Allergic Reaction?

My bet is on the sushi.

My office starts up in about 10 minutes, so maybe I'll see one more patient before I start!

Clearly it was an allergic reaction, for sure.  The timing, edema (swelling) and the rash all consistent with an allergic reaction.  Most likely something in the food, although always a chance no matter where you look you may not find the culprit.  

Antihistamines, H1 blockade (benadryl, claritin, allegra, reactin - all Canadian names, may be different in US) are first line options.  Addition benefit from prednisone and H2 blockage - Zantac and Pepcid, often used for reflux and GERD. 

What to do now?

1) Stop eating whatever you ate last night

2) Consider allergy testing to identify culpirt

3) Watch for recurrent, have benadryl handy

If all else fails, come online to BT and create a post!

Disclaimer, this is online so of course please be assessed appropriately by a physician in your area.  For all you know I'm just some crazy triathlete.  

Jason

This is not mutually exclusive to that being good advice!

Things never change, I can always trust someone on here will know what the heck is going on.

Who needs Doctors, Lawyers or Accountants when you have BT.

Thank you.

+1

I had a very similar reaction to fish once (and only once...it was a bass that I had caught).

Fascinating I didn't know that happened!  Thanks!

It's would be interesting to know the mechanism of action by which the exercise leads to an inflammatory response to an ingested antigen.

Thank you! In fact, this is the second time this has happened to me.  Another a long time ago, also after eating dinner.  Both of the food I consumed beforehand had been foods I'd eaten before, just not prior to exercise.  So that makes perfectly good sense.  I will definitely be carrying meds with me for the next few runs, and will discontinue working out after eating.  I will probably contact my allergy doctor as well, just to keep him informed.  I'm glad I posted here, and thank you to everyone who responded. 

Yeah that I couldn't tell you. It took me a while to figure it out. The first time I was taken by ambulance to a hospital. They couldn't find anything so chalked it up to exertion and let me go. The second time same deal. E.R. all sorts of tests from heart to brain scans- Nothing. Only after that did one of the doctors suggest it was an allergic reaction. Problem was it was unidentifiable. I actually stopped exercising for about 2 years thinking I might die if I did. Gradually I started to learn more about it and the solution was idiotically simple. Don't eat before exercising. The remaining few episodes I had were less severe and fortunately less frequent, that occurred as I mentioned earlier not after exercise but just simply walking for an extended period after eating. The other good thing that I have noticed is it tends to diminish with age. Anyhow I'm sure this is way more than anyone wants to know about this. Good luck with it and seriously to the OP if you want please fell free to contact me.

Out of fear, I will no longer exercise after eating.  I will just eat and eat and eat.  Oh wait, that's what I do now.  Nevermind.  

That is pretty interesting.  My initial thought would absolutely be allergic reaction to something you ate (and the likely culprit being the sushi).  Never heard of the issue of exercising after eating.  That could be a real bummer if it happened during a race!

Good luck to the OP -- hope it all works out.

I would see an allergist.  Allergies like this are nothing to play with.  My son has a severe peanut and tree nut allergy.  As well a shellfish and peas.  If it goes undetected and unknown with the severity of the allergy you could find yourself in a heap of trouble.  It may have not even been the food you ate but something it came in contact with or was processed around.  We carry an epi pen because of this.

Long story short...see a doctor.  It's that important.  Food allergies are no joke.  The allergist can lay you down and give you little prickly tests that will cause a reaction to determine any allergies you have and what they are to.  It's very effective testing.

+2 or whatever...fish and shellfish are known to be potent allergens

Ha...and idk about that post-exercise crap but I'm no exercise physiologist or MD either so...but I must say a visit to an allergist is probably the best advice...and probably the safest.