Sensitive Or Allergic To All Medications

[gertie]

Is being allergic & sensitive to medications, food, fragrances, & chemicals part of Dysautonomia? I was diagnosed with MCS years ago and have been trying to understand if this is a part of Dys. I know people who have been diagnosed with both & don't seem to have a problem with these sensitivities. thanks.

[margiebee]

I am only diagnosed with POTS and I am extremely sensitive to medications (this is a POTS thing definitely), I get headaches from synthetic fragrances, I have sensitive skin and eczema and as of recently I have started getting asthma triggered by a variety of things. I also have several food intolerances.

So yeah, some of us are definitely the "sensitive" kind haha. I'm told mast cell is somewhat unlikely in my case and that its more just my body being dysregulated.

[Katybug]

I know that there are several posts on my EDS forum regarding this issue and there are threads on there that talk about some gene mutations that cause some people to metabolize drugs improperly. If you would like to try to find those threads, they are at ednf.org. I don't really know anything specific about this gene mutation to tell you more.

[gertie]

Thanks for your replies!

[MightyMouse]

I'm allergic to many medications including almost all antibiotics -- I was never tested for MCAD or MCAS, but I probably fit the profile. For me, it seems to go in cycles where my body reacts to anything I ingest that's not food, and then periods of relative calm. I also have allergies to ragweed, dog dander, some tree pollens, and mold, for which I take anti allergy meds all year long.

[YolaInBlue]

For me some medications caused an episode of tachycardia, chest tightness and breathing problems within 20 minutes from taking them. I have always been sensitive to fragrances (migraines), but since dysautonomia almost everything has to be fragrance free. The smell of bleach is the worst, causes me to vomit. I don't have an allergic reaction to foods, but going gluten free and reducing dairy helped my GI symptoms. Definitely since the onset of dysautonomia I am more sensitive to things.

[gertie]

Thanks. I agree about the bleach. I have had seizure from the smell.

[Zap]

Yes - can confirm that I'm another that seems to be sensitive to just about everything. Small doses of drugs act as if they were much larger. Also much more sensitive sense of smell (and therefore bothered more by things). It isn't everyone but there is a group of us that definitely have these shared symptoms.

[westernmass]

For me it seems the day I got sick with POTS, I became hypersensitive to medications, even those that I had previously used. As far as food- depending on the doctor it's food sensitivities, intolerances or gastroparesis, so I'm unclear on that.

[blueskies]

I allergic to many meds. Anaphlactic to one, anaphylactoid response to another. Swelling under a med delivered by patch. Rashes to others. Then I have the meds that make me a little crazy -- they hype me up when they should calm me down and I get my skin burning sensation and redness.

I have a host of food intolerances.

Until 12/13 years ago I was not allergic or intolerant to anything I know about. My first allergic response was anaphylaxis to aspirin (we think it was aspirin). Doctors won't test to make sure.

[gertie]

I was always able to take the med's I needed until one day I took an antibiotic I had taken before & had a severe reaction to it. Since then I've reacted to one drug after the other until dr is afraid to give me anything. I know I would feel so much better if I could take something for my multiple symptoms. thanks everyone.