Tiramisu Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 She had some chest pain and pain when breathing. She responded well to the Benadryl but she's really out of it. The doctor wants her on Benadryl for 24 hours because of the respiratory involvement. It started yesterday on her neck, and I really thought she had bug bites. I even checked her head for lice, but everything looked good. Later she complained that her back was itchy, but it was clear. A little while later she had smaller spots all over her back, too small and widespread to be bug bites. Then, she started complaining about chest pain this morning before eating or having her supplements. I actually looked up esophageal spasms. A little later in the morning she came to me very itchy, with spots here and there. We went to the doctor, because of the combination of hives and chest pain, who said she thought it was hives. She said it could be viral, but when I showed her the new flaxseed oil (Vitacost brand strawberry banana smoothie type) and probiotics (Pearl IC) I've been giving her since Monday, she said it could be that if it's something new for her. Of course, I can't give her the supplements now, but I'd like to know if they're really the cause. I'm disappointed because I thought they could really help with her tummy trouble. It could it be viral, or it could it be a reaction to bug bites since I thought the first marks looked like bug bites. Dd's only known allergy is penicillin. Any thoughts about what might be the most likely culprit? TIA, Dr. Hive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 It could be anything. Just FYI, I prefer Zyrtec for my hives over Benedryl. It works better. Maybe you can ask your doctor about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I'm really sorry. Hives are miserable. :( Allergies can even start with foods you've eaten for a long time. I would have her tested by an allergist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Possible nut allergy? The allergist we saw mentioned it was common for nut allergies to show up later--older children and adults--as opposed to other allergies that show up very early in childhood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 A visit to the allergist is probably in order since she was having chest pain. Also, a food allergy might be the cause of the tummy trouble. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 Thanks for all the ideas, ladies. We're waiting for the results of the biopsies from her endoscopy last week. The doctor said it should pick up developing allergies. I took her to an allergist several years ago, and she didn't react to any of the scratches. But something could have developed. Everyone says she looks allergic. She is VERY pale and had dark circles under her eyes. :( Now I'm going to try to think of what else she ate yesterday before things started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Look at everything (including additives/dyes) she ate w/in 24 hours of breaking out. My ds used to get hives from blue dye #1. Thankfully it was pretty easy to figure out after the 2nd breakout (doc told me we would never know). The one thing I remembered was that both times we had been to the lake. We'd been to the lake plenty of times without him breaking out, so it wasn't the lake water or life jackets. It had to be either the sunscreen, or the blue gatorade. . I checked all the ingredients in both and narrowed it down to blue dye or coconut oil. Looked at other foods that contained the same ingredients, and figured out it was the dye. After he cleared up, we gave him something w/ blue dye, and yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Thanks for all the ideas, ladies. We're waiting for the results of the biopsies from her endoscopy last week. The doctor said it should pick up developing allergies. I took her to an allergist several years ago, and she didn't react to any of the scratches. But something could have developed. Everyone says she looks allergic. She is VERY pale and had dark circles under her eyes. :( Now I'm going to try to think of what else she ate yesterday before things started. Unfortunately allergies can be weird. One day one is not allergic to X. Then, Bam!, the next day one has a reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 When dd had sulfa reaction this is how it started - itching and what we thought were bug bites. Despite antihistamines it expanded over her whole body and we had to get prednisone at the ER. ETA: At age 20 she started developing some pretty severe allergies to nuts and soy and now has to carry an inhaler and epipen with her everywhere. And she keeps discovering new allergies to medications (like the sulfa). Not fun. It is weird that it seemed to creep up slowly over two days. Even before she ate breakfast this morning she was complaining about her chest, and while she was eating, she was telling me it hurt to swallow, not in her throat but farther down. Even hours after taking the Benadryl she said something about feeling like the walls of her trachea/esophagus were close together. It wasn't new, she said, and had been like that, but it upped my anxiety a bit. She's breathing fine, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Look at everything (including additives/dyes) she ate w/in 24 hours of breaking out. My ds used to get hives from blue dye #1. Thankfully it was pretty easy to figure out after the 2nd breakout (doc told me we would never know). The one thing I remembered was that both times we had been to the lake. We'd been to the lake plenty of times without him breaking out, so it wasn't the lake water or life jackets. It had to be either the sunscreen, or the blue gatorade. . I checked all the ingredients in both and narrowed it down to blue dye or coconut oil. Looked at other foods that contained the same ingredients, and figured out it was the dye. After he cleared up, we gave him something w/ blue dye, and yep! I have one who seems to have an allergy to sunscreen and life vests. When she had surgery and was hospitalized, she had to wear a bracelet stating she was allergic to life vests. Every nurse who came on duty had to confirm that allergy. It seemed particularly funny because it was January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 My dd broke out in hives with strep throat. That was the only symptom - no sore throat, no fever - just hives. Just another possibility! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 A friend if mine has an auto immune disease in which her body starts to attack the esophagus if she eats gluten (and some other things, too, I think). By going GFDF she is able to control it almost entirely. It took forever for the drs to work out that that was what was going on with her, though. It might be an avenue to investigate. :grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 What about the strawberry stuff? When I get drug allergy reactions the hives start after I've been taking the medicine for a while and they get progressively worse. I'm glad you're following up, especially with her throat feeling like it was closing. You guys must all be a wreck. I'm so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphus Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 My oldest has quite a few allergies now (penicillin, codeine, dairy, dust, etc) but also has always had hives or reactions we never figured out. :confused: by now i am obviously good at controlling the environment, food, isolating differences...yet the unexplained reactions still happen every now amd again. He does get a rash with a virus, too, for extra fun. We call him hive boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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