Urgent swollen lip help

[MEmama]

DS just woke me up with a terribly swollen lip. I gave him Benadryl but have no idea what this might be. No new foods today, nothing unusual. It came on very suddenly while he was reading in bed. Any ideas?

No sore throat, no rash, he feels fine otherwise.

 

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by MEmama
Removed photo

[MEmama]

Normal heart rate, normal (98) o2 level, no pain, no fever.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yikes. If his throat starts to close up you need to take him in. 
 

Bug bite?  

[Joker]

Youngest had the exact same thing happen. The first time it ended up being an allergy to her band instrument (it was nickel). We ended up in the ER twice before we figured it out.  The next time was in the past few weeks with her hives. We’re not sure what’s going on but we have an in person appointment on Monday.

[Tap]

Hives. How much benadryl  did he take? Hopefully 50mg.

[itsheresomewhere]

Any chance he sucked on one side of his lip while he was reading? Or was so into the book he bit it and doesn’t remember doing it?

Edited July 17, 2020 by itsheresomewhere

[MEmama]

I gave him 2 liquid gels of Benadryl about half an hour ago, no change yet. I just gave him 2 ibuprofens hoping it will help bring the swelling down. 
 

Of course everything that comes up on google is Covid. Ugh.

[wathe]

Is this the child who had Covid toes?  A quick google search comes up with a few case reports of angioedema in Covid patients

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa452/5842069

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327466/

[MEmama]

2 minutes ago, wathe said:

Is this the child who had Covid toes?  A quick google search comes up with a few case reports of angioedema in Covid patients

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa452/5842069

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327466/

Yes. In May.

[wathe]

My first post reads as alarmist, sorry.  There are lots of causes of angioedema. - including meds, allergies, and hereditary conditions. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3651192/

[MEmama]

I just called our 24/7 nurse line and she said we should go to the ER.

I can use some good thoughts, please.

 

[PinkTulip]

Praying it’s nothing! 

[mommyoffive]

Sending prayers to him.   Please update when you can.   I had no idea this was a covid symptom.  

[happi duck]

(hugs)

[NorthwestMom]

I hope you get a great answer and update us when you can. Hugs to you both.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Praying 

[Junie]

Praying.

[Tap]

DD21 gets angioedema. One quick check for angioedema is for him to try to make a high pitched E sound. If he can't it is a sign of throat swelling and is a an emergency.

Specific to dd....when she gets this, she has to shoot herself with an epi-pen and then go to the ER (drs orders to shoot first, then travel). Her lips don't swell, but her eyes do.

[bibiche]

Good luck with the ER. Sending good thoughts for you both. 

[MEmama]

Waiting to be seen in the ER. He now has a rash on the palm of his hand. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Do they know his COVID-19 history?

[MEmama]

22 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Do they know his COVID-19 history?

Yes, I did mention it. The doctor thinks it’s angieodema, maybe brought on by almond flour? I guess nut allergies can come on any time but he literally eats them every day.  Idk. Of course we won’t discount the possibility and will talk with his primary doctor. I have to say I’d be surprised though. 

Anyway, he’s getting an iv with a steroid and antihistamine to help bring down the swelling. 

Thank you to everyone for sending well wishes and prayers. I so appreciate the support. 

[Tap]

1 minute ago, MEmama said:

Yes, I did mention it. The doctor thinks it’s angieodema, maybe brought on by almond flour? I guess nut allergies can come on any time but he literally eats them every day.  Idk. Of course we won’t discount the possibility and will talk with his primary doctor. I have to say I’d be surprised though. 

Anyway, he’s getting an iv with a steroid and antihistamine to help bring down the swelling. 

Thank you to everyone for sending well wishes and prayers. I so appreciate the support. 

Sounds like a solid plan. 

Hope you have a great night. ((HUGS)) I have a daughter with severe chronic hives. This is a well traveled road for us. Make sure they give him an Epi-pen script and instructions on how to use it. Get a game plan from the ER doctor going forward in case you go home tonight and they flare up again. 

[Starr]

I'm glad everything is under control for now. My dd's nut allergies started when she was around 20. She went from having candy at a relatives just fine and a month later she ate the same candy and had her first reaction.

[MEmama]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

Sounds like a solid plan. 

