I found myself with a severe reaction similar to one that may have affected a well-known whistleblower.
To accommodate a guest with a fish allergy, I decided to marinate and cook the fish in my kitchen using a cast iron skillet, avoiding the grill that my partner was using outside. Feeling quite hungry, I devoured nearly half of a rather large fillet—about four ounces of the catch my friend had dropped off after a successful fishing trip—before my husband finished the grilling. I offered some smaller portions to my young daughter and the wife of our allergic guest, but both preferred the burgers and hot dogs instead.
Just fifteen minutes later, as the grilled meat arrived at our table, I sat down with the remaining tuna and an ear of corn. Suddenly, a wave of heat rushed over me. As a natural redhead, I had grown accustomed to various blushes and flushes over the years, but this felt different—like my skin was ablaze.
My heart raced, and I took deep breaths as a throbbing headache set in, accompanied by an unsettling fight-or-flight sensation. My husband glanced over, sunglasses perched low on his nose. “Are you alright?” he asked. “You’re looking quite… different.”
My friends agreed. “Actually, no,” I replied, heading into the kitchen with my husband and two concerned friends. “Is it an allergic reaction?” the friend with the fish allergy asked. “Do you have any Benadryl?”
“Right, can’t hurt,” I mumbled, rummaging through the medicine cabinet and swallowing 25 mg.
“Maybe you should take another?” my husband suggested, eyeing me. “And then consider the hospital?”
My friends nodded in agreement. I reluctantly took another capsule. “Hospital? Is it really that serious?”
“Your eyes are completely bloodshot,” my husband observed. “And your skin seems to be transitioning from red to purple.”
After our friends left, my husband drove me to the emergency room. “That’s quite a bad sunburn,” the triage nurse remarked.
“It’s not sunburn,” I replied. “I’ve only been in the sun for about an hour today, and I always wear sunscreen.”
They took my vitals, revealing a rapid pulse and unexpectedly high blood pressure. “One of your medications increases sun sensitivity,” the nurse practitioner informed me.
“I know, I’ve been on and off it for years. I’m very careful.”
The emergency room was surprisingly quiet, and I was quickly taken to a room. Ten minutes later, the doctor entered. I described my symptoms: sudden and severe flushing shortly after eating the fish, along with a headache and diarrhea that had emerged since my arrival.
“You’ve got scombroid poisoning,” he diagnosed without hesitation, explaining that he encountered this condition once or twice a year, typically in individuals who have consumed fish that wasn’t commercially caught and processed. Scombroid poisoning, or histamine fish poisoning, results from certain types of fish being improperly stored, leading to bacterial growth and excess histamine production.
It doesn’t matter if the fish is thoroughly cooked or consumed raw; heat does not eliminate histamine. Common culprits include finfish like tuna, mackerel, and amberjack, along with species like mahi mahi and bluefish.
While severe reactions like mine aren’t typical, many milder cases likely go unreported. Neither my daughter nor my friend’s wife had any adverse reactions from the small bites they took, possibly because their pieces were uncontaminated or they were less susceptible for various reasons.
According to poison control, the symptoms of scombroid poisoning can include rash, diarrhea, facial flushing, sweating, headaches, and sometimes vomiting. A burning sensation or mouth swelling may occur along with stomach cramps and heart palpitations.
The doctor administered intravenous medications, monitored me until the flushing subsided, and my blood pressure returned to normal before sending me home with instructions to continue taking Benadryl until I felt better.
I enjoy poke and sushi weekly. This incident, however, has made me more appreciative of the efforts of those in the fishing, trucking, and seafood processing industries who work hard to maintain proper food safety standards. I plan to indulge in sushi again at the first chance. For more on related topics, check out this article on home insemination kits.
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Summary:
In this personal account, the author describes an alarming episode of scombroid poisoning after consuming improperly stored fish at a BBQ, highlighting the importance of food safety and the often-overlooked efforts of those in the food industry. Despite the frightening experience, she retains her love for sushi and poke, emphasizing a newfound respect for the cold chain process in food handling.