Does anyone else get sudden whole body “swelling” with MCAS?
I’m trying to figure out if anyone experiences something similar. I can go from looking relatively slim and normal to visibly much puffier within hours, sometimes even faster.
It usually starts in my abdomen, then my face/chin/neck and upper back become fuller. My belly can become huge and hard but also kind of mushy, and I feel a tingling, stretching or pressure sensation as it happens. My face can literally look different from one hour to the next. Then sometimes I suddenly deflate again and look much more like myself.
Emotional stress seems to trigger it really strongly for me. Food can too, especially large meals, sugar, salty foods and some of my known MCAS triggers. I also get severe itching, dermatographia, flushing and occasional attacks with GI symptoms or chest tightness.
Does anyone with MCAS experience this kind of rapid visible swell up and down? I’m especially curious about people who can actually see their face, neck and body changing over the course of the same day. I’d love to hear what your swelling feels like and what you’ve found triggers or helps it.