Allergies are not my friend....

So, allergies and I, we have a history. It's a strange one, but we do. Back when I was in college many moons ago, I started reacting to strawberries. I didn't know it at the time, because the way my body typically reacts, makes me feel like I have the worst cold ever. Since strawberries and allergy season happen at the same time, it took me a while to figure out that it was the strawberries, and not the allergy season causing the worst cold ever.

Since then I've been a lot more observant about what happens to me when I eat, take medication, etc... So, now of course the medical community thinks I'm one of "those" people...those as in, hypochondriac crazy person.

I can't help that my body reacts the way it does, but oh well. Not all my allergies end up as the worst cold ever...I've had my throat feel like it's swelling shut after I took one medication (a call to the pharmacist informed me to take benadryl and DON'T ever take that medicine again...) So when my throat feels that way I skip the phone call and take benadryl and don't ever take that medicine again.

The bad thing is that my list of "do not take" sensitivity list is getting longer. Long enough that I have to keep it up to date and keep a copy of it in my purse. Fun times.

Then of course there is the reaction I have had two times in my life...I take the medicine and my body lets me know quite forcefully that it does NOT like that medication, and I end up having to take anti nausea medication to keep ANYTHING down.

So, one time, about eight years ago, I decided I should be tested for allergies. Well, that my friends was an interesting experience. Mainly because I was also tested for food allergies...and you know what came back? Nothing. NOTHING. Not even for strawberries. Is it all in my head? I would wonder if I was just convincing myself if it only happened when I KNEW that there were strawberries in something, but no, it also happens when I have no clue that there are strawberries in something.

All I can figure is that my food allergies are emotionally based. It doesn't change the fact that I can't eat them, but it gives me hope that eventually I will be able to eat them again if I have more energy work done. I know, I'm weird, but if it works it works.

So, recent experience....I have had another "worst cold ever" experience and I basically feel like crap. I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out what I could have possibly taken, eaten, touched, etc... to cause this reaction. I even took benedryl which took the edge off for a day or so. I have NO IDEA what caused it. I ate some gummy bears (which can sometimes have strawberry juice in them) but I checked the ingredients, and they only had apple juice in them. Unless I have suddenly become allergic to something I wasn't before, I can't figure it out.

Hopefully I will figure it out sooner rather than later, because I HATE feeling this way!