salivated heavily after eating a cookie with eggs (naughty, naughty) and I wondered, what are your weirdest allergy symptoms?

Fat lips and rashes- must be perfume

Passing gas/burping too much- must be dairy allergy

I can't remember anything else- but there you have it! :)

[heatherdeg]

Well, along the old geezer line... gotta pee AGAIN when it's only been 3 minutes since last time--darned salicylates (berries, oranges, apples, etc.)

That's my weirdest one, anyway...

[SweetSilver]

Thanks everyone for responding.  This forum is so rife with worried and confused and desperate parents, that I just wanted to laugh a little.  Glad others can take a moment (at least with our own allergies!) and talk about it carelessly.

[nerdmomma6885]

Yeah, I know! I think that if their allergies aren't deadly, most people can laugh about their symptoms if they're really crazy. I mean, really!?! fat lips for perfume allergy!?! I found this out when everyone was wearing perfume at a party at camp as a teenager (I know, right- perfume in the WOODS? Crazy), and my friends noticed my lips swelling- and I was like, what the heck? but its true.... 

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by nerdmomma6885 

Yeah, I know! I think that if their allergies aren't deadly, most people can laugh about their symptoms if they're really crazy. I mean, really!?! fat lips for perfume allergy!?! I found this out when everyone was wearing perfume at a party at camp as a teenager (I know, right- perfume in the WOODS? Crazy), and my friends noticed my lips swelling- and I was like, what the heck? but its true.... 

Indeed, crazy, but that's teenagers for you.  I'm sure it made quite the story for everyone else too.

Last night I was reminded of one of my more annoying symptoms-- the insides of my ear tickle and itch.  I think it was because I had my cat on me while I was watching TV.  Usually it becomes intense during grass season, so I forgot about it until last night.  I.... can't.... reach it!!!!!  So I have to wiggle and pull and rub my ear (usually left if that isn't strange enough) and nothing helps.  Oh, well.  Better in some ways than sneezing until you pee your pants.  Man, I hate it when the bar gets set that low!

[nerdmomma6885]

Wow... really? You can sneeze until you pee your pants? Interesting. I didn't know that was possible. Then again, I've never had that happen to me before....

[SweetSilver]

Oh man, I wish I didn't know how possible it was!  It only happens during grass season.  I don't medicate except for now and then because I haven't found a medication that works the way I want.  I *hate* the 24 hr stuff (are they all?) because my nose and lungs start being irritated after about 12-16 hours, but long before the waterworks and sneezing start kicking back in.  That leaves my body no way to get all the pollen out and it drives me nuts.  No, I only medicate if I'm going to a barbeque or something else where I have to do something besides sneeze, cry, and blow.  So, I get these sneezing fits on bad days that are really, really tiring on the old pelvic floor.  I do kegels like mad, but those sneezes day after day, occasionally 12 or more in a row, just wear those muscles out.  I hate it!  Thankfully I'll be moving further away from that grass field behind my current house to the forest, where any grassy area is small enough to mow.  I just hope the alder trees don't give me as much grief as the grass (I don't think so, we had that property for 15 years and I've never had that kind of trouble.)

[nerdmomma6885]

Wow, that's really bad. I don't really use allergy medicine too much, but yeah, I know what you mean about the 24-hour medicines. But aren't they better than a few hours' relief, or none at all? OK, I know that's not exactly reassuring, but yeah, I know what you mean. I've had allergy-induced headaches before and the 24-hour meds only work for so long until I wake up in the middle of the night with a very, very, VERY bad headache that I can't sleep anymore. Sigh.... Do you know when your meds start to wear off, or is it only when you start sneezing really badly that you know? My doctor told me about some natural treatments that could help you, if you can't find any good regular meds that work for you (actually, I have it too, but not as bad as yours, so that's why I know about it). Here's a link to information on natural medicines for seasonal allergies:  http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/relieve-allergies-natural-way I don't know if these'll work, but my doctor seemed to think they could help if my allergies ever got bad- although I haven't gotten to try them yet- so here you go.  I know how it is- it's hard, right....

[SweetSilver]

Thanks for the link!  Yes, I do know when it starts wearing off, and I don't sneeze, can't sneeze, just feel kinda like sadistic dust is getting into my nose and lungs.  No, it is mostly not worth it, though when I want to be sociable with friends and family it is.  I know, personal preferences.  Thanks for sympathizing.  Sometimes, natural remedies that are supposed to help (local honey) are pretty good anyway, so in those cases, who really cares if they work or not?  I love a little spoonful (Ok, a gallolop) of honey every day!  

[FoursCompany]

i absolutely get the puffy, inflamed and itchy eyelids. i can not stand it when my body has this reaction but i can't seem to link it to one specific thing. i think diet definitely plays a role. if i give in and itch them, they get so much worse so i have to just fight the urge, which is so difficult.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by FoursCompany 

i absolutely get the puffy, inflamed and itchy eyelids. i can not stand it when my body has this reaction but i can't seem to link it to one specific thing. i think diet definitely plays a role. if i give in and itch them, they get so much worse so i have to just fight the urge, which is so difficult.

I remember that itch!  Not on my eyelids but my back.  ARGH!  Just one scratch-- but no!  For me it *was* diet related and traced it to the oats in my diet.  Actually it was the other way around-- ditched the oats and that horrible itch went away.  That's funny/ strange/ weird that it's just your eyelids!
 

[nerdmomma6885]

I'll respond to your post, SweetSilver later (I don't have the time right now, sorry), but I came up with a list that we could do!

You know you have an issue with your allergies when....

• You joke that you have a 'lifelong cold' (this from my DDs!)
• People call you Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer year-round... and the nickname sticks!

Etc. You can add more to the list- feel free to do so. I want to see your opinions. Unfortunately, I was going to put down another one, but then promptly forgot it. Maybe this is a good sign?..... LOL.