Lisa R. Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I have no environmental or food allergies. I made a new Szechwan beef recipe for dinner tonight. I followed recipe exactly but it was very, very spicy. The recipe called for chilie sauce and red pepper flakes. I didn't know what brand to buy at the store, so I bought a Tabaaco brand which said Thai chilie sauce. The meal was very, very spicy. (No nuts in recipe.) After several bites, I thought I was choking. I took a quick drink to dislodge the food, and water wouldn't go down. I felt I could not get a breath. My kids said later I was wheezing so obviously breathing somewhat. DH performed the Heimlich many times to no avail whole ds called 911. After 10 or so Heimlichs, I felt my throat open. Paramedics came shortly after. All is fine. We realize that I was not choking but rather the throat has closed. Obviously the Heimlich wasn't needed, but how was he to know?? I felt like my throat has a lump in it for over an hour afterwards. Was strained to talk. I'm totally fine now though. Can this happen from very spicy food? Sorry to sound so ignorant, but I have never ever had anything like this happen. The one good thing---at least this happened to me and not anyone else tonight. If my cooking had caused this to happen to someone else, I'd be forever traumatized! What do you think happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 No idea!! But so glad you are OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) It definitely sounds like a food allergy. You need to get to a doctor and carry an epi-pen in case it ever happens again. Sorry you had such a scare. I'm thankful it wasn't a worse reaction. Edited November 30, 2015 by Jaz 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Allergies can appear or worsen at any time. This certainly does sound like an allergic reaction to me. I agree that you need to go to the doctor and find out what triggered this, exactly, and get a prescription for an epi-pen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 That was somewhat how my first allergy manifested. I felt like food was stuck in my throat and I couldn't pass it. It turns out my esophagus was swelling even hooch my tongue and mouth were fine. I'd ask for a referral to an allergist so they can test those specific ingredients and figure out what you were reacting to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I had a very weird reaction one time after eating Szechuan. I am super allergic to nuts so I am super careful. It's the throat closing/ lip swelling reaction. So I super-check for nuts. Well halfway thru the business lunch, I lost my vision. I could hear all that was going on around me, I kept up my end of the conversation, I made some good executive decisions--but I was blind. That has never happened before or since. But I haven't eaten Szechuan again either. I never figured out what it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 How terrifying. Allergies can appear at any time. My mom became allergic to rodents at nearly 40. I'd get tested for allergies and avoid anything peppery in the meantime. So sorry that happened to you and I hope that you can find the allergen so you can enjoy other things in the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Sounds like an allergy. Call your regular doc and ask for a prescription for an epipen immediately. That will tide you over while you wait for an allergist. My oddball suspicion while reading your post was shellfish. It's common to develop an allergy to it later in life, and your ingredients may have been contaminated. Odd hunch. Regardless, keep all the packaging and the ingredients that you can, so you can get tested. And please get an epipen! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I do agree that it does sound like an allergic reaction, especially the lump in the throat for awhile afterward. I have an allergy to what I think is some kind of bacteria involved in aging/fermenting (it has only ever happened with soy sauce and aged cheese, and it's rare), but the lingering lump in the throat feeling is just so yucky. It makes me gaggy for awhile afterward. That said, were you eating rice with your beef? Sometimes, when I'm eating spicy food, especially with rice, it will get stuck in my throat going down. I can breathe, but my throat spasms around the food, trying to get it to move. It usually gives me these weird hiccups that seem to only happen in the spicy food/rice scenario. And it only happens once, at the beginning of the meal. Once the food clears, I'm fine. Could something like that be a possibility? Do you tend to have reflux/heartburn, silent or otherwise? That's so scary, I'm sorry you had to go through it :grouphug: I would definitely follow up with your doctor and get the epi-pen, just in case. They're pricy, but they're good to have on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Agreeing with Spryte. There are several sauces I can't eat because they contain shellfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I had a very weird reaction one time after eating Szechuan. I am super allergic to nuts so I am super careful. It's the throat closing/ lip swelling reaction. So I super-check for nuts. Well halfway thru the business lunch, I lost my vision. I could hear all that was going on around me, I kept up my end of the conversation, I made some good executive decisions--but I was blind. That has never happened before or since. But I haven't eaten Szechuan again either. I never figured out what it was. :scared: That's horrifying. I don't know how you kept your cool. When did your vision finally return? Was that the only symptom you had? Crazy!