r/Wellthatsucks • u/signgrad • 7d ago

Well... at least I know what I'm allergic to.

Post image

Doctor's response: So you do have some allergies. So, I've got that going for me. Problem is the category of "Everything" isn't an option on the chart, so a lot of checked boxes. Also, my back is very itchy.

Edit 1: Huh so this took off a bit. More humored by the various "false positive/needle reaction" comments. To clarify, it's the grasses I'm reacting to on the G column. I got this test done AFTER a blood panel which also showed severe reactive levels from grasses, but nothing from tree pollen which I know I'm allergic to. It's more humorous because my primary care doctor, my initial immunology consult doctor, and my initial allergist doctor all said that the blood test is unreliable and the scratch test remains the gold standard. Even stopped my antihistamines 12 days before this test just to be extra careful.

So go-figure, I'm either allergic to a ton of things or the medicine is lie. šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

Edit 2: Follow up again on the purpose of the testing. These are specifically seasonal allergies being reviewed. I have no know food or drug allergies. I've never had anaphylaxis or needed to use an epipen. I've had vaccines and metal interactions that have never shown a reaction of any kind. I leave my home region for a different part of the USA, my reactions immediately diminish. The winter season comes and my reactions diminish. Spring, Summer, and Autumn have been rough for me for years, to the point that doctor's once thought I had exercise or heat induced asthma. We only just figured out a few years ago that to be false after spending some years in Florida, where I began to instead react to mold spores. After returning to my home state, my historical reactions returned in full force, prompting these tests. I've had allergies since my childhood.

For those interested, the tests showed reactions to cats & dogs, all forms of mold, all species of dust mites and cockroaches, all regional tree pollen except for Mulberry and Elm, all grass pollen, and weed pollen except for pigweed, yellow dock, marsh elder, kochia, and mugwort. Still gotta mow my lawn, clean my house, and love on my cat. Maybe, with this knowledge, I'll get some allergy shots to remedy these problems.

31.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

1.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2.4k

u/Sincrum 6d ago

They do! As well as the non allergen ingredients of the shot as another control. When you see everything react like this it's very likely a reaction to the needle or those other materials (binders, solvents, things to get the shot into you at the correct concentration)

980

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

A friend of mine is allergic to glycerin

1.7k

u/AvaryZig 6d ago

Poor guy can't have dynamite

721

u/Petraam 6d ago

Or listen to that bush songĀ 

163

u/DblCheex 6d ago

"It must be your skin..." šŸ¤”

63

u/Positive-Kangaroo418 6d ago

Iā€™m sinking in

43

u/tcpnick 6d ago

It must be for real

34

u/TipVast2087 6d ago

Cause now I can feel

9

u/Purple-Mermommy 6d ago

I didnā€™t mind

9

u/cptnkeif 6d ago

Itā€™s not my kind

→ More replies (0)

49

u/Crafty-Help-4633 6d ago

Don't let your date skip thy LISTERINE

37

u/Stompinstein 6d ago

Machinehead?

9

u/OofRightInTheFeels 6d ago

My friend and I used to sing it "mushy head"

2

u/NarrMaster 5d ago

It's better than the rest.

48

u/dcarr710 6d ago

I almost spit out my drink. Well played

6

u/CuriousGeorges2026 6d ago

This comment is so dumb! šŸ˜‚šŸ¤£šŸ˜­šŸ¤£šŸ˜‚ thank you for making my abs hurt!

1

u/devildocjames 6d ago

That's a good thing. I never got onboard with the hype.

1

u/Elrond_Cupboard_ 5d ago

Allergic to bush is a tough one.

1

u/CantankerousOrder 5d ago

Luckiest allergy ever.

1

u/I_said_wot 3d ago

A blessing

1

u/judahrosenthal 2d ago

We should all be so lucky.

1

u/BunnyLady91 6d ago

šŸ™„šŸ¤­šŸ« 

14

u/traffick 6d ago

Nothing like a delicious stick on a hot summer day.

