I recently agreed to speak to a magazine about my allergies, which are greatly exacerbated by exercise. Basically if I eat a small amount of dairy and am at home, or sitting down somewhere in a restaurant, chances are I’ll know about it, but will suffer no worse than a tingling mouth, asthma, and skin rashes the next day, once my stomach has had a chance to work on it overnight. If I were to consume a lot of dairy or nuts I would have an anaphylactic attack, but am usually OK with tiny trace amounts.
However, if I go out for a brisk walk, run or do any exercise I could be in for a nasty shock. All three of my anaphylactic attacks have taken place after eating out somewhere and then doing some exercise, whether that is walking or jogging. I must have eaten a small trace of an allergen, probably dairy, and the reaction that takes place in my body when my heart rate rises does something to exacerbate or bring on an anaphylactic attack.
It is scary – as twice I’ve been out walking on my own when it’s happened. It starts like an asthma attack and builds, with a streaming nose and eyes like a sudden and horrendous cold. The symptoms come on very quickly the faster I walk to get home or back to civilisation the worse they get. When my throat starts to constrict it gets so bad that I can’t even speak and I get panicked and scared.
I think the journalists have used a little bit of artistic licence here with the headline but it certainly catches the eye, and if it sparks debate and gets people talking about allergies it isn’t so bad. For a laugh at me looking miserable in a gym read more here: “Why one woman is forced to be a couch potato”.
I am certainly not a couch potato, but I do have to be really careful when and where I do exercise, and what and where I eat before hand. Being allergic to latex means gyms can be very dangerous as people use the rubber stretch bands and lots of the handle bars of equipment can be made of rubber. Yoga mats too can be dangerous. My yoga mat is latex free but lots of them are made of rubber for it’s non stick qualities so I have to be really careful. I also play tennis and tennis balls contain latex too! I must be mad, but by washing my hands afterwards I’m usually OK, and at worst get a rash where I’ve touched my skin.
Dr Shah in America has recently shared his findings at a conference as he is seeing more and more people with exercise induced anaphylaxis to foods they can eat perfectly OK if they’re not exercising.
Read ‘Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis – Literature Review and Recent updates’.
As with coping with all allergies, being prepared is the watch word. Do you know anyone with exercise induced anaphylaxis? Do you have it? How does yours take hold? I’d love to hear from anyone else who knows anything about this rare condition.
I can’t say I have an exercise induced attack,but sometimes when I get to hot Istart becoming sensitive and itchy/uncomfortable.I also would find out if there are other food allergies.My worst one is carrots,but on the RAST Test I was only checked for a few things.I always thought I had a lactose intolerance-get gassy after eating cereal or ice cream,but it wasn’t the milk,it was the corn ingredients.I can now eat breyer’s Chocolate ice cream with minimal gassing,not like it did when I ate other ice creams with the corn syrup in them.I am also allergic to soy,so I have to make everything,and egg whites.My choices are getting smaller all the time as corn is added to everything in disguised ingredients like citric acid,sorbitol-I have to find a toothpaste without soon,because my mouth is starting to tingle when I use it + gums swelling,so now I actually skip brushing imbetween,Baking soda here I come.I have problems walking to far and get out of breath,but it’s because I have heart problems.Has anyone ever asked he question,whether an allergy attack can bring on/make worse a heart problem.The margerine I ate at a family dinner[shouldn’t have had it,but usually it was like you,a bit of throat tightening,that strong coffee can help,and a back rash in a few days,but now,today besides the mouth tingle,thraot thing my eye started to itch,and that is what the carrots do to me.Make my eyes itch,rash,or swell;if more is eaten,swells my whole face.Irread the ingredients on the margerine,same one I’ve eaten there before,and only thing they added to bother me.They are pretty good at not using seasoned salt for me,because a lot have some corn starch,or dextrose,or soy.But anyhow the margerine had betacarotene in it,also-my carrot sensitivity is getting worse,because I thought kraft slices were a safe food,didn’t realize they’re colored with carrot-apocarotenal.Found that out when my eye stated to itch after eating one slice.Not good.
