People who have anaphylaxis reactions to things, can I ask some questions?

[Sandinplaces]

Can I ask what your symptoms were before it turned into an anaphylactic reaction?

My drs are a bit shit and dismissed me last year saying it's just what happens with a wasp sting but this is what happened..;

I got stung on leg by a wasp in November in the morning. It hurt a lot. No biggie.

All day I had electric like shocks from the sting up my leg, up my back into my neck, I'd say it happened once every 5 minutes with goosebumps every time.

Later that night I took my trousers off and the sting was a red area 8 inches wide and the same long. It was raised and sore for days. Antihistamines helped a bit by the shooting pains terrified me.

Do I need to go back to the drs and ask them for an epi pen? I know wasps are fairly rare but it was such a scary experience- not the big welts or the initial pain but the shooting pains and goosebumps every time it shot up to my neck. Or was it just a fluke that hit a nerve?

Not me but my sister. Her face and neck swells up and she can’t breath, happens very quickly so no real symptoms beforehand as there isn’t time. She carries an epi-pen, but hers is a reaction to various foodstuffs.

Some allergic reactions can become accumulative (not sure if that is dr speak), but what I mean is each reaction will become more and more dangerous. I don't know much about wasp stings, but I have gone through anaphylactic reactions with both myself and DC.

Where we live you can purchase an Epi-Pen over the counter at the pharmacy. I would definitely recommend you carry one as it does sound like your reactions are getting worse. Hope this helps

I have a food allergy so a bit different but the last (and most serious) reaction I’ve had actually started very mildly. It started with a mouth tingling sensation which I get frequently. I just take an anti histamine and stop what I’m eating and it’s usually fine. It was 2 hours later the anaphylaxis kicked in. That started with an unbearable itchiness all over my body and quickly escalated to not being able to breathe and face, mouth and throat swelling.

(I have absolutely no medical knowledge of this) but if you're worried I would definitely see a Dr- possible anaphylaxis is something you need to get checked out.

But it does sound like it could have hit a nerve.

Also - Wasps really aren't rare!

@RebeccaCloud9 I know haha the GP was pretty useless and said it's November- there are no wasps- why do you need anything??

Mine is a food allergy, so different to insect stings. But here is a link to the allergy management plan that's used in Australia, with symptoms and actions listed. HTH

www.allergy.org.au/images/stories/anaphylaxis/2017/Anaphylaxis_Epipen_Personal_Action_Plan_2017_WEB.pdf

I was stung by either a bee or a wasp 3 years ago and experienced a anaphylactic reaction. I was gardening and pruning a rose bush and sat on it (ouch!!). I thought it was a thorn so carried on. Basically I started sweating profusely in odd places- top of my head, bottoms of my feet, hands. Then I got big hives on my face and neck and then the rest of my body. My whole bum was swollen! My throat then began to feel like it was starting to close. It wasn’t quick- over the course of an hour at least. I was given an epi pen following this and have had to use it once since. Wasps are quite common and can be aggressive depending on type and if they are building a nest. Paper wasps are particular nasty.

I have food allergies and have had multiple anaphylactic shocks (mainly whilst I was a teenager and they struggled to diagnose my exact allergies!) My very first symptom is an extremely bad mood ( I turn into a complete bitch), then uncontrolled coughing (airway beginning to close down) then swelling, rashes, impending sense of doom all quickly follow. I have been told my presentation is unusual as I tend to get the internal symptoms of throat closure and drop in blood presssure before any outward symptoms.

TBH No one can 100% understand what you were feeling online and it sounds like it must have been scary

But aside from the shooting pains (which I wouldn’t necessarily associate with anaphylaxis) it sounds like a normal reaction to an insect sting.

Again, I do really want to stress that I don’t know what you felt on that day and the days after so I definitely could be wrong! I’ve been stung by a bee in November before as well but also know a little about anaphylaxis and allergic reactions.

When I was stung the pain lasted for days! It was so red for ages and I can kind of imagine what you meant about shooting pain because every time I stretched the skin where I was stung I got a pang of pain.

Normally with anaphylaxis it will start with rash/hives etc. But then you might get a tingly mouth/neck area or start feeling like your throat is tight or sore and generally the symptoms will be localised within the throat/mouth/lungs area.

I'm ridiculously sensitive to all insect bites and stings. Whatever reaction is normal, I get it multiplied many times. An 8" swollen, hard, hot area is not at all unusual for me. Antihistamines help a lot with the initial reaction and with the itching. The pain from wasp and bee stings lasts a long time, and I get numbness, aches and tingling for weeks after the sting has healed completely.

I have, however, helped look after colleagues during anaphylaxis episodes, while waiting for the ambulance, and my reaction is entirely unlike theirs. The main difference being that mine is localised and theirs is general. My reaction gets to a certain point, then doesn't get any worse, whereas theirs gets progressively worse.

I've had insect stings that have been incredibly painful, and our nerve pathways are quite extensive, so it's hardly surprising.
My daughter has a nut allergy, which initially presented as a sudden onset of large hives & welts that had spread rapidly. I took a picture (after she had eaten something with hidden nuts), and showed our GP, in his 60s with years of experience as he put it, and he completely dismissed it. If he had a pound for every parent who thought their children had a true food allergy, he would be rich. The next time she had the same ice cream, she had a full blown reaction. Large hives around her mouth and neck, extreme coughing, struggling to breathe. It was very frightening, and blood tests showed she did indeed have a 'true' allergy. Needless to say I was pretty angry with this doctor!
If in doubt, always check it out.

