To think that no one is taking me seriously?

[HelpMeHelpMeINeedARemedy]

I'm 30. I'm a bit of a medical wonder - according to my GP - one of those people where anything is possible medically speaking lol. Over the last few months I seem to have developed intolerances/allergies to something/s. After eating some foods I experience gastro problems/random hives and throat spasms.

It is happening more and more often. My DP got a bit pissed with me earlier when I said it was happening and said "You can't be allergic to everything" . I said to him "Well no but it's possible I'm allergic to one thing that I keep exposing myself to".

My parents are also taking the whole "It's anxiety" route. DP also said to me this evening "When you had a panic attack earlier" I was like WTH? I had actual, real, physical hives come up!

@HeadintheiClouds "Why would you suddenly react to things you’ve eaten before"
After drinking milk without issue my whole life, I suddenly developed lactose intolerance a couple of years ago . Now if I have a drink of milk I will have severe gastro issues within a half hour or so. My doctor said it just happens sometimes as we get older and our bodies change.

My brother developed in adulthood quite severe reactions to lots of foods - potatoes, tomatoes, fruit, wheat, dairy, sugar. He was already veggie so lived off rice and veg for a long while before reintroducing them. He’s now mainly only allergic to alcohol. It was not anxiety at all

God, does it really? Something to look forward to. Not.

@BlankTimes it's a possibility. My DP has nut anaphylaxis so that's another reason I was a lite surprised that he wouldn't consider the possibility of me having an allergy.

@StillDumDeDumming Potatoes make me quite wheezy. Apparently there are some foods that can aggravate people with asthma/eczema/other allergies

I feel a bit bad now, I don't want people to think I'm after sympathy from my family, I just don't want them to roll their eyes or keep cutting me off if I mention I've reacted to something. It's quite upsetting sometimes and potentially dangerous.

I had a severe lactose /dairy intolerance as a baby. This was 50 years ago and pretty much nothing was done. I just suffered through it. By the time I was 4 or 5 it disappeared only to return in my mid 30s. I avoided cream, rich dairy products etc for the last 15 years but have found in the last 6 months I can now eat them and not feel ill at all. It's quite bizarre.

How is it dangerous for your family to refuse to take you seriously? Can you summon medical aid yourself if you need it?

@HeadintheiClouds Not easily, no, I'm disabled.

About 5 years ago I started have swelling in my eyelids, later it was my lips. Then a few weeks later it was eyelids, lips and the inside of my mouth/cheeks. Then the last time it happened it was all the above and now my gums, (back where my wisdom teeth had been) became itchy and swollen. I had trouble swallowing. I looked hideous.

My doctor thought it was the new medication and so I stopped it. I had been taking pictures of my swollen face and sending them to a friend, all emails and photos were dated of course and it occurred to me a few months later the awful swelling had started BEFORE I started the new meds!

My doctor ran allergy tests and discovered the only allergy I had was a very slight one to milk. I still drink milk and it doesn't bother me at all.

So it was/is a big worrying mystery as to what I was reacting to. I haven't had a reaction since.

I went on the paleo diet and cut all carbs because of gastric issues. Felt better within days.

@Moragen How odd! I've been taking beta blockers for the last few months and I've read that they can make you more prone to react to things. I'm wondering if maybe I've had an allergy to something all along but without the beta blocker its not been noticeable.

@GhostRidersInDisguise That might be worth a shot too.

When you are really sick/ill you would know it. It is that simple. If a person feels off, a bit of this, a bit of that every so often; sometimes then it is anxiety. If are really sick you will be driven to find the answer.

@loveforyesteryears Having an allergy or intolerance doesn't mean you're sick, it means your body doesn't like what you're putting in it as reacts badly. Some reactions are mild and some are severe.

What has been your severe reaction? Hives are not a severe reaction. Has your GP referred you to a specialist?

Sorry you aren't well op.

Hope you get it pinpointed soon.

Have a quick look at salicylate allergy and the 14 main allergens.

Try the GAPS diet op. I sympathize and I often feel unwell for no discernible reason.

I'd get yourself referred to a dietitian and do a proper exclusion diet under their supervision. Exclusion/reintroduction is the only way to pinpoint what you're reacting to in very complex foods. Also second the MCAS suggestions.

Do you have carers, op? It’s quite concerning that you say you can’t easily summon medical aid should you need it?

I know it's different op but this year i developed quite bad hay fever. I have never had it in my life. I'm 41.

I was baffled. How can it just come on me?
Doctor said that this is very common, to become allergic or intolerant out of the blue. It was very weird for me as my 2 younger brothers have suffered with it their whole lives and I've never been affected until now.

I'm going to get a private allergy test done too. I think I'm allergic to dust.

HelpmeHelpme - it does happen that you can suddenly start cross-reacting to a bunch of things.

I used to be at college with a girl who suddenly did this - it may have been stress related in that her whole body was in a state of "high alert" so was more easily triggered - she got to a point where she was having an allergic reaction at least once a week to new things, things she'd been fine with the week before. The college had to call an ambulance for her a couple of times, because her epipen wasn't working well enough - and after the second one she left the college, so we never really found out what it was all about. The last thing she had a reaction to before she left was ready salted crisps.

I would try and get a referral to an immunologist, but they might not be new allergies, just an overactive system that's cross reacting all over the place.

And yeah, your DP could try being a bit more sensitive - it might be "boring" for him, but it's far from pleasant for you - would he like to swap places??

Zoflora - yes, I started getting hayfever in my mid-30s - it's getting periodically worse. I now take an antihistamine daily to keep it at bay.
My first boyfriend's grandmother was the same - never had it as a youngster but developed it in her 30s and by her 70s it was shockingly bad.

Yabu to self diagnose, no wonder your family aren’t taking you seriously.

Op, getting allergy testing requires passing through an often useless, uninformed about allergies GP. It takes a lot of pushing but it is worth the effort.

Allergies as you say, can appear (and for some allergens disappear) at any given point. Intolerances are different as they need a build up of the allergen before you notice so if you are sensitive to eggs, nuts and wheat if you put them all in an eclair you may a more tangible reaction.

I would say, stop eating bakery products and push for a test. The GP may be tempted to test in the clinic with less reliable methods, make use of your health peculiarities to point out the better option for you is to have the correct tests.

You definitely need to stop with the bread until they’ve established the cause.

It most certainly is possible to develop allergies at any time in your life. So they seem to suddenly appear.

I think you need to keep engaging with the health service to get to the bottom of this. And don't dismiss anxiety - it can cause all of the things that you've described here. Be open minded about what it could be because right now you are blind in this situation with no idea how to make it better. Whether it's an allergy, anxiety, or something else, your ultimate goal here should be to identify the problem so you can start to treat it appropriately.