Fear of food allergy and anaphylactic shock

[xfilme]

Back in November 2008 I broke out in a rash as a result of taking two antibiotic tablets. I was suffering from health anxiety at the time and was feeling very vulnerable. Just recently, I have started to suffer from a crippling fear I might have a reaction to a certain food causing anaphylactic shock. I live alone, this is probably the larger part of my fear as I feel I couldnt get help if I needed it. It has now got to the point im afraid of eating without someone with me in case something happens. I suffer from hayfever and occasionally bananas make my throat itch and a couple weeks back I convinced myself my lips swelled after eating a raw carrot.... which to be honest, may have been more anxiety than actually having a reaction. I have become afraid to eat. What can I do? help me? I know its irrational as Ive never had a severe reaction to food before, but I have iron deficiency and im afraid it could make me more sensitive. Someone put my mind at rest? I cant afford to stop eating properly :(

[madcowmonty]

I can really relate with you (my thread in phobias). I got to the point that I would only eat icecream, milk and oats (image my waistline now!!!). I ended up making an appointment to see an allergist (not until June!!). I am seeing a psycologist for my food fear, and yesterday, he went with through some baby steps.

First, he asked what food i had eaten in the past that I knew did not cause a reaction (I went into a panic), but he then asked what I knew deep down I can eat. One of my phobia foods, were nuts, so he produced a nut (which I had a panic attack), he sat beside me and talked me through my breathing which help. I then ate the nut (panic again!), did breathing, and I sat in his waiting room for 1 hour, (no reaction), then every hour I ate a nut until my mind said "this is stupid, look you can eat nuts". He said to try it with other foods as well. Tomorrow, I am trying seafood.

Maybe you can try this method with someone with you? But believe me, I know how scary and frustrating this could be and my heart goes out the you. Big hugs. (sorry if this was too long)

[xfilme]

do you have an epipen? i dont, because ive not been tested for allergies and my doc thinks its not necessary. its so scary x

[Blot]

My golly gosh, I have the same phobias about food. Although I tend to have skin sensitivity to certain substances & to some meds, I cannot think WHY I have developed a fear that I will have an anaphylactic reactuon to certain foods. My food phobia includes nuts, peanuts,mushrooms, all fish & shellfish. I am too embarrassed & ashamed to discuss this with my partner who, I am sure.will help me to overcome this problem.
I truly understand how you feel!

Anyone with ideas, please let us know!!!

[ailsajayne26]

I had the exact same problem after a very mild possible reaction to amoxycillin a few years ago, got so I wouldnt eat most things and if i had to eat something new spent the net hour feeling like my throat, face was swelling and couldnt breathe... even if i was ok with something once i still wouldnt eat it again if i could help it. Eventually my dr signed me up to a course of cognitive behavioural therapy which worked wonders, It took time but Im pretty much ok now (altho Ive just posted about antibiotics cos im still scared of them lol!!) I very occassionally think oh god what if im allergic to stuff but thats usually when im feeling bad anyway (which is very rare!) and I always manage to talk myself down without emergency trips to the drs or swallowing antihistamines lol!!

Please please dont feel embarassed, I was at frist but then if ound that if i was feeling like that but could say to whoever i was with that i was worried at any time then it almost felt easier, kind of like well at least they know so can get help if i need it, and that did help a lot!! Plus I finally owned up my most embarassing thing to my ex and he doesnt even remember now (I used to have to put my chewing gum somewhere in a wrapper that i could check because i had decided if i didnt know where it was then i had breathed it in)

I really hope that helps, and just remember that one day it will get easier, it might not feel like it but it will xxx

[fantaman32]

This is my first time posting here as this particular site caught my eye whilst randomly "trolling" the web.

When I was 17, I actually did go into anaphylactic shock several times. The first I inadvertently avoided major crises by taking a anti-histamine for what I thought was going to be a bought of hayfever. Within a few minutes I was in a pretty bad way but the anti-histamine prevented any further reaction.

The 2nd time (within the same week - 2 days later), I was not so lucky. I went from strange itchy rash and slight cough to completely not being able to breathe within 5 minutes. All I remember is itching is all over, gasping for air and the feeling like my head had just been crushed in a vice.

The reason I am recounting this is not to scare you but to try and add some perspective. THEY NEVER FOUND WHAT I WAS ALLERGIC TO. I spent the next god knows how many years of my life crippled with fear and no one seemed able to help me or tell me what was wrong.

Everytime I ate seemed a task akin to crossing motorway lanes on foot, blindfolded with ear plugs in. I felt like I was gambling with my life every meal.

It destroyed me, my confidence, and my life.

It only took a very sad day for me, when I sat down to eat the same meal I had eaten 5 days in a row (i.e. tried and tested). That it suddenly struck me that this wasn't living at all. I realised I had become so wrapped up in myself and my fear of death, that it had me trying to protect this "oh-so precious" life of mine at the expense of actually living my life.

