hello, i am a uk resident. 6 weeks ago i took some antifungal 'azole' drugs. i reacted to them, for the first time in my life my throat felt very tight and constricted.  since then my life has been turned upside down.  i am living on potatoes, beef, peas, apple juice and nothing else. i have a low histamine diet sheet which i intend to gradually work my way through. i have reacted to a number of foods, i itch, get hives, get dizzy, throat gets very tight with feeling of lump in throat. i have zero energy levels.

i was prescribed cetirizine H1 blocker and reacted to that quite badly, i only took a very small fraction of the pill as a 'test dose'.

to complicate things further i have candida in my oesophagus. i am trying to take nystatin for this but i cannot take the full dose as it brings on the itching hives and tight throat. ( i have hives as i write)  

my family doctor prescribed prednisone to try to control reactions BUT the warning that comes with this is that it can cause oesophageal ulceration and can cause oesophageal candidiasis to get out of control. this is not something i want to risk as oesophageal candidiasis can turn life threatening. at present i have no way of taking a drug that can safely or effectively treat it. i am more concerned about oesophageal candidiasis than all my reactions.

i had been thinking that i may have a mast cell problem?? or total allergy syndrome??  my family doctor thinks that if i can get rid of the candida then my reactions will go away.

i had wondered about seeing one of the uk's best mast cell specialists, dr.grattan in the uk. (he undertakes 'private' work and therefore i would be able to choose to see him, as opposed to having to wait months and months to see a doctor in my local hospital. not all uk doctors work in the private system.) i dont know of anyone else i could choose to see who is knowledgable about mast cell disorders. i think he is a dermatologist and mostly sees people with urticaria pigmentosa. if it turns out that my problem is not a mast cell disorder, would dr.grattan be able to put his finger on what is wrong with me though? in the uk, in most hospitals, dermatology departments have taken on problems to do with all allergies in general. this is because the uk has a chronic shortage of immunolgy/allergy services.  

the other option is to see an allergist/immunologist (as opposed to a dermatologist), who is not a mast cell specialist but someone who knows how to diagnose mast cell disease, (i hope) if indeed that is what i have.

tests: IgM and IgG are normal. IgE was not tested.  lymphocyte count below normal, urea count below normal, bilirubin above normal. eosiniphil and basophil counts very low end of normal. thyroid, normal. tryptase test not available to my family doctor.

just not sure which way to go. not really asking for 'an answer' as to who i should see as such. just thought i would post. many thanks for reading i appreciate it.

My issues started like yours, after an anaphylactic reaction. My system has not been the same since, but it did settle a lot with time. You are wise to be cautious with the steroids if you have candidiasis. I was on steroids for a year and they helped but I also ended up with adrenal insufficiency.

If you can see a mast cell doc, get tested and start anithistamines (H1 and 2) and maybe a mast cell stabilizer you might fight some relief. There are other patients in the UK. I will send you a PM with contact info that might help.

You are wise to be watching your diet.

They are horrible symptoms and so scary. I'm so sorry that you are experiencing them.

thanks for your replies. i'm going to write to some specialists to see what they think.  feeling quite weak. Daffodil and Anaphylaxing will send private messages.  thanks again very much for replying.