From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: ALL doctors on this list:
Date: 10 May 1999 06:56:10 GMT

In <3736FDFD.ED3AACA4@servtech.com> Ed Mathes <emathes@servtech.com>
writes:

>Jim wrote:
>
>> Could one of you actually quit swatting gnats long enough to help this
>> guy?
>>
>
>Sure...but I don't swat gnats.
>
>> Polar wrote:
>>
>> > I hope to receive some input on this condition, per earlier post.
>> > It is alarming.
>
>
>First a couple questions:
>
>> > >       Out of the blue I had a scary allergic reaction that started
>> > >in a corner of my mouth, then migrated all over my mouth, lower part
>> > >of face, and was starting down when a relative suggested I pop some
>> > >anti-histamine OTC.
>
>What started?  Swelling?  Tingling? Both?  Neither?
>
>> > >       Questions for this August Body:
>
>But it's only May!
>
>> > >       1.  Has something got into me that is going to kick
>> > >up like this again & again?
>> > >
>> > >       2.  If so, what is it, and can I do anything about it?
>> > >
>> > >       3.  Can it be related to whatever (is it herpes simplex?) that
>> > >that gave me "cold sores" on the mouth as a youngster?
>> > >
>>
>
>Are you on any antihypertensive medications (specifically an ACE
>inhibitor)? Or using an H2 blocker (like tagamet) intermittently?
>
>What makes you think it could be herpes?
>
>
>--
>Edward J.  Mathes, RPA-C
>Physician Assistant, Internal Medicine



   Anything that causes anal swelling the day after a sudden episode of
mouth swelling followed by diarrhea, sure sounds like a food allergen,
even if not identified.  Response to antihistamine is also suggestive.
I'm not sure what this guy can do but keep a food diary, and carry
Clariten and Zantac.  Maybe even an epi-pen of the bee-sting kit type,
to be used if it feels like it's causing throat contstriction and help
is some time away.  People have used oral Cromalyn for food allergies,
but it's cost prohibitive for numbers of attacks this few, and won't
work acutely.  Good thought about the ACE inhibitor-- these things make
any angioedema worse.

From: jrfox@no.spam.fastlane.net.no.spam (Jonathan R. Fox)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: Food Poisoning?
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 15:00:50 GMT

On Wed, 05 Jan 2000 23:07:53 -0500, Carey Gregory
<cgregory@gw-tech.com> wrote:

>Uma <confused7910@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
>>It doesn't sound like food poisoning to me either, but can an allergic
>>reaction cause a person's mouth and throat to burn like that?
>
>Maybe.
>
>Obviously it wasn't a serious allergic reaction, but perhaps a
>coincidence of some pre-existing minor illness and exactly the wrong
>food at the wrong time?  Or maybe mom put more pepper on it than she
>realized?  Hard to say, but I'm fairly confident it wasn't a bacterial
>food poisoning.

I agree.  It's not food poisoning.  It does sound like allergy to me.
I would be interesting to know if the original poster had any visible
urticaria on her lips.  Did she feel any areas on her lips that felt
unusually smooth or swollen when she felt the burning?  Did she get
any runny nose?

As to what caused the allergy:  No need to go crazy trying to figure
out what it was.  If it happens again, you may get a better idea and
gradually learn what to eliminate from you diet, if anything.  Just
remember that overdiagnosis of food allergy can be harmful as well.

--
Jonathan R. Fox, M.D.