SC - Clarification-long

[Anne-Marie Rousseau]

Hi all from Anne-Marie
sorry for the lack of snipping, but I left the main discussion below so
folks could see it.
> 
> Brenna of Lyonsbane wrote:
> 
> > > An allergy is a physiological problem which is caused by the body
rejecting
> > > certain substances and treating them like an infection, AFTER
REPEATED
> > > EXPOSURE. It is impossible to be allergic on one's first exposure to
> > > anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The usual course of symptoms include
excessive
> > > swelling at the infection site, as in bee stings, followed usually by
hives,
> > > and then by swelling and inflammation of the mucus membranes. This
latter
> > > inflammation can be so extreme as to block the breathing passages,
leading to
> > > death by asphyxiation. This can happen extremely quickly, and a
person can be
> > > clinically dead within 10 to 15 minutes. Asthma is very similar in
all
> > > respects- some think it's the same thing.
> >
> > I hate to disagree on this point milady, but I had an anaphylactic
response to
> > e-mycin the FIRST time I ingested it.  Maybe allergies are easier to
see on me
> > because an allergy (in a milder form) can set off my athsma.  In this
case, it
> > shut me down hard and fast.  My face, hands, and throat were swollen
and somewhere
> > between itchy and numb.  My doctor said it was a severe reaction, and I
believe
> > him.  Who wants to do that again?
> >
> 
> I must agree with the above statement of Anne Marie's. Allergy does occur
after a
> repeat exposure (an initial exposure is needed for the body to produce
antibodies).
> Erythromycin being a common antibiotic..... you could have received it as
a child (it
> is in combination with a another drug).  Also, you may have come in
contact with a
> compound of similar structure, developed antibodies that recognized
erythromycin as
> the offending agent. Happens a lot.
> 

eek! I have been misattributed! :)
While I have indeed spoken on allergies and the like several times on this
list, the above comments about only being able to be allergic to something
after repeated exposure was not from me.

You can indeed induce histimine release (the standard classical allergic
response that leads to itchy watery eyes, runny nose and in some cases
throat swelling up so you die) after a single exposure to a given antigen.
There are some chemicals that do it too (we used to zap mast cells in vitro
to get histimine to release) The immune system is not infallible, and
sometimes gets confused. Witness the cases of Lupus, and Rhuematoid
Arthritis where the body for some strange reason decides that its own
tissues are foreign.

Now, gratned, its unusual. Usually what happens is that you develop an
allergy to say...walnuts. it might be possible to also be allergic to, say,
pecans, even if you'd never had one, becuase the antigen you react with
happens to kinda sorta look like pecan allergen. 

Also, dont forget, we are exposed to antigens and allergens all through our
lives, including in utero. We get most of our antibodies as babies from our
moms through the placenta and/or through breast milk. Maqybe Mr Erytrho
allergy's mom took it when she was preganent? Just a guess. Erythromycin is
a single drug in a large family of similar molecules. Its possible to be
allergic to one when you've only ever seen the other.

Get this...someone told me once (a high school science teacher) that
everyone is allergic to poison oak. Its just that some folks are more
sensitive to it than others. I grew up on a farm with goats that ate the
stuff, and have never gotten a rash. I figure I probably ingested lotsa
small amounts of antigen when I was a kid and so am tolerant now. Or I
was...might be interesting to see how long the acquired immunity lasted.

the immune system is a pretty cool thing, really...its amaxzing it doesnt
give us more conniptions that it does!

- --AM, your friendly neighborhood immunologist and cuisinier,
allergic to walnuts, penicillin and maybe Sulfa
hates anise
is tomato intolerant :)

- --
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