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What Causes Rashes On Stomach Along With Swollen Tongue?

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Posted on Mon, 24 Nov 2014
Question: Hi Doc,
I had very strange allergy sort of thing happening to me for last few week.
1. In starting i have some rashes on my stomach, which i though might be from mosquito bites and ignored.
2. after few recurrencesses of above and my ignorances, one day my toungue had swollen a bit on right side which subdued in few hours itself.
3. in few days my lower lip was badly swollen. I took cetrazine and it went away in about 6 hours.
4. In next few days may be after 6-7 days, My tongue got swollen like big ball, i had to be give IV avil and steroids, it took about two days to recover to normal.
5. After that my left foot was swollen a bit, i took citrazine, it was ok in 4-5 hours,
6. few days later in wrist + cetrazine - 5-6 hrs OK
7. Than in lower jaw + cetrazine + OK in 5-6 days

I got my CBC done all was normal.
My doc asked to do IGE test which was very high . i mean in normal case its should br < 100, but for me it is 1114.

I am not sure what i am allergic to and cant find patterns.

Kindly help.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Parin N. Parmar (29 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Please provide more details

Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr XXXXXX XXXXXXX

Thank you for asking at HCM.

I went through your history and would like to make suggestions for you as follows:

1. First of all, I want to know exactly when did you have the first episode of allergy, before how many weeks.

This is a very important question for me as an allergist as the more the duration, the lesser the chances of having an allergic cause. (IgE can still be elevated even without allergies)

So please let me know the day of your first allergic symptom. I assume you have had 6-7 episodes so far after the 1st one. Please correct me if I am wrong.

2. I would like to know something more about your complaints as follows:

a. Do you have itching along with rash/edema? If yes, is it very significant?

b. Do you have burning sensation at swollen areas? Do you get tingling feeling before start of swelling?

c. Do you have joint pains or fever along with such episodes?

d. Can you correlate your symptoms with any particular food substances or particular activity like exercise, swimming, bathing, hot/cold water exposure, sunlight exposure, pressure bearing, etc?

e. Do you have most episodes at night or during day? Do they occur at home or at your workplace?

f. What is your occupation?

g. Do you have any other allergies like - nose symptoms (sneezing, running nose, nose obstruction), eye symptoms (excessive lacrimation, itching and redness of eyes), food allergies, asthma, etc?

h. Do you have any stomach symptoms like burning in chest, regurgitation of sour fluids especially after heavy/spicy meals, repeated abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, itching in anal region, etc?

i. Do you have any other medical condition? (some medical conditions/their treatments can have such symptoms)

j. Do you need to take any other drugs regularly/frequently? If yes, which one, what dose and since how much duration? (some drugs can cause such symptoms)

k. Have you travelled recently within last 6 months? Are you frequently exposed to outside food/water? (sometimes intestinal worms can cause such symptoms)

l. Can you please upload your report of CBC? It may be normal, but still there may be some clue.

m. You have mentioned that you have taken corticosteroids. Which one? In what dose? Since when? Can you let me know why did you need corticosteroids? (corticosteroids are usually given for severe episodes, should not be used unless specifically prescribed by a doctor)

n. Is stress an important factor in your life? (stress can precipitate such episodes)

Above details will help me to know your complaints better and therefore to make suggestions for you more specifically.

3. At present, I would agree that any antihistamine like cetirizine/levocetirizine/fexoenadine/avil/hydroxyzine will be able to control your symptoms.

Please give me above details on follow-up. It will be my humble pleasure to help you with best of my knowledge and experience.

Wish you the best of the health ahead.

Thank you & Regards,

Dr Parin N Parmar
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Parin N. Parmar (29 hours later)
1. First of all, I want to know exactly when did you have the first episode of allergy, before how many weeks. This is a very important question for me as an allergist as the more the duration, the lesser the chances of having an allergic cause. (IgE can still be elevated even without allergies)So please let me know the day of your first allergic symptom.

[XXXXX] : Arround end sept or start october.