Hope you have a great night. ((HUGS)) I have a daughter with severe chronic hives. This is a well traveled road for us. Make sure they give him an Epi-pen script and instructions on how to use it. Get a game plan from the ER doctor going forward in case you go home tonight and they flare up again. 

I hadn’t thought to ask about an epi pen. Thanks for bringing that up. 

[Tap]

1 minute ago, Arctic Mama said:

I had multiple food allergies come on as an adult out of the blue, it happens more than you think, and always sucks. Definitely get epinephrine to have on hand, just in case he has another reaction that is quicker. Hugs!

Yep! We think DD21 are from a sulfite allergy. One big trigger for her is drinking wine, but she isn't allergic to grapes or raisins. It took over a year to narrow it down. For chronic hives (ones that last 3+ months) they say that it is rare to figure out the cause. I hope you do figure it out and can get him under control quick! If you use natural supplements Quercetin can help with allergic reactions. 

[PrincessMommy]

Just seeing this and hoping you're back home and in bed now.  Glad you were able to get quick help.

 

[J-rap]

Wow, I'm glad you took him in!  That's strange how the allergy came up so fast.  Did he used to eat almonds in particular a lot, or was it other nuts?

I once read something interesting on allergens...  That when people are exposed to certain allergens, one of two things happen:   their body either begins to build up a stronger resilience toward it, or whatever (resilience they were born with?) begins to wear down.  (I don't know if I'm explaining that quite right, but something along those lines.)  So it will start going in one direction or the other.  If it's a downward path, then every time they're exposed to that particular allergen after that, it continues on that path until eventually it becomes a full-out allergic response.  So take bee stings...  The first bee sting might not cause any reaction at all, but it has actually started your body's reaction to it on a certain path.   If it's on the downward path, then the second bee sting will push it a little further along, and by the time you get your third bee sting, you start to notice a bad reaction, and by your fourth bee sting, it will require a trip to the ER.  (I have no idea the number of stings it takes...  Just making up the number to give a general idea of how it can happen.)

[mommyoffive]

I am so glad you took him in .  I hope you both had a restful night.    I hope the doctors were able to give you answers. 

[Zoo Keeper]

24 minutes ago, J-rap said:

Wow, I'm glad you took him in!  That's strange how the allergy came up so fast.  Did he used to eat almonds in particular a lot, or was it other nuts?

I once read something interesting on allergens...  That when people are exposed to certain allergens, one of two things happen:   their body either begins to build up a stronger resilience toward it, or whatever (resilience they were born with?) begins to wear down.  (I don't know if I'm explaining that quite right, but something along those lines.)  So it will start going in one direction or the other.  If it's a downward path, then every time they're exposed to that particular allergen after that, it continues on that path until eventually it becomes a full-out allergic response.  So take bee stings...  The first bee sting might not cause any reaction at all, but it has actually started your body's reaction to it on a certain path.   If it's on the downward path, then the second bee sting will push it a little further along, and by the time you get your third bee sting, you start to notice a bad reaction, and by your fourth bee sting, it will require a trip to the ER.  (I have no idea the number of stings it takes...  Just making up the number to give a general idea of how it can happen.)

^ My son's allergist used the analogy of filling up a bucket--in the dark.  You don't know what drop of water will be the one that causes the bucket to overflow.  So people think it's fine to eat ____, because they haven't had a reaction in the past, when in reality, that severe reaction is next.

[Zoo Keeper]

OP,

So glad you were able to get him in quickly, and prayers for a good recovery and path forward.

[J-rap]

2 minutes ago, Zoo Keeper said:

^ My son's allergist used the analogy of filling up a bucket--in the dark.  You don't know what drop of water will be the one that causes the bucket to overflow.  So people think it's fine to eat ____, because they haven't had a reaction in the past, when in reality, that severe reaction is next.

That's a good analogy!

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, J-rap said:

Wow, I'm glad you took him in!  That's strange how the allergy came up so fast.  Did he used to eat almonds in particular a lot, or was it other nuts?

