For some backround: I 30F had seasonal allergies in high school that were easily dealt with with Zyrtec. Once I hit college and my 20s they noticeably went away, but have come back with a vengeance this year. They started back up in December when I noticed I could barely breathe out of my nose most days and was sneezing way more than usual. I've been taking Zyrtec daily which has helped a lot, and just started Flonase this morning as well as the current wildfire smoke in the midwest/northeast is making them a lot worse.
So one thing I've noticed that has made my allergies noticeably worse this wintespring is spending time at breweries. After about 2 hours at a brewery I get really congested, non stop sneezing and watery eyes and overall feel miserable. This has happened 4 times at 2 different places. At one of the breweries I was drinking their canned vodka seltzer, which I drink regularly at home with no issue, and the other spot I was drinking cocktails so it wasn't what I was drinking while there. I would assume that breweries tend to have more mold and mildew in the air which is what I'm assuming is causing these issues and I'm just curious if anyone else has had the same issue and if they have any remedies? As a millennial in a brewery heavy city this is like the worst possible thing to develop an allergy to.

Hitting a lot of people at work and half our social circle (plus us) - seems like it popped up all around the same time, everyone complaining around the same time and all these light-to-moderate symptoms.
Originally thought allergies, then all the congestion and light chills rolled in and thought cold... but never got worse and we are all comparing notes (small sample size... so not scientific, but certainly notice the trend).
Figured I'd ask.

I've never officially been diagnosed with dysautonomia itself, to be up front, but have always had numerous symptoms that align. I have been diagnosed with CFS/ME, fibromyalgia, and chronic migraines (though the migraines are under better control lately so I can likely lose the "chronic" part). I suspect I have undiagnosed POTS and possibly MCAS, but haven't been able to seek specific testing for those.
This past year I've been feeling significantly worse than my version of normal. I was first diagnosed with CFS/ME two decades ago when I was in highschool, and not long after was forced to temporarily drop out because I was physically unable to go. I'm no stranger to feeling like shit and have long been very aware of what my body is doing, just not the "why." I have essentially all of the CFS/ME and fibromyalgia symptoms, plus others my doctor couldn't figure out, like permanent spots in my vision after a bad flu in 2017 and phantom smells (wet cardboard anyone?). There are probably countless times when I should have seen a doctor or gone to the ER, but I'm very used to being dismissed as a hypochondriac, and I often can't tell when something is serious enough to go because I literally always feel like shit anyway.
My doctor retired in early 2022, and there is bit of a medical crisis where I live, so I no longer have a doctor and can't find one. I'm lucky if I can get 5 minutes over the phone with a walk in clinic to renew my prescriptions. I'm going to try the walk in soon, but I feel like I need some preparation to make use of the 5 minutes they give me, and am hoping I can get some additional insight from this subreddit. What do I need to say to get my point across, that something is wrong and I need to be taken seriously?
What has changed this last year or so:

• I'm significantly more intolerant of heat. Heat was always a problem but it's gotten so much worse, I get light headed and feel like I'm on the brink of fainting if I physically exert myself when it's too warm (and by "warm" I mean over 20°C), I usually experience a lot of muscle weakness/trembling and my heart rate goes up (I also already generally live with tachycardia but in these instances it's easily 30-50 bpm higher than my normal when I'm active).
  
• I've always been a sweaty person but this has also gotten worse. It used to be mainly just my armpits with some swass. Now I can easily have sweat run down my back, legs, and neck. I drink extra water with electrolytes and sometimes eat a bit of extra salt to make up for it.
  
• It's hard to describe but I get this horrible "stuck" feeling in my throat sometimes, usually triggered by crying, clearing my throat, or "snorting" through my nose when I don't have a tissue handy to blow my nose. It's on the left front side of my neck and it feels like something is broken and jams the wrong way. When it happens I can't swallow at all and have to find a sink or cup to spit into. Usually it feels like I'm getting tasered in the face/side of my head if I touch my neck, it's unbelievably painful when this happens. Most of the time it lasts up to 15 minutes before it goes away, but there have been times it was nearly an hour long. It has been happening more often this last year or so. I tried seeing a walk in doctor about this and without even touching my neck he said it's just a muscle spasm and nothing to worry about. Not being able to swallow for an hour and feeling like I'm being tasered is nothing to worry about, really?
  

What's new:

• I get a lot of pins and needles sensations in my feet and sometimes hands. Sometimes I get a buzzing feeling up my legs, which is different from the pins and needles, but I can't think of how to describe it other than "buzzing." I've had other bizarre sensations in the past which my doctor worried could be attributed to MS (in combination to the other symptoms that were explained away by CFS/ME), so she sent me for an MRI. It was normal (in 2019).
  
• I've been losing my hair. I strongly suspect this is because I switched to a hormonal IUD for a couple of years rather than my usual low dose combination pill. I had it removed last fall and I think my hair is starting to grow back but it's so hard to tell. Worth mentioning either way.
  
• My feet easily start to go purple. It usually happens when I haven't been moving a lot (like when I'm working at my desk) but it can also happen when I've been standing or walking for awhile. It goes away if I'm horizontal.
  
• I get weird mottling on my skin. It's most noticeable in my hands, where it shows up on my palms only. My palms go beet red with white spots. Sometimes it happens on my legs or arms as well, but usually it looks more like little red dots and not as mottled, and more like a temporary sun burn. Sometimes my wrists and knees go red and look a bit inflamed for no apparent reason, and usually half an hour later it's gone.
  
• My skin also easily goes red from leaning against something, from clothing etc. Or if I rest my arms on my knees while sitting, that sort of thing. This has always been the case but it seems to take much less to get these red blotches now than it did a couple years ago. Example, I took my backpack and jacket off in class and someone asked me if my arms were sunburned, because my arms went all red just from pulling the bag and jacket off.
  
• I have nights where I cannot sleep at all, at least once or twice a month. My sleep has always been a problem for me and so I take amitriptyline to help. It helps me stay asleep, but if I can't fall asleep, I'll be wide awake. Usually when this happens I get extremely itchy. It's most noticeable on my scalp but I also get itchy on my feet, neck, stomach, back.. pretty much everywhere. In the past I usually could still get some sleep on nights like this, but now it seems like if I don't fall asleep within an hour of going to bed, I can guarantee I won't be getting any amount of sleep until the next night.
  
• This may be totally unrelated, but I've become allergic to half of my skincare and makeup. I've been carefully testing out products and trying to figure out what ingredient is the cause, but I just can't pinpoint it. When it started last year (around the time everything else started to act up), the skin around my eyes became swollen, very very red, the skin thickened and would peel off in sheets, it would heal only to come back a day later. I tried speaking to an doctor online (I called nearly 30 walk in clinics within an hour or two of their opening time and no one was taking more patients or were no longer walk ins, so my last resort was online). The doctor looked at the pictures I sent and said it looked "a little irritated" and asked what I wanted to be done about it. If anyone I knew showed me their face looking like that I would go "holy shit, what the fuck happened?" They were useless, I gave up.
  
• I seem to be losing some amount of sensitivity in my fingertips, mainly to heat. I didn't notice this at all until some chemistry labs last year, so I'm not sure when it started. The instructor said not to let something get more than "just a little warm" while mixing and to check with our fingers. He came around to check mine and yanked his hand away like he touched something red hot, but to me it just felt warm. Similar situation, we used lightbulbs in another lab. The bulbs needed to be removed from their sockets so I undid one and set it aside. My partner went to move it and dropped it because it was too hot to touch.
  
• Obviously I seem to be experiencing small fiber neuropathy, which on its own isn't too surprising in fibromyalgia patients. But with everything creeping in at the same time, I'm starting to become a bit more concerned.
  

I don't think I have caught covid, I've always been careful about wearing snug N95 masks in public and have no social life. It's possible I was sick with covid at some point and just didn't notice because I already have so many flu-like symptoms day to day. Also, I broke out in serious hives on my arm and chest from my Pfizer vaccines (first two doses) and the rashes lasted a week or two. The third one was Moderna and I had no reaction that time. I've never reacted to other vaccines in the past so I can't guess as to why these were problematic aside from my immune system not reacting normally?
My (retired) doctor would send me for bloodtests once a year just to make sure everything was looking okay, so I have no real reason to believe I'm deficient in anything like iron or B12, my diet hasn't changed much since the last tests and I still take supplements (multi, B, D, C, K2, magnesium). My A1C has also always been very good so diabetes was never a concern. Thyroid results have always been normal. My doctor usually included testing immunoglobulins which were always within normal ranges, but I'm not sure if me having to take allergy meds daily would influence some of those results. My only results that were of consistently of concern was the CRP, which is a bit non specific, but it was normal in 2021, from my last set of bloodtests.
Any suggestions on what I can try to request when I manage to see a doctor? How do I word things so they understand I'm not just whining about being a little uncomfortable? I'm just so fucking tired. I'm tired and sick of feeling like I constantly have the flu and not being heard. Appreciate any help you guys can offer.

