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Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: jmc392057 on 23/09/2010 06:17:13

Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: jmc392057 on 23/09/2010 06:17:13
I am a 35 year old healthy, active male.  Every time I go to the gym and perform weight-bearing exercises that are sufficient enough to cause muscle-soreness two days later, at the time my muscles are sore, I develop a severe allergic reaction with hives and sometimes a drop in blood pressure.  Each time this has happened, I have received antihistamine injections at the urgent care doctor to stop the reaction.  The reaction does not occur with other forms of exercise, such as long or strenuous bicycle rides, skiing all day, etc.  This only occurs after anaerobic weight-bearing exercises, and the reaction only happens two days after the workout when my muscles are the most sore.  None of my doctors have an answer as to why this is happening.  Conventional wisdom would suggest that it could be something I am eating, or exposed to in the gym, in combination with exercise.  But, this logic doesn't work when the reaction only occurs 2 days after the exercise.  Could I be allergic to substances my body is releasing in the process of repairing muscles?  Lactic acid maybe?  Thank you for your help!
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: RD on 23/09/2010 06:46:11
Quote
Exercise urticaria, sometimes mistaken as exercise allergy ... is a form of urticaria that happens during exercise. It is characterized by itching, swelling or hives on the legs, arms, torso or neck during or after exercise. Cholinergic urticaria is brought on by a physical stimulus. Although the physical stimulus might be considered to be sweat, the actual precipitating cause is increased body temperature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_urticaria


The reaction does not occur with other forms of exercise, such as long or strenuous bicycle rides, skiing all day, etc.  This only occurs after anaerobic weight-bearing exercises

Less hot and sweaty when skiing than when at the gym.

Quote
Rarely, patients with cholinergic urticaria can have more severe reactions such as anaphylaxis so should probably not exercise alone.
http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/cholinergic-urticaria.html
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: jmc392057 on 24/09/2010 07:29:10
Thank you for your advice.  However, I looked at the site you referenced and it stated that with exercise urticaria, "The rash appears rapidly, usually within a few minutes of sweating, and can last from 30 minutes to an hour or more before fading away. The mean duration is around 80 minutes."  This does not describe my situation at all.  I don't develop any symptoms until 2 days after I work out!  Your suggested diagnosis is the common default that docotors initially state, until they further understand my condition.  Then, they don't have an answer.  I need to find out why I develop an allergic reaction (with hives) two days after I go to the gym and perform weight-bearing exercises.  The pattern is very consistent and repeatable.
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: RD on 24/09/2010 08:06:34
Maybe exercise and a food (or medication) are required for the reaction...

Quote
Food-Dependent Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis Induced by Low Dose Aspirin Therapy

http://ai.jsaweb.jp/fulltext/057010097/057010097_index.html

If the food/medicine was taken the day after the exercise that could account for the delay between exercise and the reaction.

[orange juice or (wheat) toast with breakfast ? (http://adv.medicaljournals.se/files/pdf/84/2/152-153.pdf)]

Whatever is causing it you should look into getting an epipen and medID (http://www.medicaltags.co.uk/).   
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: jmc392057 on 25/09/2010 20:30:22
My doctors have told me that a combination of food I am allergic to and exercise can induce this type of reaction, but not unless the food was consumed before the exercise.  And, reactions usually occur during or right after exercise, or in extreme cases up to 8 hours after the exercise.  This is because during exercise, the increased blood flow can pull more of the allergen out of the stomach/intenstines and into the blood stream.
Thus, this possible cause could not explain my situation because my reaction does not begin until 2 full days (48 hours) after the exercise.
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: echochartruse on 25/09/2010 23:43:39
Don't rule out dusty carpets, air conditioning, oils and creams smells, blah blah blah....
But possibly as RD posted.

You may like to research nutrigenomics.
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: RD on 27/09/2010 06:37:32
Allergic reactions can take a day to appear and two to reach a peak …

Quote
The reaction typically begins within 24 hours of exposure and peaks at 48–72 hours after the exposure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytophotodermatitis

Toiletries can be responsible ...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239864/The-ad-promises-lust-Lynx-deodorant-kills-man-suffers-allergic-reaction.html

May be worthwhile eliminating perfumes etc before eliminating certain types of food from your diet to find if there is a chemical trigger..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_diet
Title: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: kboerner on 09/07/2011 15:20:14
Hi,

I have been researching online for a situation I have that bears some similarity to yours.  When I work out (anaerobic activity only), my body has dramatic shifts.  Generally 2-6 days later I have strong insomnia, appetite spike, and remarkable moodiness, all of which subside if I cease any further anaerobic activity.  I lifted weights intensely in high school with no issues but when I entered college, all of a sudden my ability to sleep normally disappeared for 7 years until I stopped lifting weights entirely and realized the correlation. 