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Agreeing with the others. I would think shellfish or sesame oil. I once had a severe allergic response to marshmallows, even though I've eaten them my whole life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Very spicy foods can cause muscle spasms in the throat that mimic anaphylaxis. There was something on a food show about it when some guy was eating crazy spicy stuff. ETA: not saying to avoid further medical treatment. Definitely get to an allergist pronto! Edited November 30, 2015 by zoobie 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I've had this happen multiple times. It can be a spasm called a Laryngeal spasm. They can be caused by allergies or by acid reflux. Either could happen with spicy food. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Very spicy foods can cause muscle spasms in the throat that mimic anaphylaxis. There was something on a food show about it when some guy was eating crazy spicy stuff. ETA: not saying to avoid further medical treatment. Definitely get to an allergist pronto! Oh my goodness! That's exactly what happens to me! Now I have to go look that up... ETA: How fascinating, I had no idea. It turns out that hiccups are a common reaction to spicy food too. I always thought it was just a weird quirk of mine--I've never heard anyone else mention it. I guess this is the new thing I learned today. Edited November 30, 2015 by ILiveInFlipFlops 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 :scared: That's horrifying. I don't know how you kept your cool. When did your vision finally return? Was that the only symptom you had? Crazy!!!It took about 15 minutes. It was bizarre. I kept my cool because I didn't want to lose the respect of people who held my career in their hands--I was worried about looking weak. As it worked out ok, well, no harm, no foul. But I don't know to this day whether or not I was stupid. :0) ETA: I think this is the first time I have ever told anyone that this happened. At first I was too worried and then I was embarrassed because maybe I shoulda oughta told someone. Like my MD. Oh well. Now the world can know that 25 years ago, I had an odd experience. :0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Very spicy foods can cause muscle spasms in the throat that mimic anaphylaxis. There was something on a food show about it when some guy was eating crazy spicy stuff. ETA: not saying to avoid further medical treatment. Definitely get to an allergist pronto! I did not know this. Thank you. I also have learned recently that some peppers are related to cashews and can cause a nut reaction. So now I just buy black peppercorns. But that doesn't mean a restaurant will do the same. Bi think it's the red peppercorns that are the troublemakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Sounds very scary. :grouphug: The spasms thing sounds possible. But yours lasted longer than 60 seconds or not? That said, this is what my husband experienced with his first reaction to buckwheat in his late 30's. He had no prior allergies to anything and had eaten it without problems multiple times before. But he's anaphylactic. So I think I would see if my general practitioner would be willing to run an immuno-cap RAST blood test for sesame and shellfish and whatever else is possible cross contamination in that meal. I'd want to see an allergist, but that may take a while to get in. Honestly, I would want an epi pen but they are so incredibly expensive and the spasm sounds like a possibility, so that gives me pause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I would pursue a diagnosis, but I agree with those who say it could have been a spasm. I have them occasionally (although not nearly so often now as in the past) and they can be very scary. I wheeze a LOT when I'm having one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Spasms can vary in where they occur - you can have one down in your esophagus (food gets stuck around your breastbone and just won't go down until the spasm is over). With an esophageal spasm you actually can breathe through your nose (though in panic you might not think so). But spasms can also occur higher up in your larynx. Those can close off the airway as well. There are more than one cause for spasms. You can have silent reflux - which means that you do not have heartburn that you can feel. My understanding is that anaphalaxis is swelling of the area and does not just come and then release like a spasm does but I'm no expert. I've just had many many spasms. I had allergy testing. And an esophageal endoscopy. And a fluoroscopy where they had me drink barium while watching it go down in a "live" x-ray. The allergy testing was done by an allergist The endoscopy and flouroscopy were done by a G-I doc. In my case I showed problems with both and so I'm treated for both. They don't know which ones specifically caused the spasms. I haven't had a spasm in about a year but I still have some minor throat swelling a couple of times a month. A magnesium deficiency can also be one factor in spasms. Edited November 30, 2015 by Jean in Newcastle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 How terrifying. Allergies can appear at any time. My mom became allergic to rodents at nearly 40. I'd get tested for allergies and avoid anything peppery in the meantime. So sorry that happened to you and I hope that you can find the allergen so you can enjoy other things in the future! Awe, that's too bad she can't eat rodents anymore. ;) 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 My son had something like this, though it only lasted for a few seconds. It has happened twice. It was when he ate a spoonful of spicy mustard. My theory is that it was some sort of spasm in response to the spice. I know he is not allergic to mustard as he is fine when he doesn't eat giant globs of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) Wow. It's probably a good idea to get to an allergy specialist to figure