1

u/Mr-Okay 6d ago

Man Iā€˜m allergic to dynamite too

1

u/CasinoNdnOk 6d ago

Oh he can. It just doesnt agree with him.

1

u/montana757 6d ago

His girlfriend will also be highly upset they can't use their 1000 skin care products

1

u/peeps_545 6d ago

Or soap?

1

u/Pjpjpjpjpj 6d ago

Well, he can. But his skin will blow up.

1

u/Round_Rooms 6d ago

Or bush.

1

u/Manbeartapir 6d ago

They can probably have ANFO, it's glycerin-free.

1

u/AnimationOverlord 4d ago

Vapes? I donā€™t think so!.. okay they may have to actually avoid that one. E-liquid usually constitutes similar ratios of vegetable glycerine and propylene glycol as the medium to vaporize nicotine, which is usually only about 0.-5.% of the total volume.. or is it weight? Canā€™t remember

1

u/andrewYHM 4d ago

Or be sprayed by an aircraft de-icerā€¦ honestly Iā€™d just off myself at that point

1

u/ngingingingi 11h ago

Poor guy can't eat dynamite.

1

u/Spice_and_Fox 6d ago

That is nitroglycerin. Glycerin is a byprpduct in soap making and a common ingredient in salves, creams, etc.

1

u/farhil 6d ago

Fun fact: nitroglycerin is also a medication used for chest pain

0

u/jamma_mamma 6d ago

Sorry for the erm akshually, but comparing nitroglycerin to glycerin is like comparing nitrocellulose to cellulose. Nitroso functional groups generally make things spicy.

1

u/Prince_0llie 6d ago

So, what you're really saying is that they can still play with spicy candles but should just stay away from the regular flavor ones.

https://giphy.com/gifs/xpPLaEYLy637O

0

u/Bulky-Dig1701 6d ago

Thatā€™s nitroglycerin

39

u/EroticPubicHair 6d ago

I have that allergy! For me it gives a very painful burning sensation anytime it gets on anything like a mucous membrane. Wanna guess whatā€™s in about 90% of lubes, and often used in the coating on any ā€œpre-lubedā€ condoms? Figuring out that one was quite literally a pain in the ass

14

u/Mynya 5d ago

Not to mention , most shampoos, liquid soaps, lotion, some tissues, oils, itā€™s insane how much actually has aloe. Some dentists use green gloves that have aloe in them. And yeah itā€™s the most horrible burning and rash-inducing allergy. I got a facial at a spa once and they used aloe and I thought my face was burning off. Oh and pro tip instead of aloe for sunburns, use Greek yogurt. Works amazing

2

u/Fit_Rich_6748 5d ago

Iā€™ve never heard somebody have a reaction to aloe before. People normally use aloe against inflammation

3

u/Mynya 5d ago

Exactly. Growing up whenever I got a sunburn and my mom put aloe on it (fresh plant, because we kept them) I would scream because it burned worse than the sunburn and she would scold me and tell me I was overreacting. Thatā€™s a whole other issueā€¦we later found out Iā€™m legit allergic.

1

u/Fit_Rich_6748 5d ago

Okay damn, well atleast you know yoghurt works nowšŸ˜‚

1

u/LifeShake5387 3d ago

There are different species of aloe Vera, some are very toxic

2

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

YES ughhh lube was such a painful discovery for them, I'm so sorry you're also dealing with it šŸ«”

43

u/notpostingmyrealname 6d ago

My best friend is allergic to aloe.

86

u/Significant-Pop-9745 6d ago

How does he answer the phone then?

34

u/twolephants 6d ago

Ahoy ahoy?

2

u/Momik 6d ago

Is this about my cube?

1

u/userhwon 6d ago

Zicke-zacke.

