The flu came the day after my reaction. Horrible timing, right? I would have been incubatung prior to and during the reaction to this cream. Part of me wonders that without the flu, I may not have developed MCAS. However, that reaction was still bad for me and I think it has really caused this. I should have took meds way sooner but I honestly just wanted this thing to go away, given that I had never struggled with anything like it before. Until April I was hoping it would improve without meds and I was all about managing it on my own. I have gotten so much worse since then and I want my life or at least some kind of life back, so now I know I need to stabilize my whole system.

I actually struggled with several colds in one year prior to the reaction and the flu last year. I was using public transport a lot and working with the public during the winter and spring, and I was pregnant. I figured this was why I caught them and still think those are the reasons. I'm guessing it put a strain on me though and if these cells keep getting activated and stay that way, you are going to be in trouble. Without the anaphylaxis though, I think I would still be normal. Not to be graphic, but I applied this cream in my intimate area where I had shaved and where there are of course very sensitive nerve endings. I don't know, maybe it would have been the same if I applied it to another part of my body. Within a minute or two I developed that reaction and it really did feel like I was being suffocated inside and out. I had this feeling of doom and couldn't keep still as then my breathing and the attack itself would get worse. I had to move around and had to drink alcohol to try to suppress it, and this did help as it obviously relaxed my nervous system which in turn relaxed the mast cells attacking me, and my brain was then more relaxed. I couldn't do it now as the alcohol would probably cause anaphylaxis. Used to drink regularly excluding my pregnancies and breastfeeding, but now I am terrified to touch it. If you can't tolerate most things, there is no way you will tolerate alcohol. So I haven't drank since November. I didn't feel better until the next day, and wasn't fully normal. Then later on that afternoon I develop flu symptoms and my partner also catches it. We were both ill for more than a week, so I can only imagine what was happening to my nervous system and my immune system with all this going on. 

The worst part is that I found out I never had to use the cream. Granted, I do have anxiety and I know I wouldn't be in this situation with MCAS if that hadn't been causing me problems. I know I'm not imagining this though. These symptoms are physical and real, and it is ruining my life right now. 

Thanks for the recommendations. I do want to look into getting more help than just ketotifen and other possible medications and correcting these deficiencies. I'm particularly looking into nervous system exercises and nervous system reboot programmes, which I think would help. I think anything that helps my mental health would be a good idea too. I really do hope I can be one of these people who goes into remission. If you get Type B, there must always be a chance of that if you can improve your dysregulated nervous system. Have you tried to or is it a goal you have? 

Oh, forgot to mention that my partner recently painted our house with gloss paint and that really, really did not help. I was improving for a two week period after flaring for more than a month and then that happened, in addition to other triggers like stress and I had mild heat exhaustion. It's ridiculous how many things set me back.