Was this an allergic reaction?

[Sparklydiplodocus]

I know we aren’t drs here but thought I’d ask what people thought.

I’ve never had coffee because I don’t like the smell. However this evening my dh came home with a coffee cake and he said I should try a piece as it was really nice.

Turned out he was right and it was lush.

However within a few minutes of eating it, I had this horrible feeling in my mouth and throat. It’s hard to describe but it felt like my tongue was too big for my mouth all of a sudden and my throat felt difficult to swallow.

We were debating going to A&E but I really didn’t want to go there unles absolutely necessary so we gave it a bit of time to see how it was.

I’d actually taken a heavy duty antihistamine dose about 90 minutes earlier as I have to every day for other allergies, so I wonder if that kept it just about bearable. After a few hours it has calmed down somewhat.

I'm guessing nuts in the coffee cake. Sounds like an allergic reaction. You should see your GP for long term strategy. Throw the whole cake in the bin for now. Don't kiss DH tonight. Maybe take another antihistamine tonight.

Or phone 111 for advice

Were there walnuts in the cake?

It does sound like an allergic reaction.

See if you can get an ingredients list for the cake and also make a note of all food, drink and meds you took today, and then see you GP.

Also, taking antihistamines can mask the signs of a more serious allergic reaction so if you have any further symptoms please get medical advice asap.

There's absolutely no reason to think it's nuts over any other ingredient, so don't assume it's nuts. If it is an allergic reaction it could be anything.

Yes that’s an allergic reaction and you should be very careful. Definitely need to contact your GP as that’s new and unusual, and if it was going on for a few hours you probably should have gone to hospital

Sounds like quite a worrying allergic reaction. Which might get worse again when your antihistamines start wearing off.

@Yarnivore

There's absolutely no reason to think it's nuts over any other ingredient, so don't assume it's nuts. If it is an allergic reaction it could be anything.

This. I have exactly the same type reaction you describe but with milk and fish, it isn't necessarily nuts. Could be anything. I suffer tingling and swelling of the lips /mouth with both. Go to the doctors to find out what you're allergic to

Yes it was, and quite a serious one. Please see a doctor and get tested for allergens. You may wish to discuss adrenaline shots in case it occurs again.

Yes my brother in law had this and he's now been booked for allergy testing. X

Thanks all. Thankfully it’s pretty much gone overnight but I’ll call the dr tomorrow. No more cake for me! I eat nuts a lot so suspect it wasn’t that, plus I picked them off the top as I don’t like them.

The walnuts I mean!

Definitely pursue it. As pp said, antihistamine can mask the effects of a reaction so always get yourself checked. That's what happened to that poor girl who ate sesame as the food wasn't labelled properly. She took antihistamine but it masked it and the reaction killed her.

Could be anything. I also eat a lot of nuts but have realised recently that whole hazelnuts that still have their skin make my mouth feel a bit funny.

Unfortunately eating something a lot doesn't protect against becoming allergic!

Good luck with the doctors. Did you take any photos? If it happens again take pics of the reaction.

You can develop allergies to things you have previously enjoyed your entire life.

For me the problematic coffee cake ingredient would likely be cinnamon. Oh how I miss cinnamon.

It was, I has a similar reaction after eating a pasta dish I’d had a million times before. Find out from the cafe the exact ingredients, they’ll have them. Then talk to your GP, they should send you for allergy testing as you had such an oral reaction.

When I was sent the allergist told me people can just develop allergies out of nowhere, mine was chillies. He had an 85yo who had developed a strawberry allergy, she’d eaten them her whole life.

You say you have pre existing allergies so it sounds like there was an ingredient in the cake that you are allergic to.

On the topic of this I only recently learned that pink peppercorns are actually part of the cashew family which is quite scary as its becoming quite a widely used ingredients and very few people including chefs are aware of this which could be so dangerous to anyone with a severe nut allergy.

I spoke to the dr and he was like just don’t have coffee cake again. No offer of allergy testing!

@Sparklydiplodocus that’s awful! Check with the cafe what the ingredients are and then see if you can figure out which one is. It could be coffee or walnuts but make sure they don’t have any ‘special’ ingredients in it that aren’t obvious.

My GP said if it ever happened again to get to A&E because it can get worse a second or third time and travel to your throat. I hope like mine it never happens again 🤞🏻

Hi op, please make sure you always have antihistamines on you. Handbag, car, hallway table, office. Take one immediately you feel throat swelling etc. Make a list of the cake ingredients, even though you picked the walnuts off the top you will still have ingested tiny amounts. Allergies are very unpredictable, you can also develop an allergy to something you previously had no problem with.

Insist on allergy testing in a hospital setting as a matter of urgency. I would avoid all nuts (eggs?) and anything else you suspect caused this in the meantime. Avoid takeaways where ingredients are not listed, homemade brownies at a coffee morning, cereal bars, read the ingredients.

My DS has life threatening allergies and you showed the classic symptoms. I don’t want to frighten you but read up on it and get tested.

Don’t be fobbed off by GP, tell him/her you require a referral letter. It’s their job.

Thanks guys. I’ll call the dr back tomorrow and ask for allergy testing. It is still worrying me. Good idea about carrying antihistamines.