angioedema severe symptoms

I have had angioedema for over 10 years. After many years searching and trying several antihetimines, i have managed to keep my angioedema under control. I taking one 4mg tablet called cyproheptadine hcl. you can ask for it from the pharmasist. It takes about a week to get into your system. Most bouts are mild and fizzle out instead of becoming full blown. sometimes i have to take more if i feel im losing the battle, but still is a very effective drug. Worth trying for anyone who hasnt been able to gain some control over angioedema. May want to consult a doctor first. I hope this info can help someone. Prior to this, you might say the hospital i lived close to, new me by name since i was always there getting adrenal shots and filling me full of prednzone.

I also have angio edema and have discovered through process of elimination that the cause was an allergic reaction to night shade vegetables, mainly tomatoes, potatoes, all peppers and eggplant. If I avoid these foods, no more symptoms. If antihistamines relieve the symptoms then it is an allergy. Do a food elimination diet ( one food item at a time ) till you figure out which foods cause the problem.

In hopes this may help someone else - I suffered from angioedema almost monthly with swelling of my upper lip. After a lot of trial and error, I've learned that I was allergic to something in the toothpaste I was using. I've switched from a popular whitening toothpaste to a regular toothpaste and have been free from the reaction ever since.

I am in the midst of my first attack of angioedema. It started Monday night at dinner, baked chicken with basil. A tiny stem of the basil got lodged between 2 teeth, and I tried to dislodge it using my finger through the lower lip. Almost instantly a hard knot formed in the lip. I didnt think much of it and went to bed. In the morning, my lower lip was fully swollen. By the afternoon it had moved across the top lip and started up the right side of my face. At that time the lower lip started to reduce swelling.

Next day, my right hand started swelling, and late in the day I thought I had a piece of gum stuck on my shoe. Nope, it was moving into my feet. I had to stay home from work the following day, I was incapable of walking and my hands were swollen.

Today the feet got much better, right hand about 40%, left hand about 80% swollen, but it feel like it is going back to my face.

I have been treating it with OTC remedies; benadryl at first then zyrtec at double rate, Tylenol, a hydrocodone on the foot day at bedtime.

I dont mind saying, this bites! I feel I am only barely keeping the symptoms at bay, and I'm wondering when it will end. Oh, and I LOVE basil...guess I wont be eating that again! Thankfully, I can put the cause and effect directly on food allergy, because this would be even more awful not knowing what had caused it.

TRY WALMART PHARMACY WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF YOUR MEDICATION. I HAVE A PRESCRIPTION THAT IS $150.00. ALL I HAD TO DO WAS SIGN THAT I DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE AND IT COST ME $9.96. I DID THIS FOR OVER A YEAR. THEY WERE AWESOME.

hello, after the take of anticoceptive pills i had my hole body swollen, i have visited a thousand doctors and none of them have a clear diagnosis, i am still completely swollen.¿Has anyone a similar case? please help. Also i have menstrual disorders HELP!!!

Hey! Is this medication still working for you?

I started cosmetology school last October and my first week my lip swelled. Since then I have swelled all over my body atleast 5 to 6 times a week. And like most of you said it is worse at night.  I might get an hour of relief in between if I soak in a cold bath and I have been hospitalized 4 times for my lips and throat swelling. I have been prescribed Claritan, singuliar and zantac in the morning and zyrtec and zantac at night and benadryl as needed. They gave me an Epipen and told me to use it only in an emergency. I am swelled up as we speak and have been for a full 3 days now. I have an appt Thursday with an allergist to have testing done and they said I can't take any antihistamines for 4 days before my testing. Only thing I'm allowed to use is Cortisone cream. It doesn't help. I've taken oatmeal baths, bathed in the itch cream, used cold packs but nothing works. I just turned 27 and finally after 4 times of being to college I have found something I enjoy (cosmetology) and I had to take a leave of absence because I was missing too many days. This is absolutely ruining my life. My husband tries so hard to be understanding and give me his input but I can see this is getting to him too. I need help! I have facebook if anyone wants to contact me. If you request me as a friend please put in the message that you want to discuss this. I'd appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks. My name on facebook is Ol Jelly (real names Amber)

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My solution was take extra vitamins and always sleeping on my back. Not on my stomach like I used to ^^

Hello, This is just a little note to reassure anyone out there who has idiopathic angioedema that there is hope. I had promised to myself to write a piece on my experience a few years back as I remember how miserable I felt when I had my episode ...