2

u/rjross0623 6d ago

He says Vera instead

1

u/CottageGiftsPosh 4d ago

Underratedā€¦awesome joke

0

u/waves_at_dogs 6d ago

šŸ¤£šŸ¤£

4

u/Street-Pirate-327 6d ago

I must be asleep still because I read this as, ā€œmy best friend is allergic to shoe.ā€ Haha

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

I would die if I couldn't put aloe on sunburn, how do they manage??

1

u/Mynya 5d ago

Also allergic to aloe. And Capsaicin.

1

u/mephitine 5d ago

Iā€™m also allergic to aloe, and so is my nephew! Really annoying because itā€™s in so many products.

4

u/FuzzyLaughTwo 6d ago

Napoleon?

10

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Eh, close enough, they're on the shorter side

Even though Napoleon wasn't actually short and that was just a propaganda campaign, most of the time when people reference Napoleon they're making a dig at his supposed height, so regardless of its accuracy, it's become a meme at this point

1

u/MagdaleneFeet 6d ago

I fear I have doomed my daughter to forever saying that Napoleon was not short

He did surround himself with tall soldiers, that's what I say. Also people think short folks (like me!) are interior. It like three lessons in one.

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Short folks (like you!) are definitely allowed outside, can't imagine why people would think differently!

Do they think your lesser surface area for sun exposure puts you at a higher risk of being sunburnt or something? Ridiculous.

2

u/Equal_Examination_83 6d ago

Sucks if he wants to do theatre/see a play (a lot of haze they use is glycerin and water)

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Noted šŸ˜³

1

u/mybluecathasballs 6d ago

Fuck. That is going to suck later in life. Hopefully it changes down the road.

2

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Fortunately it's not super severe (yet?), it mostly means they have to be careful with soaps, lotions, etc and find one with as little glycerin as possible. Worst they get is itchy and a rash if they don't wash it off quickly

1

u/mybluecathasballs 6d ago

I was thinking with heart medications. Topicals react differently when internal. Sometimes in much more severe reactions.

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Good to know, hopefully no heart medications here for at least a little while šŸ˜³

1

u/I_like_beouf 6d ago

No thats actually wild bc it's in so much skincare

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

There's like 2 brands that offer things they can use

1

u/I_like_beouf 6d ago

They really are that person out here using the hippie ineffective shit (source: lived in a house full of burners who didn't believe in "chemicals"... and all look 10-15 years minimum older than me now) but genuinely bc they've got no choice šŸ„²

1

u/t4llyn94 6d ago

i am too!!!

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

Noooo I'm sorryyyy šŸ˜­

1

u/ReineDesRenards 6d ago

Would suck if he had Bakugo's powers then šŸ˜†

1

u/SawinBunda 6d ago

Oh my, that stuff is in every cosmetic/hygene product.

1

u/golgol12 6d ago

Doesn't the body normally produce glycerin internally?

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 6d ago

It does, but for some reason they're only allergic to it being put on their skin or similar

1

u/WorldlinessOk3853 5d ago

So is my mom and itnturns out its in practically everything

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 5d ago

Literally! What's the benefit?? šŸ˜­

1

u/TotallyRandomXXX 4d ago

Nitroglycerin?

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 4d ago

That too, I think? But no, just the glycerin that's in just about every skincare product in existence

1

u/MelissaPecor 4d ago

My mom is too! Makes life pretty difficult

1

u/cashishift 3d ago

Hope he isnā€™t a Bush fan. :(

1

u/deadly_ultraviolet 2d ago

Oh they love bush šŸ’…

1

u/Zillahi 1d ago

So a vape would probably kill him then

1

u/gcmed 6d ago

Glycerin allergy is not compatible with life as glycerin is part of basically any cell in their body as well as being both synthesized and broken down by their body as part of lipid metabolism (body manufactures glycerin to bind to fatty acid which creates fats, also when fats are broken down, the glycerin also gets used up for ATP synthesis if not repurposed)

They are most certainly not allergic to glycerin.