I assume you have had 6-7 episodes so far after the 1st one. Please correct me if I am wrong.
[XXXXX] : its correct and as soon as i stop having cetrazine it reoccurs next dday.

2. I would like to know something more about your complaints as follows:
a. Do you have itching along with rash/edema? If yes, is it very significant?

[XXXXX] : In very initial rashes i did had ithchings but in swellings i dont have itching.

b. Do you have burning sensation at swollen areas? Do you get tingling feeling before start of swelling?

[XXXX] : Nah.. No burning sensation, only heaviness and numbness. A bit of tingling is there in todays swelling which is negligible in my left feet.

c. Do you have joint pains or fever along with such episodes?

[XXXXX] : Nah, No joint pain. But yes I feel like i allways have small fever. but its not significant so didnt care to check temprature.

d. Can you correlate your symptoms with any particular food substances or particular activity like exercise, swimming, bathing, hot/cold water exposure, sunlight exposure, pressure bearing, etc?

[XXXX] : Now that you have asked me, i feel, may be coldness. as i am using fan without that i cant sleep. also want to add that last uear in dec i had facial palsy and i had to take steroids for arround two week in tapering order. it took arround two weeks to get back control on my right half of face.

e. Do you have most episodes at night or during day? Do they occur at home or at your workplace?

[XXXXX] : Most of them were at home and in night but some happened while coming back from office in evening.

f. What is your occupation?
[XXXXX] : I am software engineer. sitting job.

g. Do you have any other allergies like - nose symptoms (sneezing, running nose, nose obstruction), eye symptoms (excessive lacrimation, itching and redness of eyes), food allergies, asthma, etc?
[XXXXX] : Not anything which i am aware of.


h. Do you have any stomach symptoms like burning in chest, regurgitation of sour fluids especially after heavy/spicy meals, repeated abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, itching in anal region, etc?
[XXXXX] Yes I normally had indigestion Or acidity Or wind problem. i do have itching in anal region and area between testis and anus.

i. Do you have any other medical condition? (some medical conditions/their treatments can have such symptoms)
[XXXXX] : Nope.

j. Do you need to take any other drugs regularly/frequently? If yes, which one, what dose and since how much duration? (some drugs can cause such symptoms)
[XXXXX] : i used to take Pan-D Or rantidine OR rantac etc.
sometimes i was taking symbiotik also.

k. Have you travelled recently within last 6 months? Are you frequently exposed to outside food/water? (sometimes intestinal worms can cause such symptoms)
[XXXXXX] : Nah no travel. only office. Yes i do take lunch in office canteen which is neat and tidy. as per worm i had taken Zentel for three days on my doc's advice but still i get these episodes but not of same intensity as before. Btw i have left smoking completelly for one week now.


l. Can you please upload your report of CBC? It may be normal, but still there may be some clue.
[XXXXX : I will but i am not finding the link to upload.

m. You have mentioned that you have taken corticosteroids. Which one? In what dose? Since when? Can you let me know why did you need corticosteroids? (corticosteroids are usually given for severe episodes, should not be used unless specifically prescribed by a doctor)
[XXXXX] : I had to take it in second episode when my tongue got swollen. i could not talk properly so doc advised steroids it was for 7 days first two days 30 mg, next two days 15 mg , next two days 5 mg than stopped.

n. Is stress an important factor in your life? (stress can precipitate such episodes)
[XXXXXX] : in last few months stress has increased and seems inevitable for sometime :-(


Above details will help me to know your complaints better and therefore to make suggestions for you more specifically.

3. At present, I would agree that any antihistamine like cetirizine/levocetirizine/fexoenadine/avil/hydroxyzine will be able to control your symptoms. Please give me above details on follow-up.

It will be my humble pleasure to help you with best of my knowledge and experience.Wish you the best of the health ahead.Thank you & Regards,Dr XXXXXXX N Parmar


Best Regards,
XXXXXX
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Follow up: Dr. Parin N. Parmar (0 minute later)
can you share your whatsapp number please.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Parin N. Parmar (15 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Antihistamines, anti-parasite, evaluation if need

Detailed Answer:
Hello MrXXXX XXXXXXX

Thank you very much for your prompt reply and specific details which would really help me to help you.

