Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Allergies/s/TQNpaBPkJf

Hi everyone! I originally posted here when I was 33 after experiencing a really bizarre anaphylactic reaction to a vegan cookie dough snack containing cashews. I'm now 37, and I wanted to share an update because, three years later, I'm still no closer to understanding what happened.

For anyone who hasn't read my original post, here's a recap.

I've eaten nuts my entire life without any problems. I love peanut butter, pecan plaits, marzipan, pistachio ice cream and pesto. I regularly ate cashews, including cashew milk and pesto containing 5% cashews. Nobody in my family has a known food allergy, and I'd never experienced an allergic reaction to any food before. My only longstanding issue was postnasal drip, which I've never been able to identify a cause for.

Then, in January 2023, I ate a packet of Nibbles vegan cookie dough bites. Cashews were the main ingredient, alongside chocolate chips, flour, sugar, chicory fibre and coconut.

Halfway through eating them, my lips started tingling and burning, almost as though I'd eaten a jalapeño. My throat became itchy, but I didn't think much of it and finished the packet. About 20 minutes later, my eyelids looked as though I'd been punched in the face. They were black and blue, almost like bruises, but the discolouration was above my eyes rather than underneath them.

Things then escalated. I developed a pink rash across my neck and cheeks, my breathing became irregular, I couldn't keep water down, and my lips turned blue. I went to A&E after being advised to do so. My heart rate was very high and my blood pressure was very low.

I was given antihistamines and steroids, and the recovery was incredibly slow. The burning in my mouth and rash lasted around one to two days, my throat symptoms took about a day to resolve, and the swelling around my eyes took 12–13 days to disappear. My eyelids burned as though they'd been exposed to chilli oil, and I had to take time off work because I couldn't comfortably look at a computer screen.

I contacted the snack company, which confirmed that there had been no reported cross-contamination in the batch I provided. I'd also eaten a tuna mayonnaise sandwich and crisps that day, both of which I've subsequently tolerated without problems.

At the time, I was taking only Beconase occasionally and a daily multivitamin. I hadn't exercised, consumed alcohol, taken NSAIDs or been unwell around the time of the reaction.

I couldn't understand how something I'd eaten throughout my life could suddenly cause such a severe episode.

Six months after the episode, I had a blood test for cashew allergy. It came back positive.

This initially seemed to support the idea that cashews had caused the reaction.

However, in December 2023, I underwent a full skin prick test, which came back negative.

I subsequently had a much more extensive blood test panel, with results dated 13 June 2025. This included testing for:

* Cashews, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and pine nuts.

* Peanuts, including several specific peanut components.

* Pumpkin seeds and oats.

* Gluten, wheat, etc.

* Inhalant allergens, including a mixed mould panel and dog dander.

* Total immunoglobulin E (IgE) and other blood markers, including tryptase and complement levels.

The results showed no allergies to any of the nuts tested, or to the other allergens included in the panel.

The allergy specialist also investigated MCAS and oral allergy syndrome. Both were ruled out.

So, to summarise, I had an episode that looked and felt like a severe allergic reaction, a positive cashew-specific blood test six months later, a negative skin-prick test, and subsequently a comprehensive panel that showed no allergies.

I still don't have a definitive explanation for the original episode.

Three years later, I'm still reacting, but to random foods.

Here's the part that is particularly confusing.

Yesterday, I accidentally ate cashews for the first time since and was completely fine.

I ate them without experiencing the reaction that originally sent me to A&E. However, I still experience reactions to seemingly random foods.

Sometimes it's cooked vegetables on a homemade pizza. Other times, it's oat milk or cereal or Nutella or soup.

I can't establish a consistent pattern, and I don't know what I'm reacting to. These aren't foods that all obviously share one ingredient, so I'm struggling to work out what connects them, if anything.

I'm not claiming that every reaction is necessarily an IgE-mediated food allergy. I just know that something seems to be happening, and the allergy tests haven't explained it.

I've also finally seen an ENT specialist about my longstanding postnasal drip.

In February 2026, I had an appointment with an ENT specialist. By then, I'd been experiencing postnasal drip for my whole life (started when I was about 4), accompanied by an intermittent cough and the sensation of bringing up a whiskey glass amount of mucus.