Like your situation, I do not experience the same-day effect but rather it takes over 24 hours for any effects to be realized.  I play soccer now in place of weightlifting and do not experience the effects with aerobic activity.   (If I play too often and hard, resulting in significant muscle exhaustion and some possible 'rebuild' similarity to weightlifting, I may experience a mild case of the above symptoms.  Generally, increased muscle soreness correlates to increased symptoms.)

Like you, I am presently a 35-year-old healthy, active male with no health problems.  Several years back when I discovered the correlation I visited an endocrinologist (determined no issues in his realm of expertise), and later a sports medicine specialist who agreed to take baseline bloodwork tests (no weightlifting) and two weeks later after heavy weightlifting a comparison blood draw.  Without a whole lot of guidance, I selected a few bloodwork details to check (cortisol, testosterone, CBCs) and came up with no determinable change that may be affecting.)

Now several years later I am interested in some anaerobic activity to ensure strong joints and solid overall health and so tried yoga thinking it is mild enough to possibly avoid 'condition symptoms'.  Unfortunately after two yoga sessions 3 days apart, I have a return of insomnia symptoms (wake up at 3am on 'high alert').

Please let me know if you are still researching your condition or have found out any significant details.  I would be glad to give you my personal email address to discuss further if you believe it is of value in your situation.

Thanks, Kevin
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: stevo123 on 23/05/2012 09:26:18
Hi jmc. Its so nice to know I'm ot the only one with the symptoms you describe.  I suffer from hives, swollen tongue, lips, hands, feet, eyelids, all related to heavy exercise. it took me 12 months to realize the link. i thought at first i had food allergy or dust allergy, etc.
If I do strenuous exercise with weights that give a real burn sensation in the muscle, within  a few days i suffer an allergic reaction, which has seen me in hospital on three occasions for adrealin and cortisone injections. Normal exersize is ok as long as i don,t exhaust the muscle to a burn sensation. I,m not sure why it happens but my theory is that when you exhaust the muscles and produce lactic acid, the bloodstream produces higher than normal amounts of histamine. With histamine flowing round the body in large doses, it reacts to the slightest stimulus causing an allergic reaction.
I gave up heavy exercise and have been good for a few years. But recently I started working out with weights again and as i increased the weights I have had allergic reaction again. Swollen lip and tongue.
In the past I found out that if I continue to burn the muscles, the symptoms get worse with hives all over the body.
It also takes about 2 weeks for the body to rid itself of the histamine so even after stopping exercise i can still have reactions for up to 2 weeks.
I've learned you can still work out with weights, as long as you don't get to much of a burn in the muscle. It makes it hard to bulk up as the process is a lot slower. There's not a lot of research out there as there's very few people who have this.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: cheryl j on 25/05/2012 21:58:17
Is it always at the same gym, does it happen if you are doing heavy lifting anywhere else, like helping some one move, or piling wood? Could it possibly be the disinfectant spray they use on the equipment? Just a thought.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: schwantz66 on 05/11/2012 03:01:27
This is exactly what happens with me.  It started about 25 years ago and as I am realizing now it is still happening.  When I "feel the burn" with anaerobic weight lifting I will experience swelling of the muscles I over exerted about two days after the exercise typically along with diarrhea then the next day I will get hives all over except the muscle group that swelled.  The hives will usually last for a couple of days.  Once my blood pressure dropped so low that I passed out. 
I've been good about keeping my exertion level under the threshold to trigger this but the other day I started a strength and conditioning class and too many of the exercised focused on the triceps.  Now my right upper arm is painfully swelled and I am just waiting for the hives to start.
I do have a twist though.  About the time this started I was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis which is the presence of a type of white blood cell in the GI tract.  Eosinophils are associated with allergies.  The best explanation I ever got was from an allergist who suggested that I may also have eosinophils in some of my muscle groups which somehow get triggered when I tax that muscle.
Just like the rest of you I know that it has nothing to do with something I ate or something in the environment, this came from the exercise.  If anyone has a theory or suggestion I would love to hear it.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: wolfekeeper on 05/11/2012 23:22:22
I do tend to feel a bit sh1t a day or two after exercise, I figure that's reasonably normal.

The thing is that your body is tearing the muscle down and rebuilding it, and the immune system is going to be active at that time.

Presumably you've tried predosing with antihistamines starting the day before exercise?