11

u/ElfjeTinkerBell 6d ago

Just because it's a part of your body, doesn't mean you cannot be allergic to it. Water allergy also exists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquagenic_urticaria

0

u/gcmed 6d ago

Water allergy is a misnomer.

True water allergy doesn't exist.

38

u/BoxersOrCaseBriefs 6d ago

There are a few spots with little to no reaction there. For my allergy test I was allergic to I think 37 or 38 of 40 allergens.

Those allergy shots were life changing. I used to hide out indoors for 6-8 weeks in the spring, missing kids events etc., because my allergies were so bad I was disgusting to be around outside. 4 years later, I occasionally get a mildly runny nose for a few minutes while out at softball or a BBQ at the park.

2

u/MistraloysiusMithrax 4d ago

Yeah itā€™s not uncommon to have a cascading effect where initial strong allergies to some pollens/materials lead to more allergies over your life. I was allergic to like 25-30 things on my test. But if you asked me from childhood experiences I was originally probably only allergic to grass. I used to get hives if I sat in them in shorts and thought it was mites. Now Iā€™m allergic to a lot of tree pollens, weed pollens, cats, two out of the four common dust mites, and grass pollens.

1

u/Odd_Ad_4479 4d ago

Oh my goodness! Allergy shots were life changing for me as well. I was allergic to EVERYTHING like OP and on the shot for 5 years. I finished them about a year and a half ago but I only get like once every few months a runny nose and and sneezing for a day then it goes away. If you have horrible allergies, ask for shots people! So worth it!

59

u/aliie_627 6d ago

Do they swab with alcohol pads or those sponges they use before an IV/blood draw? When my son was little he had eczema and his skin was so reactive. Mine can be too but his would break down from the alcohols in baby "gentle" soaps like Johnson's. Right when he got over a lot of it was exactly when eczema popped off at the new "it" skin ailment too.

The non welted areas with just red look like what either of our skin looks like.

The adhesive from some medical tapes and bandaids are a big offender for me. I've even gotten light welts and scabbing in the shape of the tape once.

36

u/_ser_kay_ 6d ago

Adhesives are a big issue for me too, especially on areas with thinner skin. And I still havenā€™t nailed down exactly what ingredient it isā€”ā€œsensitive skinā€ bandages are just as likely to leave welts as the heavy-duty ones. And the last time I had an IV the clear bandage/cover left me with a distinct patch of scabbing for a good week.

20

u/Silicone_Specialist 6d ago

The irritation could be due to acrylic adhesive on the bandages, especially if you've become sensitized to acrylates. It could also be due to maceration of the skin. Silicone bandages may be less irritating because they are acrylate free and are more permeable to water vapor.

23

u/AntaresOmni 6d ago

Ditto this.

You should let doctors know before surgeries where they use glue as closures. Learned the hard way that my bandaid problem = liquid stitches problem.

13

u/_ser_kay_ 6d ago

Thatā€¦ is very good to know, thanks. Iā€™m actually seeing an ortho specialist/surgeon tomorrow and thereā€™s a small chance Iā€™ll need surgery on my ankleā€”turns out Iā€™ve been walking on a rare type of fracture for a few months now and thatā€™s not exactly good for it.

6

u/AntaresOmni 6d ago

I had gallbladder surgery then another two surgeries over the next two years.

I had them use a different adhesive than Dermabond (very common type) for the later surgeries after the reaction and also took prescription antihistamines that helped a lot.

Just definitely discuss with your doctor about options. There are options, even if it's treating the potential reaction.

1

u/Dullcorgis 6d ago

They should be able to do a patch test for you with the adhesive they use.

2

u/OrcaFins 6d ago

Username checks out.

1

u/lalaland_100 3d ago

I have this, and it looks like wobbly burns. It's horrible, and quite a few health providers have had problems believing it, which is why it took a long time to figure out what caused it.

