allergic reaction phobia!!

After googling allergic reaction i am so afraid of gettin an allergic reaction and going into anaphalctic shock its ruining my life because im always freaking out after i eat and the constant on edge. im 21, fit, pretty active, and sociable. i do have anxiety that comes and goes for months at a time. This food phobia has been going on for about 3 months, after every meal i just wait so nervously for a reaction because i feel that an allergic reaction is inevitable.  This truly is my worst fear and im going crazy. i have lost alot if weight and everyone notices, friends, family think i just stopped working out but its because i barley eat anymore, i dont even enjoy food! So my question is am i just crazy and should i not even worry about going into shock? i have never had and type of an allergic reaction before and before this i ate EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, fish, shark, nuts, have taken medicines, antibiotics, and now i couldnt even think of doing any of thatevr again! if anyone have had this or has some insight on the realities of allergic reactions please help. Be gentle cuz im already freaking the efff out. The worst part of all this is i know it sounds stupid but i cant help but worry...Thanks for listening :)

[liquidbluev]

Hi Thinkerg,

Wow your post really jumped out at me.  I am dealing with something very similar.  I recently was treated for C. Diff, and so my whole digestive system is already off.  My anxiety just makes it worse and I am very afraid every time I eat something that isn't on my "safe" list.   I haven't touched diary or gluten for 4 months- i eat nothing with sugar, and last time I ate an almond I  I felt a lymph node in my throat swell up.  Coincidence?  Probably, as I'm also being treated for yeast overgrowth, but that was one really bad day.  Now I stay away from nuts too!  My throat is my biggest concern - what if it swells up and i can't breath?  If I start thinking about it too much I start *feeling* an allergic reaction, but being outside of the situation I know it's just my mind playing tricks on me.  

I have been going to a counselor for anxiety, and I've learned two very important facts from her, as her family does have food allergies:

1. only about 3% of the population will ever experience Anaphylaxis
2. When it happens, it usually happens very quickly.  So, if you "feel it a little bit" you will be just fine and it won't get any worse.

Also, even though her kids have food allergies, she told me that after a few weeks, the antibodies dissipate a bit and the reaction won't be as severe anyhow.  She feeds some things to her kids that they are allergic to, but spaces it out enough that their bodies don't react to it.  Therefore, if you keep variety in your food, you will have much less of a chance of having a reaction- or at least a bad one- if it were really true that you were allergic to something.

The best advice i can offer you is stop reading up on what *could* happen.  My counselor said, "if you are having an allergic reaction, YOU WILL KNOW IT.  It's not something you would question. Also, talk to the counselor as the previous person suggested.  I can definitely relate, if you ever need someone to talk to!

If you are really concerned, you can get a blood test or a skin ***** test, or you can even see an allergist that will introduce foods to you in an environment where they can watch you and see if you react.  

[cj29]

I am sorry you are going through this right now.  First of all, you are not crazy.  Anxiety manifests itself in so many different ways but can definitely follow recognizable patterns in my opinion.  In my experience with it, we tend to fear the worst case scenario of whatever is bothering us.  For example, my original experience with anxiety dealt with concerns about my heart health.  So naturally, I thought that any pain, twinge, etc, was cause for alarm when in fact it was just normal everyday aches and pains that we have with life.  Also, don't Google. The internet is a a great resource, however, there is so much information out there that it is vitually impossible to filter the correct information out especially when your anxiety is going to steer you in the direction of your worst fear.  Any 'symptom' can be linked to any disease or fear if you look hard enough...heck, I actually have a slight headache right now and if I looked hard enough I could find at least one website that probably says that my head was going to explode.  My point is that we tend to fear the worst when the exact opposite is true.

Have you or are you in any form of counseling for your anxiety?  I know for me, it helped tremendously.  It gave me the long term knowledge to confront it and deal with it.  I know it is frustrating right now, but keep your head up...you will get through this.  

[thinkerg]

thank you so much for your response, it is really hard but im going to talk to a counselor next week just to see if they can help, even a little bit is worth it  

[liquidbluev]

Hi Thinkerg,

Wow your post really jumped out at me.  I am dealing with something very similar.  I recently was treated for C. Diff, and so my whole digestive system is already off.  My anxiety just makes it worse and I am very afraid every time I eat something that isn't on my "safe" list.   I haven't touched diary or gluten for 4 months- i eat nothing with sugar, and last time I ate an almond I  I felt a lymph node in my throat swell up.  Coincidence?  Probably, as I'm also being treated for yeast overgrowth, but that was one really bad day.  Now I stay away from nuts too!  My throat is my biggest concern - what if it swells up and i can't breath?  If I start thinking about it too much I start *feeling* an allergic reaction, but being outside of the situation I know it's just my mind playing tricks on me.  

I have been going to a counselor for anxiety, and I've learned two very important facts from her, as her family does have food allergies:

1. only about 3% of the population will ever experience Anaphylaxis
2. When it happens, it usually happens very quickly.  So, if you "feel it a little bit" you will be just fine and it won't get any worse.

Also, even though her kids have food allergies, she told me that after a few weeks, the antibodies dissipate a bit and the reaction won't be as severe anyhow.  She feeds some things to her kids that they are allergic to, but spaces it out enough that their bodies don't react to it.  Therefore, if you keep variety in your food, you will have much less of a chance of having a reaction- or at least a bad one- if it were really true that you were allergic to something.

The best advice i can offer you is stop reading up on what *could* happen.  My counselor said, "if you are having an allergic reaction, YOU WILL KNOW IT.  It's not something you would question. Also, talk to the counselor as the previous person suggested.  I can definitely relate, if you ever need someone to talk to!

If you are really concerned, you can get a blood test or a skin ***** test, or you can even see an allergist that will introduce foods to you in an environment where they can watch you and see if you react.  

[thinkerg]

Thank you so much for your comment. This is probably the hardest thing ive gone through with my health because no matter what people have to eat! im glad im not alone even tho i would wish this on not one person! thank you for sharing some realities about allergic reactions it really helped. i know they are rare but its hard to beat the what ifs. Im going to see a counselor for the first time now pretty soon so i hope she can knock some sense into me:) as you can see i can also relate so im hear if you ever want to talk aswell

[liquidbluev]

Hey thinkerg, I'm really happy to read that I have been able to help you.  I know what you mean about the "what if's"  It's kind of funny that the last session with my therapist we talked about how I think about the what if's far too much.  Some times you just have to think, "I'll cross that bridge when I get there" rather than worrying about what could happen.  

I'm really glad to hear you are seeing a therapist.  Psychotherapy can be a huge help with anxiety.  At the very least, it will help you deal with the anxiety so that you can turn your thoughts towards more productive things.  I wish you well!

[mearochelledu]

Hey, honestly going through the same thing even though it's been a year since its happened...every time I eat something I wait and when I wait I keep swallowing and then when you think about it more you think it's going to happen its really weird... Im not allergic to anything how it happened was I took an expired cold and sinus pill when I was sick and now even taking any pills or antibiotics I wait after I take them I don't even know what to do either like it's to the point where sometime I'm
Up early in the morning thinking Im going to get it again :( I feel like I'm going crazy over it even though it's nothing but you never know I even thought about getting an epi pen and carrying it around with me so my mind will be at ease but epi pens are costly and you gotta buy a new one every few months since it expires agh save me lol

[kkat1]

Are you still dealing with this?  I am right now and need help!

[Ere44]

No it is not!  Psicotherapy does not work for anxiety and fear!