A WOMAN nearly DIED after kissing a man at a bar and was rushed to hospital covered in hives.
Phoebe Campbell-Harris spiralled into “pure panic” as she felt her throat close up inside the Parisian nightclub.
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The then 18-year-old had been out for her friend’s birthday and spotted a fellow reveller who “had a nice smile”.
By the end of the night they shared a kiss, but things took a dark turn.
“My throat felt like sandpaper. It had gone all scratchy. That is the first sign, then it becomes harder and harder to swallow and that’s when you know your throat is closing up,” Phoebe told The Times.
She raced to the bathroom, where upon inspection she found rashes and hives all over her body.
The young woman recalled fearing for her life and going into “fight or flight” mode.
Quick thinking Phoebe, who is severely allergic to nuts, administered her EpiPen and called the emergency services.
As she lay in the ambulance she cast her mind back over what she’d eaten and drank throughout the evening – but couldn’t remember any trace of the allergen.
But then Phoebe suddenly realised her anaphylactic reaction may have had something to do with the kiss.
The man must have eaten nuts, perhaps from a communal bowl at the bar, before pursing her, she thought.
Phoebe, who is now 28, has been to the hospital six times after suffering allergic reactions.
The signs of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis + what to do
SYMPTOMS of an allergy usually occur within minutes of contact with with the offending food or trigger, but they can also come on up to one hour later.
Most allergic reactions are mild but they can also be moderate or severe.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction which can be life threatening.
In some cases, anaphylaxis symptoms lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal so it’s important to know how to recognise them and act quickly.
Mild to moderate symptoms include:
- Itchy mouth, tongue and throat
- Swelling of lips, around the eyes or face
- Red raised itchy rash (often called nettle rash, hives or urticaria)
- Vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea
- Runny nose and sneezing
Severe symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Swelling of your throat and tongue
- Difficulty breathing or breathing very fast
- Difficulty swallowing, tightness in your throat or a hoarse voice
- Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing
- Feeling tired or confused
- Feeling faint, dizzy or fainting
- Skin that feels cold to the touch
- Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue – if you have brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet
Anaphylaxis and its symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency.
Follow these steps if you think you or someone you’re with is having an anaphylactic reaction:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector.
- Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you’re having an anaphylactic reaction.
- Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you’re struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly (if you’re pregnant, lie on your left side).
- If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it’s still in the skin.
- If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a second adrenaline auto-injector.
Do not stand or walk at any time, even if you feel better.
Sources: Allergy UK, NHS
She has made a short film, A Matter of Minutes, to raise awareness about how anaphylactic reactions can be triggered in the most unusual ways – like a kiss.
The film-maker warned how food allergies can be “serious, unpredictable and potentially life-threatening”.
“Unless you’ve experienced it yourself,” she said, “anaphylaxis feels like a foreign idea.”
Phoebe told how she never lets her guard down and has developed “hypervigilance” to stay safe.
The 28-year-old knows the warning signs to watch out for, as her first allergic reaction happened when she was just three-years-old.
Her most terrifying experience was during a trip to India where she ate a curry containing nuts.
She recalled no ambulances and trying to reach the hospital while navigating bumper-to-bumper Delhi rush-hour traffic.
Phoebe said she even thought about calling her parents because she “wasn’t sure [she] was going to make it”.
The film-maker stressed how, even if you tell a restaurant about your allergies, you can’t always rely on them.
She once went into anaphylaxis after eating an acai bowl despite being reassured by staff there were definitely no nuts in it.
On another occasion she watched her barista accidentally pour almond milk instead of oat milk – and had to insist a different jug was used.
Phoebe tries to help her chances by taking “mini bites” of new foods, whether they’re shop bought or ordered out, instead of eating the whole thing.
She even went without consuming anything but water on a ten-hour flight.
This comes as higher rates of sever allergies are being recorded in young people.
Researchers have not been able to identify where the trend has some from.
Data revealed the average age of someone taken to hospital for a food reaction has dropped from 19 to 13.
Meanwhile, the average age for those with food-related anaphylactic shock is 24.
Imperial College London scientists discovered the age group with the highest amount of food allergies was children under five.
“For adolescents, they’re trying to have fun and fit in with other teenagers. Their brain may not be developed enough to think, ‘maybe I shouldn’t trust that person, or maybe I shouldn’t do that,” warned Phoebe.
But the 28-year-old wants to encourage fellow food allergy sufferers to continue living their life without being in a constant state of anxiety.
Phoebe has found support through the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (Narf) which was set up in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse.
Natasha, 15, who was allergic to sesame, tragically died in 2016 after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing the ingredient.
Her mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, founder of the charity, urged everyone to watch A Matter of Minutes.
She said: “Millions of people in the UK are now living with a diagnosed food allergy. Food allergies can be a serious, unpredictable and potentially life-threatening health condition, with far-reaching impacts on the lives not just of those with the allergy but on their loved ones too.
“They can make everyday activities such as eating out or going to parties fraught with anxiety and potential dangers.”
Natasha’s Law
By Ben Griffiths
THE family of an allergy sufferer who died after eating a poorly-labelled Pret sandwich on a BA jet have told how they have forgiven the high street giant.
Grieving Nad and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died in 2016, have even praised the sandwich chain for leading the way in implementing new packaging rules.
Natasha’s Law – named after the 15-year-old – requires businesses to list every ingredient on pre-packaged food.
In an exclusive interview, the family spoke of their “great pride” at getting the historic new regulations in place.
They mean an item like the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette, which Natasha died after eating, will now have to list all 34 ingredients – instead of the THREE it displayed five years ago.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Tanya, who with Nad has won an OBE for her work in getting the law passed, said: “I know that Natasha would be ever so pleased this law is coming into force and we’ve managed to get it passed.
“You can’t do anything if you are filled with hate so we have forgiven Pret. It doesn’t make up for the fact she is not here now but Pret have actually led the way on changing their packaging.
“They’ve spent millions getting their packaging in line and educating staff on allergies.
“The new law means tens of millions of sandwiches across the UK will now have to detail everything it contains from the small trace of ingredients.”
Natasha was on her way to Nice, in France, for a summer holiday with Nad and her best friend Bethany Holloway in July 2016 when she bought the baguette from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport.
It contained hidden sesame seeds, something she was allergic to but the ingredient was not labelled on the packet. Shortly after take-off, Natasha had a reaction.
Nad rushed her to the toilet and gave her two shots of adrenaline from her EpiPens which he expected would fight off the reaction.
Her last words were “I can’t breathe, I’m suffocating, help me Daddy”, before she suffered a fatal heart attack.
An inquest in 2018 into Natasha’s death blasted Pret for its “inadequate” labelling and fault in Natasha’s death, making the company vow to make a “meaningful change”.
Nad and Tanya launch their mission to get a law changed after the inquest. It now means any fresh item prepared on the premises of sale will now have to list every ingredient it contains.
To visit the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation go to www.narf.org.uk.
