Originally Posted by
ttama
That's a dangerous misconception. My crustacean allergy has caused mouth swelling (as do many of my food intolerances) but my others don't. Sadly, that's not commonly understood, and most people think that a swollen throat is the only or main symptom.
It's the low blood pressure leading to organ failure that would get me, and my main symptoms are flushing, breathlessness (not caused by swelling, but by a lack of oxygen in the blood), a feeling of impending doom, and severe stomach pain with accompanying nastiness.
I've always been able to take antihistamines at the first sign of an allergy, and I then only use my epipens if the antihistamine didn't kick in fast enough. I'm not sure if that's what you're supposed to do but it's worked for me (still alive, QED).
I think it's extremely dangerous to assume you know more than the person suffering from the allergy.
indeed be definition, anaphylaxis is a life threatening airway and/or breathing and/or circulatory response to an alleged. That means that it may only be a life-threatening circulatory collapse without throat swelling, and indeed not even everyone gets a rash.
However, the guidelines are clear in that anyone whose has had an anaphylactic reaction to an unproven table alleged should carry an adrenaline autoinjector and there is nothing to stop someone who has only had circulatory collapse in previous anaphylaxis from
having life threatening airway compromise on the next.
I reiterate my caveat that you should of course get independent medical advice rather than using my opinion which I use for only informing the discussion alone