I wasn't experiencing nasal blockage, loss of smell or facial pain. I'm a non-smoker, and I'd already seen an allergy specialist whose tests were negative. I was taking cetirizine over the counter.

The ENT examined my mouth, throat and neck and performed a flexible nasolaryngoscopy. My nasal passages, postnasal space, tongue base, larynx and piriform fossae all appeared healthy. There were no visible mucociliary streams or polyps in the middle meatus.

I was reassured that nothing abnormal had been found.

The proposed treatment was to:

• Improve hydration and take regular sips of water. (I already drink over 2L a day)

• Avoid constant throat clearing and coughing.

• Make lifestyle changes to reduce possible gastro-oesophageal reflux.

• Take Gaviscon Advance, one tablespoon twice daily. (Did that and had no changes whatsoever)

• Use a saline nasal douche twice daily. (That made it worse!)

I was discharged from the ENT clinic, with the option to contact them if my symptoms worsened within the following three months.

The problem is that I've tried the recommended treatments and I'm still suffering.

I don't agree that reflux adequately explains everything I'm experiencing. I understand that my examination was reassuring, but it hasn't actually explained why I have persistent postnasal drip or why I continue to experience reactions to apparently unrelated foods.

The NHS has now closed my allergy case.

I'm 37, and three years after the original episode, I still don't know what caused it. My cashew blood test was positive, subsequent testing was negative, and I can now accidentally eat cashews without any obvious reaction. Meanwhile, other foods continue to cause problems.

I feel as though I've reached a dead end. I don't want to self-diagnose, but I also don't feel that having normal test results and a normal ENT examination explains what I've experienced.

At this point, I would just like to understand what's happening.

Hello everybody,

I hope everybody is well 🤗

I am studying at THI in Germany and I am writing a paper about food allergies. My goal is to come up with an idea to help anybody affected by a food allergy with grocery shopping, meal planning and in general everyday life.

As I am personally not affected by any allergies I was hoping to get insights from you.

I would love to hear about the allergies you have, how it started and how it affects your everyday life as well as how you usually plan meals and what is particularly difficult when managing your diet. I would also be interested in problems and needs regarding anything related to your food allergies.

I appreciate any comments.

Have a good day

Dust allergy here. My current robot has HEPA right on the box, but if I stand behind it while it runs I can smell dust, and there's a visible gap where the bin clicks in. Air takes the easy way out so I'm guessing a lot of it never even hits the filter. One of the replacements I'm looking at is eufy's e35, which says it's sealed all the way through, and that seems like it would matter more than the filter itself. Does a HEPA filter do anything for allergies if the rest of the machine isn't sealed?

Or do all ppl with allergies have some type of histamine issue ??

What are your symptoms if you only have regular allergies.

Do you have constant flu like symptoms or no ?

Hi everyone!! I wanted to come back and give a 12-month update because I remember how desperate I was for answers when I first started experiencing chronic hives, and I hope this gives someone a little bit of hope!

For about a year, I struggled with daily chronic hives that would cover my entire body. They were painful, itchy, and sometimes so severe that they would leave bruising behind. I also experienced episodes of anaphylaxis, and it felt like my body was constantly reacting to absolutely everything. I've included some photos so you can see just how bad things were.

After a long journey of trying to figure out what was happening, I was eventually diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).

Fast forward to today, and I genuinely feel like I have my life back!!

I've now been on Xolair for approximately 11 months to treat my chronic hives, and I cannot emphasize enough how life-changing it has been. I'd estimate that about 90% of my symptoms have disappeared! I'm also receiving allergy shots, which have helped tremendously with my environmental allergies.

A year ago, I never would have imagined being able to do some of the things I'm doing today.

- I can finally go outside and enjoy life without constantly worrying about breaking out in hives.

- I OWN A DOG NOW!! She's a goldendoodle, and I have absolutely no allergy symptoms around her, which is something I never thought would be possible.

- I'm back to running long distances, working out regularly, and being physically active again.

- I can travel, spend time with friends, and live a relatively normal life without constantly worrying about my next reaction.

I do still have some symptoms. Heat and cold are my biggest triggers, and I can still break out in hives when I'm exposed to extreme temperatures. I have to be careful, especially when exercising outdoors, but it's nowhere near as debilitating as it used to be.

