Hormones, sensitivity, and anaphylaxis

[CMdeux]

So DD had a recent reaction  (er-- or what we think was one, anyway) that involved intensely painful smooth muscle contractions.  She is a teen.

I have had one of these reactions as well, which is the only reason why (at least after the fact, when I could get better info from her) I understood that this WAS a reaction.  Uterine contractions are a thing with anaphylaxis which can present otherwise almost silently-- but it is AGONIZING.  She was also extremely pale and complained of being FREEZING cold.  We think that the culprit was the outside of a water bottle from a concession at an event.

This is the first low-level XC reaction that she's had in a long time, honestly-- it is a little disheartening, to say the least.  We were hoping that her sensitivity was getting better.  Apparently not so much.

She is also worried about what this means for her future in adulthood-- that is, if she's had ONE of these reactions, is it likely that this is a new 'normal' for this kind of thing??  And will hormonal shifts make it more likely that she'll have a reaction?? 

We're a little concerned that being placed on cycle-regulating hormones may have tweaked her threshold/sensitivity.  Or maybe it's that being in a regular classroom (uni) setting has led to ongoing low-level exposures that are filling up her allergen cup??  Something else-- like just being in mid-adolescence??

I know that I have seen little snippets on those subjects (though maybe nothing truly direct) over the years.  I'm just putting this here as a placeholder until I can get back to it.

I appreciate any insights that anyone might have, though-- or information on the subject.

[LaurensMom]

First, so sorry she is feeling badly. Wish I could provide advice or help.
This is the first I have ever heard of these types of symptoms. Im utterly amazed. DD gets these, enough to have her doubled over, and I thought it was just poor luck of the hormonal draw. Doc said to consider hormones to help improve symptoms but DD doesnt like meds and said when she couldnt stand it any longer, she would consider.
Never occurred these could be reactions.
Im sorry DD is going thru this but thankful I learned something new. Imgoing to look into this to see if we can find any correlation. If so, I will post.

Hope it gets better for her.
~A

[starlight]

Devil's advocate in the hopes that it wasn't a reaction - sure she wasn't ovulating? How long did it last? There are a couple times a month when I can't do ANYTHING to get warm. Two pairs of socks, submerging myself in a hot bath for an hour, etc. And ovulating can be super painful.

So can an ovarian cyst. I could see that causing paleness and coldness and pain, especially if it ruptured. Which would probably not be preferable to a reaction, but is a possibility...

[hedgehog]

DNQ: I will delete soon since this is not my story to tell.

Poof

[CMdeux]

Laurensmom, DD lived like that for a long time before we conceded to trying meds to do something about it.  This was a first.  The pain was easily at 11, and "normal" period pain for her had been 8-ish-- which was very, very bad-- bad enough that she wanted opiates a few times, if that says anything.  This was off-the-scale awful pain.

She has had hideous periods and Mittelschmertz both-- and this is the reason why her cycle is hormonally controlled at this point (in college she could no longer afford to miss 3-5 days a month to this happy horsepuckey, KWIM)--

this was definitely not either one.

But it was like menstrual cramps-- just much, much more intense, and in waves. 

The only reason that I didn't take her to the ER was that we were in a hotel room, and it was at least clear that pressure on her abdomen did NOT increase the pain-- at all.  It was definitely not one side or the other, either, and the location was pretty focal.  Some referral to lower back.

Interestingly, heat applied made it worse-- WAY worse.  I made a hot-pack for her and she tried it briefly. 

I remember the exact same presentation with one of my first truly bad shrimp reactions.  It was surreal how bad the pain was.  Childbirth was the only thing comparable (and I say that with experience of kidney stones and diverticulitis).

Hedgie, that is really interesting.  I know that there is a connection-- research has been done on some of the gender differences in asthma and atopy during adolescence as a means of explaining the apparently enhanced risk of fatality in females in that demographic.

[CMdeux]

I'm just collecting, here, not yet "curating."  No idea how sound (or unsound) any of this source material might be.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01880.x/full

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060330182210.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105084844.htm

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1610-0387.2012.08045.x/full

http://mastocytosisaustralasia.com/resources/role-of-female-sex-hormones-in-mast-cell-behavior/

http://invisibledisability.blogspot.com/2006/09/answer-to-1-question.html

http://www.aaaai.org/ask-the-expert/Possible-progesterone-related-anaphylaxis.aspx

http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/D8070CE2-A6E8-4CC8-86EE-941D7EBAEEAB/0/1GustafsonAnaphylaxis.pdf

(That is actually a REALLY nice presentation re: atypically-presenting anaphylaxis, btw)

[Macabre]

I know we have a thread about uterine contractions. We should link to that. 

As you know, I have had uterine contractions both times I've had to Epi myself--once for shrimp in 2006 and once for sesame two years ago. Oddly, the contractions happened after the Epi for the next several days--as part of a protracted reaction. They hurt but not like your DD's. Benadryl would take care of them for 4-6 hours, and they'd start up again.

I have only ever had menstrual cramps in my back. Every month really severe cramps in my back. The only time I've ever had front cramps was during and after a miscarriage--and it was just like the uterine contractions.

I'm really sorry she had this. And with such a trace amount. But I'm glad she was with you. And it's entirely possible she'll never get this symptom again.  It's one of those weird symptoms that is really uncommon.

[Macabre]

Cross referencing:

What did I do this afternoon? This picture says it all!!

Forgot about this one. Just wow.
Miscarriage: Could anaphylaxis cause it?

Uterine & Bladder Cramping/Contractions: Anaphylaxis symptom

Ugh... dumb, dumb, dumb!! (me, at least, not DD)

[LaurensMom]

Like I Said, never heard of this before. Second the statement that glad she was with you and OK. Thank you for posting

[CMdeux]

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1398-9995.1999.00961.x/full

Interesting.  VERY interesting.

[Macabre]

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2014/Pages/AllergyGenderDisparity.aspx

[lakeswimr]

I hope it wasn't a reaction.  I haven't had bad cramps in a long time and I grew up not having very bad cramps.  But in my 20s I once had such bad cramps I had to lie down on the floor during my lunch break at work.  I have had a range in how bad my cramps are.  I have had cramps mostly in front.  It has been so long that I don't don't remember if there were any waves to the pain or not.  But past cramps that hadn't ever been so bad didn't keep me from having extremely strong multiple times starting in my 20s.  After I had a baby my cramps were almost never bad again but occasionally still have been.