Our 8month old English Sheepdog x Border Collie starting being a little itchy maybe a month ago, but not enough to raise concern. It then started to get worse right before we left for a trip, so took him to the vet and they suggested he might have an allergy of some kind and to give him a cytopoint shot. Not wanting to jump straight into that, we switched his food and had him boarded at his daycare while we’re gone. When we got back, we found a flea on him and treated him with Frontline Plus and gave him a flea bath 48 hrs later. We haven’t seen a flea on him since or any evidence of them, but his itching has gotten progressively worse. He’s itching quite incessantly and throughout the night as well, I’ve also noticed he’s been licking his paws a bit. I have him on a bland diet (rice and bland diet lamb wet food) at the moment to rule out food sensitivity. I’ve also been giving him Benadryl with dinner. Nothing seems to be helping and his itching just keeps getting worse. What should our next step be?

Caution: It's important to remember that these evaluations are guides to potential health concerns and not definitive measures of a product's safety or efficacy. They are based on individual ingredients rather than any negative effects the final product may have. The way ingredients interact in a formulation can influence their potential impact, and the presence of a specific ingredient does not automatically equate to harm when used in a product. It's always crucial to do your own research, consider the product as a whole, and keep in mind that personal reactions can vary greatly. When making decisions about personal care products, it is recommended to consult with healthcare professionals.
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Brief: This product has gained popularity on Amazon, positioning itself as a competitively priced option that appeals to parents seeking a high-value baby lotion. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this product contains five ingredients classified as having moderate hazard levels, along with one high hazard ingredient, namely fragrance. Among these, the preservative Phenoxyethanol has emerged as a notable concern for certain parents. Some people may experience allergic reactions to this ingredient, such as skin irritation or contact dermatitis. Parents who have concerns about these potential risks should exercise extra caution when using the product.
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Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Sterate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Polysorbate 20, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, p-Anisic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide.
​

Typical ingredients description and side effects

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• Dimethicone
  • Dimethicone is a type of silicone used in many skin and hair care products, including baby lotion, due to its smoothing properties and ability to form a barrier on the skin, which can help keep it hydrated.
  • Potential Side Effects:
    • Skin Irritation: Some people may experience skin irritation from products containing dimethicone, especially if they have sensitive skin. This can include symptoms like redness, itching, or a rash.
    • Allergic Reactions: Allergic reactions to dimethicone are rare, but they can occur. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include hives, swelling, itching, or difficulty breathing.
    • Acne and Skin Congestion: While dimethicone is non-comedogenic (meaning it shouldn't clog pores), some people find that it can contribute to skin congestion or acne, possibly due to the barrier it forms on the skin, which may trap dirt or oil. This is more likely to be a concern for individuals with acne-prone skin and less of a concern for infants.
  • EWG Skin Grade: 4

​

• Phenoxyethanol
  • Phenoxyethanol is used as a preservative in cosmetic products and also as a stabilizer in perfumes and soaps. Exposure to phenoxyethanol has been linked to reactions ranging from eczema to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions. Infant oral exposure to phenoxyethanol can acutely affect nervous system function.
  • Potential Side Effects:
    • Skin Irritation: In some cases, phenoxyethanol can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction, presenting as redness, itching, or a rash. Babies have sensitive skin and may be more susceptible to such reactions.
    • Allergic Reactions: Though less common, some people may experience an allergic reaction to phenoxyethanol, which could result in symptoms like hives, swelling, or difficulty breathing.
    • Eczema: It is also a common allergic reaction to skin exposure of products containing one percent or more phenoxyethanol. Reactions only occur in the area of application and eczema subsides after avoidance of the product causing irritation.
    • Acute nervous system effects (infants): In 2008, the FDA warned consumers not to purchase Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream. Phenoxyethanol, found in the cream, was depressing the central nervous system and causing vomiting and diarrhea in breast feeding infants. Symptoms of a depressed nervous system include a decrease in infant’s appetite, difficulty waking the infant, limpness of extremities and change in skin color. There is no known health risk to the mother.
  • EWG Skin Grade: 4

​

• Polysorbate 20
  • Polysorbate-20 is a commonly used emulsifier and surfactant in various personal care products, including baby lotions. It helps to blend and disperse ingredients together. Polysorbate-20 is generally considered safe for use, and adverse effects are rare. However, there is a possibility of side effects, particularly in individuals with specific sensitivities or allergies.
  • Potential Side Effects:
    • Skin Irritation: Some individuals, including babies, may experience skin irritation or allergic reactions when exposed to polysorbate-20. This can manifest as redness, itching, rash, or hives. If your baby develops any of these symptoms after using a lotion containing polysorbate-20, it is advisable to discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.
    • Eye Irritation: Direct contact of the lotion containing polysorbate-20 with the eyes may cause mild eye irritation. It is important to avoid contact with the eyes and take precautions to prevent accidental exposure.
  • EWG Skin Grade: 3

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• Sodium Hydroxide
  • Sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye, is a strong alkaline compound that is sometimes used in the manufacturing process of personal care products, including baby lotions. It is used to adjust the pH of the formulation to ensure stability and efficacy. However, it is important to note that sodium hydroxide itself is not typically listed as an active ingredient in baby lotions, but rather used in very small amounts for pH adjustment purposes.
  • Potential Side Effects:
    • Skin Irritation: Sodium hydroxide, if present in higher concentrations, can cause skin irritation in some individuals. This may manifest as redness, itching, burning sensation, or rash. It is important to discontinue use if your baby experiences any of these symptoms and consult a healthcare professional.
    • Eye Irritation: Direct contact of baby lotion containing sodium hydroxide with the eyes can cause mild to moderate eye irritation. It is crucial to avoid contact with the eyes and rinse thoroughly with water if accidental exposure occurs.
    • Chemical Burns: Sodium hydroxide is a caustic substance and can cause chemical burns if used undiluted or in high concentrations. However, in properly formulated baby lotions, the concentration of sodium hydroxide is typically low and safe for use.
  • EWG Skin Grade: 4

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• Titanium Dioxide Titanium dioxide is a common ingredient found in many personal care products, including baby lotions. It is used as a mineral sunscreen agent and also for its ability to provide opacity and whiteness to the lotion. Titanium dioxide is generally considered safe for use, but there are a few potential side effects to be aware of.
  • Potential Side Effects:
    • Skin Irritation: In rare cases, some individuals may experience skin irritation or allergic reactions when exposed to titanium dioxide. This can manifest as redness, itching, rash, or hives. If your baby develops any of these symptoms after using a lotion containing titanium dioxide, discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.
    • Inhalation Risk: Titanium dioxide particles in the form of fine powders or sprays have been associated with potential respiratory risks when inhaled in large quantities over prolonged periods. However, in lotions, titanium dioxide is typically used in the form of larger particles that are less likely to be inhaled. Nonetheless, it is important to avoid direct inhalation of powder or aerosolized forms of titanium dioxide.
  • EWG Skin Grade: 3

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The grading system used by EWG in the Skin Deep database is as follows:
1 to 2: Low hazard
3 to 6: Moderate hazard
7 to 10: High hazard

•37 •female •5’4” •180 lbs •history of asthma and several allergies/adverse reactions to antibiotics •Non-smoker •Vaporize cannabis with a medical marijuana card •take singular 10 mg nightly, vitamins, and albuterol inhaler as needed
I am seeing a neurologist in a month due to frequent migraines and nerve issues (burning, pins and needles, electric shocks, itching).
I had an MRI done six years ago (first and only), and I had a delayed reaction where I felt burning all over my skin. At first I thought the machine had somehow burned me, as my face turned red and swollen like a sunburn. But then hives showed up on my arms and especially my back. They were so huge, they combined to form large red welts.
I have had several CT scans, and never had a reaction to that contrast dye.
Yes, I know gadolinium allergies are rare, but I did not consume, use, or come into contact with anything out of the ordinary that day or even that week. There is no other explanation other than it was the contrast. My having asthma and other medication/chemical allergies also makes it a bit more likely.
So my questions are:

1. Are there other contrast dyes for MRIs that don’t have gadolinium?
   
2. Can they give me Benadryl or something else beforehand to anticipate and combat the allergic reaction?
   
3. Can they detect MS without contrast?
   

Thanks.

I recently adopted a ~1 year old cat and I want to get health insurance for him, I am looking at a couple options and I could use some advice. The two options I am leaning towards are ASPCA and Pumpkin, as both are fairly affordable for me (broke college student), Pumpkin get good ratings from various websites and ASPCA is non-profit which I like, plus is one of the cheapest options I've found. However, I can't find a lot of information on Pumpkin, specifically how hard I have to fight for them to cover bills, and after searching online it seems that the consensus on ASPCA is VERY mixed, some people didn't have to fight at all and some never got their bills covered even if their claim was within what they'd cover.
I can't do much over $20/month, but want to get the best plan I can find, so if anyone is willing to share their experiences with their pet health insurance please let me know! I'll note that he has no health conditions except some gingivitis and itchy skin (probably seasonal or food allergies) in case that's relevant.

I'm not diagnosed with OCD but I know I it. I currently tutor online but I don't make much from that. I've been trying to find a full time job for the past 2 years but I've only limited myself to certain types of jobs. The following are non negotiable for me.
Food Service: I'm terrified I will accidentally kill someone via allergy or something similar Finance: had experience in a finance position but hated it, plus ppl take finance extremely seriously bc you deal with ppls money and I can't deal with that responsibility. Waiter: I'm not going to get paid enough for the work I do. I don't want to rely on commissions plus I have bad social anxiety Sales rep: I'm terrible about convincing people to do things plus I had a bad experience with a cash register. Although I am open to try to learn how to use a cash register again if necessary.
The only jobs I apply for now are administration assistant, teaching (I don't have a teaching certificate but I have a TEFL AND TOESL cert) or veterinary assistant.
Anyone experience these feelings?

