Weird allergy phobia - advice?

[anthrokid]

Hey guys,

I've finally come to terms with the fact that I have a terrible phobia of allergic reactions, prettymuch anaphalaxis. This is really getting frustrating because I'm constantly aware of how swollen and numb my tongue feels, even when it probably isn't. My throat and face and mouth often feel itchy too. And every time I have a panic attack I feel like my throat is swelling and like my face is swelling and my tongue also feels like it is swelling and numb. I'm so terrifed of them closing of my airways. I'm just wondering if anyone else has similar fears and has any ideas about how to overcome them? I could deal with the panic attacks if I didn't associate the feelings with allergies, I'm just terrified of going into anaphalactic shock. It's irrational, I know, but I just can't escape the thoughts!

Thanks so much for reading!

[gtrgrl3369]

Hi Amie, I have ocd and this is the one fear I cant get over either. It keeps me from taking meds and eating the foods I really want to try. I just cant get my brain to get over the fact that odds are I will be fine. I have always had ocd but this part of allergic reactions came with my panic and anxiety. Now that those are gone, I have been working on this. I try something new every week.(food). Usually right after I eat it I get the imaginary symptoms too. I still wont take meds though. I have also started carrying around antihistimes in my bag for "just in case", belive it or not it actually helps kind of like a favorite blanket. Knowing its there kind of gives me a leg up on trying new things.

[anthrokid]

Oh how reassuring it is to know you feel the same! I'm so sorry that you've had to feel this way too though, it's such a horrible feeling. I'm also really scared of taking meds. I'm currently on fluoxitine, but that's only because I've taken it in the past for depression and I know I'm not allergic to it. I've made the connection that the feelings and panic attacks happen most right after I eat. It's really frustrating because I'm so terrified of eating in general, even though I know that I can't have an allergic reaction to something I've eaten so many times before without being sick! I'm even starting to feel funny now just thinking of the feelings and the thought of having an allergic reaction. I think I might start carrying around antihistamines, that's a good idea. I've always worried that they won't be strong enough if I have a bad allergy, but really I've never had an allergy that wasn't fixed by antihistamines. Before I developed this phobia I'd only ever had mild allergies. It's just so frustrating that I can't get rid of the fear!
Thank you so much for your reply, it really makes me feel so much more at ease to know that I'm not alone with this fear.

[turtleonaleash]

Ever since my anxiety came back I am afraid to eat anything new because I am afraid it will cause me to have an allergic reaction! Right now I feel like my throat is tight and like breathing is hard, and the only "new" thing I ate today was spinach. (I have eaten spinach before but I don't eat it on a regular basis.)

[turtleonaleash]

And I do the same thing with medications! I am currently on mirtazapine but it's not helping me at all. My doctor wants to change my medication and the only medication I will take is Paxil (because I took it years ago so I feel as if it is safe.)

[anthrokid]

I'm exactly the same!
Whats helping me is the knowledge that if I've eaten it more than twice before in my life, which I have done with prettymuch anything, it's not going to give me a severe allergy because it never has before. I still get really edgy because I have allergies to peanuts and I constantly think that everything may have come in contact with them, but I keep thinking of how before I got this I would eat absolutely anything without second guessing and worrying about having an allergic reaction. I had the same thing with my medication, my psych put me on amitrypticline at first, and it was horrible! And because of the side-effects I was convinced I was allergic to it. He thought it was funny, but I didn't! I'm now on fluoxitine which is brilliant, I've taken it before for depression and so I wasn't scared of taking it again. I'm scared of anything new, but I've started eating everything anyway and just waiting out the panic attacks to prove to myself that it's just my body and not anything dangerous. Lately I've been telling myself that if it was a really bad allergy I wouldn't be thinking about whether it was or not and whether I was being silly, I'd know. And even then I keep going 'what if it is an allergy and I just think it's a panic attack then I die?' My psych and my doctor both say that there is no way it's a bad allergy and that I'll be fine. As long as I can still feel air going into my body, no matter how little, I'm still ok!

[chrislot]

High histamine is responsible for high anxiety ,as well as allergies. It can cause eczema and sinus probs also. Research histadellia, and the work of The Bill Walshe Research Institute. Finding a trained Doctor to treat you is the hardest part. I am based in Sydney and there are only 9 trained people here.

[allergyphobia]

Hi, i just wanted to post and say I am having exactly the same problem. I have always had hayfever and excema throughout my life. However a couple summers ago I ate an apple and my lips became swollen and got white dots on... this progressed to my mouth and throat becoming itchy after eating certain fruits and raw veg... anyway it turned out i had oral allergy syndrome to do with a birch pollen allergy, which is relatively common and relatively harmless. I have known the things I have needed to avoid and yet suddenly and quickly I am starting to question eating everything because I am scared I am going to get anaphyllaixis (cant even spell it!). Even though I have eaten foods completely fine before or all my life I'm now convinced I'm going to have an allergic reaction. I completely convince myself my throat is closing up. It's awful, and i'm scared i'm going to become one of these people who only eat bread or something!! so yeah, that's my story and i just wanted to say i know how you feel and how lonely it can be. take care.

[anthrokid]

Oh thanks so so so much for sharing your story with me! I actually saw your name on another post earlier and sent you a PM asking about your experience. I've always had hayfever and ecsema too, and mild allergies. I have an allergy to peanuts the causes my lips and tongue to swell a bit, but not dangerously. I've never actually had an anaphylactic reaction! I got drugged whils travelling and the symptoms were so so so much like what I thought anaphylaxis would be and I thought I was allergic to whatever I'd eaten! Since then I've had panic attacks and I'm terrified of eating a lot in case it is an allergy. Even when it happens without having eaten, it's doing ym head in! Thanks so much for sharing your story, it's nice to know that someone else is feeling the exact same thing and I'm not the only one worrying about it I hope you start to get better soon!

[allergyphobia]

I have never had an anapylactic shock either!! it's so funny when we sit here and we speak logically about it, but when we're in the moment it just takes us away. last night i had a simple meal jacket potato with salad and i completely freaked out, i thought my neck was swelling, my arms were tingling... i actually had NO reaction, and i'm still alive and kicking this morning but i get so frustrated that it turns into a panic attack.

how are you coping with it? are you just avoiding lots of foods? for some reason it's dinner time where i seem to get the most panicky, i've started to avoid going out for dinner etc in case they handle nuts or things i might be allergic to in their kitchen (i have never been allergic to nuts!!!!!) i am driving myself nuts haha

thanks for the PM and we can talk there or on here whichever is easier... that is awful about you being drugged and i think it obviously links back to that experience, are you speaking to anybody about how you feel? i am a bit too embarrassed to go to the doctors, do you feel the same?

thanks so much for sharing - my mild allergies also just make lips tingle etc but NOT dangerously - why so we think something so bad will happen to us and no one else!?