Immune Flare-up After I Cry

[MelissaCrystal]

I get tonsillitis and my neck-glands swell up really really bad EVERY TIME I cry. The tonsil problem usually lasts 2 weeks, and it usually doesn't turn into a full blown head or chest cold, just the swelling happens. I'm not a huge crier, and I try to avoid because I know I'll get sick, but sometimes I just can't help it when I'm pmsing. My tonsils in my throat swell up which makes swallowing very painful and difficult, and my neck gets all swollen and angry usually on my right side. I just can't find any information about this on the internet and my doctors either don't believe me or really can't think of an explanation.

Any creative thoughts on the subject? This is really annoying. I'm allergic to crying, pretty much.

I'm trying to figure out ways to prevent the flare-up (other than trying not to cry), but I can't really think of anything. I try not to let drainage run down my throat but that's pretty much all I can think of that would irritate me. I'm so annoyed right now because I cried the other night and I know I'm going to have to put up with these swollen tonsils for a while. I've been going on job interviews, and I'm going to really hate going on more while I sound like I have something stuck in my throat. I'm trying to figure out a way to reverse the swelling.

I've had doctors suggest to me to take my tonsils out, but I've had just as many say that I shouldn't. I'd rather not because I have trouble with anesthesia so the procedure would be difficult. Btw, it's DEFINITELY the crying that triggers this. I've got it down to a science, trust me. Oy. Anyone else have anything similar happen to them?

I'm tired of being a strange case, as I'm sure all of you are.

[juliegee]

Melissa,

May be a wild card, but have you looked at the possibility you may have mast cell activation disorder? It's a potential cause of POTS. My throat regularly swells without totally closing. And, yes, stress (like crying) can be a trigger. Check out the Mastocytosis Society Webpage and see if any of the symptoms fit you:

www.tmsforacure.org

All the best-

Julie

[juliegee]

I forgot to add, try a benadryl or zyrtec (more effective according to my allergist) next time and see if it helps.

[flop]

I seem to react to my own tears when I cry. I know it is "normal" to get red puffy eyes after crying but I get proper angio-oedema swelling of the eyelids that can be so bad it is hard to open my eyes. The swelling is associated with intense itching and both seem to last about 18-36 hours. Now that I think about it I haven't have a bad episode since I have been taking antihistamines all year round and added in montelukast. Sounds like you're not crazy and we just have another weird thing going on!

Flop

[firewatcher]

Melissa, it could also be enhanced vasomotor rhinitis. If the ANS sends too much blood to your nose, it can collect around there too. When I cry, my eyes get REALLY puffy and my nose closes off completely. If I use my neti pot with extra salt during one of my episodes, it will shrink my nasal passages back to normal very quickly. If you can do a stage 2 neti (in through the nose and out through the mouth [not as gross as it sounds]), it would get your throat and tonsils too.

[EarthMother]

Throat is one of my areas of sensitivity. I frequently get painful glands, tonsil stones, viral infections etc. My home remedy that I take at the first sign of a problem is to boil up:

1 lemon sliced

2 inches of fresh sliced ginger

6-8 cloves of garlic (smashed or rough chopped, peels and all)

1-2 TBL Honey

Simmer for 10 minutes in enough pure water to make a large pot of tea.

I drink 1-2 mugs hot daily until I feel better. Usually in 1 - 2 days.

Feel better.

~EM

[iheartcats]

Oh that's so difficult. I never thought about this in detail, but now I realize I try not to cry because I can end up feeling 'crappier' - but I think for me it's more the stress of the situation and allergies.

I know you can't make yourself not cry so it's really hard. Deep breaths, divert your attention to something, rationalize the situation, whatever helps you not to cry. I'm sure you've been in situations where you want to cry but can't, so those techniques may help.

Hang in there!