I had done nothing, and I wasn't proud.

When I realised this and accepted the fact that I cannot control everything. To not fear death but to embrace all the time that is gifted to me before. Whether it be natural causes or not.

I now don't even carry and epipen or anti-histamines. I love my life and I achieve so much. I am proud of myself and smile more in a day now than I ever did in those dark years in total.

Undiscovered allergy or not, that isn't your problem. Your problem is your fear and attitude. Forget about food or allergies, they are just your projection of your anxiety about your fragility.

Learn to accept this, don't waste your time worrying because its time spent in vain. And the end of line is loneliness, isolation and unhappiness. Please, if I can do anything here let these words help you. I have been there, and its hell.

[fantaman32]

p.s. coming to terms with this has also helped me conquer my other 2 fears aswell, fear of blood and fear of being submerged in water.

I have actually been taking swimming lessons this year (wouldn't even get in a pool before), and I'd have to say its my new favourite hobby. I go 3 times a week.

You can do it too, you are not powerless. Just say to yourself your not gonna put up with it anymore and take control.

[lrforge]

This is my situation right now to. I had the symptons of ana. shock to a T. Now I have been panicking all day. Any words of encouragement?

[den68]

i was just like you scared of nuts, strawberries, plumbs, melon and loads more, hair dye, medication, bubble bath the list was endless. i got bit abroad and started feeling sick, dizzy, pins and needles , lump in throat feeling so i thought i was allergic and too scared to take a antihistemine. Any way this fueled it, and then i had the flu and had to take a parecetomal which i managed but had the same allergic feeling but continued taking them when my husband convinced me it was just panic. Then i saw a photo of my hair and thought god iv got to do something so i got a dye did some patch tests and went for it again i felt so ill but it was panic. I will be dying it again soon and am prepared for the panic this time. I am cracking it bit by bit, and am going to go to egypt in november to prove to myself ill be ok and am teaching myself to take travel sick pills and antihestimenes are the next on my list, and then i am going to try and eat a strawberry. The stupid thing is i have never had a reaction to these foods and deep down know its all in my mind. Take one thing at a time and once you feel comfortable with it move on to the next
denise:yesyes:

[mumsie]

Hi I too have a fear of allergic reactions to foods. Ailsajayne26 how did CBT help you with this. I am having CBT at the moment and it has been good for anxiety and panic, but not so much for the food fear. I do expose myself gradually to foods but it takes ages to feel comfortable with a food and at this rate I will still be at it when I'm ninety. Has anyone tried hypnotherapy or NLP for this. Thanks

[lrforge]

Do you guys ever get that itchy/burning tongue from anxiety? Sometimes, I get that feeling and start to wonder if it is an allergic reaction. I am scared to take benedryl to! Also, if I walk in a certain part of town, I get hives on exposed skin....

[mumsie]

Hi Irforge. Yes I get a tingly burning tongue quite a lot from anxiety. I think anxiety can give you symptoms that are similar to allergy symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, constricted feeling in the throat and lip tingles etc.
Weird about your hives! Can you connect it with something you are coming into contact with, if it is only on exposed skin?

[Mitzybx]

Thank you for sharing I feel like I am going mad suffering the same problem I had one reaction to seafood it as now been banned from my house i read and re read every packeted item I buy and even at times convince myself that indeed that label must be lying that I am best off making my food from scratch which is time consuming and painfully stressful with four kids and 2 men living here..... I am booked in for testing in 3 weeks but am so anxious about attending the impending sense of doom will no doubt over ride and make it near impossible for me to attend but I ope to over ride this........

I can not thank you enough for sharing this aspect of anxiety It gives me hope that I can come out of this very black cloud I have placed myself under

[Marj]

Hi that sounds like me a few years back. I had a reaction to some antibiotics (hives only) a long time ago and straight after I didn't have any problems. However, at some point I started having this irrational fear that I could get a really bad reaction to all kinds of things, fruit was my worst thing and this was limiting my life for years. I am afraid that I can't say there was any one thing that changed it but one time I just decided to eat a banana when I was in an environment where I knew I could get help if I needed to. Nothing happened, apart from me remembering how much I like bananas. Then I started eating other things as well. I still don't really eat nuts (I don't actually like them) and sometimes still get this anxiety if I have eaten something and feel that my ears are itching inside or maybe my lips are swelling but it doesn't control my life anymore. Unfortunately I still struggle with other health anxiety issues but if I know they can be conquered. Also, when I was a kid I was so terrified at water that I could not put my head under the shower and had to wash my hair in a bucket but can even swim now (badly). Be kind to yourself and believe that this will pass. All the best.

