r/emergencymedicine • u/Asleep-Palpitation43 Nurse Practiciner • Feb 02 '25

Advice Allergy Olympics

Is it wrong that if I see a patient has more than 10 allergies I IMMEDIATELY assume she's (bc it's always a she) a psych case?

In 24 years I've never been wrong.

You'll never read this in a textbook but add it to your practice today and thank me lateršŸ‘

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u/Nurseytypechick RN Feb 02 '25

Coworker joked for every 5 allergies you get a psych dx. I looked over and said "hey!" Real sad like because I have 5 documented allergies and PTSD... lol.

It's not gender exclusive though.

The real question is, is it overinterpretation of allergic symptoms by anxious folks, or is there some correlation between anxiety/mental illness and system hyperreactivity. For the non shitpost aspect.

21

u/Glowing_up Feb 02 '25

I have ptsd and would get itchy mouth/tongue for years eating things I'd eaten 100x. Now I'm doing much better I don't get these allergy responses. I do wonder if theres something to that. I also got that fruit/pollen crossover allergy thing, which is now also totally gone.

28

u/Nurseytypechick RN Feb 02 '25

Oral pollen syndrome is real interesting. I have that with honeydew melon in particular. I also can't do banana or kiwi with the latex allergy.

I do wonder if histamine response in someone whose nervous system is ramped up in fight/flight trigger is a part of it. I haven't done any actual digging, it just intrigues me as a possible component.

11

u/Footdust Feb 02 '25

I never made the connection until I read this, but my itchy mouth from eating certain foods and my random hives have disappeared since I left my jerk ex-husband and went through intense therapy for a variety of issues including PTSD. This is very interesting. You may be on to something. Also for some reason I feel like I should say I have no drug allergies, lol.

2

u/softwhisperz Feb 07 '25

I got an itchy mouth, and hives (both in my mouth and on my body) regularly and really badly while I was growing up with abusive parents. Havenā€™t had it much in my adult years. I think you guys are on to somethingā€¦