out if it was an allergy and to what exactly. Also, I'd keep some benedryl in the house just in case in the meantime. Edited November 30, 2015 by MyLittleBears 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I have no environmental or food allergies. I made a new Szechwan beef recipe for dinner tonight. I followed recipe exactly but it was very, very spicy. The recipe called for chilie sauce and red pepper flakes. I didn't know what brand to buy at the store, so I bought a Tabaaco brand which said Thai chilie sauce. The meal was very, very spicy. (No nuts in recipe.) After several bites, I thought I was choking. I took a quick drink to dislodge the food, and water wouldn't go down. I felt I could not get a breath. My kids said later I was wheezing so obviously breathing somewhat. DH performed the Heimlich many times to no avail whole ds called 911. After 10 or so Heimlichs, I felt my throat open. Paramedics came shortly after. All is fine. We realize that I was not choking but rather the throat has closed. Obviously the Heimlich wasn't needed, but how was he to know?? I felt like my throat has a lump in it for over an hour afterwards. Was strained to talk. I'm totally fine now though. Can this happen from very spicy food? Sorry to sound so ignorant, but I have never ever had anything like this happen. The one good thing---at least this happened to me and not anyone else tonight. If my cooking had caused this to happen to someone else, I'd be forever traumatized! What do you think happened? Sounds like anaphylaxis to me, which is the worst kind of life-threatening allergy. You need to get in with an allergist/asthma doctor for assessment. I choked over an over for a couple years before my allergy was understood and treated. Also, you can have esophageal inflammation/ulceration from chronic heartburn. I had that, too, even though I'd had only noticed heartburn a handful of times during pregnancy. This was diagnosed when I finally had a choking incident that wouldnt' resolve on it's own with me trying to vomit . . . This time I had to go the the ER and wait around for 14 hours until a DR could take the steak out with an endoscope. So, anyway, I'd get yourself to a good allergist and go on an allergy trial. I was told (nearly 20 years ago) that the skin/blood testings don't do well for food allergies,so I went on an exclusion diet which allowed only 6 foods for a few weeks, then I could add one new food every other day. It was very effective for identifying my allergies (chicken and turkey meats and broths). I'm SUPER sensitive and it only gets worse of the years. I carry epic-pens and Benadryl everywhere I go, and hit the benadryl hard whenever I am exposed, so I've been able to avoid using the Epipens or dying. :) Keep hold of the foods you reacted to and all the recipes and bottles. That might be helpful. Good luck. BE CAREFUL and get to the allergist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa R. Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 OP here. My insurance has a benefit where I can call and speak to a doctor over the phone. I relayed in detail what happened at the dinner. I told him that when I thought I was chocking, I quickly took a sip of water to dislodge what I thought was food stuck in my throat. When none of the water would go down, I knew I was in trouble. I also told him I felt like I had a lump in my throat for about an hour afterwards and that my voice was hoarse. He said it was a esophageal spasm. He said if it was an anaphylaxis reaction, the 911 paramedics would've needed to treat me and take me to the ER. He also said since the water wouldn't go down, it was the esophagus that closed, not the lungs. He said that it was the spicy food that likely created this issue. He said once the irritation of the spice was diminishing, my throat opened up. Based on my story, he did not recommend allergy testing. Really, this is great news that it is not a food allergy. While I like spicy food, this meal was far spicier that I've had in the past. I will be more careful about very spicy foods going forward. Good night! I have the upmost sympathy and respect for those who suffer anaphylaxis reactions. I cannot imagine having this ever-present concern. I look at this experience as having gained a heightened awareness of those with life-threatening allergies and will find ways to support and defend them when needed. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I'm glad everything turned out okay. It must have been so scary. If I were you, I'd be careful with spicy food from now on, even if it was a spasm and not an allergy. Scary either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bimbussy Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 It is very very correct that spicy food causes throat closure just like anaphylaxis. I was eating a very spicy fish soup when it happened. I experienced it for the second time tonight in a period of 6 months. It was a very bad experience. They said it’s not life threatening but if it had continued for another 1 minute, it felt like I would not have made it. Oxygen was completely shut out from me. I could not talk, I could not breathe. I ran outside to get some air and my neighbor kept asking if I was okay, all I could do was waived. We were going to call 911 because I was making a weird sound indicating that I was out of breath. I never want to experience it again!😢😢😢 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleynne Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 Zombie thread 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted March 15, 2022 Share Posted March 15, 2022 I was just going to type the exact same response I had the first time around! At least I am consistent. Zombie! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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