Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

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aimee
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:48 am
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by aimee on Wed Jan 16, 2013 7:57 am

Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

Ever since I had a severe reaction to nuts that ended with me being hospitalised, I've been struggling to cope with paranoia and a fear of eating. Even foods I know for a fact are safe can make me an anxious mess. You know that lump in the throat and that numb feeling you get when you get nervous? Not helpful.
My weight has dropped drastically, and I really have no choice but to force myself to eat and 'ride out' the resulting freakout. I'm in no danger of starving, but having to face my biggest fear everyday is getting very tiring. The worst part is, I feel as though I'm alone in feeling this way, since my doctor assured me that I was 'smarter than this' and I haven't heard of anyone else feeling this way.
Does anyone else have this, or managed to overcome this?

williamsmummy
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:06 pm
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by williamsmummy on Tue Mar 19, 2013 12:11 pm

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

YES. This is a normal reaction to a very real fear.
What helps is reminding yourself that you have many many more days without a reaction, so that shows your management is working.

also, remember that risk is part of normal life, you wouldnt cross the road without looking both ways, and you wouldnt eat a food without reading the label.

Do you cook your own food, and shop for it? cook different meals at home, and that too will give you more confidence.

be kind to yourself, dont expect to feel magically better overnight, but reassure yourself that everytime you enjoy or eat a meal, you have managed your allergies very well.
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Denise08
Posts: 21
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:06 am
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by Denise08 on Tue Jan 28, 2014 7:12 am

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

I have also allergy in some foods like eggs, chicken, nuts and processed foods, they trigger my skin asthma. But sometimes I cannot help eating those stuff so I try to do daily exercise at least 30 minutes and it works. Exercise is a way of detoxifying through our sweat glands. I also drink lots of water before before each meal.

ebatseyy
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:18 pm
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by ebatseyy on Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:11 pm

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

Trust me, you are not alone - I thought I was the only one!

I get the lump in the throat feeling everyday both during and after meals and send myself up the wall with worry. I know it is so difficult to just snap yourself out of it, but unfortunately that is what we have to do. However I hope it will make life easier for you knowing that this happens to other people - I've been struggling with it for about 3 years now. What I tend to do when I start to feel panicky is take some deep breaths to assure myself I can still breathe perfectly, have some water (preferably hot water as it relaxes the throat muscles), pop my ipod headphones in my ears and go for a walk or run.

I am so determined to get rid of these symptoms as I've noticed that my anxiety is causing much more of a problem than the actual allergy. I'm going to Peru for a month this summer and although I am absolutely petrified, I know that it is something I can do.

we can go an extremely long time without a vicious reaction so why can't we get rid of our anxiety too??

healthcare247
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 22, 2014 10:05 am
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by healthcare247 on Mon Dec 22, 2014 11:43 am

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

Well to overcome this issue need to check your diet therapy in which you can use more and more fruits along with multivitamins to replenish the body’s vital supplements which will keep you healthy and fit.

Bike2Live
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri May 01, 2015 6:27 am
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by Bike2Live on Sat May 02, 2015 8:24 am

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

I can honestly say that I have that problem rather often.

One of the best things you have going for you is that you know what your allergens are.

In my case, I know that aside from Tylenol, I'm allergic to all over-the-counter pain medicines (NSAIDs, more specifically), along with penicillin, latex, bees, dog & cat dandruff, oat-grains, and alterneria (a type of mold spore found in bathrooms which can never be completely removed) . However, I've been avoiding all of my allergens like the plague, and I've still had countless allergic reactions for which I cannot seem to find a cause. In addition to having Anaphylaxis, I also have sever skin allergies which makes accurate skin testing impossible, and some allergens can't be identified through blood testing. I can't tell you how many times in the last 6 months I've walked into the local ER, only to answer "What are you reacting to" with "I have no clue". What I can tell you is that it has gotten to the point where staff know my name by looking at my face rather than a chart or a wristband.

I love to ride my bike along the many trails in my area, but somedays the fear of getting stung by a bee is enough to cause me to cut a 30 mile ride down to less than 10, or even keep me from going at all. The fear is so intense that it prevents me from indulging in something I am passionate about, almost as if I'm being held hostage.
In terms of feeling like fear and paranoia are exhausting all on their own, I'm in that same boat myself at the moment.
Although it doesn't help me in regards to reducing the frequency of my reactions, it does help to know that I am not alone in feeling a mentally exhausted because of what's happening.

JudithJohnson
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:11 am
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by JudithJohnson on Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:50 am

Re: Allergy anxiety and paranoia?

No you are not alone, I have allergies with some foods which is so bad.. I follow my doctors diet instructions and everything is normal..
You can talk to your doctors about your fear and take some multivitamins and supplements to gain essential nutrients for your health.
Eat healthy and exercise regularly.

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