BOULDER, Colo. — Joan Smith spent almost 40 years believing she suffered from severe allergies. Despite her ever-worsening symptoms, medical professionals frequently dismissed her concerns until a concerning episode prompted her to seek out more answers.
“My face and neck were bright red. I had tachycardia. My heart was racing. I had GI symptoms. I had a bad stomachache,” said Smith, describing an event that occurred in her late 30s. “I did have this feeling that it was life-threatening, and that was a change. I had never had that before.”
In the span of three weeks, she had two atypical anaphylactic reactions. Her doctor couldn’t find anything physically wrong with her.
“He said that the tests were all normal and that he didn’t think there was anything wrong with me, and that he would be glad to give me a referral to a psychiatrist if I wanted one,” she said. “I was horrified, and I didn’t think that was correct.”…