Tag Archives: allergic reaction

Autoimmune Flare up or Allergies?

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well these days.  I am going through some things that I haven’t been through since high school.  It took it 20+ years to resurface, but it is back with a vengeance!  Maybe someone has heard of this condition or know the cause for this and can help.

Back when I was in high school, my junior year, I would get this sensation in my lips.  They would start out feeling numb then they would start itching. Before you know it, they would swell to the point where it looked like I had been on the losing end of a big fight!   I could not for the world figure out what would cause such a heinous disfigurement.  I would feel fine otherwise, I just couldn’t go out in public until the swelling went down.

My mother first took me to my primary doctor, he referred me to an allergist.  I wasn’t allergic to anything so I was referred to an Immunologist.  The Immunologist told me that it was my immune system that was going wacky and attacking my lips for some reason making them swell that way.  There wasn’t anything I can do for the attack but he did give me some small white pills that I was to take when I felt the numbing sensation coming on.  Whatever those pills were, they worked like a charm.  STORY TIME:  One day I forgot my pills at home when I was at school.  We were watching a movie in class when I felt that my lips getting numb.  I had to run to the school office and call my mother to have her bring my pills to school for me.  I went back to class and the office called when my mother was there.  When I went to the office to get the pills, my mother was still there and the office assistants took one look at me and told her she better take me home because I was a lot worse than I was before.  That’s why everyone I passed in the hallway was looking at me strangely!  It took about 2 years to fully get it out of my system where I wasn’t swelling up anymore.

Now, just about a week ago, something again is going on with my lips.  In the morning, I wake up and it looks like I just got out of lip surgery!  During the day, it will go down, not to normal, but better.  They hurt badly, are numb and itch terribly.  I just let my doctor know today because it seems to be escalating now. My daughter, Bella likes my lips now because she says I look sassy! If they didn’t hurt so bad, I may consider keeping them this way!  Again I tried to figure out why my lips are swelling like this.  Maybe my immune system is going wacky again?  Maybe allergies?

If there is anyone out there with or without an autoimmune disease that has had something similar, please let me know.  What was your Diagnosis?  What was the cure?  

Just remember to take this disease one day at a time, and we will get through this together.  Please send up a little prayer for me during this time..

Chow for now!