[honeyb]

I won't eat anything with nuts in it or shell fish for fear of a allergic reaction. I'm now scared of eating full stop because my heart always speeds up after eating and that scares me. (I know it's normal for it to increase slightly, but i always thinks its racing).

[Marj]

I am no medical professional but my understanding is that your heart would speed up because the blood goes into your stomach and your body needs to digest the food. It's normal although I know some alternative therapists say that if the heart speeds up too much (?) that particular food may not be best for you (again am a layperson with interest in nutrition). I do understand your feelings though, really well, as my heart issues have stopped me going to the gym. Also, do you think that if you feel anxious about eating this could increase your heart rate too?

[JJJW]

i was just like you scared of nuts, strawberries, plumbs, melon and loads more, hair dye, medication, bubble bath the list was endless. i got bit abroad and started feeling sick, dizzy, pins and needles , lump in throat feeling so i thought i was allergic and too scared to take a antihistemine. Any way this fueled it, and then i had the flu and had to take a parecetomal which i managed but had the same allergic feeling but continued taking them when my husband convinced me it was just panic. Then i saw a photo of my hair and thought god iv got to do something so i got a dye did some patch tests and went for it again i felt so ill but it was panic. I will be dying it again soon and am prepared for the panic this time. I am cracking it bit by bit, and am going to go to egypt in november to prove to myself ill be ok and am teaching myself to take travel sick pills and antihestimenes are the next on my list, and then i am going to try and eat a strawberry. The stupid thing is i have never had a reaction to these foods and deep down know its all in my mind. Take one thing at a time and once you feel comfortable with it move on to the next
denise:yesyes:


OMG reading this nearly brought tears to my eyes... I am in my early 30's and I too have teh same fear as you... strawberries, NUTs and any food containing nuts - which makes life sooo difficult - new foods, hair dye, wasp/bee stings, touching new things, medications.. all scare me soo much and every day I am scared.. and I dont even need to.. antihistine - scared, dodgy water scared, breathing in something, scared, in the garden, scared... I hate it soo much.. I I cant see it being ant different = I also have anxiety with eating and choking - so I have much difficulty swollowing... I can only sip the smallest of liquid - I hate it.. my husband dosen't understand... he is not overly symphatetic.. I just want to eat and drink normally like everyone else and do things without fear in my life everyday - lip stick, no.. new products/make up - no, hot tubs, no... the list is endless... reading ppl who have really pushed themself, wow, I am in ore, I don;t imagin I could ever eat a nut or sea food... I am ever scared when my family eat them.. I have a fear for them.. as well as being around them.... I have had CBT for my swolling and councelling - but didnt find any help :-( apologies for spelling :-)

[burgundysuitcase]

Hi guys,

I'm aware that this is a very old thread. I have a shedload of what I call 'non-allergies', mostly towards nuts, mushrooms and the 'usual suspects'. I'm not actually allergic to any of them. I used to enjoy them all in abundance. I do believe we can become sensitised by the media... my non-allergies extend to hair dye (I dyed my hair maybe twice a week for over 20 years). I did get past this one last year by dying my hair under the supervision of a friend who has genuine allergies to a variety of foods, and to nuts. I thought I was swelling up. I wasn't. My hair looked great). The only real allergy I have is hay fever. What can we do? We research as we need to know, and we get hit with conflicting views. One headshot of an allergic reaction can put us guard in hundreds of ways.

[GingerFish]

I have this exact fear too although mine wasn't caused by a reaction to anything in the past, mine is due to OCD. I have a fear that I will take a reaction to foods I have even ate a million times in the past with no trouble. Anything I eat, I sit in panic mode for the first 5/10 mins to see if I take a reaction. This has affecting my eating that I have lost a stone recently and I no longer eat when I am away from home which can be quite a lot as I have to watch my mum's cats a lot for her.

[emily67]

i fear i might have a reaction to sausages (which i absolutely love sausages)

years ago when i was having a really bad day of anxiety, i had sausages and i felt really ill afterwards- and it put me off them.

i love them. i know i should really try again (because i honestly do like sausages), but like you.. i fear i've developed something to them

is that strange?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi guys,

I'm aware that this is a very old thread. I have a shedload of what I call 'non-allergies', mostly towards nuts, mushrooms and the 'usual suspects'. I'm not actually allergic to any of them. I used to enjoy them all in abundance. I do believe we can become sensitised by the media... my non-allergies extend to hair dye (I dyed my hair maybe twice a week for over 20 years). I did get past this one last year by dying my hair under the supervision of a friend who has genuine allergies to a variety of foods, and to nuts. I thought I was swelling up. I wasn't. My hair looked great). The only real allergy I have is hay fever. What can we do? We research as we need to know, and we get hit with conflicting views. One headshot of an allergic reaction can put us guard in hundreds of ways.