I’m unsure if having an ileostomy even affects what pills (besides Nsaids) that I can take. But I just know that I’m cautious with new things because I don’t wanna ever have a blockage. So, does anyone know if it’s okay for me to take these ? Or have any advise on how to know which pills to avoid ?? Thank you :)

I stupidly chose an exam date during peak allergy season and I get them pretty bad. I can take medication but even the non-drowsy hinders me. Pretty sure I won't be able to bring in tissues into the exam so I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I could push back the exam but I'm looking for advice first. My worst case (grossest case) idea is to wear two shirts, take off one, and use it as a rag throughout the exam.

First and last post here!
This may be a long read, but I truly, truly appreciate it if everyone would stick around and add their insight to this.
Background: 21 male, 5'10, Caucasian (Scottish, Slovakian, French) Location: Canada
I have 2 sisters, 2 nephews, and 1 niece, which is important to factor in, and I'll explain why briefly.
When I was just little used to light up bright red only on my face and neck typically only in stressful or public situations (terrible social anxiety), it wasn't itchy, just hot and red and I would sweat a lot. According to my mom (54), she used to get the same thing in front of people but eventually grew out of it.
Now regarding my niece and nephews, they also get red in the face and have trouble regulating body temperature but not due to any type of anxiety, as it stands we could call it idiopathic and it resembles Lupus or maybe rosacea however - my oldest nephew also has some skin problems and my youngest often gets fevers and hives from many things but treats it with things like advil.
The above is important in MY case I believe because when I was around 13 I was put on 20mg of cipralex (2014), in October 2019 (17) I went into anaphylaxis for the first time due to amoxicillin which I took due to sinus congestion (mom also has chronically) and I had it lying around from a previous infection, the anaphylaxis scared me into not taking any medication so I abruptly cut down my cipralex and for some reason believed I wouldn't need them anymore.
After doing this, I one day woke up with the most severe depersonalisation and derealisation anyone could ever have alongside a gross number of other discontinuation symptoms which lasted over 3 months and eventually subsided after reinstating 10-15mg of the same medication, the most IMPORTANT part of this is I had developed Tinnitus and anisacoria after this AND I couldn't take the meds anymore because I developed symptoms of seratonin toxicity so I had to get off all together and just deal with it.
Fast forward to 2021-2022 and now things are serious, my body is behaving terribly since I've changed things up and it's worth mentioning that the rash / redness I used to only get on my face and neck had began to progress down to my chest and eventually to my legs but it's not itchy and only happens in the sun, in stressful situations/ conditions. That's the least of it, I began getting constipated by almost ALL foods and chicken and rice were my only tolerable foods (until they weren't), I wasn't getting rashes but it's like I developed this hypersensitivity in the signals from my stomach, it began feeling tight and caused me to be severely constipated for over 33 days (not exaggerated), my blood sugar was 1.3, you could say I was intolerant to almost everything but not allergic.
This is where things got weird, at this point I've seen almost all of the BEST specialists in Canada and been to the best hospitals which costed me a lot of money that I just happened to coincidentally have (now I don't) and a lot of time, as I mentioned I had been extremely constipated UNTIL I received saline solution VIA IV injection overnight, I got home a day later and had the most excruciatingly painful poop ever and it was disgusting - I know it was from the saline IV because this happened more than once and that was the only thing I was issued other than the mix of vitamins (Please explain this if possible!)
Now, I got the blockage out and still continued to have serious issues and kept myself near the hospitals (in Toronto), I had more needle holse in my arm than any addict ever (painful) due to the amount of blood work done but now I was down to 98 lbs from 184 (I was kind of overweight prior to all of this) and I had given up so I decided (f it, I'll have what I want) and started to intake calories again by what I thought was healthier (Boba, cauliflower bites etc) than what I used to have thankfully toronto had these options.
Anyway, this is what leads us to the most current circumstances/ situation - everything I ate / eat lots of carbs, sugar or fibre my body temperature increases and I get really gassy, my veins dilate massively, I become lethargic, low blood pressure and I have a red face BUT when I take things like vitamin C, D, Zinc, Dandelion, Burdock Root, Reishi (yes I taught myself natural medicine because I had to), the symptoms reverse BUT I get this 'tight' feeling in my stomach which is why I describe the whole hypersensitivity thing because I can feel almost everything. I get the tightness, the gas gets trapped, and my body temp decreases.
Now I'll give a brief on the important tests I've done due to suspicions I and few doctors had about specific diseases: HATS(tryptase and genes), MASTOCYTOSIS(c-kit), POLYCYTHEMIA VERA (jak 2), LEUKEMIA (bcr-abl), MYELOPROLIFERATIVE NEOPLASMS(calr), PORPHYRIA, ANEMIA (MANY TYPES), C3, C4, CRP, INR, ANTI DNA, LEUKOCYTES, PROTEIN (urine), IMMUNOGLOBULINS, THYROID ANTIBODIES AND FUNCTION, DOUBLE STRAND ANTIBODIES, RHUMATOID FACTOR (10 >14), VITAMIN D,MRI'S, CT'S(brain amd stomach), ECHO'S, ULTRASOUNDS (of everything), ALLERGY SKIN TESTING, SERATONIN(urine) and maybe more that I didn't see.
The results that were 'positive' and stood out + dates discovered:
•Thyroglobulin antibodies >184 (2023) •Thyroperoxidase antibodies >135 (2023) •C3 >89 (2021) •Bilirubin >30 (2021) •Albumin >53 (2021) •Urate >192 (2021) •Between 2021-2022, at my worst, I had consistently low wbc and neutrophils, whether from malnutrition or something else. I'm unsure •Sinus arythmia (2021) •Slight pericardial effusion (2022) •Head CT w/o contrast >scattered bilateral white matter lesions on brain? (2021) •Renal / Abdominal ultrasound >Mild hydronephrosis (2021) •Cardiac / Abdominal ultrasound >Trace right pluerual effusion, pericardial effusion, hydronephrosis (2021) •Spinal x-rays and mri's >consistent disc degeneration (2019-2023) and idiopathic thoracic scoliosis. •Endoscopy and colonoscopy >Clear (2022-2023) •Abdominal CT with contrast >jujenum distention and embelical hernia (2023) •Swollen lymph nodes in my neck simultaneously to rash (2023) •Idiopathic scoliosis (2014) •Undigested food in stool (2020-2023) •Heat rash from the sun (2020-2023) •Dermatographism (Childhood - now)
Very few food allergies or allergies all together. Dad had Graves disease Mom's mom has hashimotos Mom gets bumps from the sun Nephews get frequent fevers and hives (unexplained currently) Other nephews have red cheeks and nosebleeds frequently Niece has red cheeks frequently and is insensitive to extreme cold or heat My oldest sister has non celiac gluten intolerance Younger sister has bipolar and systemic Cystitis No other info
Test I've NOT had: TNF-A plasma levels Il-1 through il-6 Skin biopsy Bone marrow biopsy
I've ran my own dna test from 23 and me through several third party companies and didn't find anything serious or relating other than what I've already been diagnosed with (ectodermal dysplasia) which Noone else in my immediate family seems to have - I've been over my family history as much as possible and nothing alike OTHER THAN my mom, sister, niece and nephews have somewhat similar symptoms EXCEPT FOR the odd stomach sensations like the tightness or the joint problems.
For context, the ONLY drug use history: Smoked Marijuana when I was 13 a few times Drank hard liquor a few times between the ages 13-16 (bad, I know) and regularly drank red wine for a while when I was 17 prior to the reactions. I also want to mention that I had some very, very hard environmental circumstances during my childhood years that were out of my control as well, which contributed to the 'anxiety'.
Through all of this, I had many doctors blaming anxiety, even sending me to see psychiatrist when in reality I was a scared kid - this started when I was 18 (mostly) and I have no reason to make anything up AT ALL, this has been a long, uncomfortable, near death for a while, isolating situation. I'm dying to know what's going on and I haven't given up, I've had one person be there with me through the entirety of this and they know good and well it's not like me, all of that just made things worse but I understand.
I used to be into modifying cars (i had 4 already), boxing, weight lifting, bmxing, jogging, etc.
Yet people still thought I simply went mad.
The ONLY relief I've had through this is when I did strict carnivore diet, had the sedation for my colonoscopy AND when I ate a Scotch bonnet pepper - it relived everything for about 30 seconds (oddly) and I kid you not, I'm not sure the mechanism behind these things but they're which makes me think it's neurological? Nothing has remissed me to my old self completely.
I've also taken several different medications, including (mostly under the suspicions of mast cell disease) •Prednisone •Diphenhydramine •Famitodine •Ceterizine •Compounded cromolyn Sodium •Compounded hydroxyzine •Aspirin •Alka seltzer A few more I can't remember None of which provided relief and had rather strange side effects such as clicking in my jaw and tight stomach. +Meditation, Chiropractors, Accupresure etc.
Main symptoms: •Gassy 24/7 no matter what! •On empty stomach (after colonoscopy prep, for example). My stomach was burning but no gas. •Increased body temp on an empty stomach (100+) •Increased body temp (external), lethargy, shortness of breath, diarrhoea(at worst) typically from carbs even healthy ones, caffeine (dark chocolate & green tea), empty colon, external heat and now from almost everything. •'Tight' stomach sensation or squeezing from specific substances / supplements and decreased external body temperature. •Bones or joints popping / cracking too much •Tinnitus •Unequal pupils size (anisacoria)
NOTE: I become lethargic / fatigued and weak when my body temperature increases and my veins get larger.
When I take/ took said supplements (vitamin D, C, Zinc , Reishi, Turkey tail) My finger nails actually used to go purple at the same time my stomach felt tight and my body temp decreased and gave me some energy.
NOTE: My joints have been consistently popping and cracking more frequently than before, too, regardless of my nutrition or supplements.
As you can probably tell, I'm pretty desperate for ideas, I am / was supposed to have my whole genome sequenced and be reffered to a geneticist weather or not that's actually happening but until then, I need to hear from the community what I can do, I don't think I can get to the U.S either if that's even necessary.
I'm not here pity, I'm just messed up from all of this and appreciate any ideas from any individuals.
My ideas (neurological / hypothalamic disorder? thyroid disorder? Increased TNF? Metabolic acidosis?)
Thank you very much for reading this far and taking the time to think over this if you have! I really appreciate it!.
The only 'good' that has come from this from my perspective is that I learned an abundance about body functions, natural health, psychology, and I was capable of making a few books out of it. None of it has been easy and I wish I could feel 'normal' again, I don't care if some doctors disbelieve me anymore, I know it's hard to figure out due to clean looking tests but I couldn't be more serious.

