anaphylaxis and negative blood and skin tests?

Hello, nice to meet u and wish it was under better circumstances!
There is a web site and it's a good one, where you can ask a doctor a question It's: www.medhelp.com
I would recommend you ask this question there.
People can have false negative reactions to the skin testing. Where you off all antihistamines for a least a week prior to testing? Also other medication can interfer with skin testing such as most stomach medications prevacid, zantac ect and as well as some heart medications.
You can always ask about the Rast testing.
Do a google search for rast testing. as I've not under gone rast testing.
I wish you good luck and hope you don't have another allergic reaction.
Soft hugz......

Me too. . .

Hi, sorry that you are having the negative tests with the anaphylaxis experiences! I am in the same boat, and have been for about 14 years. I started having anaphyl. reactions to specific food groups (seafood) about 14 years ago, and since then I have added in a few other foods, but I stay away from similar foods just to be sure (IE: reactions to mango, but I stay away from tropical fruits as well.)

I went to the allergist and did a complete skin work up -but did not have a typical reaction! They pricked my skin with approx 3/4 of the allergens, NOT including known problems for me (I can just touch something that has had a seafood product on it, and I'll have an immediate and severe anaphylactic reaction!). . . but when the nurse put the "control" prick into my arm, I started to swell up in that arm and then quickly moved into anaphylaxis! They wiped my arms down to get any other allergens off me and then gave me an epi shot! The reaction slowed, and then rolled back and came on again, so I got another epi pen within about 10 minutes of the first one (wheeee- that was not fun!).  They gave me 2 steriod shots in my lower back area to block the histamine reaction from going through my body. . .all the while stating "that has never happened in 20 years of practice" as my heart is beating out of my chest! Then comes rolling reaction #3, and that is when they called 911 (that's right, the allergy doctor had to call for the EMS!!) and they gave me yet a 3rd epi shot. Talk about freaking out! As the EMS wheeled me out, I caught a glimpse of the other patients waiting in the office, and I remember thinking - "wow, I'll bet they are scared to go in and get their testing/shots done now!!" :) When I got to the hospital I was given good old benadryl, and something else, I can't remember, via IV. I settled down later that night and they finally released me once they were sure that I wouldn't react again.  Funnily enough, none of the spots on my arm that were pricked were swollen or indicated any allergy, except of course the histamine "control" sample - my arm was huge and swollen from that point.

So the Dr. called me back to come in after 1.5 months (steriod treatment between, plus waiting for my system to normalize between reactions.) She was sure that the blood test would clarify the problem, with the obviously severe allergic reaction. And the answer? Nothing. It ALL came back clear. NOTHING! It was the weirdest thing.

She gave me 4 epi pens to carry with me, plus an inhaler (the anaphylactic reactions cause immediate breathing issues for me) - and basically said that I should self-monitor my foods and any exposures, and to NEVER be skin or "challenge" tested again, due to the severity of the reaction! Yikes! She also prescribed, if you could say that, a medical alert bracelet. I will never take it off - I am allergic to iodine (anaphyl reactions when I was swabbed by tech!!) and if I am unconscious I know that EMS and hospitals routinely use iodine to swab/clean for invasive procedures. . . It will kill me, so I keep the bracelet on at all times!!

Since then I have had a few new "additions" to my reaction, and I don't ever expect them to go away. My doctor was a very respected allergist in my area, with a long successful practice that also participates in research, etc, so I felt very secure in the experience (ok as much as you can when they almost kill you. . . )

If I were you, I would say that you "know your body best" - and if your body says you are allergic, then you ARE, regardless of any test neg/pos.  Call it an allergy, insist that those around you help you to stay away from anything that has caused a reaction for you in the past, and be hypervigilant about what you allow yourself to be exposed to when you are not the one preparing your own food! :))

Good luck and know that this IS manageable, but after having an anaphylactic reaction, you know how little you want to do that again. . . hang in there!

 

Seems for some of us the only solution is to eat very safe. I actually have had 6 severe Analpylaxis alergy attacks over 4 years however that seems pale in relation to what some others of you have suffered. As of yet I havn't had to use the eppy pen although my alergist just told me that I should have been using it all along based on the severity of my reactions. With the last reaction I passed out on the way to the hospital. WIth an attack I always get it 2 hours after eating and get servere hives, finger tingling, upset stomack and diarea. Benadril and steroid shots cures it after a few hours. I never want to get another attack.

With pin prick tests for food alergies my alergist didn't pick up positives. However with blood tests it picked up alergy to Beef and pork which I have eaten all my life. I can't say for sure I didn't have beef or pork with my latest attack (I had a simple normal supper of real food I always eat), however I almost without a doubt place the blame on Peta Chips and white wine that I had later on which are two things I never eat. The Peta chips contained Ascorbic acid (VItamin C) and I found that Ascorbic acid is also used to treat coloration of white wine.

With pin pricks for airborn alergies the back tests showed nothing however the arm prick tests picked up trees, ragweed, mice, cat, dogs. I do get exposed to all those however the alergist said that airborn alergies are not what normally causes severe Analpylaxis, so I feel that my attacks are caused by what I have eaten.

As a caution so as to not have another attack I will watch what I eat, (no beef or pork for now).

In addition however, I have finally found a reason to cut back on alcohol consumption. I normally would have two or three glass of cabernet every evening. That has caused slight elevation in my blood work regarding liver functions fo quite a while. Of recent I have been getting severe back itching in the morning after drinking my two cups of coffee. I read that if the liver is compromized it cannot process what is in the coffee and instead sends the stuff to the skin where it causes itching. I could take an antihistamine for that however that seems like going down a bad road. Not only should I cut back on drinking, taking Benadril every day may cause it to be less affective should I have another alergy attack.
I now am restricting myself to one glass every evening. I am hoping that this cutback of alcohol in addition to eating carefull I won't have another attack. If I do have another one it should be easier to narrow down actually what I am alergic to.

I try to eat very safe at all times, then sometimes I introduce a food that's bothered me before.

For example I love beef but I rarely eat it. I purchased some grassfed beef at an upscale grocery store and it tasted very fatty--but delicious. It didn't agree with me. Last week I had a hamburger for the first time in years. (I did not eat the bun.) The beef was angus and maybe because it was a high end restaurant the beef was of a higher quality? I did fine.

I love homemade spagetti sauce and I've found it doesn't agree with me. After many months of not having it, I tried it again yesterday after reading if you add baking soda it cuts down on the acid. I did fine afterwards and the sauce was even more delicious than my previous sauces. Because I don't do well with gluten, I used quinoa spagetti. That was delicious too.

We have to be our own best detectives and see what works for us.

Post Edited (almost medfree) : 3/7/2018 4:21:16 AM (GMT-7)