Delayed IgE reaction?

A few years ago I developed SEVERE hives, full body, insane itching, then my lips started to swell pretty badly, I immediately contacted my doctor who was aware of the hives and prescribed me a course of steroids.

In the meantime I figured out for myself that dairy was the cause, I immediately cut it out of my diet entirely and the hives started to disappear and my lips went back to normal. I had been consuming dairy my entire life up until this point, I would have been about 30 years old when this started.

After I finished the course of steroids and knew everything had calmed down, I tried a teeny tiny amount of dairy to see what would happen, yep after a few hours the hives began, the lip swelling began, immediately dosed myself up on antihistamines and did not touch dairy again.

Then one day I picked up something to eat at work and for whatever stupid reason forgot to look at the ingredients, it contained milk.. few hours later the hives and the lip swelling began again! Back to the doctors I go, antihistamines taken and I was told that I didn’t need an EpiPen as I hadn’t actually had anaphylaxis, but after a few months I managed to get one prescribed because I’ve always been worried that it may reach that point because who knows how the body will react the next time? If there is a next time (accidentally).

When I go out to eat I always make sure they know I can’t have dairy, I don’t want to risk it.

I have been told that I don’t have a true milk allergy, I would beg to differ.. I mean who knows your body more than you right? Hand me a coffee with cows milk instead of oat milk and we’ll find out shall we?

The other thing I cannot have is medication that contains lactose, every single time I have had meds that contain lactose I develop hives..

Everything out there tells me that a delayed reaction cannot be an ALLERGY but an intolerance but all of the symptoms of an intolerance does NOT match up to my symptoms but the symptoms of an ALLERGY DO match up to what is happening with my body.

I currently have a rash, not hives, I don’t know what’s caused it but antihistamines are doing sweet fa, so a course of steroids it is again.. dermatology are rejecting my referrals to find out why for the last few months I’ve had to take antihistamines every single day or I get patches of hives despite not ingesting any dairy whatsoever or meds containing lactose. This current rash seems like an allergy to something else, I’m trying to narrow it down but so far I don’t know.

I feel like no one is listening or taking this seriously (except for my gp is genuinely trying to help as best as she can) I feel as though I’m being fobbed off with excuses or that I’m lying or I’m going crazy.. I’m not and I know I’m not!