I once read something interesting on allergens...  That when people are exposed to certain allergens, one of two things happen:   their body either begins to build up a stronger resilience toward it, or whatever (resilience they were born with?) begins to wear down.  (I don't know if I'm explaining that quite right, but something along those lines.)  So it will start going in one direction or the other.  If it's a downward path, then every time they're exposed to that particular allergen after that, it continues on that path until eventually it becomes a full-out allergic response.  So take bee stings...  The first bee sting might not cause any reaction at all, but it has actually started your body's reaction to it on a certain path.   If it's on the downward path, then the second bee sting will push it a little further along, and by the time you get your third bee sting, you start to notice a bad reaction, and by your fourth bee sting, it will require a trip to the ER.  (I have no idea the number of stings it takes...  Just making up the number to give a general idea of how it can happen.)

It's why people often get dog allergies wrong -- They'll say "He hasn't had any new food/hasn't been exposed to any new thing." But it's usually not the new thing that triggers an allergy. It's something the dog has repeatedly been exposed to. My dog reacted horribly to a topical flea product the second time I applied it. The first time he was absolutely fine. The second time had me frantically bathing him and then rushing him to the vet. The vet said that's a typical scenario with those products.

@MEmama -- I hope your DS is okay, and that all of you managed to get some rest.

[Harriet Vane]

I am glad your son is okay. I will mention that allergic reactions can continue to flare for 4-6 weeks. I learned this when dd broke out in hives and we had to go to the ER. In her case, she had been horribly, horribly sick with two separate bouts of stomach flu. We never figured out the allergen, but were told by our primary care physician that she may have reacted to something atypically because her system was stripped raw from the gastro illness. She continued to break out in hives for roughly five weeks. The first week she continued to flare every day. The last week, she had one little flare and that was that. 

[Pen]

How is he?

[Kanin]

Yikes! That sounds terrifying. Hope you both are OK.

[Ottakee]

I am late to this but did end up with 2 doctors visits, an ER visit and a 911 call with my daughter a few years ago.  Allergy tests later showed a shellfish allergy.  she had NOT eaten any shellfish and I didn't have it in the house.   Come to find out her boyfriend had eaten crab ragoons. That was enough to set off her allergy.  She now carries an epi pen at all times.

I would check into allergy testing for food allergies.  I would have never ever even thought of shellfish.

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, Pen said:

How is he?

We left the ER around 3 am so we are both totally exhausted. The doctor gave him an epi pen and an rx for prednisone. He has a follow up appointment with his primary (actually the dr who has been treating his asthma) next week. We will talk with her about allergy testing and where to go from here.

Until then, I’ll make sure he avoids all nuts and zucchini (DH read that zucchini can be a trigger if a person has certain environmental allergies, and yesterday I made both zucchini fritters and a lemon blueberry zucchini bread). I’m not sure what else we can do in the meantime.
 

Thankfully the swelling has gone down quite a bit. His lip actually split in the ER and now it looks bruised, but not as terrifying. He’s in good spirits, just hopeful we can identify the cause.

[EmilyGF]

12 hours ago, Tap said:

Yep! We think DD21 are from a sulfite allergy. One big trigger for her is drinking wine, but she isn't allergic to grapes or raisins. It took over a year to narrow it down. For chronic hives (ones that last 3+ months) they say that it is rare to figure out the cause. I hope you do figure it out and can get him under control quick! If you use natural supplements Quercetin can help with allergic reactions. 

Wine with sulfites was the first thing I thought of, too. My grandfather developed mouth swelling due to wine in his 80s. Poor guy was a gourmand, too, so it hurt. After that he could only drink a very few types of wine.

Emily

[Kanin]

Oh wow. What a crazy thing to happen!

[Acadie]

58 minutes ago, MEmama said:

We left the ER around 3 am so we are both totally exhausted. The doctor gave him an epi pen and an rx for prednisone. He has a follow up appointment with his primary (actually the dr who has been treating his asthma) next week. We will talk with her about allergy testing and where to go from here.

Until then, I’ll make sure he avoids all nuts and zucchini (DH read that zucchini can be a trigger if a person has certain environmental allergies, and yesterday I made both zucchini fritters and a lemon blueberry zucchini bread). I’m not sure what else we can do in the meantime.
 

Thankfully the swelling has gone down quite a bit. His lip actually split in the ER and now it looks bruised, but not as terrifying. He’s in good spirits, just hopeful we can identify the cause.

 

So glad he got such good care, and may you both rest easy! 

Did you write down everything he ate? It can be hard to remember by the time you get in for allergy testing.

