I had an extremely unpleasant Saturday night and early Sunday morning as I became awfully ill. It began around 10 pm. My fiancé and I just finished eating and were consuming ourselves in the disturbing, but enticing Black Mirror episodes when I began to have an allergic reaction. My reactions don’t really have a certain substance or food that causes me problems; instead it’s just when my mast cells decide to act up, often with foods I have eaten so many times before and have had no issues whatsoever. Mast Cell Activation Disorder causes my mast cells to react inappropriately including cardiovascular, dermatological, gastrointestinal, neurological, and respiratory problems when attacks occur. I unfortunately have had anaphylaxis to near-anaphylaxis attacks on several occasions and it’s terrifying.

This past Saturday I began feeling flushed and my heart rate began to increase. I went to the bathroom after feeling horrible stomach upset and began having what I call “allergy-related diarrhea.” I know this is probably too much information, but unfortunately that is one of the big symptoms of MCAD: severe diarrhea, intestinal cramping, vomiting, and nausea. I called my husband in to get me my Benadryl: my go-to drug when I begin having reactions. I was covered heavily in hives on my neck, chest, stomach, and back. I quickly took 50mg of antihistamine, but my pulse and heartrate were fast and I began to wheeze a little. I have had bad allergy attacks before and like to avoid using my Epipen unless necessary (as I must go to the emergency room), so I’d rather take 75mg of Benadryl than rush to the ER. I began to calm down and try to slow my breathing. I thought I was doing better. We finally headed upstairs around 12 am and something just didn’t feel right. My heart began to feel pained and heavy. I clutched my chest in pain and then I began to feel extremely sick. My whole body felt numb and felt like it was burning (kind of like how my lidocaine patches make my back feel – numb, but like a slight burning/tingling sensation); I became extremely nauseous and I got tunnel vision. I told my fiancé I need to go to the ER. My heart began feeling like it was going to explode and just sputter out. I became most confused kind of rambling and I told my husband I need an ambulance. I never felt like this before. I was on the verge of passing out and Caleb said my skin was very cold to the touch. I felt so sick and confused. We got up and made our way down stairs as I was mumbling that I had to have my glasses, I needed my glasses repeatedly. When we got down the stairs, Caleb couldn’t find his keys. I sat down on the bench and started taking deep breaths. When my fiancé finally got his keys, I decided I wanted to try to go to bed instead. My heart rate had slowed a little and it was nearly 1 am.

I had never felt like this. The only thing I could relate it to is my atrial fibrillation episode back in 2014- I stood up and became faint with my heart beating uncontrollably fast. I wondered if my heart again went in to a-fib. I emailed my doctor the next day explaining what had happened and he called me immediately that day. He was extremely concerned that my heart had gone into another atrial fibrillation episode. He has put in orders to see another allergist that can do more definitive testing and can hopefully test for reactions to spices. He also put in another order for a heart monitor (my fourth time wearing) to see if I have developed an arrhythmia or am in tachycardia often. Finally, he put in labs for bloodwork just to make sure everything looked okay.

I have known that there has been issues with my heart since sixteen when I went to the hospital for unexplained tachycardia. My meme (maternal grandmother) has a history of chronic tachycardia and she actually ended up having a heart attack recently. My mother also has some heart issues: a murmur and a possible infarction (mild heart attack). I am just praying that I end up making it okay. I want to have a future ahead of me and I would like to have children eventually, so I being healthy (and finding answers) is my number one priority.

Much Love,

Cass