Insomniac quest for knowledge
I've stopped taking my ambien. My perscription ran out, and after taking them for 3 months straight I decided before I go and ask for more I should see whether or not I can get to sleep without it.
I'm not entirely sure if the insomnia I've experienced almost every night in the 5 days since is the same as or worse than before I had been taking it, nor am I sure whether or not the cause is the same or just simply a matter of having developed a dependancy (whic is a risk with most sleep aids, I've been told) on them.
Nonetheless, I lie awake at night in bed, as random questions fire through my tired-yet-unable-to-sleep brain. So I thought I'd start keeping a log of them all and also of what answers I find.
Tonight's random question is:
What are the symptoms associated with nut allergies?
The question came to me as I lay in bed listening to Bobbin snoring on the baby monitor. She's developed a nose whistle the last few days, and has been snoring at night but with no signs of a cold or congestion evident during the day. I'm wondering if perhaps it's related to the fact that she's also taken to sneaking my honey-nut cheerios out of my bowl at breakfast which are, as the name suggests, laced with nuts. Almonds to be precise, from looking at the ingredients list. The first time I caught her doing it I was too late to stop her as she had already put a handful in her mouth and had chewed and was in the process of swallowing. I watched her like a hawk the entire day and listened half awake (I believe, in fact, that was my first ambien-less night too) the entire night. She was fine. So the next morning when she wanted some from my bowl I let her eat them. And the next, and so on.
According to WebMD.com,
"Food allergies can cause many different symptoms. They can range from mild to serious. If you eat a food you are allergic to:
1) Your mouth may tingle, and your lips may swell.
2) You may have cramps, an upset stomach, or diarrhea.
3) You may have itchy skin with red, raised bumps called hives.
4) You may have a stuffy nose, wheeze, or be short of breath.
5) You may feel dizzy or lightheaded."
WebMD also says "Allergic reactions do not always occur the first time a person is exposed to an allergen. A person may become more sensitive to the allergen with each exposure."
She hasn't been acting like her mouth has been uncomfortable, she has no swelling, no itching, no hives, no cramps, no pain, no diarrhea. Her appetite has been fine, she is not short of breath, nor does she appear to be dizzy or lightheaded. She seems to be congested at night, and does have a nose whistle, but that's it. All the same, I've decided I'll stick to toast for breakfast in the morning until I can find a cereal I like that doesn't contain nuts(she will not eat plain cheerios from her own bowl and I can't stand the taste of the plain ones) and will mention it to her doctor when I take her in for her ear followup this week.
Comments
Most people with what we describe as "nut" allergies aren't actually allergic to nuts, i.e., almonds, they're allergic to legumes, such as peas, peanuts, cashews, etc. (also know an "ground nuts" because they grow on plants near the ground, not because they are really nuts at all). However, many people who are allergic to bees are told to avoid honey. So, if Bobbin were allergic to the cereal, it might not be the "nut" in the "honey-nut cheerios" at all.
Posted by Sarah on March 12, 2007 6:14 AM.It is true that a first encounter with an allergen rarely provokes a reaction. That's because your immune system has never encountered the protein before, so it doesn't quite know what to do with it. It's on subsequent exposures that your immune system decides to engage it like a foreign invader. An insurgency, if you will. Also, although reactions will vary with intensity, they will almost always manifest within an hour of the exposure. So, if Bobbin eats a nut and honey-laced cheerio at 7 am, a nose whistle starting at 7 pm is more likely to be part of a wee head cold or chronic sinusitis as a result of being related to me. :-)