Allergic to Weed (Cannabis)

[Widowwings]

I am not a Cannabis smoker.  Yet, I have a severe allergy to Cannabis.  Not only do I get a contact rash and or irritation I also get the watery eyes, shortness of breath, etc.  Normal allergy symptoms.  The problem is it does not stop there.  In fact it has become deathly for me as my respiratory system shuts down all together without some sort of immediate help.  I have been hospitalized twice and of course the doctors all say it has to be something else.  In fact other than being told to take Benadryl I have never received any medical help to save my life.  I'm sorry if I sound angry ... I am just really frustrated.  I can no longer go to concerts, or even amusement parks.  Shoot I had a reaction in the grocery store parking lot the other day.  If you have any words of wisdom on how to keep my reactions under control enough where I am not scared to go anywhere I would really appreciate it.  The Benadryl doesn't work .. most antihistamines have no effect whatsoever.  The only counter remedy I have even been able to find is an albuterol inhaler and a menthol cigarette to open my lungs as much as possible so I can cough out the toxin.  This is not only dangerous but very painful.  So again if you have any ideas ... please help.  I would like to go on living in this country ... not hiding from it.

Thank You

[LadyLocks7]

Me too. No more thrift stores, grocery stores are iffy, school functions for the kids can be a problem.  I've already had to give up virtually all of my work in WA state... Sometimes, I just want to sue the damn state. The stuff is illegal at the federal level. The allergy shouldn't even affect me.

PS: for the skeptics, there is no question that I am allergic to marijuana.  And no, there is no test available from any pharmaceutical company due to the questionable legality of possessing the stuff.  

[Necolong]

I am one of you today is 420 in Colorado and boy am I having a reaction hitting my inhaler and tossing pills down is the only saving grace for me. I also have allergies to ragweed, tumbleweed, and grasses. I have chest pains, small blisters and itching all over. I have been tested but they have no idea what to do.

[Mriana]

In the late 70s and early 80s I had those skin tests and hemp was one of the things they tested me for due to having severe respiratory distress when going to the girl's bathroom at school (a common place for some girls to hide out and smoke whatever).  At the time, I caused fascination among the allergists at the time, because the only thing I did not have a reaction to was pet dander.  Turns out, which you probably know, if one is born around animals, like I was, that is generally the last thing they are allergic to, even though they are allergic to what animals get on their bodies.  I'm allergic to what other animals get on their bodies, but not to them.  I'm also extremely allergic to hemp, with respiratory distress even.  I'm also allergic to eggs, mold, pollen, mildew, dust, trees, grasses/plants (which hemp fits this category), ragweed, golden rod, alfalfa... but not other animals.  My mother has a multitude of allergies too, except to other animals and often says we should have been born on a different planet.  BTW, allergy shots are a waste of money.  I had those and I still have all my allergies.

Mriana

[JustVisiting]

I am highly allergic, and will go into respiratory distress if exposed to the smoke (I was hospitalized for a week after the last exposure).  Even the smell of pot on someone's clothing will elicit a reaction, though not as severe as direct exposure to smoke.

As a child, I was allergic to mildew, which limited my access to the downstairs of the house.  I was also allergic to something in spaghetti sauce and to something in bleu cheese dressing, but I outgrew those. As an adult, I've  been desensitized to wasp and hornet venom.

To deal with my pot allergy, I have made some adjustments.  I no longer go to the homes of tokers, and I have a strict rule regarding visitors to my home - the drugs stay in the jacket and the jacket stays in the visitor's vehicle.  Having been through several years of desensitization treatments, I have no desire to repeat that experience when I can readily limit the risk of exposure.

For those who are looking for an alternative to making adjustments, my advice is to give it up.  Allergic reactions tend to become exponentially more severe with repeat exposure.  You would be wise to not put yourselves in life-threatening situations by trying to deal with the symptoms of exposure.

[CharlieR64]

If you think you are allergic, the dr. is correct, that you should be scientifically tested to be sure.  Then, they can desensitize you so you won't react so badly.  That would entail ingesting some Cannabis, very small doses over the course of months, like they do with bee stings, and other common allergens.

[LadyLocks7]

Because marijuana is illegal under federal law, medical facilities will not test nor create allergy shots for it . Most of us have already checked.

[allergic_to_my_spouse]

I recently realized that i have a weed allergy, my husband is a weed smoker and i dont really care for it but will on occasion take a hit for the hell of it. the smell of it alone makes me sick to my stomach. on the few occasions where i defcided to partake, i get severe tingling and feel hot in the ears and throat. i get nauseous and sometimes vomit uncontrollably. i experience severe mood swings just from being around the smoke. My husband refuses to quit or avoid smoking around me stating that it hasnt killed me yet but the symptoms just get worse every time im around it. it is ruining my marriage and also making me misserable on a daily basis. not sure what i can do to stop the reaction so that i can be around my spouse without feeling sick. any advice would be  great.

[Scared2go]

I also am allergic to weed and hemp. My throat starts itching, my tongue swells and my throat starts closing. In addition I am covered in hives wherever i was touched by the exposure to weed. It is so bad that if my husband, who works in a pot friendly industry, shakes hands with someone who has touch marijuana, hemp, or the smoke. When my husband gets home, if he hasn't washed that hand, I have a reaction. If he wipes his hands on his pants until he can get to a sink, I am safe until I was his pants. It has made it very annoying to go anywhere. I am especially afraid when going to events related to his career as people aren't open about it. I've tried saying I have a cold but people still get offended if I won't touch them. I have an epipen. But they are expensive and expire too frequently for the money. I take Zyrtec daily and it doesn't always keep me safe enough.

[kookeraa]

hi, i have the exact same problem as you, and i recently found out about this.

The first time i ever had to encounter this problem, was when i went out to downtown to celebrate the montreal habs hockey playoffs win with my friends, couple of weeks ago.

There were lots of people. Lots of people, attracting lots of cops, accidents and violent actions occured and cops eventually had to pop their pepper spray bombs and i thought the pepper spray had caused my body and my face as well, to get rashes and bumps like an allergy that lasted for 2days; causing me to look like an oversteroid zombie(ugly).

But today, I was playing basketball with my friends and as soon as i smelled weed in the court, my ears started heating up, my forehead was getting hot and in a minute or two, my face was back to the zombie mode that i feared... i ran home, took a 20minute cold shower, and finally had doubts about this allergy, if it had to do anything with weed.

so then i asked my friends and talked to my family, and came to a conclusion that the night of hockey celebration night, wasn't the pepper spray but weed, like earlier today.

I am now angry and mad because my face is swollen and having to think that i won't be able to go out to concerts and playgrounds like you have mentioned, im honestly frustrated and worried to hell.

you said that Benadryl doesn't work... i'm going to go get this checked out, but im still scared about this and just like you, i would like some answers.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
Has your allergy to cannabis been found by tests? What is important is you must find out what is causing this allergy. Common allergens are pollen, mold, dust, pet dander, synthetic fiber, cosmetics or drugs. You must get an allergy test done, either a skin test or RAST, to know what you are allergic to. Many fruits, wheat, sea food, coloring agents, preservatives in food etc cause food allergy. There are various tests designed to test for food allergy. You need to take those tests to know if your allergy is due to any food item.
Keep an Epipen with you for emergencies.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!