I’ve been reacting to something since yesterday afternoon, with puffy red patches and itching like crazy (especially behind the ears, in the eyebrows and behind the thighs, but everywhere, really). Taking benedril only staves off the insanity to a limited extent and for a very brief period of time.
Medical dopers – do all such reactions wear off eventually, if they don’t progress to something lethal and there’s no more exposure to the allergen? Or is it sometimes necessary to get cortisone shots in order to secure relief even if the allergic reaction is not life threatening because it won’t go away any other way?
If it’s a one-off or irregular exposure, then yes, eventually your body will realise that there is no more of the stuff about and will tone down the reaction.
Think about hayfever-it’s an allergy triggered by pollen, and sufferers are usually well at times of the year with very low amounts of pollen in the air.
HOWEVER
Since you don’t know what you’re reacting to, and can’t guarantee that you won’t be exposed to it again, or indeed that you’re not being exposed to it at the moment, it would be wise to seek medical attention and stronger medication.
If you know what it is, can avoid contact with it and are willing it sit it out, the symptoms will eventually go away.
If you’re not willing to sit it out, you can take anti-histamines and steroids. It’s a matter of comfort. Even a mild allergy can seriously affect your quality of life, and there is no reason to suffer needlessly.
If, in addition, you don’t know what it is and thus can’t avoid exposure, why take the risk that the next exposure might trigger a fatal anaphylaxis.
Go to the doctor. Trying to sit it out may not work. I’ve been in a sustained hive reaction for over 5 years (chronic idiopathic urticaria). Sometimes there isn’t a known trigger and sometimes it just doesn’t go away on it’s own.
Go to the doctor. You’ll probably get a medi-pack (staggered dosing of steroids - 10 pills today, 9 pills tomorrow, etc). Or a nice injection or two in your bum. But go to the doctor.
If you’re seriously worried about surviving an allergic reaction GET TO A HOSPITAL NOW!
If that’s the case - GO TO A DOCTOR, not a message board.
It sounds like you don’t know what you’re reacting to, which makes it impossible to know if you’re still in contact with it.
IF you avoid contact the reaction should subside - though it may take 48-72 hours, and require things like Benedryl (diphenhydramine) to help keep things under control.
IF you can’t avoid contact, or don’t know what’s setting you off and therefore don’t know if you’re still in contact with it or not - GO TO A DOCTOR who will help you with this problem.
IF you continue to come into contact with something you’re allergic to you will continue to have an allergic reaction for as long as contact continues. It may or may not become worse.
Nor is cortisone the injectable of choice here - usually it’s something called prednisone or solumedrol or some cousin of same.
Pardon me for saying this, but you seem to be having a severe allergic reaction to something, while at the same time not appearing very knowledgable about allergies in general. So I will repeat my advice:
GO TO A DOCTOR.
The doctor can determine if it is or isn’t an allergy, recommend means of obtaining relief, and best of all, can actually give you an authentic diagnosis.
Thanks for the responses and the concern, good dopers. I should have made it very clear that I was going to to to the doctor no matter what the answer to the question was. Part of the reason for my post was that I was trying to find a way to keep from absolutely losing my blankety-blank mind while waiting for the doc in the box to open this AM, and the question popped into my head. I am not totally without personal experience in the arena of allergies. I was just wondering if it were possible for an allergy to linger on for any significant amount of time after the allergen was gone. (Well, not the allergy. The allergic reaction. You know what I mean. )
Actually, I currently find myself in the unevniable position of experiencing not one, but TWO allergic reactions at the same time, strictly speaking. My “reactive airway disease” (asthma) came roaring in like a hurricane just slightly before I broke out in an evil skin reaction to something or other (I’m guessing that I might be reacting to either syrup of ipecac or a laundry spot remover. Long story. And, no, the need for the laundry spot remover was NOT related in any way to the ipecac )
I have indeed been to the doctor to address the problem, although it is only down to a dull roar at this point and is FAR from resolved. (My oxygen level was down to 95% when they checked – my, my, who would have thought that a mere 5% difference would make a person’s chest scream and burn like that?) The lungs aren’t doing too bad, but the skin reaction has barely abated despite the shot and some benedril and a scrip for some other kind of allergy med. In short, I’m doing a wonderful imitation of Darth Vader with mange, and I’m not supposed to start chowing down on the prednisone until the AM.
Anyway, now that this has devolved into a complete whine-and-cheese party on my part, thanks again, and wish me luck in not going after myself with a wire-bristled brush before the morning.
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