is it possible?

[becs]

the week before this anxiety state began i had developed an allergic reaction to a hair dye to the extent where my face forehead swelled and i had dermatitis on my scalp i had to be on anthystimines for a week . before that i was very well working as a midwife and generally enjoying life how can this be soo sudden i just dont get it i have a lovely family and home no major concerns

now i am suffering from anxiety and the physical symptoms are really getting me down the constant tingling kind of like a hot pins and needles sensation on face head arms sometimes legs , feel nauseous , heart racing , dizzy , cant concentrate or make decisions , crying feel totally overwhelmed and gittery , cant control temperture cold and hot, o appetite , cant sleep

i am wondering is it a possibility that the hair dye allergy triggered something maybe my nervous systom has been over stimulated by the cheimicals or even too many antihystimines have triggered something

does anyone have any ideas on this would really appreciate some advice

[Veronica H]

Hi Becs
I carry an Epipen of adrenalin as I have an allergy to Kiwi fruit. I found this out about four years ago. I was rushed to A&E with my face and eyes swollen and sadly because I had swallowed some my throat and tongue were swollen and closing up. I was pumped full of anthystamines and went home shell shocked and frightened. Your nerves are bound to be over sensitised after this experience Becs as your body must have produced a great deal of adrenalin to try and fight off this 'threat'. It will get better. Anxiety and panic can develop from an incident like this so I would try not to read too much into it. In the NMP Shop they have a book by Dr Claire Weekes 'self help for your nerves' which will reassure you.

Veronica

[becs]

thankyou so much for your reply really helps, becs

[Cathy V]

Hi becs, the fact that your face and scalp are still tingling really does sound like the after-effects of your reaction to that hair dye. I really think that given a bit more time it will all work its way out of your system. Besides this any excess adrenaline can produce alot of awful anxiety symptoms, as we anxies on here know only too well!

Please dont get too upset about it, as long as you dont give in to the anxiety which can then become a problem in itself, im sure this will pass quite naturally. Think of it as a temporary blip...and dont use the hair dye again ok? :D

Take care
Cathy xxx

[Tom_M]

Hi Becs

Histamine is a biogenic amine neurotransmitter, much like serotonin. Taking antihistamine can upset the delicate balance this chemical provides in the brain. Basically, you take something like tranquillisers to stop anxiety which effects the bodies own built in tranquilliser, so when you stop taking the medication, there's no natural way to deal with anxiety, so the anxiety is much worse than before you went on it. The same goes for antihistamines. Once you've been on it and come of it, the brain lacks histamine and it will take some time for it to get back into it's normal chemical balance. This would also explain the racing heart and the pins and needles which can be due to low levels of histamine.

Tom

[Cathy V]

Tom...how do you know all of these things? you are so great at explaining things and you make so much sense. I think i'd want you around in a crisis :)
CV xx

[Tom_M]

I'm a bit of a sad person Cathy. I spend a lot of my time reading e-books on things that bother people. I have a link to a site which as literally tens of thousands of medical e-books mainly for third world doctors - it's an hypochondriacs paradise. So what I post is information that I've got from a e-book written by some expert on the subject.

I really like to help people if I can. I've been ill with my emotions myself so I know how it feels to be left in the dark about anything that as to do with how you feel when depressed or anxious.

Tom

[becs]

thankyou so much your answers this has really helped and reasurring to know

[leigh08]

very strange you have litraly have same problems that began my problems?

about 5 years ago i used a cheap hair dye to bleach my hair blonde and it didn't take the first time so i had to do it again anyway i noticed a couple of days later that my face had become slightly puffy then began having symptoms you described

[becs]

really what symptoms did you have

[jill]

Hi Becs, :D:hugs:

You have great replies, as always, Tom has given great info there, ohh I found reading that very intresting. I have read abit about serotonin, because at the mo, I have been panic, high anxiety free for along time,because of this great site(:hugs:to everyone) but around my period, mmm, having few probs, so looking into that.

Hunny, it is sooo important to see this problem you have as NOT a permenent thing, you said yourself, you have NOTHING going on in your life right now, which is keeping these symptoms going, it is sooo easy when are chemical inbalance goes haywire, to asume, this is forever and this feeds anxiety, Please hun, see this as short term, try and stay positive doing the things you have always done.

YOU TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXXX

[leigh08]

all the physical symptoms you described i had also except i have flutters in my stomach, breathing problems and sight problems they came later on in the years i even thought what you thought when you mentioned how can someone so up for life all of sudden get so low i just wondered does your face around the nose and lower forehead still seem puffy. i don't won't cause you any fear but i still do have a puffy face after 5 bloody years i did go to my doctor today to tell him that i found it to coincidental that someone else began there problems the exact same way as mine but he was down playing it

[worriedGrace]

I am allergic to latex and have ended up in hospital several times. I am also allergic to bananas kiwi fruit chilli and chestnuts. I was always anxious but my allergies have made it worse.

I am so glad you mentioned hair dye because I am going grey and toyed with the idea of using it. Now I certainly wont. It's too much of a chance to take.

PS I hay people who on hearing of my allergy to the food they have served up say "Just try a little".I have also had lectures on allergies being 'all in the mind.