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Allergies and intolerances

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Original poster

swollen face

14 replies

Soly · 24/03/2004 16:38

Hi, this is about me not my baby. I suffer from eczema intermittently but seem to have it under REASONABLE control at the moment.

In addition to eczema though, from time to time my face swells up overnight - it varies but is usually around my eyes. In the past it has always gone down over a day or a couple of days. However, this time it started a week ago and every day it has puffed up again overnight. I take antihistamines every day and it subsides during the day but I want to know what is causing it. Does anyone have any experience of this and can shed any light? (Have been to GP who says it is not an allergy and is not worth testing as there are so many things it could be).

OP posts:
lieman · 25/03/2004 16:02

The same thing has just happened to my 3year old son. He had a nasty rash for 4 days which I was treating with an emmoliont cream then I got up this morning and he was unreconiseable, his face was very swollen. My G.P. say it is an allergic reaction and exzema but he has never had this before and no one in our family suffers from this. He is now on a steroid cream and anti histamines which I hate giving to him. Has any body got any ideas.

hercules · 25/03/2004 16:49

My son had something similar and we were told it si an allergy but could be anything. He may even have touched something than rubbed his eyes. His eyes swell up about once a year and we just give him an antihisamine when it happens.

SoupDragon · 25/03/2004 17:10

Excessive dust (presumably an allergic reaction to dust mites) used to make my eyes swell up quite nicely. I also had an allergic reactio to something I ate which made my face puff up around he eyes. Antihistimines sorted this out.

Do you have anti allergy pillows etc?

SoupDragon · 25/03/2004 17:11

How about fluid retention which drains away once you're stood up during the day?

fio2 · 25/03/2004 17:47

Soly my stepdad gets this from time to time and it is caused by an allergy. He had to have anti histamines and uses piriton now if he feels it coming on again

Original poster
Soly · 26/03/2004 17:24

Thanks for all your responses - I am going to invest in those covers for my pillow and duvet this weekend just in case it is dust mite allergy. What I just can't get my head around is why it only happens sometimes - why doesn't it happen all the time? (Obviously, I'm glad it doesn't....).

If it makes a difference I will let you all know.

OP posts:
Original poster
Soly · 26/03/2004 17:27

SoupDragon - did anti allergy pillows sort out your puffy eyes permanently?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 26/03/2004 18:46

They did sort out the slight wheeze I used to wake up with but I've since reverted to new feather ones and have no problems. The puffy eyes generally only appear if I'm forced to do a lot of cleaning in a dusty place.

Hope you find a "cure". It's really not an attractive look is it?!

JJ · 30/03/2004 19:42

Soly, I have ideopathic angioedema (ie my face swells up for no reason). I've got some antihistimines (Zyrtec) and steroids to take at the first sign of it. I can usually get it under control in a day with those.

But I've got a history of odd immune system thingies (that's the technical term..). I get it when I'm v stressed and a little sick, generally. It used to be that I'd get cold sores, then for a couple of years it was the angioedema (which hasn't happened in about 6 months!) and now, around the times I'd expect to have my face swell up, I get a weird form of eczema on my palms. ANYWAY, I'm not allergic to anything, I've moved and done the tests 3 times! (I don't get cold sores anymore it seems to be one after the other and the angioedema started after a bout with cellutis, don't know why or if -- it's over with)

If I were you, I'd get some Zyrtec and prednisone (the steroid I take) and take them as needed. HTH. Let me know if you have any questions!

Just fyi, I'm not as sickly as this makes me sound!

robinw · 31/03/2004 04:21

message withdrawn

turkishdelight · 07/04/2004 22:56

soly, and robinw- have you heard of Bee Pollen?? I believe it's good for allergies- pollen, pet allergies etc., it won't help with food allergies, and I'm not sure about dust mite. But one of my friends, he used to take antihistamines during pollen season, having taken bee pollen for a few months, he desensitized his body, and when the pollen is out he does not need his antihistamines any more. One thing to bear in mind though is you need to make sure you are not allergic to bee pollen before taking it. Hope this helps.

suzywong · 07/04/2004 23:04

Soly and lieman
This happened to me for the first time in my life three weeks ago. Swollen eyes, I looked like I'd been beaten around the eyes but with out the bruising. Doctor gave me benedryl and it eventually subsided. Felt like a freak for a few days.
So empathy and sympathy to you and your poor old DS, but cannot shed any light whatsoever on what caused it. But will read your thread with interest.
(I also had livid red itchy patches just below eyes too)

What on earth is it???? Do you think it is purely seasonal?

starry · 10/04/2004 22:06

MY FIL has recenly been diagosed with nut allergy (predominatly walnuts) where his symptoms are face swelling) He has these symptoms for over a year and was told it was NON ALLERGY before finally getting tested!

Stedders · 02/09/2004 16:37

My youngest son has got an allery - I think it's to do with the water in Wales - he only seems to get it when he's there! He gets a really bad rash under his skin - tiny little spots - and his skin becomes incerdibly dry. His face also swells up so badly he's unrecognisable. The doctor has give him Piriton for it but it seems to take ages to go away. Does anyone else have an allergy like this?

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