Shaking My Head Over Doctors [View all]

[Liberalynn]

I have had daily hives since January. Went to primary care doc they gave me a course of prednisone and when they came back after dose sent me to an allergist. Allergist looked to be about 85, and still using type writer and carbon paper, I kid you not. First thing he does is hand me a stack of copied newspaper clippings saying they often don't find the cause. Ran some tests. My immunoglobulin levels for A E and M were low and my CH50 was high. He just sent me a copy of lab work with note saying he didn't know what to make of this because he expected high immunoglobulin levels and low CH50.

No advice for follow up nothing. So I googled. Turns out not only can my low immunoglobulin levels and high CH50 cause hives but can be signs of more serious things. I call back prime cares office. Got "well we aren't immunologist we don't know what they mean either. So I said so refer me to an immunologist then.

They took forever but finally did. I go on Tuesday. Well the Immunologist's office tells me to stop taking all antihistamines for a week before appointment. I do. This a.m. I wake up, hives all over the place and swollen lip, all of which has been going on all along when I don't take the antihistamines. Doctor knew it, allergist knew it. All acted like oh it's no big deal. That I should just keep talking Zantac ( has antihistamine qualities and it's working) and learn to live with it.

So I call Immunologist's office, got voice mail and I say the hives are all over me again my lips swollen, I know yo don't want me to take antihistamines because they may throw tests off. Is there something else I can take to stop this itching? That's all. Then I left for meeting and had my cellphone off.

I was riding with a friend. She pulls in my driveway and a Sheriff pulls in right behind me. The immunologist had called my doctors office, my emergency contacts and 911 because they were afraid I would go into anaphylactic shock.

Nice they care and now I feel guilty for panicking everyone but I didn't think anything serious was going on. I just wanted relief from the itching.I wasn't saying it was serious because the primary care knows I have been having these symptoms for months and acting like hey it's no big deal. The kicker is there's two calls from them saying to take the antihistamines right away and that I might want to go to the ER. I guess they don't want me to just live with it now a big city doc told them it might be serious.