Does anyone have an antihistamine handy? I have developed a rather nasty red, itchy rash on my face, neck and chest. And while I can’t see it under my hair on my scalp, I suspect it’s there also, as well as behind my ears. My eyelids and cheeks feel puffy and swollen and I am in a general state of malaise.
I don't normally have bad allergic reactions. I stay away from the things that I know cause me problems, i.e. large quantities of MSG in my Asian food and medication from the tetracycline family. I discovered the tetracycline allergy the hard way - in 1999 I was taking Doxycycline for a UTI when after about 12 hours or so, every inch of my body above my waist broke out in hives. I was a hideous scarlet splotchy freak of nature when I went on a job interview the following day. That's probably why I didn't get that job.
Anyway, this morning, after my shower, as I was combing out my tangles in front of the mirror, this rash appearead. I can't figure it out. There are only two things I did differently in the last 12 hours, so maybe one of those things is what caused this.
Last night, while watching the debate, I had a monster cup of chai from a Tastefully Simple mix that I bought from a friend of mine. I've had it before, but not in a really long time, so this morning, I double-checked the ingrediant list: Pure cane sugar, nonfat milk powder, nondairy creamer (partially hydrogenated coconut oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate,
mono and diglycerides, dipotassium phosphate, lecithin), natural tea blend
(black tea, darjeeling), honey, natural flavors, bourbon vanilla extract from
Madagascar, natural spice blend (cinnamon, aniseed, cardamom, clove,
ginger), vegetable gums.
EEK. I suppose it's possible that I have a sensitivity to one or more of those CHEMICALS. Like dipotassium phosphate. Which is used as a fertilizer and pesticide.
The other thing that deviated from my usual morning routine was my facial cleanser choice. Both Ryan and I use Kirk's Castile Soap for facial cleansing (and he uses it for all-body cleansing as well). Well, Ryan is out of town for a couple of days and took with him the bar we had in the shower. So I used Dr. Bronner's Citrus Liquid Soap to wash my face instead. I have used it several times before, not usually on my face, but I have washed my neck and chest with it before and did not get a rash.
Maybe my eyelids will swell shut and I'll have to go home. That would be better than being embarrassed in front of clients all day long.
3 comments:
Oye. How un-fun this must be for you!
What else did you eat/drink/put on body over the course of yesterday? Anything else besides the chai?
Maybe you had an allergic reaction to McCain? Politics make me feel itchy and rashy sometimes.
Can you take benedryl? That might help alleviate this some if it's an allergic reaction.
For dinner I ate 2 Amy's Organic Burritos with low fat sour cream and salsa. I've had those before, too, and no reaction.
This morning, I washed my hair with Nature's Gate shampoo and conditioned with Neutrogena, both of which I've used for months. I moisturized with Alba oil-free, hypoallergenic organic moisturizer. I sprayed Johnson & Johnson de-tangler on my hair before combing. I've been using that for the last month and haven't had any problems.
I can't figure it out!
Unfortunately, I've found out that it's never any one thing. It's a number of things that have built up to cause a reaction like that. Sort of like crossing a line. It could have been a combination of things that, alone, would not cause you to react. Put them together and it could cause you problems. Really frustrating!!! Hope it goes away soon.
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