It sounds like it his a nerve? The only time I've had nerve pain with anaphylaxis is when steroids have been injected too quickly.

Otherwise, it's just stomach pain and vomiting.

For me, I get a deep red rash, swelling, bronchiospasms, vomiting, low blood pressure (less than 50 over something) and a drop in oxygen to below 80. It happens within minutes and I do feel like the world is collapsing in on me. I've been intubated three times and the allergy clinic are still being shit... So you are not alone with the shit allergy clinic experience.

Can you go private?

Secrets how are her reactions getting worse? Op has had one wasp sting unless I'm missing something?

This just sounds like a reaction not an allergy. Obviously not an expert so double check (again) with GP if you need to

OP I suggest you get hold of some liquid antihistamine (Piriton etc). You can buy this across the counter. It's not as good as an epipen should you have a major reaction but it will buy you a bit of time and will certainly help with more minor reactions. You could keep a botle at home and another in your handbag.

It does sound like a normal insect sting - they are nasty and it possible hit a nerve too.

I have four very strong allergies. But 1 of them in particular I've gone into shock from a few times due to others either forgetting or negligence on their part.(Particular food)
I carry 2 Epi pens with me at all times and also have them in the car and more in the house.
For me it starts with a tingling sensation in my mouth and lips. Followed by feeling very hot,bright red and my whole face starts to swell.
It's also like my throat is closing up so I can't swallow if that makes sense.It all happens very quickly.
I probably wasn't as obsessive about making sure I have my pens with me when I was younger. However, now as a mother I don't take risks.
I'm very careful about where we eat or order a take away from.
We have explained to our DC what my pens are for and what to do and how to use them.
All super important.

Hi op

I am a wasp sting anaphylaxis and also a nurse

The sensation you describe is your body trying to keep your blood pressure up which happens during the reaction

Please go back to your GP and ask them to reassess your allergy, certainly sounds like my reactions are and my allergy specialist issued epipens

As an aside, be aware that wasp venom is very similar to ant venom and you may also have severe reactions to ant bites

What you've described is not anaphylaxis. It's actually quiet insulting u want an epi-pen for a condition you don't even have (allergy's have ruined my life and I need mine 24/7 so I know what I'm on about)

It sounds like a nasty reaction. But my understanding (2 anaphylactic children - DD animals, DS nuts - and DM - bee stings) is that there has to be some adverse reaction to your breathing/swelling to the throat and mouth for the reaction to be classed as anaphylactic.
With my kids they get a very obvious rash with big white spots and swelling. DD's mouth and face were very swollen. I didn't notice any affect on her breathing but the GP did and called the ambulance and injected her. DS's reaction was similar, white spots, but he was also vomiting profusely (food allergy). His throat and mouth were swollen. Hospital doctor said not anaphylactic because his breathing was OK, although his throat was swollen and his voice was strangulated. I had at the time private health care and they both at one time or another saw Gideon Lack at the Portland, who is the country's foremost specialist. DD also saw his then assistant George DuToit who now practices on his own, also on London. Dr L said DS's reaction was anaphylactic, although at the milder end of the scale. He explained that all bad reactions will get worse the more times you are exposed to the allergen, so whilst DS was borderline he should have an epipen as next time it would be worse. My DM describes feeling overwhelmingly like she wants to be on her own, feeling drowsy and wanting everyone to leave her alone (she's the one with the bee sting allergy). And her throat closing up.

And yy to the liquid piriton, first thing I gave DS when he had his reaction and it did have a partial effect while I got him to hospital

user well you quite obviously don't know what your on about.

Ok go back and ask for a allergy test.

You can get stung a 100 times and be fine and the n then all of a sudden develop a reaction. The op reaction is quite a sever reaction to a sting imo so is well advised to seek further investigation.

I sometimes wonder if I ought to go to the GP and ask for an epipen. I got stung by a bee last summer and had a bad reaction, sweating, felt like I couldn’t breath, really clammy and light headed. Throat felt like it was closing. Took piriton and it improved so I never saw a doctor.

UserSnoozer, I don't know enough about allergic reactions to wasp stings to say if OP needs to be worried or not (I just know it sounds worse than when I've been stung).

But I think you sound quite mean saying she is in any way insulting. She sounds like she is anxious about her health, which isn't nice even if there is no basis in reality.

Not saying this is the case for OP, but I've known people where every gland up = cancer, every headache = brain tumour etc and it's not actually very nice for them because they think they are at death's door constantly and tend to be very anxious/depressed people in general.

I went into anaphylactic shock 4 weeks ago. Ambulance, A&e, adrenaline, overnight in hospital, blood pressure so low and throat closing to the point I could have died.

Still off work while I get my head around it as it was a life changing event.

You had a reaction. You did not have an anaphylactic reaction.

It’s okay just to have a reaction but you don’t need epi pens etc.

Anaphylaxis is defined as being “life threatening” so your reaction doesn’t sound like it’s anaphylaxis. Still bloody scary though I’d imagine!

For me I stopped breathing and lost consciousnesses.