Allergies

I've talked about my food allergy's, but I don't think I've actually gone in to detail about the symptoms.

Most people hear food allergies, and figure you get hives.... and yes, that sometimes happens.

But bad food allergies are different.

And this isn't counting the ones where you wind pipe closes up... and you die.

So here's the list of things that happen.

If I'm awake when a food allergy hits......

I start feeling anxious, very anxious (hence a lot of people think they are having an anxiety attack)

But your feeling anxious because your heart beat is speeding up... that's the second thing you notice, then you get hot. No sweating, but just feeling hot, like you have a fever, a bad one.

Also included could be bad heart burn, the feeling like your going to get the runs... and sometimes you do! And did I mention the gas... whoooohooooo, gas bad baby!

After you take an allergy pill, you have to give it a good 15 minutes to a half hour, then you notice your not feeling so anxious, and the chills start. You get chills... why... who the hell knows, I guess cause you heart beat and body temp. is going down.

I always love the chills, cause I know the episode is over.

if you grab your allergy pills this can be over in a 1/2 hour. But even after all these years, when the first thing starts.... you think... anxiety attack???

Now if your asleep when it happens

AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS.... AN ALLERGY ATTACK TO FOOD IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT AWAY.... SOMETIMES IT TAKE HOURS BEFORE IT STARTS.

So don't think "it's not allergy's since I haven't eaten in hours... cause that's not right)

If your asleep, you can skip the anxiety, cause you won't notice it, the hot flash's are what you notice first cause it wakes you up.

Now another tricky thing is timing. Yesterday I snacked on sweet potato chips, nothing happened... nothing... then today I had some more... and BAMMO!!!

Sometimes you can have a little without a reaction, but a second helping will set you off.

And that's why It's so hard to detect.


Now, I'm NOT saying you have allergy's.... but if you are getting anxiety attacks, try going to an allergist and get tested!!!!

My doctor told me I was having anxiety attacks, gave me little pills for it too... but I didn't think that was the case, since I'm sort of a serene person.... so I went for allergy tests... and that's when I figured it out.

They don't test for everything, so if you still having problems and have eliminated the stuff the doc told you your allergic too.... then you go on the elimination diet.

The doc didn't test for Avocado's, or sweet potatoes, or garlic, onions and peppers. Neither did he check for rice, or corn or wheat!

I found all of those by doing the elimination diet.

What that is is a bland diet of salad, cheese, and not much else, give it a week (on the plus side you lose weight) then once a day add something you suspect may be causing problems..... just one thing... and wait.... then eat it again the next day.... If you go two days without a reaction... it's good!

Now wheat allergies gave me another reaction.... no attacks, but I always felt tired, couldn't walk far without feeling blah.. that's how I figured out it was wheat.... I went off it for a week.... and the reaction was startling!!!

I felt fantastic, loads of energy. If wheat is a problem, you are probably allergic to all glutten... like corn, oats etc.

Also with food allergy's, don't think one or two allergy pill will do.... you may have to keep taking allergy pill for 24 hours or more, till the allergen is eliminated (you know what that means, don't you... potty time!!)

With some bad food allergy attacks, I have had to actually keep benadrylle next to my bed, in case I woke up with it starting up again. And it has on lots of occasions!