I also wonder if you're overdoing it, it may be that you're actually hurting/killing the muscle, and that's causing the reaction.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: ambiks on 04/12/2012 15:20:17
heyyy same thing is happening wid me ... i am suffering frm urticaria frm last 8-10 years..took all kind of medications..no cure..so decided to ignore it..result- it got supressed frm last 3-4 years...bt recently 2 weeks ago i joined power yoga ..just after one session sore muscles caused me allergic reactions..and hopefully i googled my prob and i  can see reading ur thread am nt alone...plzz reply me if u get any cure/remedy wid these bloody histamines..god will bless u..this disease is lyk demon.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: cvn2nvc on 06/02/2013 04:04:51
Same thing has been happening to me for the past 3-4 years. I get hives the day after I exercise, and symptoms continue for 4-5 days after, even if I do not exercise. My allergist says it is idiopathic and the cause is very difficult to identify.

One thing I've noticed, similar to what has been discussed - I do get symptoms only when my muscles are sore to some extent. If they aren't sore after exercise - I'm fine.

I need to bulk up and gain some muscle, so I'm thinking of going on an antihistamine regimen and continue working out. We'll see how that goes.

If anyone has any breakthroughs, please let me know!
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: Crabtree on 27/02/2013 12:39:57
Suffering from similar symptoms since 2011. They start the second day after intense workouts and last for 7-10 days. I have only mild allergic reactions like running nose and watery eyes, the bigger problem is numbness and bad mood.
Interestingly while working out vigorously  over the years I developed histamine intolerance so there must be a link.
Tissue breakdown -> inflammation -> overshooting immune response.
I don't know if you guys know this thread: http://exercise.about.com/b/2006/01/30/in-the-forum-can-exercise-cause-depression.htm#commentform
A lot of folks who think that working out makes them sick.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: Andrewz1 on 27/07/2013 04:01:57
Hi, 25 year old male here with the same symptoms. I've been experiencing this issue since I was about 16 or so, it took years to even figure out that it was the weightlifting that was causing it. I've tried many many things, using chemical free laundry detergents, body soaps, deodorants. I've tried changing my diet, I went gluten free and dairy free for about a year, which seemed to help somewhat but the problem still persists. It also seems that the two days or so after I lift weights the more I work up a sweat the worse it gets. So say I was working out two days ago and decide to go for a run, I will most likely break out with more hives than if I were to not do any physical activity, but even then I experience them. It's interfered with my life tremendously, I feel very good just after working out, but two days later I will feel like crap and experience the hives, usually with a drop in my mood as well. Whenever I feel like I've figured it out they seem to just keep coming back. I've also been to allergist and doctors with no help, they pretty much just prescribed me antihistamines and said good luck. The antihistamines by the way didn't really help and just made me drowsy all day. It's extremely frustrating because I've always had a smaller frame, I'm 6'3 and a bit thin so I would really like to be able to put on some muscle but as of right now it just isn't possible. I've told myself I'll never stop trying to figure this out but I've got to say it can be quite depressing at times. I've posted on many forums in the past and am posting this here to try and spread awareness and build community between those who suffer from this. I know that one day we will figure this out.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: kimc on 16/12/2013 15:43:26
I'm thrilled to have found this thread!

I just started a regular anaerobic workout routine once a week and I'll feel very good for about an hour and then I start to feel sick, sneezing and I'll feel cold. Usually, I feel great before, during and right after. The itchy nose, eyes, and throat will last from 3 - 5 days. I can't sleep well for the first 2 nights, I toss and turn. I'm not tired when I go to bed and I wake from a light sleep. I used to do hot yoga and the same thing would happen. There are always two nights of low-quality sleep and an edginess - almost like an under current of anxiousness, even if I was feeling great previously. I also notice that I get dark circles around my eyes right after exercising and I don't know why that happens.

I developed hay fever allergies about 6 years ago, 2 years into a very stressful job, where I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins and my heart beating rapidly while working. I stopped all dairy and it helped for while. However, soon after, I began to sneeze all the time, have itchy eyes and the back of my throat would be itchy too whenever I would eat gluten/ dairy, or be exposed to dust, spores, etc. I know that adrenaline causes raised cortisol levels in the bloodstream, which is a strain on the kidneys. And that raised continuously raised cortisol levels lead to decreased immunity. They say allergies are the cause of an over-reactive immune system.

I have a cat and I'm normally fine with her, but if I get sick or I'm stressed or I work out intensely, my apartment is a sneeze fest.