Hi Heidi. Thanks for the comment. Corn must be so hard to avoid. You’re right, it is in everything. You could always ask your doctor for more tests? Funny you should say strong coffee used to help you, I used to have a reaction to apples, carrots and lettuce as a child but strong tea could really help that. i can now eat apples, carrots and lettuce – sometimes these things seem to move on cycles. But I am definitely getting more sensitive as I get older. I certainly didn’t grow out of it as the doctors predicted. I too get itchy eyes, swelling face, itchy lumps on my face that ooze a liquid. Yuck! I find an ice pack helps, and take a pain killer and try to lie down till it passes. Not always easy it you’re out or at someones house. I think I am now reacting to soya and yeast which is a pain, and I am anaphylactic to dairy and nuts, and also avoid tomatoes and celery as they give me really bad reactions too, but not quite as bad as nuts and dairy. I think the reason you itch when exercising is that the allergens are being sweated out of you. Keep smiling, and remember you are just very special. Try health food shops for the toothpaste – they might have something.
I have had about 6 episodes of what I think is EIA. It started very mildly and then each time it happened it got worse. The last time I had EIA I had just finished a 4 mile run. As I got home I started having trouble breathing, by the time I got home I had a swollen face , tongue, throat and urticaria. I went to my local A+E and was put on anti-histermine drips for several hours. it took about 3 days for the swelling around my eyes to subside. This was about 7 years ago and I have not exercised since as I am too scared too. I had not heard of EIA until I found this website. I am thinking of going to the doctors for further tests to find out what I am allergic to, and then I may be able to start running again, as I miss it a lot.
Hi Pip. Do go and see your doctor. Ask to be referred to a specialist. Where abouts do you live? There are very scarce allergy doctors about but you should be able to get a referral. I know some people who just get exercise induced anaphylaxis and it isn’t triggered by any foods. However there are things you can do. Some people think it could be the change of body temperature, so exercising in a controlled environment, like a gym with air conditioning, might help. I’m not sure. Good luck with your search for answers. I would never go our running without my epipen, just in case. But I try to run before I’ve eaten anything, first thing in the morning. Works for me. But as we all know, we are all different so please be careful. Do you have someone you could run with? Good and luck and please share anything you learn.
Fame at last! I am actually a bit embarassed about all this. The article also appeared in the Express on Saturday with some interesting quotes supposedly from me. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/190209/The-woman-allergic-to-exercise-who-could-die-if-she-runs-up-the-stairs
Hi, I am Ann, 32 years and living in Belgium. I read the article about your exercise induced allergies and I thought, finally, someone else!!!
I have had food allergies since I was about 14 years old (mainly for food colorings and food preservatives). I get urticaria all over, abdominal pain, asthma attack… I am told I react pretty severely. When I was about 17, I first got a severe reaction after exercising. I had several more in my early twenties, then I just stopped exercising. The symptoms were the same as with my food allergies, but my tongue also got swollen (not a nice feeling). Luckely I had my meds with me all the time, so I always caught it early.
About 5 years ago, I decided to try and do a light workout (with meds), and it went pretty well. After a while, as my condition improved, I felt able to do some light exercise without meds. Feels great! Now I don’t have to worry about triggering an attack from trying to catch my train in the morning.
I never thought about the possibility that these attacks could be induced by (very small) amouts of food! But it is worth thinking about, if I ever have another problem like that.
I haven’t had any serious problem with my allergies for about 8 years now. I still take my meds if I eat anything that I don’t trust or if I don’t know the ingredients. Or if I do a “tough” workout (spinning, zumba).
I’m sorry for my bad spelling, but I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised there is someone else out there! I know I was!