Female. Age 22. weight 149. height 5''8. currently only taking allergy medication. non-smoker. no current medical issues.

1. my main question was pertaining to anti-diuretics. To save this from being a long post I would like to know if there is any reason I should NOT take an anti-diuretic for one day so I may drink some water at a general admission concert without having to urinate. I usually have to urinate a lot and consequently if I need to hold it I tend to not drink anything for many hours which I know is not good.
2. I am currently on hydroxyzine for allergies but was recently told by an NP that this typically makes people drowsy, is this generally true?
3. I had been on depo for about 5 years and had gotten off for personal reasons. I was also told by the same NP that this has been associated with early onset osteoporosis. I was looking to get back on birth control so she prescribed me pills. Is there anything important I should know about the pills? As in the best way to take them?

20F, white, 190 lbs., 5’3”, non-smoker, history of anemia and prior use of phentermine (been off this medication for ~2-3 months). TLDR: went to ER for shortness of breath/tachycardia possibly caused by allergies and taking too much cough syrup (respectively), told blood work was normal, but I am worried it might not be
Hi all. This is my first time posting so if this doesn’t adhere to the rules, please correct me. Last week, I went to urgent care because I was having extreme difficulty catching my breath. This started at 4 AM that day and progressively got worse till I went to urgent care at around 7:45 pm. I figured it was just allergies (undiagnosed but pretty sure) because I had had similar episodes (I have cats, moved away for college, came home and saw cats). What’s interesting though is that the onset of symptoms was very sudden, I had not had hardly any contact with my cats the day before/leading up to the symptoms. After being away from the cats for long periods of time, my symptoms get much worse (used to be sneezing/congestion, now it’s painful coughs and shortness of breath). To counteract the coughs, I take brompheniramine-pseudoephedrine-dm 2mg-30mg-10mg/5 mL oral syrup (after this incident, I threw this medication away, it was also 6 weeks past expiration date if that’s relevant). At 4 AM I took 7 mL, at noon I took 5 mL, and at 5 pm, I took 10 mL. I had no appetite that day, so the only thing I had ate was a 12 oz chocolate peanut butter smoothie around noon and 7 cough drops around 6-7 pm. The tachycardia started around 6 pm, I had a resting heart rate around 120-125 bpm for an hour and a half. When I went to the urgent care, they gave me a rocephin shot and a steroid shot, then a breathing treatment. Breathing treatment made the tachycardia worse and my heart rate went up to 140-150 bpm resting rate, with no indication it was gonna decrease. I suspected the medication was the cause of the tachycardia because of what I had read about with side effects, my blood pressure was also 159/~82 and I typically have normal blood pressure. Since my heart rate was not returning to normal, they suggested we go to the emergency room to be safe, so we did. There they monitored me for a while, did an EKG (was normal other than tachycardia), and did multiple blood tests. They never told me the definite cause of the shortness of breath (urgent care: negative chest X-ray, negative for COVID-19, possibly negative for other common viruses but I cannot remember which ones) nor the tachycardia, as the ER doc said the dosage was normal (bottle said 5 mL every 6 hours). They prescribed me with 5 20 mg prednisone pills (took 4 of 5), Z-pak (took all of those), 200 mg benzonatate as needed, and an albuterol inhaler. I am feeling much better and am pretty much asymptomatic other than an occasional cough. Based on the blood results below, I wanted to know if it’s possible the shortness of breath might not have been allergies and could have been something else? Additionally, I am quite worried by the morphology, D-dimer, and troponin results. Is my anemia more severe than I thought? Could I possibly have a small blood clot? Is there a little bit of heart damage? I apologize for all of the questions, I am a worrier.
Abnormal results: Morphology: Polychrome 1+, Hypochrome 1+, Microcytes 1+, Aniso 1+, Macryocytes 1+, Tear Drop 1+ (but it also said “not seen” so not sure about this one) D-Dimer: 0.57 Glucose R: 105 mg/dL (is it possible I have prediabetes given I had only had that smoothie + cough drops to eat that day, 4 hours in between the blood draw and cough drops, 9 hours in between smoothie and blood draw) Troponin 1 HS: <3 CBC: WBC 13.7, Neut% 87.8, Lymph% 5.2, Neut# 12, Lymph# .7, MCV 75.7 fL, MCH 24.2 pg, MCHC 31.9 gm/dL
Thank you so much for your help <3

Since this sub was so helpful in planning, I wanted to share my itinerary and trip report! We had an incredible first time in Japan and I can't wait to go back.
Couldn't fit our (very detailed) itinerary in this post, but if you'd like to download it's here.
Medium article version with photos + itinerary is here.
And our shareable Google map is here.
About us:

• We’re New Yorkers in our 30s who have been planning this trip for about 6 months.
• My bf has been learning Japanese for about a year, and I’ve been learning for about 5 months (a mix of Pimsleur and Duolingo).
• Boyfriend is into history and baseball, I'm into skincare and nature, but we’re both big on food so that was our number one priority.
• He has a peanut allergy and avoids all nuts. He learned to say that in Japanese (私はピーナッツアレルギーがあります - "Watashi wa piinattsu arerugī ga arimasu”), and every restaurant and hotel was understanding and careful. Luckily most cuisine is nut-free anyway, but we managed not to have any close calls in 2 weeks which is amazing.

Some overall learnings:

• If I were planning this trip again, I think I would skip Kanazawa. It was a lovely town and the food was amazing, but we wished we had spent that time with a night or two in Osaka instead of just making it a day trip from Kyoto.
• Even if you’re not a baseball fan, Japanese baseball games are so much fun. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
• I packed a suitcase and brought a fold-up duffel bag, and halfway through the trip I moved my clothes to the duffel and just used the suitcase for souvenirs. It was a great idea but we ended up buying an extra suitcase at Donki our last day anyway.
• We both felt a bit underdressed compared to locals, especially in Tokyo. I wish I’d packed more dresses, skirts and trousers and fewer jeans and tees - the only people I saw wearing sweats, athletic wear or cutoffs were other tourists. Obviously you can wear what you want, just be aware you’ll stick out! Also, women are generally more covered up, even on warmer days, to protect their skin from the sun.
• If you go clothes shopping, take your shoes off in dressing rooms. I made a right fool of myself.
• Clothes sizing is wildly different in Japan. Know your cm measurements! Your size here may be hurtful to your ego.
• People line up to get on the train (check the ground for a guide of where to stand) and let everyone off before they get on. This seems obvious, but I’ve been living in New York so long that I wanted to weep tears of joy every time.
• If you’re new to sitting showers: there are two buttons. One is to fill up a bowl of water, and the other is to turn on the handheld shower head. Both automatically turn off a minute after you turn them on, but you can also turn them off manually. You sit on the little stool and there’s usually a mirror in front of you, which is… a humbling experience. There are usually also scrubbing washcloths.
• The worst train station toilet was still nicer than a goddamn Nordstrom bathroom. It was a pleasure to have IBS in Japan.
• At many European and American historical sites, you pay a hefty flat fee to see everything. In Japan, you can usually get into the temple grounds for free, then pay for each individual building you go into. Most were 400-700y/person, which felt really reasonable.
• We came at an almost perfect time (mid-May) weather-wise. Most days it was clear or sunny with a high in the mid-seventies. We definitely got some rain, but less than we were expecting (maybe 3-4 rainy days and 5-6 rainy nights).

