Miscarriage: Could anaphylaxis cause it?

[Macabre]

I posted a recipe and had included this:


So we hadn't had gumbo in a while. With my shellfish allergy, it's not something I can eat out.  I have a hard time emotionally with it sometimes. 

I keep recalling the time we made it for a Mardi Gras party at our house for DH's staff.  This was in 2005.  It had shrimp in it.  I miscarried that night.  We had leftover gumbo in the freezer, and I could smell it every time we opened the door and it just sickened me.  I thought then that it reminded me of the events of that night, but I guess it was because I had developed an allergy to it, because a few months later I had my first reaction. 


After typing that I thought about the uterine contractions I've had every time I've had anaphylaxis/used an epi on myself (with shrimp and sesame).

I remember the contractions after the miscarriage.  When I have my period, my cramps are always in my back, and when I had DS I had no labor pains in the front--only had back labor.  The miscarriage was the first time I had anything in that area.

Could eating the shrimp have caused uterine contractions enough to have a miscarriage?  I remember feeling nauseated after the dinner.  Folks stayed for several hours and I felt awful during that time.  I've just attributed it to the miscarriage.  But could it have been a reaction?  Could it have caused the miscarriage?


I haven't been sad about it in a long time. My mother goes on and on about it. She's sad.

But thinking about the possibility of it not being a done deal but a reaction--that makes me sad. 

I will see if I can find anything on it later. 

But how sad if that's what happened.  I'll never know of course. 

[CMdeux]

  

[booandbrimom]

http://books.google.com/books?id=QhNRrAeXdbAC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=anaphylaxis+uterine+contractions+%22spontaneous+abortion%22&source=bl&ots=T5CYbelWol&sig=E6bwRyBKFb36obbVgxOXp_Sa-ZQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XNImUY3-Esy8qAGh0IDIDg&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=anaphylaxis%20uterine%20contractions%20%22spontaneous%20abortion%22&f=false

However, I would think the miscarriage would start with contractions, not be followed by them.

[momma2boys]

I was just coming here to post the exact same link.  My gut says your other symptoms would've been so severe along with it that you would know it was a reaction.  Either way, I'm sorry you went through it, and please know that even if it was a reaction you couldn't have prevented it because you didn't know.   

[Macabre]

Well then. Wow--so it's in the realm of possibility.

Who knows though.

Boo--I actually had uterine contractions for several days after the miscarriage. My assumption was that the contractions afterward helped my body get rid of tissue. I didn't have a D&C  it was not like the few days after giving birth (tho that was a C for me).

This was an evening party--guests at 6ish, and I probably completed the actual miscarriage around 1 or 2 am. I started feeling bad maybe around 8. I remember still having guests and having to go upstairs to get away from them.  I felt awful.

I remember feeling awful and nauseated. I do remember pain, but I can't describe it further. I wasn't able to make distinctions. Having never felt uterine pains prior, I didn't identify what I was experiencing as contractions. And maybe they weren't.

We will never know. But wow--if it was anaphylaxis, we'd have a 7 year old right now, too.

[my3guys]

 

FWIW, I've had uterine contractions with 2 out of 3 miscarriages (and no allergies)...I took it as my body doing what it needed to do when a pregnancy wasn't working.

Miscarriages do stay with you don't they?  Mine were all grouped together before we had kids 11-13 years ago, and sometimes it feels like yesterday.

[GoingNuts]

The contractions themselves can cause nausea.  I guess we'll never really know, but I suppose anything is possible.

I had a miscarriage between my two boys, and I still think about it all the time.  Before I even knew I was pregnant I had some ghastly virus with a really high fever, and I've always assumed that was it, but I'll never know for sure.

 

[lakeswimr]

I'm sorry.   

[Macabre]

Thanks.

So my first known reaction didn't involve typical symptoms. I never have hives or throat closing with shellfish. I have GI, sometimes nausea, chest pains, spaciness, disorientation. And uterine contractions with my Ana reaction.

I'm not suggesting that this is what happened. I will never know, and it is pointless to dwell. However I became very curious about the possibility once I made the connection, YK? 
Like if this really happens, it will be part of the next stage of preparing our FA kids--at least those of us who have girls. Like they have to learn things when they Teens and in college.  This is the next stage--and one that doesn't need to be addressed with them anytime soon. Of course.

So it may be rare. But really, when you're pregnant with FAs, it's another thing to consider.

[CMdeux]

I seem to recall, also, that there is a hesitation to use epinephrine in high-risk pregnancies, as well-- and I am not sure if the risk is to the fetus, or to the mother, or if it depends on the situation or something.

But I know of at least one FA adult who has been warned about this by an obstetrician and (on another occasion) by an ER physician.

It is possible that epinephrine might be capable of triggering smooth muscle contractions sufficient to cause miscarriage as well.   It certainly limits blood flow to the placenta.

Wish I could remember.

[504 Mom]

It seems like epi would relax smooth muscle, not cause contractions.  It relaxes the airways and wouldn`t those be smooth muscle?  That is why if it was "only" an asthma attack and epi was used because the person was not sure if it was anaphylaxis, epi also treats the asthma attack.  It relaxes the muscle in the airways, right?

[CMdeux]

Right-- effects peripherally are not the same, though-- because is also causes a stoppage of the leaking from peripheral blood vessels-- and elevates blood pressure through that mechanism.

[Janelle205]

I seem to recall, also, that there is a hesitation to use epinephrine in high-risk pregnancies, as well-- and I am not sure if the risk is to the fetus, or to the mother, or if it depends on the situation or something.

But I know of at least one FA adult who has been warned about this by an obstetrician and (on another occasion) by an ER physician.

My docs and I have been working (and mostly failing) at getting me off some of my meds so that DH and I can try to have children - the allergist did tell me to be super careful about food to try and avoid epi, but he didn't say why.  I'm going to be seeing a high risk ob after I lose some of the pred weight - I'll be sure to ask then.

[maeve]

Right-- effects peripherally are not the same, though-- because is also causes a stoppage of the leaking from peripheral blood vessels-- and elevates blood pressure through that mechanism.

I could see this being an issue if someone were being monitored for preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension.  I know it's contraindicated for me because I have high BP; thankfully, I don't need it.