An an Allergist-Immunologist, I would like to make suggestions for you as follows:

1. Were I treating you, I would prescribe you an antihistamine like fexomenadine or cetirizine or levocetirizine in the morning and hydroxyzine in the evening for at least 4 weeks.

Should you experience sedation, (especially hydroxyzine and cetirizine cause more sedation) you can withhold hydroxyzine if you have not a single episode after 2 weeks.

2. I also prescribe my such patients nitazoxanide (an anti-parasitic drug) for 3 days.

3. If above treatment does not improve your complaints, I would suggest you first line evaluation of urticaria-angioedema, that is, CBC (you already have had), ESR, CRP, serum SGPT, urine and stool routine & microscopic examination, especially when you are having symptoms.

As you already have a very high serum total IgE, two most common causes of such report are allergies and worms. Hence I would also suggest you specific allergy testing for common allergens.

4. For allergy testing, I would like to mention that common foods causing food allergies are - peanut, milk, soy, tree nuts, egg, fish, shell fish, wheat, some fresh fruits & vegetables, preservatives/coloring agents (common in packed foods/outside foods, etc).

I would suggest you to observe whether your symptoms correlate with any food substances suggested above. If they do not correlate and the allergy testing does not suggest any food allergy, I would suggest you allergy testing for air-borne allergens, which rarely may cause such symptoms. (Personally, I would think of worms and food allergies first, which are more common)

5. Allergies are basically abnormal function of immune system. So I would suggest you as follows to improve your immune system:

a. Regular physical exercise like walking, better if in non-polluted environment.

b. Measures to reduce stress like regular meditation, relaxation, Yoga & Pranayama. (as you have mentioned stress is an important factor for you)

c. Maintaining hemoglobin around 13-14 (if it is less) by supplementation of iron, vitamin B 12, folic acid.

d. Supplementation of micronutrients and antioxidants with use of a good multivitamin-multimineral containing especially vitamin A, C, D, E, zinc and selenium.

e. A healthy nutritious diet rich in vitamins & minerals (plenty of green leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits, etc).

f. Avoidance of digestive problems by taking light, warm diet, regular timings, never to eat full stomach, brief relaxed walk after evening meals, plenty of fluids and high-fiber diet to avoid constipation and indigestion. (good digestion is very important for overall immune system)

Hope above suggestions will be helpful to you.

Please note that taking antihistamine for 4 weeks is the usual treatment, but it does not "cure" the cause of your symptoms. Life-style modifications are important for improve immune system and reduce episodes.

I am thankful to your trust but providing my contact details would violate T&Cs of healthcaremagic. I assure you my help through HCM platform if you need my help.

Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask on follow-up.

Wish you the best of the health ahead.

Thank you & Regards,

Dr Parin N Parmar
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Parin N. Parmar (10 hours later)
my reports are attached and wanted to know if I still need to take nitazoxanide even though I have taken zentel for three days ???
doctor
Answered by Dr. Parin N. Parmar (8 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Can take nitazoxanide

Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr XXXXXX XXXXXXX

Thank you for your follow-up.

I went through your reports. Hemoglobin 14 is very good, along with all other parameters it indicates that you have not had any long-term illness as well as your nutrition is generally good.

ESR is 11, which is useful for urticaria/angioedema as it suggests you have no "serious" cause behind urticaria/angioedema like autoimmune disorders or chronic disorders.

High IgE, as previously suggested usually suggests allergies or parasites.

I had discussed common allergies in previous answer. Along with reports, the most important way to diagnose food/drug allergies is development of reaction within at the most 4-6 hours (usually within 1 hour) after consumption of any food/drug. This is important as allergy tests are not available for all the possible foods. This may help you.