Hi Ann. Thanks so much for your comment. It is certainly very heartening to hear from you. I do feel like I’m the only one – so now I know I’m not. There is you too! I’m glad your attacks seem to have passed. I haven’t had one for over a year now so fingers crossed. Have to be so careful though.
I know how you feel. Although I haven’t had any severe attack for a number of years, I always stay careful and always carry my medicine around. I do feel my allergies have eased off since I had my two babies (I don’t know if you have any babies yet? Maybe an idea 😉 ).
My food allergies seemed to have altered (I only get a rash these days, and of different types of food then before), but I still avoid some colorants etc. But I used to have attacks anyway, because I wasn’t always conscience I ate something wrong. And that hasn’t happened to me since I had my children. So I guess those allergies have eased off, but I am to scared to really try it. I really don’t want to trigger a severe reaction!
Maybe you’ll also find that the allergies ease off after a couple of years, and you’ll also be able to exercise without fear! I sure hope so!
No I have no children. Now that is interesting. Does having children change something and make allergies less severe? There’s another idea for a blog post. These things all go in cycles though don’t they? My symptoms and allergies change all the time. With the weather. Thanks for your great comments. So lovely to get feedback.
I wouldn’t advise to start having babies just to get some relief of your allergies. Babies come with a whole different set of problems 😛
I also have exercise induced anaphylaxis. I was diagnosed with it about 2 months… and when I tell people they do laugh and think that I am joking. I must admit I wouldnt believe them if they told me they were allergic to exercise either.
Mine doesn’t sound as bad. I was running with a friend and I thought I was bitten by something and then my face started to swell, I had welts and rashes and felt ill. I took some telfast and nothing happened and then before I knew it I had passed out and was unconscious lying on the kitchen floor. My friends took me to emergency but after 5 hours of testing they couldn’t find anything wrong. Then I went to a specialist and he said I was allergic to exercise. Now I have an EpiPen when I exercise.
WOW Jacqui – that is really really scarey. I’m glad you got it sorted and now carry an EpiPen. Has it only happened to you once? Keep an eye on what you ate before exercising if it happens again. It’s so nice to hear I’m not the only one. Thanks for the comment, and stay safe.
Hi! I’d like to know how you pinpointed your trigger. I
have been trying to find a doctor who can help me with this for the
past two years. I have no allergy to any foods its only in
combination with exercise. I was diagnosed with FDEIA about 3 years
ago after having dinner and going dancing. I broke out in welts and
by the time i got home I passed out only the doctor said it was an
allergy to seafood so I stayed away for it for a year! BUt still
everytime i went dancing I would wind up with welts, finally an
allergist diagnosed me. I am able to exercise first thing in the am
of course and dance if i dont eat 8 hours before hand! I take
Loratadine before and carry epipens and benedryl whereever I go.
It’s really scarey as just a good walk up hills where i live
triggers it. It’s good to read about others experiences though,
maybe we can get some good ideas on how to best deal with
it!
Hi Susan. Well it’s not easy. Twice I have had it happen and not really know what caused it, but the last time it was definitely the dairy. I’d been silly and ordered scrambled eggs in a pub after years of no dairy and WHAM. Safest is to not eat anything you’re unsure about before exercise. I try to exercise first thing in the day and not eat anything before I do except a swig of water and maybe some fruit. (some people may react to fruit so be careful). And also because I am dose sensitive, so a tiny trace of dairy may not make me anaphylactic – it will just make my skin come up deep purple and crusty like I’ve got major sun burn. Still pretty horrid but not life threatening. It’s when I consume a larger amount that it’s bad for me so just be really really careful. I can get it from just walking if I’m power walking. It is scarey. I am also allergic to latex so I used to get welts and tightness of breath and asthma in the gym and put that down to touching latex on the equipment handles but I’m not so sure now whether it was. You can get much stronger anti-histamins than loratidin. I take Fenfexadine which comes in a stronger dose and is just so much more effective. So in answer to your question, whilst I think I know my triggers, sometimes I don’t. Best to avoid exercise after eating and you are doing the right thing. Exercise early. Gets it out of the way anyway. Good excuse to sit on the couch after a big meal ;o). But annoying cos it’s just what you need after eating a big meal. Keep safe and thanks for the comment. Not sure I’ve been that helpful.