Hotel Reviews:
Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside (Tokyo): This was a great basic hotel, close to plenty of transportation and right on the edge of Kabukicho. The buffet breakfast was the highlight - a great mix of Western and Japanese breakfast options, including a great miso soup.Hakone Airu (Hakone): Mixed review here. On the one hand, the in-room onsen and public onsen were both wonderful, and the service was extraordinary. On the other hand, the mix of Balinese and Japanese didn’t quite work, and dinner and breakfast were more confusing than enjoyable.Hotel Alza (Kyoto): By far our favorite stay. I can’t recommend this place enough, and it was definitely worth paying a little extra. They brought us an amazing bento breakfast in our rooms every morning, they had every amenity we could need (they even re-upped the free sheet masks every day), and the micro-bubble bath at the end of a long day of walking was amazing.Koyasan Syukubo Ekoin Temple (Mt Koya): This was a great temple experience. Koyasan in general is obviously pretty tourist-y, but Eko-in still made it feel authentic, and dinner and breakfast were both amazing. Your stay includes a meditation class, morning prayers and a morning fire ritual, and you can pay to attend a cemetery tour, all of which were great.Utaimachi (Kanazawa): We were only here for two nights, but this place was pretty good. Very close to the Higashi Chaya area, where we didn’t actually end up spending much time. Always love tatami mat flooring, and the washedryer was a nice bonus, but we were also right next to the lobby and right under another room so there was some noise.The Gate Asakusa (Tokyo): A great and very Westernized hotel with amazing views of Shinso-ji and the surrounding area. It’s on the top floors of a building right in the middle of all things Asakusa, but is still pretty quiet. And has a wonderful, deep soaking tub with free bath salts.

Tuesday: Arrival, Shinjuku

1 PM: Arrival at Haneda
We got customs and immigration forms to fill out on the plane and everything went fairly quickly. Picked up some cash and Suica cards, went to see about taking the Airport Limousine bus ($10/each) but we should have booked in advance because there wasn’t one for another hour. We ended up taking a taxi (about $50) to our hotel in Shinjuku.
4 PM: Arrival at hotel - Tokyu Stay Shinjuku East Side
We dropped our luggage and went to a nearby eel restaurant, Shinjuku Unatetsu. The eel was incredible and not too filling. Wandered Kabuki-cho for a bit, I dragged my bf through all 4 floors of Don Quijote (I had a list of beauty items to pick up), then rested at the hotel.
7 PM: Dinner in Shinjuku (Tsunahachi)
We went to Tsunahachi for dinner and got some amazing tempura (I wish we had sat at the bar to watch it being made!) and then crashed by 9 pm, because we are young and cool.

Wednesday: Harajuku, Meiji, and Shibuya

7 AM: Hotel breakfast
Up early for hotel breakfast, which has convinced bf to start making miso soup every morning.
9 AM: Shinjuku Station - Pick up JR Passes
We went to Shinjuku station to pick up our JR passes, then spent 30 minutes finding the place where we could get them before 10 AM. There was a long line (staff shortage) so we waited about an hour but we got them and headed to Harajuku.
11 AM: Meiji Shrine & Yoyogi Park
We walked to Meiji Shrine, stopping at the gardens along the way (well worth the 500y entrance fee, especially on a beautiful day). We were lucky to come across a wedding at the shrine. Then we walked around Yoyogi Park a bit.
1 PM: Lunch (Gyoza Lou)
Walked into Gyoza Lou and were seated right away. Incredible gyoza as well as beer and bean sprouts with meat sauce - maybe 10 bucks total for 2 people.
1:30 PM: Shopping/museums in Harajuku
We split up so I could do some shopping in vintage stores - Flamingo, TAGTAG and Kinji (my favorite), and bf could go to the Ota Memorial Museum for their Cats in Ukiyo-e exhibit (which he loved). I walked down Takeshita street to meet him and managed to get a green tea, strawberry and red bean paste crepe from Marion Crepes.
3 PM: Shibuya Scramble & Hachinko Statue
We grabbed the train to Shibuya, saw the scramble and the Hachinko statue, then entered the maze that is Tokyu Hands. I got some onsen powders for gifts and some more cosmetics. My boyfriend checked out the Bic camera store and I went to Gu, which is like the love child of Uniqlo and Primark. I immediately undid all the “light packing” I did with new clothes.
7 PM: Dinner Reservation - Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima
I got us a reservation a few months ago at Shinjuku Kappu Nakajima. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. The omakase came out to less than $100usd each, which felt like a steal.
9 PM: Golden Gai bar (Bar Araku)
We wandered Golden Gai and went into a bar where the entrance fee was waived for foreigners called Bar Araku. It was very small but had great vibes, highly recommend. I drank too much sake, which will be a theme.

Thursday: Shinjuku

4 AM: Earthquake
The phone alerts are insanely loud! We rushed down to the hotel lobby and the only other people there were fellow foreigners - apparently Japanese people at the hotel knew a 5.1 is okay to sleep through.
9 AM: Shinjuku Gyoen
We strolled around in the sun taking photos for about 3 hours. Today is a lot less planned than yesterday - I kind of wish I’d switched the itineraries after how long getting the JR Pass took. We did go to the fancy Starbucks, of course.
12 PM: Lunch (Kaiten Sushi Numazuto)
We tried to go to a nearby sushi place but it was full, so we walked up to Kaiten Sushi Numazuto. We were a little disappointed it wasn’t actually conveyor belt sushi (the conveyor belt was for show and you ordered from the staff). Stopped in Bic camera afterwards for a bit.
2 PM: Ninja Trick House
We tried to go to the Samurai museum but learned it closed a few weeks ago. A good excuse to go to the Ninja Trick House instead. You’re thinking: “Isn’t that place for children?” Yes. Yes it is. And we loved every minute. I now have a camera roll full of myself being terrible at throwing stars. The dream.
3 PM: Don Quijote
More Don Quijote, mostly to get out of the rain. Got my last few beauty products I really wanted and a few souvenirs. An overstimulating heaven.
6 PM: 3-hour Shinjuku Foodie Tour
We signed up for a 3-hour “foodie tour” of Shinjuku that stopped at a sushi place, a Japanese bbq spot with insane wagyu beef, and a sake tasting spot. It was great, and we loved our guide, but wished it had stopped at a few more spots to try more things.
9 PM: Walk around Shinjuku
We attempted to play pachinko, got very confused and lost $7. Tourism!

Friday: Hakone

7 AM: Set up luggage forwarding to Kyoto with hotel
Luggage forwarding is brilliant. We did it twice and it went so smoothly, for about $10 USD per bag. Highly recommend.
9 AM: Transit to Hakone
We got to experience Japanese transit at rush hour. I can’t believe I have to go back to the MTA after this. We took the subway to Tokyo station and then the Shinkansen to Odawara, then a train to Hakone-Yumoto. The hotel was only a 20-minute walk away, so we decided to take a more scenic route - which turned out to be a forest hike straight up switchbacks most of the way.
11 AM: Lunch in Hakone (Hatsuhana)
We stopped in a soba place called Hatsuhana with a system of writing your name down and waiting outside to be called in. They skipped our names because they weren’t in Japanese, but let us in when they realized their mistake. The soba was made and served by old aunties so of course it was insanely good and well worth it.
1 PM: Hakone Open Air Museum
We took the train down to the Hakone Open Air Museum, which lived up to the hype. I’m not normally into sculpture, but seeing it in nature, and the way the museum is laid out, made it incredible. And obviously the Picasso exhibit was amazing.
3 PM: Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Hakone Checkpoint
We took the train to the cable car to Owakudani, then the ropeway to Togendai, then the pirate ship ferry to Motohakone. We were running behind so unfortunately had to rush through the Hakone Checkpoint, which was empty but very cool.
6 PM: Dinner at hotel
Back to our hotel for our kaiseki meal. The staff spoke very little English and Google struggled with the menu, so we had no idea what we were eating half the time, but overall it was pretty good.
9 PM: Onsen time
Experienced my first public onsen, followed by the private onsen in our room. The tatami sleep did wonders for my back.

Saturday: Travel to Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Gion

8 AM: Breakfast, travel to Kyoto
Took the train to Odawara and then the Shinkansen to Kyoto station. We booked all of our Shinkansen seats about a week in advance but you can also book them on the day, I believe.
1 PM: Lunch in Gion
Our Kyoto hotel let us check in early, and then we went looking for lunch. Quickly learned that most every place in the Gion area has a line outside and closes at 2! We eventually found a tiny spot with insanely good ramen. It also had chicken sashimi on the menu but we weren’t brave enough.
2 PM: Philosopher’s Path, Ginkaku-ji
We took a bus over to the Philosopher’s Path, which was not busy at all because of the rain. It was pretty, and I could see how great it would look in cherry blossom season. We had to kind of rush to Ginkaku-ji, which was gorgeous nonetheless.
4 PM: Honen-in, Nanzen-ji
Stopped by Honen-in (which we had completely to ourselves, thanks rain!) and then Nanzen-ji. My bf is a big history guy and he went feral for the Hojo rock garden. It was very pretty and I’d love to see it in better weather.
6 PM: Food Tour of Gion & Pontocho
This food tour stopped at two places (an izakaya and a standing bar) with a walking tour of Gion and Pontocho in between. We also stopped at Yasaka shrine and caught a rehearsal of a traditional Japanese performance.
10 PM: Pain
My feet hurt so bad. Bring waterproof shoes, but make sure they don’t have 5 year old insoles. I tried some stick-on cooling acupuncture foot pads I picked up at Donki and they were bliss.

