Sesame Reaction

[Macabre]

I had an anaphylactic reaction last night.

DH and I went to a celebratory dinner at a restaurant with a group of school parents. I'd had a good experience a few years ago at the same restaurant in another city here.

I ordered meat loaf and mashed potatoes. It is typically served on top of a slice of Italian bread (then the meat loaf and then the mash potatoes stacked on top. Topped with friend something or other strings on top.

I ordered it without the bread and strings. But they had a Jalapeno waffle made from their own batter, so I had that on the bottom.

I had a very large beer.

Meatloaf seemed like a safe option. Because of how it's cooked. In one baked dish for meatloaf, not grilled or fried.

I felt my throat swelling a bit before we left and took DH to a quieter room to hear my voice.  It got better, but after we left, I felt itchy on my neck,

After we got to the car, my tongue started swelling. We were on our way to another restaurant where DS was and decided to drive toward the hospital in case it got worse.

We switched places and he drove. I got my Epi out. My tongue was clearly swelling more and DH chaos he could hear it getting worse. My lips felt bigger. I felt a sinking feeling in my core.

So I epis while he drove. We were a half mile from the hospital. I called 911 and told them. They did not call the hospital in advance. I walked into the ER, bypasses the first station where I would have needed to wait, and I walked to the next station holding my Epi. Someone joined me and we walked to the back to a room.

At one point about ten mins later I felt nauseated and really like I was going to throw up. I felt weak. I think it was about to go biphasic but my vitals were good.

I had an IV with two vials of benedryl and salmeterol. (sp)

We left after two hours. I was fine. I left with a script for pred and Auvis. And told to take Zantac and take Benadryl as needed.

Around noon I started to have stomach cramps. I boigt liquid Allegra, which did not help and then had liquid Benadryl which did.

It's 10:30 and my stomach started cramping again and I took benedryl. I'll have a Zantac before going to bed shortly.

[Macabre]

A friend from here suggested what I think caused the reaction. Breadcrumbs or crackers are typically used in meatloaf. Ugh. It's been so long since I have made it that I forgot. I have had it out before. But maybe I'm more sensitive, or maybe it was safe.

But I bet that's what it was.

I will call the restaurant tomorrow.

[GoingNuts]

As I was reading, I thought - breadcrumbs in the meatloaf.   

Glad you're feeling better.  But egads, FA's stink.      

[Macabre]

Ugh. Anaphylaxis during Daylight Savings is hardcon a body.

[Macabre]

Posting the symptoms from an anaphylactic reaction last September that self-resolved.  I don't want to discuss that reaction here really except to note the symptoms and the factors causing it--eating something that had touched a cross contaminated surface (surface had not had sesame on it but may contains) and the consumption of alcohol.

I will call the restaurant today to find out about the bread--whether it was a contain or may contain. My assumption is that all bread without sesame as a listed ingredient (or visible one) may contain/is XC. Had I thought about breadcrums or crackers being in meatloaf, I never would have ordered it, as I do not eat those things in restaurants.

But I wanted to keep track of my symptoms. I may go back to my 2012 anaphylactic reaction to paste those in here. That was while eating sesame seeds though.

Dang it. 


The beer was not wonderful. 

Ten to twenty minutes after eating my brat (with sauerkraut--no sesame), I started coughing. And coughing. I told DH I thought it was probably a reaction, but that I bet it would be limited to coughing. I kept coughing. After ten minutes or so, I realized I needed to get out of there NOW. It felt worrying, concerning and bad--like something bad was going to happen.

I handed DH my key as we walked to the car, and as we were walking to the car, my neck felt itchy. He said I had a rash on it.

As we started to drive, my nose got stuffy. I still wasn't horribly worried, because sesame has only progressed when I actually ingested sesame seeds. But as we were driving home, my lips started getting puffy, and it was hard to talk without slurring. I told DH to head to the hospital that I was going to epi. It would have been faster to do this than wait for an ambulance because of where we were.

Then before using the epi, it cleared up. I felt a switch happen. My lips went down. My voice sounded better (I had not noticed that it had sounded strange a moment before--and DH had). My nose became unstuffy and I wasn't itchy and my cough stopped.

