Hey all!
I have really bad anxiety and it manifested last May. When my anxiety started up, so did a lot of other issues. Acid Reflux, Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia, etc. My health was just deteriorating and I also lost weight very easily. Prior to the anxiety I also developed mild alopecia on my scalp and slight dermatitis. Following that, I started noticing a pattern. My HR would jump (sometimes to 160!) after eating certain foods (usually sweets and heavy breads & noodles). I'd feel super super lethargic after eating bigger meals containing more bread and after eating sugary things my heart rate would feel very pronounced yet a normal rate and I'd have a general sick feeling for hours.
My mom thought I might have gluten intolerance, so she bought me gluten-free items, but I didn't keep up with the diet. I also didnt have enough symptoms to be gluten intolerant (in my opinion, at least). About a few weeks ago I came home from school and got sick. I had a post nasal drip amongst other symptoms and no one knew what was wrong. Everyone suggested that I had a sinus infection or allergies. We got a purifier and a humidifier which may have helped a bit, but I still took a while to recover and I still have a drip. Then for about a week I was drinking a lot of chocolate soy, and I'd noticed just one random hive pop up every day, so I googled soy allergies and realized it was in EVERYTHING. So I thought maybe that was the culprit of my sickly feelings. That's when I stopped eating things with obvious soy. I also didnt notice any random singular hives anymore. (I've had them before this time frame though, usually just one on my hand for no apparent reason, and it'd just go away in like 20 minutes, so I attributed it to dust or anxiety). After cutting the soy, I would eat a lot of sandwiches and such, but I started having bad constipation and undigested food in it. I've been constipated many times before, but this time it was different, I had lots of bloating and tenderness and I'd only use the bathroom like every 3 days and itd be a pale yellow. Then I cut out the sandwiches and cake doughs, and I was still constipated but with no pain or weird stuff. Then I randomly had a chocolate chip cookie, felt sick afterwards, read the ingredients.... SOY! So I scheduled an allergy test. In the first one, the doc said it seemed like I could be developing an allergy to salmon (I've never had symptoms). In the second, definitive hives popped up for berries, pork, and corn (very random too!). I think corn was like level 4? I never had any outright reactions to any of those, and I don't eat raw corn, so I just took it and left. Upon returning home, I realized that corn was in ALL the foods that I felt were making me sick. So I FREAKED OUT!!!
I bought all non corn foods (which pretty much just consists of yogurt, bananas, pasta, chicken, and chocolate bc I am a picky eater). I was terrified. Corn is in everything. I had a major breakdown and started freaking out about having some sort of severe reaction. Then last night, I read that corn was in cosmetics as well. Lo and behold, its in my toothpaste, face wash, and some makeup. My loose setting powder that I drowwwwwwnnnn my face in and literally breathe in is made of corn starch. Yes I have acne, but I've had acne for years. Sometimes I wake up with a swollen red, leaky eye (only like 4 times), or I have itchy red eyes (way more often), but I always thought it was due to environmental stuff. However, I've never had a rash from these products. So then how do I have a corn allergy? Ever since then, I've opted out of my face wash and makeup... but I don't want to accept this as reality. Its making my life so very hard.
I read online that skin prick tests can read false positives, but the higher the "level" the less likely it is to be a false positive. What do you guys think? I will say after eliminating corn foods that I am using the bathroom regularly and have no stomach issues or that weird sick feeling. I got chocolate with no corn syrup (yet it has soy) and i can eat a whole bag without feeling sick & drowsy, which I cant do with most chocolates. But I am also eating a lot less, and a lot of yogurt, and I haven't had any bread, just pasta. Do you think my results were legit? Do I have a reason to be afraid?
I also heard undigested food can show up as an allergy in the test and the night right before I had a corn tortilla with bacon (two allergies I tested positive for) at a time in which I was having some digestive issues... I'm literally scared to go back on campus because all the food has corn in t. Should I get retested and see if a different result comes up (so I can pinpoint inaccuracy) or do you think the results will stay the same?
Sorry for the length but I'm only like 19 and this is making my life, esp living at a dorm with minimal food options and no kitchen, very hard.