Today, Real People magazine published an article about exercise induced anaphylaxis (EIA), and it just so happens that it’s about me! I don’t normally do these kinds of articles but I thought it would be great awareness about allergies and could help people understand how complicated they can be. I also thought it might be good publicity for my blog.
Exercise induced anaphylaxis happens when someone has eaten a trigger food that they are sensitive to and then gone on to do exercise shortly afterwards. Sometimes it’s not caused by food, just be exercise. The action of the body, raising the blood flow and the heart pumping faster, seems to cause the body to go into anaphylactic shock for some people, me being one of them.
I get this kind of reaction if I’ve consumed dairy and then do any exercise; even a brisk walk can be enough to spark off a reaction. I believe that celery may also be giving me the same problem, so I’m really careful about what I eat for at least two to three hours before I exercise. This is tough sometimes, so I find it easiest to exercise first thing in the morning, when all I’ve had is a glass of water, and I seem to be fine.
Athletes can often see this type of reaction, and whether the attack would have happened anyway, regardless of exercise and is just a coincidence, is hard to prove, but my worst reactions have all been after running or brisk walking. If I eat the wrong thing but don’t exercise afterwards I’ll know about it, and will suffer with horrendous skin rashes, swelling and pain, but I don’t get any life threatening reactions, unless I start exercising. The body really is amazing, but also very frustrating when it decides that some harmless white liquid and a nasty stalky vegetable are enemies number one and two – to be fought tooth and nail at all cost.
Luckily, swift use of my EpiPen and calling 999 has always seen me back to health but it’s frightening when it starts happening.
Anyway, I know you want to see the article. You might not be able to read it properly but I hope you can. If you can’t you’ve still got time to rush out and buy your copy of Real People. I am in good company, along with “Baby Brain – My tumour was little Lilly”, “Cursed by our holiday disasters” and “Acid attack ate my face”, amongst others I won’t mention on here.
They have used a lovely(?) picture of me as little girl (my fault for getting out the album on that one), another of me running with a real smirk on my face, and quite a nice one of me and my husband in our garden. It could have been a lot worse, and it’s much better than the awful one that went in the Daily Mail a while ago.
They have actually put my blog address in but the text is really really tiny white writing on a pale background, running vertically up the left hand side of the article. If you get out the magnifying glass you can just read it!
Your definition of EIA is very limited. My condition has no no food trigger and sometimes my attack comes post activity. I also dont have to raise my blood pressures to have an attack, something as simple as environmental temperature change can be a player. Just saying, your definition paints a narrow view.
Hi Steve. I think you’re right. Here I’ve only discussed my own experiences but you are right in saying that some people don’t need to have a food trigger. Have you ever heard of Mastocytosis? Think I’ve spelt that right. Interesting you can get attacks post activity – so your body reacts AFTER the exercise? Is there any pattern with what triggers your attacks? Are you better exercising at different times of the day?
My daughter was diagnosed with this, and we eliminated any food triggers. It can happen 5 minutes in or 30, without a huge warning. for her, her knuckle darken and get red first, so I know when it is coming. that is followed by breathing issues, skin itching and sometimes throat closing. so scary. we have tried every antihistamine to prevent, they do nothing
Anti-histamines for this kind of attack aren’t really very effective in my experience though they could speed recovery as they do reduce swelling and itching. It’s a tough one but if you get that early warning signal with her knuckles that’s good. I get tingling lips like a cold sore is coming and get very breathless and asthmaey and then it’s pretty much downhill fast from there. Hives all over the body, throat swelling and closing, difficulty breathing. But enough about me. Hope she stays safe. The important thing is to try to stay as active as possible, avoid triggers and enjoy life.
Hi, I was diagnosed with EIA last year brought on by being allergic to wheat, finding it a struggle every day trying to avoid taking a reaction, took a while to be diagnosed…told to continue to eat wheat because if I dont then I could become even more sensitized, basically no cure just prevent it happening!! my question would be how long does it take you to recover after a reaction? I have had so many that they seem to get worse each time, with recovery times taking longer aswell!! Are you aware of any support groups? My doctors surgery not the most clued up as apparently I’m the only patient with this….feel as been left to get on with it!!!also is fatigue one of your symptoms? I have to young kids which I need playtime to be scheduled as can’t eat wheat 4hours before or 2 hours after….doesnt leave much time….anyways glad finally found somebody with the same as me….jx:)
I actually have EIA. It’s an awful allergy to have; within minutes of my activities my neck, and face are swelled up from the enormous size hives I get. I’ve had this for about a year; my case has only gotten worse. I sometime have a hard time breathing, my blood pressure sometimes drop, I get unbearable cramps leaving me curled up in bed for hours after I work out, I get nausea during and after I workout; it’s just all a bust to my active life. Instead of feeling good after working out I am miserable. I just got my epi-pen and all my medications and i’m praying my body will get through this and I can remain to have an active life!
I also have EIA. I have had it since elementary school. It has progressively got worse as I get older. I am 27 now. I really have not noticed eating food that triggers it, just brief/hard exercise that makes it happen. One time I blacked out into a seizure, that was extremely scary!! I will still be swollen in tje face the next day. Cold showers help very slimly. I hate this rare disease! It affects so much of my life. Thanks, Joe, Colorado.
I’m years too late in noticing this article but it’s so nice to see there is some sort of a support community out there. I’ve never met or spoken with anyone with EIA like myself and I’m hoping someone can shed some light on the safety of having EIA while pregnant.
I have FDEIA, however it is not related to any specific food. Any food I eat triggers my reaction so I just work out first thing in the morning or don’t eat most of the day and eat larger meals at night while relaxing.
My husband and I want to get pregnant but my allergist and hirisk OB are having us wait because they are unsure how FDEIA effects pregnancy. They believe that higher levels of progesterone along with more blood flow will make me/anyone with FDEIA digest slower and essentially the higher levels of blood flow will be like exercising all the time. They are concerned for my safety and our potential baby.
Has anyone had an experience with FDEIA and pregnancy?
Hello! I have FDEIA and juggle my timing of eating, work, and working out every day. In the last year I found out that my allergy “events” were exacerbated because I am also allergic to shellfish. (I was taking glucosamine chondroitin that contained shellfish and cod liver oil supplements and had a severe reaction just a few minutes after ingestion.) I previously did not know about the link between the two allergies. Now that I (sadly) avoid shellfish, my reactions are easier to control if I fast 5-6 hours before exercise.
I’ve had it for a few decades now. My priority is to stay fit in spite of this challenge. I did not have any problems with my pregnancy but made sure that all my exercise besides light weight training was in the water. I definitely had some tough times out on walks right after pregnancy but was able to slowly make it back home. Water is my best approach to exercise. I think the main thing to remember is that this allergy affects us all differently but I also think there are many more of us than what the studies show!