Weird allergy phobia - advice?

[anthrokid]

Ugh it's so frustrating, I do the same even with simple foods! I really hate eating out in case they've been handling nuts or something else I might be allergic too. I'm actually allergic to peanuts so that's where my nuts thing stems from, but not dangerously allergic! I'm driving myself nuts too, lol! I get scared eating a lot of things, I always worry that 'this time it might be a real reaction and not panic'.

yeah, the drugs just triggered everything! I don't understand why people choose to do some voluntarily, whatever I had was vicious! I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist for anxiey/panic/everything, lol. It's helpful, but I'm still not really getting rid of the panic attacks which is really annoying me and then of course because they arent going away I worry that they're something worse, lol. I hate going to my doctor though because they always make me feel silly about everything. Like i should know it's just anxiety and I should just forget about it. I wonder how many doctors have actually suffered from panic attacks themselves!

I have no idea why allof a sudden we thing we're going to suffer from anaphylaxix, it's really funny isn't it? We don't think that anyone else will, just ourselves. Maybe we just love being alive that much that we're terrified of anything that could kill us :P

Thank you so much for talking with me

[allergyphobia]

it's really horrible. i am not having a good day today at all. i have had this week off work in the hope i could sort myself out a bit but if anything i have got worse? i just ate some crisps and now worry i am allergic... it is stupid. i just wonder how talking to someone will help, like what can they do. i just feel so lost, it has really helped me reading your story. i think i need to get a proper allergy test done and then i will know for sure what to avoid.

take care, i hope you are having a good day today. x

[ponderthescribe]

I am so relieved. I thought I was the only person on Earth who had a phobia of my throat closing up. Much like many of you I refuse to try foods with unfamiliar ingredients. Sometimes if a bad thing happens while I'm eating a food I can't eat that food anymore either. For example, I can't eat peanut butter anymore, I avoid it like like the plague even though I ate it for 20 years. I'm deathly afraid of it now because a kid who lived near me died of anaphy. shock. The worst part is sometimes my panic just happens, even if I'm not thinking about it. It's very common at nighttime when I'm in bed or driving. And of course I have the majority of my attacks when I finish eating. It feels like my throat is tingling and I can't swallow right and that I'm struggling against my own body to keep my throat open and if I stop trying it might just collapse. Sometimes I even get tiny strikes of pain in my chest which of course makes me panic even MORE. The only things that have seemed to help are drinking water (sometimes), getting cool fresh air, Benadryl (only tried once, because medication scares me), and this one is odd but if I place my hands around my mouth and can FEEL the air rushing in and out it calms me down since I can FEEL myself breathing..much like that, if I cup my left breast and FEEL my heart beating. I know that's weird. I'm a very rational person, but in these situations panic overrules reason, unfortunately. Sometiems I even find myself HURTING myself because I will cling to my throat (w/o thinking about it) and when I realize I'm making it harder on myself to breath and I move my fingers away there is a large red spot on throat where I've pushed too hard. Lately things have been better since I know am trying to ACCEPT that I have anxiety and nothing is actually wrong with me (more than likely).

[ponderthescribe]

By the way, the more research I think I may be a victim of Histadelia (high histamine levels in blood). That one time I did take Benadryl (against my paranoid will) my nerves instantly calmed, I stopped shaking, and I practically fell asleep within 20 minutes. It was extremely relaxing.

[ponderthescribe]

amieekid one time my tooth starting aching (because of a cavity) at the same time that my "allergies" were acting up and irritating my breathing. I became CONVINCED that my tooth had turned instantly septic and the poison was traveling through my body making it hard for me to breath...the worst part, I made my boyfriend drive me to the hospital I work at. Once I got inside, being in the safety of a hospital calmed my nerves and my poor boyfriend took me home. Pretty crazy huh?

[allergyphobia]

hurrah!! amiee we now have another one to welcome into our strange little tribe - ponderthescribe: welcome!!! if you read my posts you will see we are in very much the same boat as you!

[Gaby]

Thank God I am not the only one! I felt so crazy! I am the same, I quit eating a lot of foods and medicines, even Clonazepam!! The only thing that sabed me!

[eeyorelover]

The year I hit 30 I had mild reactions to...
latex
shellfish
penicillin
and peanuts.
My throat didn't close up or anything but it sure did throw my anxiety into overdrive about ANYTHING that I might become allergic to!
I now only eat apples but no other fruits!
I'm scared to death of having a reaction to things so I take no meds, even when I've been prescribed antibiotics I couldn't bring myself to take them!!!
I say to myself that it's a silly fear but when you're sweating and scared out of your mind it's hard to convince yourself that you are overreacting!
You are convinced that the world is coming to an end!! You're dying....you just don't feel it yet!
LOL

I've had my husband drive me to the hospital only to get into the parking lot and suddenly feel better!
Can't explain how damned dumb that made me feel!

Or running around the house trying to calm myself down!
Not sure how running around like I'm on fire is calming but......
LOL

xxx
Sandy

[skylar]

hey,
I have been trying to overcome the same problem.. among some others ha. Sometimes it gets to a point where I am so afraid of eating the things I normally eat let alone trying something new. Which is very unlike me.. I used to love new foods and adventurous things! My advice to all the people suffering from a fear of anaphylactic shock is to carry an epi pen with you. If you have a severe allergic reaction it wouldnt even matter. So just keep reminding yourself that you are not allergic! and even if you are, you will survive bc you have an epi pen with you. good luck!. for info about epi pens check out.. http://www.epipen.com/page/about-anaphylaxis-index

[anthrokid]

Wow I didn't notice more people had replied to this post, but it's amazing to see that so many people seem to suffer with this!

Ugh Ponder and Sandy, I've done that before! As soon as you're at a doctor or hospital everything is okay, but if there isn't one around and you try something new all hell breaks loose!

I've always been very rational and carefree, the general free-spirited hippie, and I can't even bring myself to think about eating some foods now! Just the thought of my food touching nuts sets me off. Especially those stupid reports they have on the news about people who have allergies and die, etc. They set me off very badly.

My psychiatrist is analysing all of my allergy test results and getting second opinions to see how severe my nut allergy is (because apparently it's very mild) and if it's mild enough to not be damaging he's going to do some cbt about coming into contact with nuts. Scariest thing I can think of in my life.

I hope you're all doing alright. Are any of you progressing well?