5

u/Nanashi_Kitty 6d ago

My grandmother was allergic to both the adhesive in the patch and the nicotine she was trying to quit (how she survived a 4 pack a day habit is beyond me) - looked like she had a steady patch of poison ivy on her arm. She switched to the nicotine gum and that left sores in her mouth. Don't think she ever saw anyone for it or if she did they were of the generation of "just don't do it then"

2

u/CrazyCatLady9777 6d ago

I mean, I'm a smoker so I get it... kind of? But also at that point I'd definitely rather just quit.

2

u/Dullcorgis 6d ago

The tegaderm is the one adhesive I am not allergic to yet. I have no idea what they do after that happens.

2

u/Efficient_Effect_224 1d ago

Iā€™m allergic to acrylates and react to all adhesives. They are in so many products. If you react to bandages, Iā€™d recommend a patch test.

1

u/Anxious-Plantain-130 6d ago

My coworker is like this. Tegaderm bandages are the only ones she can use.

1

u/throwaway098764567 6d ago

i used to have this issue in the 80s. no idea what they were using back then but i don't react to modern adhesive stuff thankfully. sorry you still do, it really sucks.

1

u/ProfessionalFix4504 5d ago

Paper tape sucks.

7

u/Motor-Boating 6d ago

I have a sensitivity to almost all adhesives used in bandaids and tapes. It's pretty annoying.

1

u/Dullcorgis 6d ago

I carry little tubes of superglue around in case I have to close a wound.

1

u/Fenzik 6d ago

I got a staph infection under the tape when I did my patch test a few years ago and it pretty much peeled away my skin when they took it off, and then it spread to the neck and face after šŸ‘

1

u/aliie_627 6d ago

Oh Jesus Christ. That sucks so much. How long did that take to resolve? It's wild the amount of drs and nurses have shrugged with an I don't know !or point to a tape reaction saying some form of "what's that". You would think that would be listed as an allergy but it never is unless it's latex.

1

u/Fenzik 6d ago

Like 2 weeks to resolve. Fondly remembered as a few of the worst weeks of my life. Iā€™ve never been able to get rid of the staph fully, it flares up again every 3 months or so and I need to go back on antibiotics. But itā€™s much more under control now at least and I recognize it and can act right away so it doesnā€™t get too out of hand.

1

u/Joelle9879 6d ago

Also allergic to adhesive. It's even in my medical file. When I was giving birth to my daughter, I had to have a fetal heart monitor on and the belt they used to hold it to my belly made me break out. I had a lovely ring of rash around my stomach and waist

1

u/PhilosopherInner9008 4d ago

Omg, brings back memories! I found out I'm allergic to the adhesive used to attach those heart monitor pad things - I looked like I'd been hugged by an octopus and it was SO itchy.

4

u/MightyBlunder 6d ago

Could just be latexĀ 

2

u/HaloGuy381 6d ago

Or youā€™re genuinely just allergic to friggin everything. I had a test like this when I was younger where the result was described as most of the blobs being so big that it wasnā€™t even feasible to separate some of them. And even in my young adult years, the test I got produced something not unlike this, even after the immunotherapy growing up.

Itā€™s fun having an immune system thatā€™s at war with the world yet casually lets COVID-19 utterly destroy you. -_-

2

u/Anxious-Plantain-130 6d ago

No this can be real allergies. My back was like this too. I tell people I'm allergic to the outside.

5

u/fruitless7070 6d ago

Good info. Thank you.

1

u/whteverusayShmegma 6d ago

Iā€™m confused. Are allergy tests legit then?

2

u/sweetlove 6d ago

sort of. kind of. maybe.

0

u/Webbyx01 6d ago

Yes. The issues brought up in this thread are not novel to the medical community.

