Sudden very angry rash - food allergy?

[newposter8]

I went out for lunch today and about half an hour after leaving the restaurant, I started itching like mad, first on my neck and then all over my chest, stomach, back, arms and crotch area I also got a sudden, large swelling on the inside of my bottom lip and felt like I had something stuck in the back of my throat (but no trouble breathing). The itching was really quite unbearable and my skin was bright red with raised white areas in a few places.

I got home and immediately took an allergy tablet. DH called 111 who said they would send an ambulance, which seemed like a bit of an overreaction but I guess they have to be safe not sorry? The ambulance team arrived, they took my blood pressure, pulse and listened to my chest and everything was fine. They said to drink lots of fluids and continue with the Piriton for at least 24 hours.

The itching has now stopped, the swelling in my mouth has gone right down and my throat feels almost back to normal, but my tummy, chest and back are all still bright red.

My question really is what would you do next? Should I be contacting my GP for allergy testing? It’s just so strange as I’ve never had anything like this before in my life. Any advice very welcome!

What did you eat at the restaurant? I'd maybe contact them for a full ingredient list of whatever you consumed so you can try narrow down what might have caused it. It sounds like quite a severe reaction so I think I'd be pushing for allergy tests so you can avoid whatever it was.

What did you eat and have you eaten it before and have you eaten it from those premises previously?

It was a delicious mezze type platter, with lots of different ingredients going on. I’ve eaten there before (though not for a while) and never had any issues.

I’ve now got a bad stomach ache and am feeling quite drowsy. My skin is still bright red but I’m otherwise fine.

Is it easy to get referred for allergy tests and can they always detect the cause (even if it was some random/obscure ingredient?) It’s all a bit of a shock as like I say, I’ve never had anything like this before!

Hi OP

This sounds very like urticaria.

It might be worth keeping a food diary to see if your symptoms are linked to specific foods or ingredients. There is one particular food colouring that always triggers urticaria symptoms in me no matter what it's in.

I hope you're able to track down the source- it can be frightening. Also having a supply of antihistamines available is a good idea.

Was there any shellfish on the mezze board? I know a couple of people who have developed a shellfish allergy later in life!

No, there wasn’t any shellfish - it was actually a vegetarian dish. I will definitely be keeping a supply of Piriton in my handbag from now on!

Yes, you need to book to see your GP after a severe allergic reaction like that.

Finding allergies is really difficult. Medical advise is to eliminate foods to identify the issue but that can be lengthy etc. there are no quick tests that are truly scientific unfortunately.

Thanks so much for the advice. It sounds silly but I do feel a bit shaken up! Even though I had no trouble breathing or anything really scary like that. I’m also feeling a bit nervous of eating again. I will ring the GP tomorrow and see what they advise.

Definitely sounds like an allergic reaction. The hives are urticaria as someone mentioned but the lip swelling and restriction on your throat are signs of a more severe reaction. Definitely follow up with your GP

@newposter8

Thanks so much for the advice. It sounds silly but I do feel a bit shaken up! Even though I had no trouble breathing or anything really scary like that. I’m also feeling a bit nervous of eating again. I will ring the GP tomorrow and see what they advise.

Totally understandable by the way. Not silly at all and anxiety related to previous allergic reactions isn't talked about much but is actually quite common. Be kind to yourself about it. You've probably had quite a fright

Finding allergies is really difficult. Medical advise is to eliminate foods to identify the issue but that can be lengthy etc.

Oh no, I didn’t realise that. There were probably quite a few ingredients in the food today that I don’t regularly eat.

Skin prick tests and blood tests are totally scientific and can diagnose most cases. Just steer clear of any snake oil peddlers who promise to diagnose you by pushing on your arms and other mumbo-jumbo.

Sesame in the hummus? This is a super common allergen but maybe something you wouldn't eat often.

I have developed an almost daily skin reaction with redness and hives. It lasts a few hours. I also had severe lip swelling recently, as did DS. Apparently COVID can trigger skin problems like this. Have you had it?

The throat swelling etc is quite close to anaphylaxis, you need to see the dr as you can’t identify the trigger.

Anaphylaxis is a lot worse second time around, first times a warning. Seconds an emergency and you might not be able to get piriton down in that situation. That’s why they sent you an ambulance.

A colleague of mine became anaphylactic one lunchtime to strawberries.

Whatever you do, do NOT do York Testing - it's utter bunkum.
If your GP recomms an exclusion diet you'll need support from a dietician (not a nutritionist!) and it's surprisingly inexpensive to see someone privately rather than wait years on the NHS. I think I paid about £150 for three appointments.

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your advice!

There is a god anaphylaxis fb page which might be helpful, also look at the charity anaphylaxis campaign and the Natasha's law website. You could also Google the top 14 allergens to see if any on the list are likely candidates.

Before the resturant changes their menu get hold of the ingredients of what you ate and drank as it will help narrow down what you are allergic to if and when you have an allergy appointment or (hopefully not) have another reaction.

Calling an ambulance wasn't an over reaction, anything involving your airway, throat etc needs taking seriously.

Go see your GP and ask for a referral and to have some epipens prescribed in the mean time.

@newposter8

Thanks so much for the advice. It sounds silly but I do feel a bit shaken up! Even though I had no trouble breathing or anything really scary like that. I’m also feeling a bit nervous of eating again. I will ring the GP tomorrow and see what they advise.

Your feelings are a completely reaction, I'm on the anaphylaxis fb page and honestly so many people say the same

*I meant to say completely normal reaction

As someone who recently had something similar, you could start keeping a food diary. It's tedious but useful if it happens again to help identify the allergy. You can also Google for a list of the most common triggers and see if any of them were in your meal. For me I was referred to dermatology. Take pics of you still have anything as by the time you get to dermatology you may no longer have visible reaction. For me there wasn't an identifiable cause so my thyroid is now being tested.

I’ve just googled the 14 most common food allergens and think I eat them all on a fairly regular basis, except for soy beans. I eat a wide variety of food generally.

I wonder if it could just have been a bizarre one-off occurrence that won’t happen again? I hope so.

You need to speak to your GP, get an epi pen (and be trained how to use it) and get a referral to an allergy clinic.

Without wanting to scare you (sorry), this was like my first reaction - the second reaction ended me in intensive care.

Agree with all the above. Speak to GP and ask for a referral to allergy clinic. They can do skin prick tests and though not 100% accurate and show you where the sensitivities are.

Also strange question but was there anything in the food that you were not keen on but just ate? Sometimes that can indicate what you were allergic to.

As someone said above a second reaction can be more severe.

Rest up as such a reaction can really knock you for a day or two.