If you cannot correlate any food, I would suggest you allergy testing for air-borne allergens like house dust mites, indoor molds, common pollens in your region, etc. However, such reactions only due to air-borne allergens are not very common.

I would suggest you to take nitazoxanide as the spectrum and efficacy of albendazole (Zentel) and nitazoxanide are different. You have also mentioned that you had partial improvement after taking albendazole. Also, Stool examination cannot catch all the parasites possible. Also, side effects of 3-days course of nitazoxanide are uncommon. So usually it is very cost-effective and practical to take nitazoxanide, especially if definite allergy is not clear.

To summarize, my suggested treatment would be as follows:

1. Nitazoxanide for 3 days

2. Antihistamines for 4 weeks regularly (fexofenadine/cetirizine/levocetirizine in morning and hydroxyzine in evening)

3. A multivitamin-multimineral supplement for 2-3 months.

4. Avoidance of physical factors like sudden changes in temperatures, pressure, etc.

5. Life-style modification and stress-reduction measures.

6. Further evaluation if no response.

7. I would suggest you not to worry at present as from your current reports, I would think of "benign" causes first.

Hope above information and suggestions will solve your query.

Should you have any further query, please feel free to ask on follow-up.

Wish you the best of the health ahead.

Thank you & Regards,

Dr Parin N Parmar
Note: For further information on diet changes to reduce allergy symptoms or to boost your immunity, Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Parin N. Parmar

Allergist and Immunologist

Practicing since :2006

Answered : 870 Questions

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What Causes Rashes On Stomach Along With Swollen Tongue?

Brief Answer: Please provide more details Detailed Answer: Hello Mr XXXXXX XXXXXXX Thank you for asking at HCM. I went through your history and would like to make suggestions for you as follows: 1. First of all, I want to know exactly when did you have the first episode of allergy, before how many weeks. This is a very important question for me as an allergist as the more the duration, the lesser the chances of having an allergic cause. (IgE can still be elevated even without allergies) So please let me know the day of your first allergic symptom. I assume you have had 6-7 episodes so far after the 1st one. Please correct me if I am wrong. 2. I would like to know something more about your complaints as follows: a. Do you have itching along with rash/edema? If yes, is it very significant? b. Do you have burning sensation at swollen areas? Do you get tingling feeling before start of swelling? c. Do you have joint pains or fever along with such episodes? d. Can you correlate your symptoms with any particular food substances or particular activity like exercise, swimming, bathing, hot/cold water exposure, sunlight exposure, pressure bearing, etc? e. Do you have most episodes at night or during day? Do they occur at home or at your workplace? f. What is your occupation? g. Do you have any other allergies like - nose symptoms (sneezing, running nose, nose obstruction), eye symptoms (excessive lacrimation, itching and redness of eyes), food allergies, asthma, etc? h. Do you have any stomach symptoms like burning in chest, regurgitation of sour fluids especially after heavy/spicy meals, repeated abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, itching in anal region, etc? i. Do you have any other medical condition? (some medical conditions/their treatments can have such symptoms) j. Do you need to take any other drugs regularly/frequently? If yes, which one, what dose and since how much duration? (some drugs can cause such symptoms) k. Have you travelled recently within last 6 months? Are you frequently exposed to outside food/water? (sometimes intestinal worms can cause such symptoms) l. Can you please upload your report of CBC? It may be normal, but still there may be some clue. m. You have mentioned that you have taken corticosteroids. Which one? In what dose? Since when? Can you let me know why did you need corticosteroids? (corticosteroids are usually given for severe episodes, should not be used unless specifically prescribed by a doctor) n. Is stress an important factor in your life? (stress can precipitate such episodes) Above details will help me to know your complaints better and therefore to make suggestions for you more specifically. 3. At present, I would agree that any antihistamine like cetirizine/levocetirizine/fexoenadine/avil/hydroxyzine will be able to control your symptoms. Please give me above details on follow-up. It will be my humble pleasure to help you with best of my knowledge and experience. Wish you the best of the health ahead. Thank you & Regards, Dr Parin N Parmar