Sunday: Arashiyama, The Golden Pavilion and Tea Ceremony

8 AM: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
The forecast was for heavy rain all day, but we lucked out and only got a few drizzles here and there. We headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. We did have an amazing bamboo dish at dinner last night so now bamboo makes me hungry.
10 AM: Tenryu-ji, Iwatayama Monkey Park
Headed over to Tenryu-ji, which was very nice but very crowded, and then to one of the things I looked forward to most on the trip, the Iwatayama Monkey Park. It’s a 20 minute hike up there but it is worth it. Oh my god. Getting to feed a baby monkey made my whole week.
12 PM: Lunch near Arashiyama (Udon Arashiyama-tei)
Headed back down to the main road and got duck udon at a little place called Udon Arashiyama-tei. I know I keep calling everything incredible but… yes.
1 PM: Ginkaku-ji
Ran into some bus issues (the first time we experienced anything public transit-wise not running as expected!) but eventually got over to Ginkaku-ji. It was also very crowded (seems like Japanese schools are big on field trips, which I’m jealous of) and not my favorite temple, but beautiful nonetheless.
3 PM: Daitoku-ji
We were ahead of schedule so we got to spend some time at our meeting place for the tea ceremony, Daitoku-ji. It ended up being our favorite temple, especially Daisen-in, a small and very quiet spot with a great self-guided tour. The monks showed us a section normally closed to non-Japanese tourists with beautiful calligraphy.
4 PM: Tea Ceremony (90 mins)
The tea ceremony we booked said it was in groups of up to ten, but it ended up being just us. It was very nice and relaxing, plus we got a little meal.
6 PM: Dinner (Gion Kappa), Pontocho Alley
We both nearly fell asleep on the bus back so we took it easy for the night. Went to an izakaya called Gion Kappa which had the best tuna belly we’d ever eaten, then did a quick walk around Pontocho Alley, got treats at 7-11 and went to bed early.

Monday: Fushimi Inari, Nishiki Market, Kyoto Imperial Palace (kinda)

9 AM: Fushimi Inari
Our plans to get up super early to beat the crowds to Fushimi Imari were hampered by the fact that we are no longer in our 20s. It was packed by the time we got there, and the amount of littering and defacing done by tourists was a bummer.
11 AM: Tofuku-ji
We had planned to go to the Imperial Palace at 10:30 for the Aoi Parade, but decided instead to get away from crowds by hiking from Fushimi Inari to Tofuku-ji, which was beautiful (I’d love to see it in the fall).
12 PM: Nishiki Market, lunch (Gyukatsu)
Grabbed lunch first at Gyukatsu (wagyu katsu - delicious) then wandered Nishiki a bit. It’s touristy, but fun.
2 PM: Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Handicraft Center
It was supposed to rain all day but ended up sunny, so we went back to the hotel to drop off our rain jackets and umbrellas. Stepped back outside and within ten minutes it was raining. We went to Kyoto Gyoen and saw the outside of the imperial palace; it was closed because of the parade earlier and half the garden was blocked off because the former emperor was visiting. Without the palace, Kyoto Gyoen is kind of meh. We walked over to Kyoto Handicraft Center which was also meh, but we picked up some nice lacquerware.
7:30 PM: Dinner at Roan Kiku Noi
We had a reservation at Roan Kiku Noi where we had maybe the best meal of our lives. Amazing that it only has two Michelin stars, honestly. Had fun trying to decipher the pain meds aisle at a Japanese pharmacy afterwards and then called it a night.

Tuesday: Day Trip to Nara

8 AM: Travel to Nara
We took the subway to the JR and were there in about an hour.
9 AM: Nara Deer Park
Two things about the Nara deer. One: if you bow to them, they bow back, and it’s very cute. And two, if you buy the 200y rice crackers to feed to them, do it somewhere where there aren’t very many of them. I got mobbed by like 15 deer and bitten 3 times. My fault for having skin approximately the shade of a rice cracker.
10 AM: Kofuku-ji, Nara National Museum
We saw Kofuku-ji and then the Nara National Museum, then stopped at a random little cafe for rice bowls with some kind of regional sauce (I can’t find it now!).
12 PM: Isetan Garden
We spent a long time finding the entrance to the Isetan garden only for it to be closed on Tuesdays.
2 PM: Giant Buddha
Saw Nandaimon Gate and the Daibutsu (giant Buddha), which are both every bit as enormous and glorious as advertised, as well as very crowded.
3 PM: Kasuga-taisha Shrine
Wandered over to Kasuga-taisha shrine, which is famous for its hundreds of lanterns and thousand-year-old trees. There’s a special inner area (paid) where you can see the lanterns lit up in the dark.
4 PM: Wait for the emperor
We got held up by a procession for, guess who, the former emperor again. Stalker.
5 PM: Nara shopping and snacks
Walked around Higashimuki Shopping Street and Mochiidono Shopping Arcade, bought a nice sake set and an amazing little hand-painted cat, ate some red bean paste pancakes and headed back to Kyoto.
7 PM: Dinner in Kyoto
Walked around Pontocho searching for dinner and landed on Yoshina, where we got even more kaiseki. Finished the night at Hello Dolly, a gorgeous jazz bar overlooking the river.

Wednesday: Day Trip to Osaka

7 AM: Depart hotel
Started by taking the subway to the JR. Took us about an hour altogether, though it would have been faster if we’d caught the express.
9 AM: Osaka Castle
We got to Osaka Castle in time for it to hit 85 degrees out. The outside of the castle is gorgeous, but the line to get in was long and I don’t know if the museum parts were worth the wait, especially with the crowds. The view from the top is nice, though.
12 PM: Okonomiyaki lunch (Abeton)
We went to an okonomiyaki spot in Avetica station called Abeton that was full of locals and absolutely bomb as hell.
1 PM: Shitteno-ji, Keitakuen Gardens
We headed to Shitteno-ji (our oldest temple yet) which was nice, though the climb to the top of then 5 story pagoda wasn’t worth the sweat. Then we walked over to Keitakuen Gardens, a small but gorgeous garden in Tennoji Park. Had a nice sit in the shade to digest and plan our next moves.
3 PM: Ebisuhigasbi, Mega Don Quijote
I am a crazy person, so I had to go to the Mega Don Quijote. We walked around Ebisuhigasbi for a while first, and while I was buying gifts in Donki, my boyfriend entered a sushi challenge for westerners (which turned out to just be “can a white boy handle wasabi”) and won a bunch of random crap! Now we own Japanese furniture wipes.
5 PM: Dotonbori & America-mura
We took the Osaka Loop to the Dotonbori area, which was super crowded as expected. We walked around America-mura and enjoyed seeing what they think of us. There are great designer vintage clothing shops here if that’s your thing.
6 PM: Dinner (Jiyuken)
We tried to get into Koni Doraku, a crab restaurant, but they were booked up, so we went to a tiny spot called Jiyuken for curry instead. I would do things for this curry. It was the platonic ideal of curry. It was served by old Japanese aunties from a very old recipe, so we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our wildest expectations… for <1000y each.
7 PM: Return to Kyoto
My feet were feeling real bad (the Nikes may look cool but they cannot support 25k steps a day) so we headed back to Kyoto and packed for our early morning tomorrow.

Thursday: Travel to Koyasan, Temple Stay

8 AM: Bus from Kyoto to Koyasan
The transit from Kyoto to Mt Koya is complicated, so we ended up just booking a bus directly from Kyoto Station to Koyasan (which barely cost more than public transit!). We got there bright and early for the 3 hour trip - if you take a bus out of Kyoto Station I definitely recommend giving yourself extra time to navigate to the right bus.
11 AM: Arrive at Eko-in, lunch
We arrived in Mt Koya and checked in to our temple, Eko-in. The quiet and the beauty hit me hard and I fell asleep for a few hours. We got a nice lunch at Hanabishi in town.
4 PM: Meditation class, dinner
The temple offered a meditation class, which was lovely, followed by a vegan dinner in our rooms. I can’t explain how peaceful this place was.
7 PM: Okuno-in Cemetery
We signed up for a monk-led tour of Okuno-in, which was definitely worth it. Came back for some public baths and fell asleep to the sound of rainfall.

Friday: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District

7 AM: Service & ritual at Eko-in
The day started with a religious service and a fire ritual at the temple. Both were stunning. I did wish that my fellow tourists had been a bit more respectful by showing up on time and following directions, but luckily, no one has more patience than a Buddhist monk.
9 AM: Travel to Kanazawa
We took a taxi through some sketchy mountain roads to Gokurakubashi Station, took two trains to Osaka Station, and then the JR Thunderbird to Kanazawa.
1 PM: Arrive at Kanazawa, Lunch (Maimon)
We got into Kanazawa station and went straight for a sushi spot called Maimon, which was delicious. Struggled a bit with the bus system and eventually got to our hotel, Utaimachi.
4 PM: Higashi Chaya District
Wandered the Higashi Chaya district a bit. It seemed kind of dead, but maybe we are just used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo/Kyoto.
7 PM: Korinbo, dinner (Uguisu)
Walked down to the Korinbo area southwest of the park and found a tiny ramen spot called Uguisu. Incredible. Some of the best broth I’ve ever tasted plus amazing sous vide meats.
9 PM: Bar in Korinbo (Kohaku)
Went to a little upstairs whiskey bar called Kohaku. Boyfriend got Japanese whiskey and they made me a custom cocktail with sake, pineapple and passion fruit that was just insane. They were very nice and talked baseball with us for a while.