I was diagnosed with it a few years back, totally out of the blue late one night. It was a terrifying experience; I was rushed to hospital having woken at 3am with swellings, hives, and chest pains - it was the chest pains that caused concern initially as the doctors thought it could be heart related, but I was cleared of that.

What followed was months of random swellings and hives. It played havoc with my work and social life. And I lived in the constant uncertainty of not knowing whether I'd ever get rid of the episodes that came and went haphazardly. I was frustrated not knowing when I could get back to a normal life.

After much testing the doctor put me on a strong course of neo-clarityn (a type of antihistamine - note that other antihistamines did not work for me strangely) and montelucaust (think that's how you spell it) and after about 8 months of being weaned off them I was able to lead a perfectly normal life again. And have been for the last 4 years and, touch wood, will continue to do so.

I remember at the time thoroughly analysing every part of my life to find out what triggered it. Foods / chemicals / bedsheets... I even did a Chinese medicine allergy test. But it was only after time I realised what really caused it. It was stress. I was working in a fast paced industry in London and the stress had triggered it. And when I had it, the anxiety of not knowing how to control it made the stress even worse.

Like I said, the whole episodes are now in the past, but I do occasionally notice when I'm going through a stressful patch that my chest pains come back. The thing now is that I know that they're not heart related, and I feel confident to tell my body to calm down and alleviate the situation. Easier said then done I know, but thankfully it no longer triggers the angiodema.

I not saying stress is the trigger for all idiopathic angiodema cases - as I'm sure allergies and other things are factors as well. I just want to make you aware that stress can affect different people in so many different ways so I just recommend that you take a thorough look at what you do in your life and adjust what is really important to you.

And then don't think about it too much - just get on with it.

Hope that helps.
J

Yes I have anti histamines but I am becoming tolerant and I cant take any other as they have Lactose in. Right know my hand is swelling up really bad so I'm off to the shop to get a few beers. A few weeks ago my neck and back of the head was really swollen bad I though I would have to go ER if it started travelling to the front. Nothing works buta little Alcohol. Think its due to the Ethanol.

Alcohol has worked for me in the past as well.  I always wondered if it's because it thins the blood.

What is your direct email? I would like to discuss this with you. My daughter has had chronic idiopathic angioedema for about 8 years. I will tell you what we have tried that seems to work, but I guess it varies with each person. Finding the right treatment can be difficult.



Dana

I definitely believe stress can trigger it. It triggered my doctors when she was younger. She was under a tremendous amount of stress when it started. Were you diagnosed with chronic idiopathic angioedema? That's what she has and we have tried to control it but it still flares up every now and then.

I have had attacks for over 20 years now and only in recent years found that one dose of 16 MG of Medrol stops the attack from progressing once one comes on and within 24 hours it goes away after taking the Medrol.

One of the main triggers I have found is the compounds in pill form of medications such as NSAID's but I can take Aleve gell caps and Mobic in liquid form and not get an attack from them. I have yet to find all the triggers but aspirin in pill or powder form and many over the counter items such as Pepto Bismo liquid will also trigger it, so narrowing down the causes and avoid them and for the most part I have it under control but occasionally I will still get an attack from eating in a restaurant and apparently getting too much of what I am allergic to, which I believe is some form of preservatives.

I have found that another trigger is dried fruits such as rasins or prunes, I found that out the hard way one night and it almost killed me. Keep an EpiPen around if you suffer from Angioedema is my advice because I would not be here typing this had my wife not given me a shot one time years ago.

And for the men, sorry to say but Viagra and Cialis seem to also be triggers.

Also Xyzal daily helps to prevent attacks from most foods but occasionally I will get too much of what I must be allergic to and then I will still need the Medrol.

Hope some of that helps some of you and works for you as well as it has worked for me but be sure to check with your doctor before taking any medicines.