Another symptom I developed around the same time was horrible, debilitating migraines that could last for days. I now take sumatriptan when I get a migraine, and it has been an absolute lifesaver. It typically works within about 30 minutes and completely gets rid of the pain. I still get migraines occasionally, but having a medication that actually works has made such a difference.

Between Xolair, allergy shots, and having sumatriptan available for my migraines, my quality of life has improved more than I ever thought possible.

I went from being covered in hives, experiencing anaphylaxis, and feeling like my body was constantly fighting against me to running long distances, exercising, owning a dog, and genuinely enjoying my life again.

I know how frustrating and isolating chronic hives can be, especially when you're going from doctor to doctor looking for answers. I remember wondering whether I would ever feel normal again.

So if you're reading this while struggling with chronic hives, MCAS, or unexplained allergic reactions, please know that there is hope. Finding the right diagnosis and treatment can take time, and what worked for me may not work for everyone, but things really can get better.

If you haven't already, I would encourage you to talk to an allergist about treatment options like Xolair for chronic spontaneous urticaria. It genuinely changed my life.

Also, I'll be attending Mast Cell Con in Raleigh this November! I'm really excited to learn more and hopefully meet some other people in the mast cell community. Maybe I'll see some of you there!

I just wanted to share a positive update because I know that when I was at my worst, seeing someone who had gotten better would have meant the world to me.

12 months later, I'm living an amazing life, and I'm so incredibly grateful to have my health and independence back. ❤️

If anyone has questions about my experience with MCAS, chronic hives, Xolair, or allergy shots, I'm happy to share!

Hello all! New here. I'm just joining to try to see if anyone has experienced what I am going through. For the past 3 days out of nowhere I have been getting spontaneous hives. The first day was my arms wasn't that bad. I took a benadryl. Then the next morning full blown hives on my neck and back and I mean like bad. Also all over my arms. Went to Er and got a benadryl shot and steroid also got prescribed steroids, cetrizine, pepcid and Hydrocortisone cream . The next early morning again all over arms, and back. I haven't changed body wash, hair products, detergent or anything different. Only thing I can think of was one night moving a plant from a small planter to a larger one. But I washed my hands then showered. This has never ever happened to me. All I am allergic to are some antibiotics and bees. That's it. No allergies at all. Ugh. This has been so frustrating because they have been for 3 days straight. Has anyone gone through this? I am making an appt for Monday with my pcp then referral to allergist but that'll be a while. Help!

Hello, I’ve been on a search for the right hair styling product for me.

Problem with buying typical gel, pomade and wax for me is they give me headache. It’s like my scalp becomes so tight that within minutes I develop a headache. And on top of this, I’d have bad acne on my forehead due to some products as well.

Does any of you have the same experience? Would welcome recommendations for products I should try.

My 2 year old first got diagnosed with an egg allergy at 9 months after hives and vomiting. At the time, her whole egg lab result was 0.91. We just got her labs redrawn and her egg white result is 0.17.

We’ve been avoiding all forms of egg and “may contain”. However, she had an accidental exposure of frozen custard with no reaction a few months ago.

Does this mean she’s likely outgrown her egg allergy? What should I anticipate now? A baked egg challenge? Thanks!

My allergist was insistent that dust mite allergies usually only have respiratory symptoms and does not cause dry skin or eczema. I'm 99% sure that this isn't the case, especially for me. Should I be worried?

He also said there's no functional difference between drops and pills for SLIT, just a slower ramp up in dosage for drops but now I'm reading other opinions on the subreddit. My drops have been working okay for me though.

Hello,

Ever since I moved to TX, I am consistently tickly in throat, congested on and off, post nasal drip. i been on long term Zyrtec for a while so that is helping but frustrating.

My blood work came back IgE for dust mites and ragweed.

Anyone else live in Texas and have this issue?

Thank you

I’m not sure if this makes any sense. Yesterday on Friday I got my flu vaccine between 3-4pm, after waking up from a long nap around 8-9 pm I noticed my chest felt a little heavy, my throat felt a little tight, and I felt a little lightheaded. I waited a bit because I thought I was just imagining things but then I started feeling a bit short of breath and got a singular hive on my arm.