Saturday: Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum

9 AM: Kenroku-en Garden
We walked over to Kenroku-en Gardens, which were as beautiful as advertised. I was hurting pretty bad (crampy ladies, just know Japanese OTC painkillers are much weaker than ours, BYO Advil) so we’re moving slowly today.
12 PM: Omicho Market, lunch (Iki-Iki Sushi)
Walked to Omicho Market and ate little bits from different stalls, then waited about an hour to get into Iki-Iki Sushi. It was worth it. Some of the best, freshest sushi of my life.
2 PM: Kanazawa Castle, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
We walked around Kanazawa Castle a bit, then walked over to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. It was packed and the line to get tickets to the special exhibits was crazy, so we looked at the free ones and then headed back. Along the way we stopped in a few little stores and bought some handcrafted lacquerware from a local artist.
6 PM: Onnagawa Festival, dinner (Huni)
As we walked towards the restaurant, we came upon the Onnagawa Festival on the Plum Bridge, which included a beautiful dancing ceremony and lantern lighting. We went to Huni for dinner, our first “westernized Japanese” restaurant, and it was fantastic. 9 dishes served slowly over 3 hours at a table overlooking the river. Highly recommend if you’re in Kanazawa.
10 PM: Why does the bathtub have a phone
We went back to our hotel, struggled with the automated bathtub, and enjoyed our last night on tatami floors.

Sunday: Travel to Tokyo, Tokyo Giants Game, Ueno Park

7 AM: Travel to Tokyo
Grabbed a taxi we arranged the night before to Kanazawa Station - it would have been an easy bus journey but our number of bags has increased - and boarded the Shinkansen for Tokyo.
12 PM: Travel to Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Dome Park
Dropped our bags at our hotel in Asakusa, then headed for Tokyo Dome. We got there a little early to look around - there’s basically a full mall and food court and amusement park there. We grabbed some beers and some chicken katsu curry that was delicious.
2 PM: Tokyo Giants vs Chunichi Dragons
Japanese baseball games are so. much. fun. This was a random mid season game, and the stadium was full and people were amped. I’ve been to many American baseball games and never seen fans this excited. We also scored some fried cheese-wrapped hot dogs on a stick and a few more beers and had the time of our lives cheering for the Giants.
5 PM: Ueno Park
After trying and failing to find the jersey we were looking for, we walked to Ueno Park and looked around a bit. It was lovely, but we were exhausted and full of too many beers, so we headed back to Asakusa.
7 PM: Dinner in Asakusa
There was a festival all day around Shinso-ji and there were a ton of street vendors and day-drunk people when we arrived in the afternoon (as a native Louisianan, I approve) and it seemed like the partiers were going on into the night. We ducked into a restaurant for some buckwheat soba (never got the name, but it was only okay) and tucked in early.

Monday: Tsukiji Food Tour, Kapabashi Dougu, Akihabara

8 AM: 3-hour Tsukiji Food Tour + lunch
We started the day with a Tsukiji food tour, which ended up being my favorite food tour of the 3 by far. The guide was great, and we stopped by a dozen food stalls and sampled everything from mochi to fresh tuna to octopus cakes. We finished with lunch at Sushi Katsura, where our chef prepared everything in front of us.
12 PM: Imperial Palace, Don Quijote
We were planning to spend the afternoon exploring the Imperial Palace and Edo Castle Ruins, but it was hot and the palace was closed, so we walked to Taira no Masakado's Grave, then headed back to Asakusa for, you guessed it, Don Quijote. I did not intend for this trip to be “guess how many Don Quijotes I can visit” but here we are. We bought another suitcase and I filled it with food and gifts to bring home.
3 PM: Kappabashi Dougu
We walked Kappabashi Dougu and browsed kitchenwares while wishing we had a bigger kitchen, an unlimited budget and a way to get a hundred pounds of porcelain home in one piece.
6 PM: Akihabara dinner + games + drinks
We took the train to Akihabara, got dinner at Tsukada Nojo, then played games in a few arcades and ended the night at Game Bar A-button, which lets you play vintage handheld games while you drink.

Tuesday: Senso-ji, Flight

9 AM: Breakfast, Senso-ji
We got breakfast pancakes at Kohikan, then walked around Senso-ji and the surrounding shopping streets for a while.
12 PM: McDonald’s
Look, I couldn’t leave Japan without doing it, okay? I got the Teriyaki Chicken Burger (too sloppy and sweet) and bf got the Ebi Filet-O (he said it tasted exactly like a Filet-O-Fish). It was not great but I deserve that!
3 PM: Cab to the airport
I caught the flu on the flight home and have now been in bed for a week! Welcome back to America, baby.

Preface: first anaphylactic reaction in ~2017, ended up in ER wit face/throat swelling, severe diarrhea, full-body hives; all of this starting 4-5 hours after last meal. ER doctor assumed bc last meal contained shrimp that it must have been an allergic reaction to shrimp despite having had shellfish in my diet since young childhood (I'm Asian, some form of shellfish is in literally everything). A few months after, very very stupidly had some shrimp without any reaction - not even a mild one. Felt safe, so continued to have shrimp, shellfish, and other seafood without any issues afterwards until recently.
Medical history/issues: hypothyroidism, PCOS, migraines (no known cause, since high school). Dx'd ADHD and ASD, on medication (Vyvanse) for ADHD as well as Levo for hypothyroid. Caught COVID 3-4 times between 2019 to 2020 (sadly not joking), 3/4 times were confirmed via PCR or antigen testing, fourth suspected but not tested. Masked and was vaccinated & boosted but alas...the germ had gotten so brilliant (lol)
Bg info: Current diet is mostly comprised of meat (chicken > beef >>> pork), white rice, vegetables (peas, lettuce, cabbage, carrot, corn, soy sprout, spinach, bok choy, garlic). Seasonings are exclusively salt, sesame oil, and/or soy sauce - experimenting with miso paste at the moment as I've had intermittent issues with it. I don't use herbs or spices. I cook most meals from scratch and don't eat out. If I don't cook, my "cheat" foods are usually Lunchables Turkey & Cheddar (shoot me) or Special K + fairlife or soy milk. For the most part I have fairly bland taste, thankfully. I don't touch seafood period anymore.
Timeline:

2020

• Officially began having chronic issues with allergies
  

  Shellfish suddenly began giving issues (facial swelling, lip tingling, hives, GI symptoms) which was unusual, but given that I technically was supposed to have a "shellfish allergy" not shocking. PCP rightfully scolded me for continuing to eat a "known trigger" and explained how stupid that was, I quit eating shellfish and cut out possible cross-contamination.
  

• No issues yet with non-shellfish
  

2021

• Mystery, non-shellfish reactions begin
  

  Begin reacting to non-shellfish foods that were previously safe. Oddly, these reactions are not consistent. One day I might fix a bowl of fresh strawberries as a treat and find that after eating just a couple, my torso is covered in hives but then the next week I'm fine. One day I could eat mushroom risotto safely, and the next I eat japchae that has mushroom in it and have hives and diarrhea. Sometimes I might even get a reaction just by sharing utensils/cups with someone who had eaten something. Ex: I was on a mini road trip with my brother who had eaten eel and drank from his straw, and to my surprise found myself itchy all over and suddenly having throat tightness/hoarseness...even though when I've eaten that same eel dish before, I've had no problems. Note that at this point I'm making all my meals at home from scratch and that my family is eating most of their meals at home as well, and that there is no shellfish at all at home (nor shellfish in cooking sauces, etc.)
  

• Start having odd non-food reactions as well
  

  Sometimes find that, although this might just be a psychological reaction, just smells can set me off. When I go through the seafood section of Asian food markets, for instance, I sometimes get hives down my back and throat tightness. Strong spice smells sometimes set me off too. Being in the vicinity of dogs, even just being in the same waiting room sat quite far apart, makes me puff up/teary/sniffly/etc whereas prior it might have just made me a bit sneezy. The severity seems to really vary on the day and the dog(s).
  

2022

• Reactions ramp up in severity. Throughout 2022, I end up in the ER five times after using my epi pen, one of those times after having to use both of my epi pens. Up until 2021 I'd never even had to use my epi pen once
• Around early part of mid-2022, the allergist PCP referred me to finally has an opening. She suspects alpha-gal at first and does skin tests and bloodwork. Both show NO food allergies whatsoever and alpha-gal is ruled out. At this point she tells me she is considering possibly a mast cell disorder, immune disorder, or something called idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) and has me do a 24hr urine panel and wants to do a follow up to test for environmental allergies. We discuss my anaphylactic reactions and how to manage them safely and efficiently, with the caveat that she reminds me (wisely) that Benadryl doesn't stop anaphylaxis.
• Urine panel comes back within normal ranges. Unfortunately this allergist is pretty booked out so it takes literally months between appointments. For now she tells me to continue to avoid shellfish but that's about it.
• Over the rest of the year I tinker as reactions pop up (a LOT) and find that Benadryl works for anaphylactic reactions if I catch them early.
• I go on vacation with my family to Canada in Sept, where I have an anaphylactic reaction to a smoothie :))) Benadryl doesn't do anything here, unsure of if I missed the signs (I was way blindsided here). I end up in the ER and get gobsmacked by a 9k bill. This gets whittled down to 1k. Yay! After I get back to ✨the States✨ my doctor has me put on steroids and twice daily Zyrtec and Allegra until my next allergist appointment, which isn't until Feb 2023.
• As 2022 winds down, I'm getting proper scared to eat. I try keeping food logs, I try low-histamine diets and they seem to help but don't fully eliminate the symptoms.