[OH_Homeschooler]

That sounds so scary! 

I read your thread earlier today and was glad it was all okay in the end. But just now on FB I read about a woman who had Covid and now she is having anaphylactic reactions to pistachios. She never had food allergies before. So I wonder if sudden allergies has been studied or will be studied as another long-term symptom of this virus. 

So awful.

 

 

[mmasc]

I’m so sorry for what your ds has gone through! You both must be exhausted. I’m praying he gets well, you both get rest, and that you get answers soon from his upcoming appointment. 

[MEmama]

13 hours ago, OH_Homeschooler said:

That sounds so scary! 

I read your thread earlier today and was glad it was all okay in the end. But just now on FB I read about a woman who had Covid and now she is having anaphylactic reactions to pistachios. She never had food allergies before. So I wonder if sudden allergies has been studied or will be studied as another long-term symptom of this virus. 

So awful.

 

 

Well that’s scary. 😞 

I wouldn’t be completely surprised, given the weird and varied ways this virus attacks the body. I don’t have FB and I’m generally suspicious of anecdotes, but this sounds worth exploring. Adding my list of research topics!

Thank you for putting this idea out there. I wouldn’t have thought to look for possible connections between the two symptoms. 

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, Seasider too said:

Oral Allergy Syndrome. 

There are also OAS symptoms related to cross-pollination. One of mine cannot eat certain fruits or vegetables when ragweed pollen is in the air. 

So I’d never heard of OAS and now I plan to ask the doctor about it next week. Does your child also have obvious symptoms of ragweed allergy, and if not how did you put it all together? 
 

I get sinus infections from allergies, but don’t necessarily have any of the usual symptoms. It took years for me to figure it out and when I need antibiotics I have to convince my doctors that my sinus infections don’t come with traditional warning signs. 

[Pen]

Suggestion:

try to write everything that he ate (even spices, cooking oils and limited ingredients) prior to the swelling

it could be something you aren’t thinking of or a combo

I have a friend who is severely allergic to lemon amongst other things.  I don’t know if that’s common, but I noticed lemon in your description of what he’d eaten .  

In addition to nuts and legumes and chocolate, strawberries, Garlic, onion, soy, gluten, dairy, corn, poultry, shellfish, msg...  are common problems for people I know irl. 

 

For a few days I’d probably try for a very limited plain diet with ingredients that tend not to be allergenic    If he then swells up again there will be fewer potential food allergen culprits to suspect 

Food rotation, (no type of food more often than 4 days) helps some people.  But some foods like wheat take a lot longer to fully clear system. 

 

[ktgrok]

23 hours ago, MEmama said:

We left the ER around 3 am so we are both totally exhausted. The doctor gave him an epi pen and an rx for prednisone. He has a follow up appointment with his primary (actually the dr who has been treating his asthma) next week. We will talk with her about allergy testing and where to go from here.

Until then, I’ll make sure he avoids all nuts and zucchini (DH read that zucchini can be a trigger if a person has certain environmental allergies, and yesterday I made both zucchini fritters and a lemon blueberry zucchini bread). I’m not sure what else we can do in the meantime.
 

Thankfully the swelling has gone down quite a bit. His lip actually split in the ER and now it looks bruised, but not as terrifying. He’s in good spirits, just hopeful we can identify the cause.

Ah, he has asthma? Definitely makes a food allergy more possible. Poor guy. 

[MEmama]

51 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

Ah, he has asthma? Definitely makes a food allergy more possible. Poor guy. 

Seriously?! 
Can I just skip the rest of this year? 

[matrips]

On 7/16/2020 at 10:44 PM, MEmama said:

DS just woke me up with a terribly swollen lip. I gave him Benadryl but have no idea what this might be. No new foods today, nothing unusual. It came on very suddenly while he was reading in bed. Any ideas?

No sore throat, no rash, he feels fine otherwise.

 

 

This happened to my dd last month.  She was lying in bed.  We never figured it out.  Gave her Benadryl.   I would have suspected an allergen on strawberries or some fruit, but she hadn’t eaten any.  

[wathe]

I've never oheard of OAS causing true angioedema.  Especially not asymmetric angioedema.  Burning, itching, pain, and maybe mild swelling, but not angioedema.