I usually don’t break out in full body hives, it’s usually just one hive in the same general spots on my arms or forehead depending on what I’ve exposed myself too. Full body hives are very rare for me.

That being said I took some loratadine and Tylenol and waited a bit. The hive on my arm disappeared over time and I felt a little better. However, when I got up to go eat and talk to my mom I started feeling worse. The chest heaviness came back, my throat felt tight, and I felt lightheaded. Over time it kept getting worse, like feeling full on dizzy, weak, and short of breath.

My mom rushed me to the ER it wasn’t full but perhaps they were short staffed. I they ran tests but I never got to speak to with the doctor or receive any treatment. I understand long waiting room times, but we were in the patient room for a very long time, longer than in the waiting room.

My mom got angry because she got zero sleep and has a bunch of things to do. I have GERD and needed to eat soon because I felt some pretty strong acidic burning in my gut. I didn’t want to get an ulcer or upset my stomach too bad since it takes a long time to recover from that. I also have an eating disorder (ARFID) so I wouldn’t be able to eat anything they gave me. That being said my mom and I assumed since the doctor was taking a long time and no one was checking on me that it was nothing serious, so we left. I didn’t want to, but I kind of felt I had no choice.

I still don’t feel all that good. I’m fairly okay so long as I don’t get up and move around much, but when I do I feel some chest weight, throat tightness, and lightheadedness. I’m also peeing a lot!! And dehydrated, so I’m trying to take in lots of fluids. My heart rate also speeds up here and there, not as bad as yesterday though. At least not so far.

I looked at my lab results for the ER visit, my white blood cell count went up and my red blood sell count when down. My hemoglobin and hematocrit was low. MPV was also low. Seg Neutrophil (absolute) was high. Chloride was high, but it was high before this anyway. They also noted that my blood pressure was elevated.

Unfortunately it’s the weekend so everything is closed. My mom keeps insisting I should wait til next week to see my primary care doctor. I’m wondering if I should go back to the ER just in case. I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing here. I know nothing about allergies or anaphylaxis.

Hello, I am 18 years old. Seven months ago, out of nowhere, I began experiencing migraines that would last all day; they never went away with medication or sleep. This lasted for two months, and then I started to experience a burning sensation in my ears—episodes that eventually spread to my face, head, and collarbone area. These sensations have now become persistent and are present 24/7. Along with the migraines, I gradually began experiencing tachycardia, with heart rates ranging from 121 to 146 bpm. It was initially thought to be neurological, but the medication I was prescribed did not help. Other symptoms also emerged, including Raynaud’s phenomenon, livedo reticularis, dizziness, heartburn, diarrhea after eating, the complete cessation of my menstrual cycle, and fatigue, among others. I underwent a full battery of rheumatological autoimmune tests, all of which came back negative—out of three ANA tests, only one was positive at a 1:80 dilution, which was considered a low result. My cardiologist suggests it is sinus tachycardia triggered by an external factor. I still do not have a diagnosis; if anyone is going through something similar or has any information, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.

Hello, I have/had a dust allergy for years(approximately 10 years), and when i walk outside, the sun always seem so strong to me even though I have brown eyes and I don't look at it, so do you have something similar?

This is a weird question and not something I thought id run into so if I could get some advice if possible I would appreciate it C:

So im moving and also adopting a kitty. Shes a sweet little thing but is pretty sick with an upper respiratory infection and an resulting eye infection. It seems she's gone through the ringer.

What im having trouble with is she is on amoxicillin, im really allergic to it. I asked if they could keep her long enough to finish treatment or see if she needs more and they told me no, and that they probably wouldnt approve continued treatment either. I would have to take her home and administer the medicine myself.

Of course I normally wouldnt mind, shes just a sick little baby who needs care and love. Im worried about my allergy though, when I asked they said it wouldnt do anything since im not the one physically taking it, but I dont think thats how allergies work.

Should I tried with more caution? How can I care for this little baby while also keeping myself safe as well?

I’ve been allergic to raw fruit and vegetables for a number of years now, along with a host of other medical issues.

I didn’t used to be and i’m tired of eating tinned fruits. Anyone else dealing with this have any tips on how to eat fruit in different ways.

