Allergy, antihistamines don't work

I have been dealing with what I think is an allergic reaction for about two months now. It started as a feeling of swelling under my tongue. I will look when I have the sensation but nothing actually looks swollen. The feeling is deep under my tongue, almost as if down in my chin. It will also occur occasionally in the back of tongue, the back of mythroat/above the roof of my mouth and my jaw. The swelling comes and goes during the day and does not seem to correlate with anything that I am doing or eating. At one point the swelling became very intense in my throat. I was prescribed a week course of prednisone and was told to begin claritin and a nasal spray. I felt great on the prednisone, no pain or swelling. A few days after stopping the prednisone the swelling began to come back and brought pain with it. My tongue, jaw and chin will become extremely painful and tense. Tylenol can take the pain to a manageable level but does nothing for the swelling feeling. The swelling still occurs under my tongue and the back of my tongue. I was given another course of prednisone and an appointment with an ENT in a few days. During the time between the courses of prednisone I was on the antihistamines and nasal spray and they did nothing. I am at my wits end trying to find what is wrong. My insurance will not cover allergy testing so my doctors are trying to exhaust any other resource before having to send me for testing. Has anyone else experienced this problem where antihistamines were doing nothing for what is thought to be an allergic reaction?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Without examination ,confirming a diagnosis is tough but it sounds like salivary glands swelling. The major salivary glands are called the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands.Submandibular glands open in side of tongue and sublingual glands open underneath the tongue.

Swelling of these glands leads to interference of production and drainage of saliva and pain and irritation.It may be due to some obstruction like stone or tumor,inflammation and infection.

In my opinion an examination from an ENT specialist along with investigations like dental x-rays and CT scan are required.Pls get it done.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep us posted if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.