I have the same symptoms as I have read about here. It starts with severe abdominal pain, hot & itchy hand and feet, diarreah and last night vomiting. The rapid heartbeat with palpatations have landed me in the ER twice for a suspected heart attack. I am a 66 year old female. My first episode was in 2005 after eating at a buffet restaurant. The next was in 2009 while traveling through Canada. We had hamburgers and I thought I was going to die. Being sick in the middle of the Yukon Territory. At that time, I took Benadryl and Immodium (grateful for the first aid kit).
I've noticed that the only time I have these episodes is when I eat meat with sodium nitrite (maybe nitrate, too). I never eat hamburger at restaurants anymore. Yesterday I ate a BLT with lots of bacon. Bacon is notorius for sodium nitrite. I have also noticed these symptoms after eating some BBQ meats (already prepared) and lunch meats. I watch the ingredients. The desire for the meat isn't worth the consequences.
I'd be interested to know if others have reached this conclusion. I was diagnosed with colitis at a young age, then later IBS. I can't eat iceberg lettuce, either. Just severe diarreah on that. Ditto for eggs.
I had these symptoms for 7 months, then not at all for 8 months. During the well months, I ate meat at restaurants, occasional bacon, lunch meat, etc.
However, one doctor suggested it could be an allergy to an occasional meat additive. Since additives are manufactured all over the world, sometimes different chemicals could be used one time and not another. Interesting, and fitting with the symptoms, but I'm not so sure that's it either.
I have had 4 attacks as I will call them. I don't know what else to call them they are terrifying. About 4 weeks ago was my first episode. I woke up in the middle of the night with hands and feet and eventually other parts of my body icthing. I had to go to the toilet as my stomach was cramping. I sat there about 20 minutes and my hands and feet were the worst for itching. The first 3 attacks happened in the middle of the night about once a week and the 3rd is what really terrified me as my chest felt like it was ichty and numb inside and I was labored in my breathing. I thought I was dying. Yesterday was my fourth attack. I was walking around the local pond with bushes and I did put my feet in the water. All of the sudden my stomach started cramping and I thought oh I need to have a BM. I started home and my mouth started icthing, then my hands then my feet. By the time I got home it was pretty unbearable I threw off my clothes and got into the shower hoping it would help. It really did not. I had to sit on the toilet and I felt like I needed to vomit. I felt faint and weak and shakey and I looked pale. My phone was in another room and I was embarrased by the thought that I may need to call the paramedics while I was sitting on the toilet and in such a mess feeling disoriented. I felt like I was dying. Is it the pond water? Those bushes? Is it the mold in the apartment? Is it stress? We have been asked to moove because of the problem they say is water damage needing to be prepared and they can't repair it while we live here. SO Pond Water? Bushes? Mold? Stress? I read many of you have had all these test and doctors can not label it. What do we all have in common? Stress? Do you have MOLD? Do you go into certain water? Do you have contact with cetrtain bushes? Maybe a common denominator is here some where. I do not want to experience this again. It is horrifying. I don't want my daughter to come home and find me dead. I am alone and so afraid.
I haven't kept careful record, but I wonder if it might be stress related.
We also have a small mold problem (called an exterminator today) but not the really dangerous toxic mold.
Last time I took a benedryl at the start of the attack and it stopped. Maybe the third doctor (of five I've been to) was correct about the food allergy?
Still not sure.
I am going to keep a journal. Thank you penny067. I will try the Zirtec. I am not going to the pond again for starters. I will keep track of cleaners and plants and bug sprays. I am under a bit of stress having to carry the household financially alone and now having to move. It will be interesting to see if these attacks stop when we move. The mold does not need to be the black kind to make you very ill. Inhaling it for years will make you quite ill as I understand. I am going to my Dr. ASAP.