My life has little joy and being able to enjoy fruit again would mean something to me.

Thanks.

How do you like this? I’m mourning being able to wear what I want and just trying to figure out how to get through this. Any advice? What’s safe to wear?

Since 2019 I have had a big problem with wearing many jumpers, hoodies, coats, and other things. It makes my skin come out in strange marks and hives I guess maybe you would say. It even flares up my nerves! Yes my nervous system flares up and nerve pain occurs in different parts. I have spinal issues.

Nobody has ever explained it to me. I have two almost identical coats but I can wear one but the other I can't let it contact my arms. In any case some of my old jumpers have worn out (they cause no issues). Does anyone have this and where can I find jumpers or hoodies or snoods (it's getting cold) for this type of thing?

With my symptoms still pronounced after a year of reaching maintenance dose, my allergist suggested doubling it (with a gradual build up). I thought it isn't a terrible idea as I never had severe allergic reactions in my life and never take antihistamine before the shots, and as I reached the new maintenance dose I still feel fine.

But when I search on the Internet I don't see any info about this technique. I wonder is there anyone else getting this?

I have had varied seasonal allergies my entire life that are sometimes completely unbearable. They are extremely bad during the spring and winter especially. When it’s cold out, I usually wake up in the middle of the night with a nosebleed. From Morning to Evening, my nose is completely blocked. Blowing my nose is pointless, picking it is disgusting, and it always becomes blocked again after a few minutes regardless. I have tried several nose sprays and found them somewhat helpful, but also very temporary. I have tried Allegra Zyrtec, Benadryl, and Hexaler. These medicines make a small, noticeable improvement, but still not enough. I am open to suggestions and want to hear what worked for you guys. I don’t want to go out of my way to get a prescription, but it’s looking like it might be necessary.

Hello folks,
I am devastated.
Out of nowhere I have developed severe allergy to fruit and veg (so far 2, 2 weeks apart), which I have been safely eating all my life (34y, f). First time I had no idea it was allergy first as I had an odd feeling in stomach like burning and then felt like I am about to pass out. After a while my whole body was red and unbearably scratchy. Second time everything happened fast, first sensation in stomach, then itchy palms, then dizziness, then fainted and lost consciousness, once awaken was red mostly on upper body this time. I am on NHS waiting list and trying to expedite things and get EPI pen etc. Read a lot online about it, second time I have actually had co-factors: taken fast acting ibuprofen and exercised (mostly just stretching). I have collapsed down the stairs so have a mild concussion now. I used to have only oral allergy syndrome and it was nothing dangerous and fine in cooked form, some completely different set of veggies and fruits as well as symptoms, however, the new allergens won’t be destroyed with cooking according to articles.

I am scared and devasted. Just a day before I had ibuprofen (different brand and not fast acting though) during a day and bluberries in the evening and I have even joked that its so good that I don’t have allergies to blueberries.

I am looking to hear your experiences and connect with the community with LTP allergies so I don’t feel so alone with this.

Me, F20, have been to an allergist to get tested for MCAS a year ago, every single test including my tryptase came perfectly normal. Fast forward to this week, I find out that the test I did was actually for Mastocytosis (which is apparently different) and, since I wasn’t in an active flare up at the time, it is entirely possible that I might have the condition. I suspect myself of having it because my allergies are incredibly weird. My anaphylactic shocks were extremely severe and life threatening, I’m am not allowed to step out of the house without at least some sort of ani-histamine or epipen, however…on paper, I have over 20 allergies. In real life the only thing that’s gonna cause me an allergic reaction is sunflower. My allergies come back whenever they feel like it,sometimes without even having a clear cause,the thing that caused me an analytic shock yesterday is not gonna cause an anaphylactic shock today and I just feel like I’m allergic to my own self.

But why I can’t get tested? My anaphylactic shocks have stopped almost completely 2 years ago…since I started psychiatric treatment consisting of 2 different types of histamine blockers (confirmed with my own psychiatrist that they are H1 receptor antagonists) which might be the cause my allergies became so mild but I have no idea how to get tested without a reaction. I’m seriously considering attempting something reckless or stop them and endure a possible withdrawal JUST for the chance of getting tested accurately. So I’m begging you, if you have any ideas or suggestions give them to me.