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Thread: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    212

    Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    Hi
    i really dont know how much more i can take to be honest, after eating anything i am scared im going to have an allergic reaction and die. The thing is after i eat my throat feels tight and i worry that im going to not be able to breathe and then i get a numbing sensation in my cheeks and lips and it feels like they have swollen even though they dont look it. im really at the point where i dont know what to do because before i eat im thinking along the lines of "i might have an allergic reaction, i could of developed an allergy to this" therefore i tend not to eat it.

    im really really drained, i should be eating more than ever now because i just came out of hospital on friday after having a section, and i went for days without eating, just drank the tea they supplied etc and now i feel weaker than ever and obviously sore from the operation. But my constant fear is my breathing. Its all i think about 24/7. I feel like i have a constant struggle to breathe and eating and allergies etc panics me more.

    In the past i have never had an allergic reaction to anything, but over the years i fear that i have managed to delvelope some, so i stop eating my fav foods, i cant eat chocolate as a treat cos it says may contain nuts and stuff etc.
    Does anyone feel the same? and does anyone know if u can just develope allergies to things that u never used to have them with.


    In the past back in my happier days i used to eat anythingm i used to love peanut m&ms or fruit and nut bar etc. Now the thought of having them terrifies me. Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    95

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    I think we are long lost twins.

    I used to eat everything too, fish, nuts, anything. Slowly I became afraid of allergic reactions developing, I stopped eating nuts, then fish, then different fruits, and now I'm phasing out red meat. I, like you, have never been allergic to anything, nor are my parents, I've never even had hives in mny adult life.

    I don't know what advice to give to you though. I had this when I was 18, it lasted for a solid 5 months, I lost so much weight. Then one day, honestly, it mostly just vanished. I say mostly like, my favorite food is sushi, and I'd order it, then kinda say uh oh, what if I'm allergic, then it'd kind of leave my mind and I'd enjoy my food.

    Now I'm 24 and its been back. I try each day to eat a new food in a "safe" place (I sometimes park outside the emergency room). It's scary thinking reactions could occur at any time but these things relax me : usually if youre going to become allergic, you start out with hives or some other reaction, people dont always die from these reactions. Try carrying benedryl or some other antihistamine, just in case, it makes me feel like I always have a back up just in case.*hugs*

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    54

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    you really must realise that surely the chances of you having a reaction are the same as you catching any other disease or illness. there are probably lots of stats saying you are 10x more likely to contract so and so then develop an allergy. if you get what im trying to say, you could develop anything tomorrow... so we cant live in fear of what we may develop (i know that this is far easier said than done)

    Have you ever had an allergy test? Ive had one before and they tested everything - (it was when i was younger to determine skin reactions) this may give you piece of mind?
    i know where you are coming from with breathing. I like to think i have overcome it now because i grew tired of always thinking about my breathing. Like literally i thougth about it so much that i forgot what it was like to breathe naturally and i couldnt bring myself to breathe naturally,i felt like i was thinking about and forcing every breath in and out. i dont know how i got out of it, like i say, i just grew tired of feeling like i couldnt breathe so i said to myself enough is enough and anytime the feeling came to me i said NO and stretched out and focused on something else. dont know if this is similar to you. xx

  4. #4

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    I can really relate to you,I always think im going to take an allergic reaction,its what causes my panic attacks!I was prescribed antibiotics by my doctor yesterday for a chest infection and cant bring myself to take them as Im afraid of having an allergic reaction,even though ive taken them before!I know im being stupid but panic outweighs logical everytime!

    Feeling pretty anxious today as I have the cold aswell!I always carry a packet of benedryl in my handbag as a kind of safety net!!