Just been reading this again and I look so miserable in this pics. The photographer kept saying “stop smiling, you need to look sad” which is really hard when you feel like a bit of a prat in the gym. Very funny though and certainly provoked a heated debate on the Daily Mail. Follow the link to see what readers though. Some nasty comments!
I came down with EIA while in the military. Iv used dozens of Epis and had so many attacks Iv forgotten the number. I dont have food triggers though. But am highly suspicious about temperature change and stress level. EIA is so complex that I have even found a way to push back the symptoms just by exercising in controlled environments (gym, pool). If anyone else has found that they can stay back the symptoms by exercising let me know.
That is really interesting. I do think stress can play a big part in EIA, and what makes reactions so complex is that every person is different, may have different triggers, different sypmptoms etc. Do you get any skin reactions as well? And do you have any food sensitivities? Amazing really that our bodies can start to react purely cue to change in temperature or stress. Did this condition effect your job in the military?
Hi, thanks for creating this article. I am what the docs call Atopic but have had my allergies under control for a long time now. 10 years ago i had my first anaphalxis. this is when i started looking at diet. i quit wheat and dairy for 10 yrs, alchohol for 4 yrs. recently i whent to the docs with ear ache she gave me antibiotics and i developed a skin rash and quit taking it. since then it appears my allergies are back. for my previous recovery i had to exclude environmental stressers ( for all those who think they dont have food triggers, you may be giving yourself stress, under the radar so to speak )I wasnt aware there was the diagnosis ” EIA “. So today I just tried to walk to my office only half mile away and took it easy, stopping to cool in the breaze and yep there came my urticaria and so i took a loratadin, then the early signs i remember from the anaphalxis seemed to be looming, including almost a blacking out sensation/panic. i seem to have avoided an full attack today, but need to get to the docs to get an Epipen imediately. Sorry if this is an essey, but like those long term sufferers out there, i think some shared knowlage could help. Personaly, i made a link with candida and so feel that the antibiotic has perhaps brought this one back. So i am starting full probiotics again, adrenal support herbals, and getting back to my exclusion diet :s . Keep on trucking everyone! sorry bout the spelling.
EIA can be triggered by anything, or seemingly not much at all, just the action of moving. As one comment above from Sendress discusses heat and stress are both possible triggers. I try to exercise first thing and for me that seems to work. But everyone is so very different in this wonderful world. Perhaps you could try exercising in a more controlled environment? Things like drugs and stressful events can definitely trigger some kind of change in the body too so your suspicians are right. Prescription drugs often contain many hidden allergens so always read the label carefully and ask your doctor if you have allergies before taking anything.
I have the exercise induced anaphylaxis. I’ve exercised more of my life than not. But had fallen of the around 2004 until a three years ago. Then I started a dance class which and had some problems with facial swelling, but nothing like what happened in Jan when I started Zumba class and running a mile three times a week. On a 4th day I just run for 3 miles. (Still doing my dance classes) So I started getting huge hives on my torso, neck, thighs pretty much everywhere I would touch. So I took a benadryl and usually in a few hours it would go away. But three times it got worse spread to my fact and my throat started swelling so fact that the benadryl got stuck in it. I ended up in emergency 3 times in a 3 week period. I had enough awareness to ask for an epi pen, but I guess the ER docs (twice) didn’t like the fact that I was not happy with the zyrtec rx and actually thought I knew what I needed more than they did. I finally made it to a allergist and before he even knew my allergies he was kind enough to give me something to help save my life!!! So when the allergies came back- I had to do the rast because by this time I was taking alavert and benadryl 3-4 times a day- turns out I’m allergic to every thing. More specifically: wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, spinach, apples. I already knew I was allergic to tree nuts, but was eating most of the rest of the above on a regular basis. I still exercise, and even though I don’t eat the foods i’m allergic to, i still swell have some swelling around my eyes. But I make it by taking a benadryl before exercise and at bedtime that night, and two more the following day. So we’ve concluded that whether I eat foods I’m allergic to or not, I’m going to swell with exercise, but its nothing like when I was eating the foods I’m allergic to. My allergist also wants me to take a chronic hives test. My whole thing is as tired as the antihistamines make me, I don’t want to take steroids.
