Many women have this problem soon after having a baby. At that point, it is usually gallbladder related. My problems started when my baby was a year old, and have continued. However, I had five different scans done on my gallbladder and found it is absolutely normal. One MRI was done just a few days after an attack and the doctor said if I was that sick due to gallbladder, they definitely would have seen some inflamation in that area. There was none!
At my allergists direction I take the generic versions of Zertec and Pepsid once a day, every day. No attacks in two years following 25 years of hell.
For those taking Zertec, you might find you need to take a second antihistamine as well to control the episodes. There are 4 different kinds of histamines. Pepsid, yes the antacid, is also a antihistamine and works on a different histamine than Benedryl, Zertec, etc. Benedry would not stop my episodes once they started although it was always given to me in the emergency room and seemed to slow them down.
There's alot that is still unkown by the experts about histamines and how they work in our gut. We suspect I have a general histamine intolerance. I do have some specific food allergies but suffered the episodes even while avoiding those foods.
I am totally perplexed by these symptoms. I had them regularly for about seven months, then not again for about eight months, then BAM! one day it hit me again, then all has been well for two months.I can't predict it or analyze the circumstances well enough to figure out a cause. I had an MRI just a few days after one of these attacks and my gallbladder was not the least inflamed or blocked. Surely it would show some signs of distress if it had so recently cause these symptoms?
One doctor suggested abdominal migraine, another suggested an allergy to some food additive that is rarely used. I went 31 years without a hint of this, so maybe it is a new food additive? Got me!
Still no answers, but praying you all find some relief.
I have had these exact same symptoms on and off for nearly 20 years. I have absolutely no idea what causes them, and often the reaction is not close to eating food (sometimes occurring in the middle of the night). I estimate it probably occurs a handful of times each year - sometimes quite violently sometimes quite mild, but always the same symptoms. I have not been to my GP for a long time, as I know he will just say it could be "anything" and not take it seriously. If its not life threatening, then live with it is usually the response.... I thought I was going mad until I found this site! I wold dearly love to find out what the cause is, but do not know where to start... I contacted Allery UK recently, but that did not really supply me with any answers... Help!
I have no idea what the cause was, I hope it never happens to anybody.
God it was scary!
These are my EXACT symptoms! This first happened on vacation and I though I had gotten food poisoning or something from the buffet. Last night it happened again and I was at home. My palms and feet burn so bad I thought I was going to die! I took my blood pressure because I was light headed and blotchy all over. My blood pressure was very weird to. I am a healthy 32 year old and have never had problems. It was 160/90. Has anyone had any luck with a diagnosis?
Has anyone considered Lyme Disease as a possible cause? When these symptoms started, I began having other health problems too (nausea at unusual times, eye strain even though I went to the eye doctor four months ago, body aches, etc.)
Doesn't sound like the symptoms of Lyme disease.
I went to my doctor and he thought that I might've been having vagal vascular attacks. I have all of the same symptoms that you guys are having. but I have them all right before I pass out in the diarrhea after.
Ugh, count me in this group. Just had my first attack several hours ago. Fortunately I took pics of the rash and redness on my hands and arms and neck/face, and I happen to have an appt. with my doctor tomorrow for weird upper abdominal pressure that I've been having for the past month. I'm not sure the two are related, but there is definitely something going on in my digestive tract. Hopefully my doc will not blow me off like she normally does. Will report back with whatever answers as I get them.
i have this problem always at night and the pain is bad i sweat from head to toe with servere cramps sickness and diarhea then i itch from head to toe and almost go numb with weakness i cant even find the energy to be sick in the toilet i end up on the floor in a ball being sick and its a very undignified sight to see what is this nobody seems to know please help!!!!!!!
Ok, saw the doc after the first attack three weeks ago and she absolutely blew me off, so I had a breakdown in the hallway and the most incredible nurse in the world got me in to see a very experienced (and kind!) doctor. He has run all sorts of tests, so far we know that I'm anemic, just not why. I just had an ultrasound of my spleen an ovaries for my abdominal pressure issue, but haven't got the results back yet.
Today I had another attack, this one bad enough that I had my husband come home from work and take me to the ER. No answers from that, but at least it's "on the record" so to speak. I'm really inclined to think it's related to histamine intolerance. I think intolerance runs mildly in my family, and I'm wondering if whatever weird issue I'm having with pressure in my digestive system and daily diarrhea is somehow affecting the enzymes in my gut and causing the severe reactions (that I've never had, nor anyone in my family). I'm going to have another appt. hopefully next week with the good doctor to look into this more, now that it's happened twice.