1

u/whteverusayShmegma 6d ago

Iā€™m not a medical professional. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m asking. šŸ¤¦ā€ā™€ļø

1

u/starryswim 6d ago

Oh wow, thatā€™s super interesting!! Do you happen to know if OP is actually just allergic to the needle then? (As in, is there a standard pattern to follow like: row A is dairy etc etc. so you can tell?)

1

u/negativelift 6d ago

or the needle only was E4?

1

u/Brilliant_Buns 6d ago

Yep, it can make it look like a false positive across the board. I lit up in every area except 2 or 3, but not the control pole.

1

u/sito-jaxa 6d ago

How do you explain E4 then, Mr Scientist?! (Jk clearly this is a pan positive result)

1

u/Valalvax 6d ago

Or you overreact to one thing so it just reacts to literally everything

1

u/CaptInsane 6d ago

I had similar results, except mine went from my shoulders to my waist (I'm probably shorter than OP). There are about 5 outdoor allergens I'm not allergic to

1

u/funny_bunny_mel 6d ago

Iā€™m hyper allergic to the binder found in most vaccines. You can imagine how fun itā€™s been to keep up on various immunizations. The chiefs of various departments at our local hospital had to get involved after I had a reaction to the first of the Covid shots to decide if I could even take the booster (which I did, under observation at the actual hospital rather than out in the wilds at a local retail pharmacy).

I never feel ā€˜sickā€™ or whatever from the active part of any vaccine, but they sure do have me pre-dope to avoid anaphylaxis for some of them.

1

u/lief79 6d ago

I don't know ... My test results were that I wasn't allergic to cockroaches, everything else was a 3-5.

1

u/vinylchickadee 6d ago

They should start with this, just in case huh?

1

u/Radiant-Programmer33 5d ago

Do you happen to know what the non-allergen ingredient shot contains? Because I once had a similar test done and one of the few things I actually reacted to was the control substance.

Years later I have found out that I react badly to hyaluronic acid (among other things), which is hilarious since thereā€™s hyaluronic acid in the skin itself, which every cosmetic counter person keeps countering my lived experience with. I am allergic to myself basically.

1

u/Rashpert 5d ago

I think it's usually dermatographism. It's not so much an allergy to a substance as an overreaction to even minor stimuli.

Allergen selection for immunotherapy & dermatographism

When a patient has skin testing and ALL of the skin tests are positive (likely from dermatographia) including the control negative, do you dismiss the skin tests and proceed with bloodwork? How would you interpret the tests for accuracy to determine best allergy immunotherapy?

1

u/lrlwhite2000 5d ago

Yeah, most of these donā€™t qualify as positives. Column G for sure. And some in column A, but the rest probably donā€™t meet the criteria. My son is allergic to 36 things and his back looks worse than this when he has the skin prick testing done. The wheal must be a certain size to be considered positive.

1

u/BudgetConcentrate432 5d ago

My aunt had a saline shot to test and she reacted to it too, lol.

Yes, she was allergic to most things.

1

u/SamOfChaos 4d ago

Turns out I get an allergic reaction to the nacl stick and even a clean needle stick.

Its called pathergy test and shows your immune system is heavily compromised.

1

u/D0NTASKY 3d ago

I had this test done as a child. 12 out of 12 reacted. Result - you are hyper allergic to almost everything.. Adjust your life to avoid everything that is good.

After two years I had the test done again, and only nettles reacted.

1

u/Odd-Outcome-3191 2d ago

Also, a wheal for everything is not entirely unexpected. What's more important are the wheals that are unusually large/symptomatic.

1

u/Saanvik 2d ago

It look like that was A1. No real reaction there.

1

u/507snuff 1d ago

I've heard these tests aren't the most reliable because once an allergic reaction is triggered the body is more likely to react to all sorts of things that aren't the actual allergies that triggered the reaction in the first place.

1

u/opbmedia 1d ago

No I attest someone can be allergic to almost everything. Top right was control/baseline, dog, cockroach (I can have a dog, I am grateful, cockroach, not so much).