2023

• Allergist has a situation that requires the appointment to be pushed to May. I'm still on the twice daily double dose of antihistamines, and still getting random hives and reactions to food that I shouldn't be having. I gave up on the low histamine diet around March but tried to keep note of the weirder reactions/patterns that I spotted.
• (May - we are here!) Finally got in. We discuss the food log which seems to be basically trash for all the good it does (as she puts it, there is no discernable pattern). She does follow-up testing for environmental allergies "just in case" and finds mild dust mite and dog allergies but only through blood work. Otherwise my blood work is, again, normal. Total IgE was at 162.0 IU/mL, with the standard range being 0.0 - 100.0 IU/mL. She put a note on my chart that said "Your tryptase level, inflammatory markers, complete blood count were all normal" and settled on a diagnosis of IA for now and suggested Xolair as a treatment plan, which I am now looking into. She also did offer to have me to set up an appointment for a food challenge for foods I felt unsafe trying by myself which I am planning on scheduling hopefully soon (if she has any openings) to try to fully rule out food allergies.

Odd Reaction Notes (dunno what to call this, most of this is just a page in my notes app for my allergist lol):

• happened just once but had leftover dakjuk (chicken porridge) with family which I normally don't do as I tend to skip leftovers and my face swelled up. The rest of family was totally fine though
• I tend to have more reactions in general on my period, and they tend to be worse
• reactions usually are related to eating food but not always? (smells are another consistent odd trigger)
• often have issues with heat, though that can also be a sensory issue for people on the spectrum so idk
• after hot showers often get tingling/prickling/itching all over and very flushed feeling in the face and ears regardless of where I shower (even in other people's showers, hard/soft water, whatever soap I use, etc). idk if this is normal? not as bad with lukewarm or cold water
• had a very bad reaction (was one of the times in 2022 that landed me in the ER) after spending a very long, hot, stressful day at the zoo which is one of the rare outliers in terms of anaphylaxis that had no ties to food triggers. Still not sure what triggered me here and neither is my allergist. The heat? The smells? An animal? Walking uphill for hours? The stress? A combo of the above??? Haven't noticed any similar reactions after working out so fingers crossed that was a fluke

Symptoms:

• General fatigue, I get about 6ish hours of sleep at minimum but usually still feel quite tired. If I let myself sleep "to maximum" (+10hrs on days off) I still feel wiped and tbqh I have no good reason to
• Hives (most often on my face, and then my back for whatever reason - my first thought was an allergic reaction to soap or detergent or sheets but changing these hasn't helped and it's been consistent across moves and while staying over at friends' places. occasionally spreads through rest of torso. I've almost never seen them on extremities, and only a couple times seen them on my thighs when coming home after being out in negative temps in the winter)
• Itchiness
• Rashes
• "Tingling"/shivering/shaking? Idk how to word this. This only happens during the severe reactions but it's uncontrollable and almost like when you're very, very cold. When it gets to this stage I usually am having trouble breathing and need my epi pen
• Swelling (again most often on my head area - if not my face, it's my throat...rip)
• Random nausea, doesn't seem to be tied to being on my period or eating/not eating food
• (moreso in the past year) often feeling oddly weak, particularly in my extremities. Hard to describe but it's like the feeling the day after you've had an insane workout except I haven't had the workout. On bad days I have trouble doing stuff like showering because I can't hold "heavier" things like the soap well, for instance, or I find my (13lb) cat too heavy to lift. But most days I'm fine. It just worries me that there are even days that bad :(
• migraines (unsure of if this is related to the "IA" or not, as this has been a thing since high school)

Some Foods I've Reacted To (Intermittently):

• Fresh strawberries (which I've eaten a gazillion times and been fine, but have read are high in histamine so try to avoid...sadly these were a favorite treat of mine 😭)
• Fresh grapes (another favorite treat, and one that confuses me as I've read they're actually supposed to be low in histamine???)
• Fresh watermelon (another another favorite treat...I fkn love fruit gd. Anyways this is one that I've seen conflicting info about, but isn't supposed to be particularly bad? At worst it's been labeled a histamine liberator, and the day I reacted when I ate it I hadn't eaten any high histamine foods)
• Seafood/shellfish
• Some fruit juice (can't remember what it was, but I think it was a citrus juice blend? Either way it was fine one time I tried it and not fine the next time, so I never tried it again)
• Fresh cherries (again another treat which I loved loved loved. This one consistently kept setting me off so I had to cut it out. They're supposed to be safe I think? But sources seem conflicting)
• Chocolate (seems to vary, but I don't eat much choco anyways so I don't get to test it out often)
• Energy drinks (I only drink Zero Ultra fwiw and at most a can a day. I do notice that sometimes on days I have a can, that it does set me off. Other days it seems to be fine, and then other days still it just seems to lower the threshold so to speak? Dunno if there's much basis for that scientifically but that's how it feels)
• Tomatoes (sometimes causes weird tingling in the lips/tongue)
• Seaweed (sadly...doesn't seem to matter the sort, whether it's used in soup or eaten plain with rice, etc. It all sets me off)

Phew. Sorry for the insanely long post. I'm at my wits end. It's been coming on three years now that I've been trying to get to the bottom of this and my allergist seems to be at the end of her rope too which honestly scares me a bit.
I'll admit that I've been extremely stupid about my "allergy" in the past (obviously if you're allergic to a thing, don't eat the damn thing!!!) but knowing now that I apparently have no food allergies, I feel like an idiot for the trouble my family has gone to in avoiding shellfish for my sake (especially with how hard it is to do that with Asian food). My family won't even eat it outside by themselves because of how severe my reactions have been the past two years. It feels really bad to think that all this stress and caution could've been for nothing.
I also feel so confused, because if I have no food allergies...why on earth am I reacting to food? Why are my reactions to food so inconsistent??? I don't know of anybody with food allergies whose allergies come and go. When I read the description of mast cell disorders or histamine intolerance, they seem to line up more or less with my symptoms, but having the test results come back negative and having inconsistencies with the low histamine diet does make me pause.
If it weren't for the fact that my reactions result in physical symptoms that are externally observable (hoarse voice, hives, swelling, low BP on monitor, etc.) I'd think this was all in my head/anxiety/panic attacks at this point. With my blood work and skin test results, it scares me that my allergist may just leave it at IA which doesn't answer anything for me. The way she explained it is that there isn't any known trigger (hence the "idiopathic" bit) which is 1000000x worse to me than any allergy.
To my knowledge IA isn't "supposed" to be tied to food-related triggers but what worries me is that, increasingly, my reactions aren't food-tied. But it does give me a (messed up?) sense of hope that much of my reactions do seem to be related to food and specifically eating it, so it might just be an allergy to something I don't know yet (🤞)?
I'd appreciate your input at all. Thanks for reading this huge wall of text :")

I’ve been having some rough allergies and have been taking cetirizine for it. I’ve noticed it seems to affect me in a similar way that anticholinergics do (specifically: seroquel, benadryl, TCAs). I’ve been extremely drowsy, have worsened orthostatic intolerance, any exertion at all leaves me out of breath, have brain fog, my head feels full, and I overall just feel weak and heavy. I’ve been having flu-like fatigue and joint pain. My mood is also kind of low but I just chalk that up to feeling shitty overall.
It’s only been about 36 hours since I’ve stopped taking it and switched to fexofenadine, and I’m feeling a bit better but still having symptoms. I can’t tell if the fexofenadine also has this effect on me but do a lesser extent, or if my remaining symptoms are still from the cetirizine I took 36 hours ago.
Has anyone else had this experience?
ETA: I also take midodrine and propranolol

My seasonal allergies have gotten worse and worse over the years. Grass is the worst but ragweed and some trees really set it off too. The months of April-June the last few years have been debilitating. I’ve tried everything throughout the years. Allegra, Zyrtec, Claritin, Flonase, Astepro, Benadryl, Hydroxyzine, Netty Potting, HEPA air filters in the house, you name it. This past year I was taking Claritin, Flonase, and Astepro daily and Hydroxyzine as needed. It was god awful and still didn’t provide relief for my symptoms most days.
This year I began wearing N95 masks around the clock. The only time it comes off is when I am eating/drinking, showering, or when I first fall asleep at night. I have experienced my allergy symptoms at about 10% of their normal severity. A few sneezes, dry and itchy eyes, some body aches, bit of a scratchy, sore throat- but I can function. I can be outside. I can sleep at night. It’s fabulous. And I stopped taking most of the meds I used to take daily so I’m not loopy or irritable anymore. My hunch is that wearing an N95 has got to be better for my body than taking Hydroxyzine and Benadryl every other day. But something tells me it’s probably not great to wear an N95 alllll the time. Does anyone know if that poses any health issues long-term? If anyone’s talked to their Dr. about it I would love to hear what they had to say. I’ve been doing this for about 2 weeks as allergy season ramps up in Oregon, and I can’t actually believe how well it works. Fully went from non-functional puff ball constantly sneezing and wheezing with a low grade fever to being outside gardening for 5 days out of the week.