I have had hives for as long as I can remember when exercising. At the age of 11 I found it hard to swallow after sport, so I would always hydrate before hand and would wait up to an hour after to drink again.
Didn’t see a doctor as I thought nothing of it, had a very full life being a semiprofessional chorographer and dance teacher.
It wasn’t until my early 30s that I started getting pain after dance, and after a few months, an hour into a class I would get the worst pain ever throwing up and if there was anything in my bowls it would come out. My Dr. sent me for all types of tests but every time they came back with “there’s nothing wrong with you”, I found that I was able to manage my condition with Voltaren suppositories 100mg an hour before exercising which stopped the pain.
I gave up dancing and after 10 years I could no longer take the Voltaren as they were causing problems of their own, didn’t know what to do as they were my safety barrier.
I immigrated to Australia and met a lady who had EIA and it had so described what I was going through so I went to see her specialist and at the age of 47 I was diagnosed properly for the first time with EIA earlier this year.
I’m not food dependent. If I exercises with no food for 12 hours just water I get an attack, at the moment even a 15 minute walk on the treadmill first thing in the morning my hives come up. I run vocal workshops (as I’m a vocal coach now) and I have no food and take a phenergan 25mg one hour before the 2 hour workshop and I survive, still have to be careful as towards the end the hives start to appear.
I wish there was a support system for those who suffer with EIA, but I have a wonderful husband who is very supportive. I think it’s a relief for him now as we know what it is. He’s had to watch so many bad attacks; I’m amazed that I survived.
I have first hand experience with Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis, but in my case I cannot eat any food whatsoever 6 or so hours before exercise. Luckily I only seem to have an attack with heavy physical activity (like, I have multiple attacks while training for a 5k). I can still do hot yoga, go on walks, etc. but the threat is always looming in my mind.
I experience this once or twice a year. I passed out twice around 6 years ago when I didn’t know what it was. However, after seeing a specialist he educated me about the problem. After that, I never pass out, but still experience itching and hives. Dr. Robert Mcqeen in Winchester, VA was very good in identifying the problem and educating me about the issue. This is what he said “if you think that playing soccer can cause the problem, stop playing soccer.” I have stopped playing soccer, but I have not stopped jogging and working out.
My advice to those who have this problem is to educate yourself about the issue.
The reason I have not passed out in the past several years is that as soon as I feel itching, I stop exercising. That limits the damage to just some hives and itching.
Passing out is extremely dangerous since your airway could be swollen, and you might not be able to breath. You pass out because the blood pressure drops, you will have swollen throat because of the body reaction to allergy and hives. Combination of all of these can be deadly. In my case, I am not worried at all because I have learned how to deal with this issue.
In one occasion when I was very angry, I noticed the hives again. I can say that in my case 95% of the times it is exercise related. 5% it might happen because of other issues that I don’t know. The first time it happened to me was when I was giving a lecture.
If nobody is around and you feel you are passing out make sure to sit or laydown in such a way that the airway is in a comfortable position, that might help you to keep part of the airway open which hopefully allows some air to get through the passage. Have a bracelet that shows you have such a problem. The first time the ambulance arrived, they thought I was allergic to the shirt that I was wearing.