Hi and welcome to NMP :welcome:

There is a long running thread here as well that might have some useful responses for you:

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=72538

Also, a new thread has just popped up about a similiar theme so perhaps someone else you talk to?

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1472463#post1472463

[Bcmomma]

I can completely relate to this. I found out that I have a latex allergy and while that explains some of my food sensitivities (banana, avocado) it does not explain my extreme paranoia about other foods. I have had unexplained blistering in my mouth a few times over the past six months or so and I have convinced myself that it is food allergies. My diet is extremely limited now, which is not helpful because I've already lost around 40 pounds in the last nine or ten months. I feel the same way about most medications and usually cut them in half even if I've taken them many times before (except asthma inhalers and Benadryl when I'm having visible blistering and tongue discomfort- those I can take no problem!)

I think I will ask my doctor about CBT. This is really debilitating.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I can completely relate to this. I found out that I have a latex allergy and while that explains some of my food sensitivities (banana, avocado) it does not explain my extreme paranoia about other foods. I have had unexplained blistering in my mouth a few times over the past six months or so and I have convinced myself that it is food allergies. My diet is extremely limited now, which is not helpful because I've already lost around 40 pounds in the last nine or ten months. I feel the same way about most medications and usually cut them in half even if I've taken them many times before (except asthma inhalers and Benadryl when I'm having visible blistering and tongue discomfort- those I can take no problem!)

I think I will ask my doctor about CBT. This is really debilitating.

Definitely worth pursuing therapy, there are plenty of us who have issues with food, supplements and meds. In my initial breakdown I even stopped using my asthma inhalers due to worry over it increasing my symptoms and had a rude awakening in the form of a mild asthma attack.

I wouldn't take paracetamol or even harmless vitamin C. You have to expose yourself to these things to get beyond the fear and it will eventually go. I've resolved a lot of this in myself after years of not truly facing it.

You can do it!

[DonnaT]

I have a 8 year old son, when he was 2 he had a bad reaction to something. I know what it was but dont want to worry you more. A year later he had another bad reaction this time Christmas day. He is allergic to every type of nut and I mean EVERY TYPE. He is allergic to cats and grass. He is also badly asthmatic so any time he has even a small reaction it could send him in to a major asthma Attack.

I'm telling you this tho not to frighten you. It does not worry him one tiny bit. He enjoys life we still check every food and cats are a big no no but he isn't worried about any of it. If your worries push your gp for a test, dont give in at all but I sure your be fine and if you do have another allergy your be fine. If you are worried carry a bottle of antihistamine with you. We carry a bag with 3 inhalers. Eppi pen, antihistamine. about my little one he loves life, he eats well runs about outside and really enjoys his life and is so full of energy.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I have a 8 year old son, when he was 2 he had a bad reaction to something. I know what it was but dont want to worry you more. A year later he had another bad reaction this time Christmas day. He is allergic to every type of nut and I mean EVERY TYPE. He is allergic to cats and grass. He is also badly asthmatic so any time he has even a small reaction it could send him in to a major asthma Attack.

I'm telling you this tho not to frighten you. It does not worry him one tiny bit. He enjoys life we still check every food and cats are a big no no but he isn't worried about any of it. If your worries push your gp for a test, dont give in at all but I sure your be fine and if you do have another allergy your be fine. If you are worried carry a bottle of antihistamine with you. We carry a bag with 3 inhalers. Eppi pen, antihistamine. about my little one he loves life, he eats well runs about outside and really enjoys his life and is so full of energy.

What a great little lad. You must be incredibly proud.

Kids seem to take such hard things in their stride. I'm always so impressed when I see how much they can go through, I just wish that didn't have too.

[Seanpat]

I tested positive today for a bunch of food allergies. Milk, whey, wheat, gluten, peanuts, almonds, garlic, beef, mustard and a few others. It is freaking me out. After both meals today I had what I was afraid was anaphylactic shock and it went away after a couple of hours. Tonight after dinner it happened and I was not eating anything that I am allergic to unless it was in the sauces they gave me. I have had allergic type reactions to foods in the past but mild. Sneezing, bloating, indigestion but now my mind is wondering if all of the panic attacks I have been having were really some sort of allergic reaction to food rather than panic. I am now afraid to eat. I called my internist tonight and he assured me I was not going to die and I didn't need an epi pen. For someone with panic attacks getting a "real diagnosis" of food allergies is a bummer. Now my mind is telling me I am having some sort of physical allergic reaction rather than a panic attack and it is worse. Anyone else tested positive for allergies and have this same issue? How did you convince yourself it was panic and not an allergic reaction?

[rabbit76]

@fantaman32 I know this is an old post, but thank you for sharing your story. I have sent you a private message and I hope you are well.