It was so weird.

[Macabre]

Also posting this:

(Click to enlarge.)

Guess who did not even glance at the well-labeled box?

Within 20 minutes:
-Runny nose (not horribly), watering eye (left nostril and left eye)
-Tight chest and slight difficulty breathing
-Spaciness
-Itchy skin

25 Mg of liquid benedryl

Then called DH who started on his way home (from 20 miles away) and felt the following:
-Hands felt tingly and without strength
-Eustachian tubes felt swollen
-overall sense of malaise (and maybe impending doom?)
-chest still tight

Went to the bathroom and noticed I had started. Joy.

Changed pants and shirt because I wanted to wear something else to the hospital.  Sent an email to colleague that I was about to Epi and go to the hospital.  I was having a difficult time being coherent. Closed my laptop.

Called DH and told him how I felt. He stayed on the phone with ne while I Epid. Reminded me to rub (totally forgot that, and it's not like we've never done this.)

I called 911 and lay down and put my feet up. I did get my purse, keys and briefcase. 
This is my busiest week. Unlocked the drone door. Three paramedics came in.

I felt so strange. I know I wasn't speaking clearly. I remember mispronouncing the word "weird" and said "fierd". But the paramedic said I was forming complete sentences and was doing okay.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital inside. Inside!

Good thing because it was around 15 degrees.

I got a second dose of Epi. It is apparently standard protocol along with pred and Zantac.  But before they gave it to me I felt my hands go weak again and started feeling icky. Felt better afterswcond Epi.

[Macabre]

Called the restaurant. They used panko  bread crumbs from Sysco. When I google that, it seems that Sysco uses Roland panko  bread crumbs.

The ingredients I can find don't list sesame, so I am thinking this was a cross contact reaction. It was satiating to tell the person at the restaurant who said that it was unlikely that the breadcrumbs were to blame that it is difficult to find bread products commercially that aren't contaminated with sesame.

Sigh.

[spacecanada]

  Mac, I'm so glad that you are ok!!  Take care of yourself today and this week. 

[PurpleCat]

I'm sorry!  I'm grateful you are OK physically.  How are you feeling?  Your story scares me.  Sesame scares me.  I have seen DD have the worst anaphylaxis ever with sesame being the culprit.

[rebekahc]

Oh Mac, hope you're feeling better! 

[gvmom]

Glad you are okay!

I was also thinking the breadcrumbs in the meatloaf... but... what about the waffle?  If they are doing different sort of varieties of batters, or "stuff", in their waffle irons, who knows what else has been "waffled" in them. 

[Macabre]

Thanks, y'all. Gvmom from what I learned at the restaurant, they make their own batter for the waffles.  It could be the culprit but I think it's the meatloaf.

[gvmom]

I sort of wasn't thinking about the batter itself necessarily, but, what they are adding to it.... or sprinkling on them then closing the lid.

The jalapeno waffle you had, had the jalapenos put into the batter when it was cooked in the waffle iron right?  Not just sprinkled over the top after it came out?

Theoretically, that means they could make a batter.... a master plain batch of batter.... probably safe..... for most people.... until maybe they sprinkle whatever on it and then close the waffle iron. 

Waffle irons aren't typically washed between waffles, no matter what the add-ins are or things sprinkled.  They are just wiped. 

That is sort of what I was thinking about. 

[SilverLining]

Called the restaurant. They used panko  bread crumbs from Sysco. When I google that, it seems that Sysco uses Roland panko  bread crumbs.

The ingredients I can find don't list sesame, so I am thinking this was a cross contact reaction. It was satiating to tell the person at the restaurant who said that it was unlikely that the breadcrumbs were to blame that it is difficult to find bread products commercially that aren't contaminated with sesame.

Sigh.

I looked into panko bread crumbs (for a Dr. Who party lol). The ones here were may contain, though not listed. I don't remember the brand.

[Macabre]

It is amazing the head games that get played when you're having a reaction. I may see if we have a thread about that.