    Your not alone!xx

  5. #5

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    I am exactly the same :( I was fine while on anxiety medication (still wouldn't eat nuts though) and could eat but now I'm off them it's so much worse, every time i eat no matter WHAT it is, I have major panic attacks and think i'm having a reaction :(

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    , , Canada.
    Posts
    62

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    I am exactly the same only I actually had an attack a year ago. I ate a veggie burger and then my tongue started to swell. I ended up in emergency. I had a lot of testing done but they could never totally figure it out so I have a real reason but I take it to the extreme and even if the food is something I had before and was fine, I still freak and get the breathing issue you mention. You are not alone in other words. I carry an epipen and medication just in case. i also worry every time I take a medication like others have said. I would love to know how to shut it all down and just be, but for those of us, like you, who are over sensitive to everything, that doesn't seem possible. Just know I, and others, are out here too, equally freaked out. Hugs,
    __________________


    I am all of these characters all rolled into one! Sallad [43married, four boys]

  7. #7

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    Oh my gosh! I thought I was the only one who felt this way! It is so comforting to find other people who also have this issue. My fear of a reaction though is mostly to the top 8 allergens. I am intollerant to gluten, soy and dairy, so I already have to avoid those foods. I don't think i have ever had an allergic reaction where my throat swells up, but I always feel like it is! A few times, I did feel like my throat was going to swell strait shut, but I imagine this was just a panic attack about something unrelated and I just happened to be eating at the time. So now I am not eating gluten, soy, dairy (those ones are real), peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, etc. I am terrified to eat any new foods. If it is a food that I have eaten many times, I don't have the same level of anxiety about it.

    The thing is, I went to a therapist about it, and she told me it wasn't a big deal and I didn't need to deal with that anxiety issue. Sheesh. On the search for a new therapist now. I am also in the process of gettng an appointment with an allergist so that I can be tested for all the allergens and put my mind at ease. It would def. help my husband feel better if I would starting eating more foods again. He gets very upset with me for not being willing to eat them.

  8. #8

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    I wonīt eat shellfish, even though Iīm not allergic. I am usually apprehensive about new foods. I went years without eating nuts either, then had some therapy for that, a few glasses of wine and a packet of peanuts later I confirmed the fear was in my head and now I eat nuts again all the time. I havenīt eaten shellfish for years, but I might follow the same tactic to conquer that. My plan B is to eat a bag of prawns outside A&E to prove to myself I am not suddenly allergic.

    I am also afraid of new mouthwashes, medications, skin creams and shampoos etc. In case I am allergic. Again, with no history of being so. I donīt let the fears beat me, and will eventually use these products, but will only do it if I have someone in the house with me, it is the morning, and if I am in a calm state of mind.

    Itīs just the fear of anything that gets into your mind, then you avoid it, so the fear becomes bigger.

    I have a long list of things I have built phobias up on, being afraid of things became a habit for me - and itīs comforting to come on here and see the first people I have ever come accross who have had the same fears as me.

    you can get over them though!

  9. #9

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    i have this same problem unfortunately i have no idea how 2 overcome it im actually afraid im going 2 die because of it i went from 193 pounds to 119 pounds in less then 8 months i have 2 force myself 2 eat (on the days that i actually do eat) right now the only thing i can convince myself 2 eat is a cheeseburger i dont know what 2 do about it but im glad im not alone i been looking for ppl whos dealing with the same thing because honestly i felt like it was just me......it doesnt help that i have 4 kids and am afraid im going 2 die and leave them alone even though if i dont eat im going 2 die anyways ugh just wish i knew what 2 do i wish we all knew what 2 do

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    141

    Re: Allergic reaction after every food fear :(

    Omg I am so happy to hear I am not alone!!! I had cbt for this and the only way to attempt to conquer it is to make yourself eat whatever you are afraid of and work through the panic attack! It is really hard to do, I had to sit with the consultant and eat some nuts, I had a full blown panic attack but my throat/tongue/lips didn't swell up and after a few more attempts I believed I could eat nuts! Now I am not cured it is a work in progress but it makes me feel better knowing I know the technique to conquer it! I still struggle especially when feeling low, trying new foods or having medication like antibiotics etc but at least I have the knowledge of how to try to not let it control me x

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