IA Support —
Support for People with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis

Idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) is a rare and poorly understood disease. This group offers support, information and understanding to people with IA and to those who care about them.

What is anaphylaxis? A life-threatening, usually rapid, allergenic-type reaction involving more than one part of the body. Informally called "shocking."

Symptoms of anaphylaxis can include any and all of the following:

• A tingling sensation, itching, burning, or metallic taste in the mouth
• Skin symptoms that can include:
  • Generalized flushing, redness and warmth of the skin (erythema)
  • Itching (pruritus) of nose, eyes, palate, armpits, crotch, or other parts of the body
  • Hives or nettle rash anywhere on the body (urticaria)
• Upper airway obstruction
• Deep tissue swelling, most often of face, neck, hands, and/or abdomen (angioedema)
• Swelling in and around the mouth, voice box (laryngeal edema), and throat that can cause:
• Hoarseness
• Difficulty in swallowing or speaking (dysphonia)
• Asthmatic symptoms that can include:
  • Coughing
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
  • Wheezing
  • A feeling of tightness in the chest
  • Production of excessive mucus
• Gastrointestinal symptoms that can include:
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Painful abdominal cramping
  • Bloating
  • Diarrhea
• Pelvic cramping (in women)
• Increase in heart rate (tachycardia)
• Irregular heart beat
• A feeling of impending doom
• Dizziness
• Fainting or faintness (syncope), loss of consciousness
• Sudden decrease in blood pressure (hypotension)
• Convulsions
• Urinary incontinence
• Cardiovascular collapse

People who have allergies or other diseases, like mastocytosis, can have anaphylaxis. In the case of people with IA, the cause of the attacks is unknown.

For more information send an email to:

IA Support group moderator

To join the group go to this page:

IA Support group

Glossary

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Disclaimer

Important Information — Please Read

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Page last modified on August 16, 2004