I'm interested in hearing more about lactic acid and the ways it might induce an allergic reaction.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: Paul Mac on 02/05/2014 17:09:23
Did anyone get to the bottom of this? I also get reactions...run down and sore tongue. I assumed it wad due to lactic acid and have seriously considered a Candida connection.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: RD on 03/05/2014 03:59:14
...run down and sore tongue. I assumed it wad due to lactic acid and have seriously considered a Candida connection.

fatigue and "sore tongue" can also be symptoms of iron deficiency ... http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000584.htm
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: majorhurtin on 06/12/2014 20:58:02
I have also dealt with something similar (on and off) for the last 20 years.  After performing a difficult resistance training (weights) workout, usually a day or two later when the lactic acid is at its worse, I get a reaction to cold weather or water.  I feel my face or any other exposed skin feeling hot and then i start to get swelling, on my face or hands.  This only happens after a tough workout when i'm feeling the effects of stiffness usually a couple of days later.  Usually it goes away after a few days but it is quite embarrassing to swell up for no reason to really speak of.  If anyone has heard of this or any actually "cure" it would be appreciated.  thanks for reading.
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: confidence on 22/12/2015 19:03:54
Same problem here! im 27, my condition have evolved through the years. First, when i had maybe 16 years old started weight exercise simply because a im a skinny guy (5'10 and 135lbs) and wanted to build muscle at first i thought could do it increasing food meals etc. but after a year or so with the same results just little bit more toned, decided to take whey gainers so went to a local store of ***** and bought a 4lb powder whey gainer. The first day a took it i recall i was doing chest a triceps the next day my chest and arms were really really sore, and i was seeing results that day i cant even put my arms straight without feeling a little pain so i skip gym that day and next day i was in the hospital with a severe urticaria really severe hives all over my body that day they put me fendramin and cortizone and went home, 4 hours later i was again in the hospital with same reaction short history i spend 4 days in the hospital having shots every 4 hours because of the allergic reaction (at that time they say me the whey powder has component hat gave the allergic reaction).
 
After a few months my mother gave me another whey gainer from another brand she got on a trip this time she describe the people in the store what happened and they say it could be a component commonly found in this type of products called casein, well they gave her another one and i took it. The next day i was in hospital with the same reactions this time only spend 2 days in the hospital. After that experiences i decided not to go with whey gainers so started to look for products to replace the amount of calories and proteins that the whey powder give so i started to drink some beverages with high protein contain and go to the gym again, and guess what?? yeap i was in te hospital again with urticaria. I couldn't explain what happened and no doctor could because those beverages i drank never haved an allergic reaction in me before. so the doctor begin to say it was the lead in the weiights then i said that was impossible because i used to work out that same gym before for two years and nothing happened.
Well, after that episode spent several years doing other sports like basketball and never have an episode again. But in those ears i lose the shape i had so i said to myself well i cant build muscle but still can looked toned so bought a weight lifting kit to do exercise in my home with no supplements and guess what??? correct another urticaria allergy this time at my house. Now no doctor have a explanation (if clothes, something i ate, the heat, sweat) ehn the swat was mentioned i have little laugh because three days earlier i was playing basketball tournament.

well, after all that i couldnt believe that something i used to do i couldn't do it anymore because of the allergic reactions and i have a really bad wish to improve my phisique and couldn't do it. a year later a friend of mine show some training videos called "insanity" with no weights involved. I thought it was a bad idea because im already skinny but as i want at least to be back in some toned shape even with 135lbs. i decide to do it i manage to complete the first month without any allergic reaction my parents were worried all the time thinking i would have another allergic reaction but no nothing happen.
At the end of the program my legs were a little more toned but that was it, i still wanted to get bigger so did a little research and find an article in the web don't remember exactly the website but it says something about isometric workout in people with allergies in this kind of exercise you need to hold the contraction of the muscle for a 15 or more seconds in any of its work outs so i give it a try with the lifting kit that i have bought but never really used it in more that two years, and suprisingly i had no allergic reaction although sometimes when finished the workout i felt it was going to have a reaction beacuse suddenly my body temperature raised and felt a little itchy in some areas. The results were not noticiable at first  and have to spend more than 2 hours to make the normal amount of repetions made in normal weight exercise so yeahh this was really slow i started to notice some results after two months or so something, that is ridiculous in the gym you start to see result in less that three weeks (if you are skinny) so i drop this exercise because it takes too much TIME to do it right and i was having problems to find the time to do it.

a year  later (recently) started doing push ups (the first day did 100) and later the next day begin insanity again and guess yeh you probably know... another allergic reaction this time during a insanity video.

Well, during this journey i have visited two allergist with no results and now im considering to continue only with sports and forget about anaerobic exercise and build muscle to get in shape (so keep myself in 135-140 lbs). After all those trials do you blame me

If someone find a clear and concrete solution to this problem please share (i know every case is different from one people to another) but maybe some light to explain how to deal with this would be extremely helpful.



     
 
Title: Re: Severe allergic reaction 2 days after anaerobic exercise?
Post by: AJMEDI on 07/02/2017 07:57:59

Hi All,


I had this issue and later figured out that I have thyroid disorder.
Have a "Thyroid Function Test" done along with "TPO Antibody" test.
Make sure your thyroid levels are proper and you are not affected by auto immune disease.


Thanks,