Kim
What you went through is indeed anaphylaxis, only it's not an acute reaction which is why it doesn't seem to show itself so clearly.
Like Tina, if you had used an epi-pen it would haved turned your situation right around.
According to Dr. Escribano, the epi is used when the blood pressure changes. That is what he has indicated on his Brazilian protocols. I've translated those protocols into English and so those instructions are on there. Here is the link to them.
http://inicia.es/de/luisbau/Doc/PROTOCOLOS_INGLES.pdfNow, I also go through this very sitaution of yours and can get ice cold as well. Only my heart doesn't do what yours does. I go through what is called relative bradycardia. Often, when my BP drops, so does my heartrate. The lower the BP goes, the lower my HR goes too and they keep one another company. This is called Cardiac Anaphylaxis. This has driven my doctors absolutely NUTS because they didn't know that this is what I was doing.
Now that I've sent them this document, they're understanding the bradycardia better and my cardiologist is seeing that the only way to help keep this from happening so much is to keep those pesky mast cells CALM AND STABLE!!
So, what do you do?
Well, when I go through slower degranulation I go into shock with hypotension. I don't have an epi and my doctors are stuck right in the middle as to whether I should use it due to my getting hypertensive in crisis. The big cardiologist is not happy in our using epinefrine and has said that FOR ME this should be used only with medical procedures or in SEVERE reactions. But this is ME. This is not always the case for other patients and your cardiologist should be brought in.
So, what do I do? TAKE EXTRA ANTIHISTAMINES!! both H1 AND H2 is what I do and if this doesn't help, then I crawl under the covers, even when it's a 100 degrees out, and CRASH OUT for a couple of hours. This is usually what my body is craving - to call all physical activity to a full halt so that it can stop the degranulating. Usually, when I wake up, may pressure is back on the rise. When it's a bad case, then I go the remainder of the day wiped out and even the next day, but the worst is usually over.
Now, the syncope this is definitely a SEVERE cardiovascular reaction. I've done my research and talked with several high authorities on this and we've been able to conclude that this is what it is. Those of us who go through this, be it 15 minutes or 8 hours long, this is INTENSE VASOPLEGIA. It is indeed a serious reaction and you need epinephrine but you also NEED A DOCTOR! A bad reaction can be deadly, I'm afraid. There is one known case history of an Israeli man who died from this and it's because his doctors couldn't recognize it nor did they take it seriously. This is what I am CONSTANTLY going through and why I research this subject so much. It a very rare reaction even amongst us and it is a reaction that is UNIQUE to masto patients. This is why it is so unknown.
If you want more information, let me know and I'll send you what I can.
Lisa