The first time I experienced this I was away from home for job training. I joined a local gym to keep up my exercise routine. I noticed each time I went to this new gym I would get itchy. I continued each day going to the gym when finally I broke out in large hives and my face swelled dramatically. I went to the local E.R. The Dr. Said it looked like an allergic reaction but by the time I was seen my hives vanished and the swelling went down so they sent me home without any conclusion or medicine. When I got home a month later I went back to my regular gym. I thought things would be back to normal. I thought there may have been something in that other gym I was allergic to. It turns out I ended up worse at my gym. I took high impact step class and 20 minutes in I started itching and feeling bad. I wanted to get home and left in a hurry because I has no bedadryl with me. I started to drive home thinking I’d be fine since I always was before. I started to black out and woke up to a car coming at me head on. His honking scared me and somehow jarred me awake. I was able to pull to the side of the road although I couldn’t see a thing. I was terrified and felt like I was going to die. I tried to get out if my car hoping someone would see me and come to the rescue. I ended up falling forward into the street and landing on my face. Apparently my blood pressure was already low and when I attempted to get out of my car it caused me to pass out. I ended up being taken by ambulance to the E.R. I had knocked out my front teeth and broke my lower mandible into 5 pieces. I now have 2 metal plates and many screws holding my jaw together. This could have been prevented if the first E.R. Dr. had given me an Epi-pen. I am now diagnosed with EIA after this horrendous incident but at least I’m alive! Thanks for all your stories and be careful out there.
Hi All,
I was diagnosed with EIA in May after having a reaction cycling John O’Groats to Lands End. It was day 6 out of nine (100+ miles per day) when my face swelled up and My blood pressure dropped. I had been taking numerous painkillers for sore ankles and knees and also imodium and peptobismol for stomach problems. Believe me you take anything when doing a challenge like that. I thought all the symptoms were due to the event as I was the only lady in our group doing it and had no-one to compare to. Fortunately my hubby was also with me and there to look after me. I completed the 9 days but it took everything out of me. I manged it by not taking any medications (except anti-histamines) from day 6 as I didn’t know what had triggered it. I saw a consultant who diagnosed the EIA, but I thought it was just a one off.
I managed to get back to the cycling after a month off with no problems until a few weeks ago when it happened again but a worse attack. I went back to Dr. And he explained more about the EIA. I am trying not to get down but I am scared and upset. I feel lonely with this as people tend to laugh at my condition especially when they know how fit i am.
I always carry 2 epipens, anti-histamines, mobile and wear medic alert bracelet.
I would love to chat to others with EIA to know how they cope psychologically with the condition. I am also trying to be dairy, wheat, alcohol and soya free as advised by my dr. I feel like a social outcast.
I look forward to reading more posts on here in the future. 🙂
That sounds awful. Did you ever found if your EIA is triggered by food, drugs or just plain old exercise? People who laugh are not worth worrying about. Where do you live? There might be a local support group but I have found that I tend to get parents of allergic kids along when I try organise one myself. Where are all the allergic adults? I have learned to cope with mine but it is crap. II keep having attacks just when I think it’s all OK again. I have also discovered loads of amazing freefrom products which are tasty, healthy and make life that bit easier. Too many to list but check out the FreeFRom eating out awards if you haven’t done so already.
The consultant suggested that my EIA may be triggered by food and advised to leave at least 4 hours after eating before exercise. I live in North Yorkshire and would love to find a support group regarding this. I have stocked up my cupboards with free from foods and manage ok. Coffee shops and restaurants are more difficult as I have never been a fussy eater. I do find it embarrassing when I have to request a special menu. It is early days for me so I am sure it will get easier. I am very lucky to have a supportive family around me too.
I will see if I can find some support groups near you but I don’t know of one. Would you be interested in an online skype chat with others? Maybe even a webinar? Then despite being geographically spread out we could still help each other, share ideas etc. Not sure if I have time to organise it at the moment but I’m really considering it. Maybe in the New Year as the blog is kind of going into orbit… maybe I could give up some of my clients and make the blog my job? I can dream ;o)