Patchouli oil allergy
Question:
3/2/2017
Are there any reports of patchouli oil/essential oil exposure related to anaphylaxis? I have a patient who describes itchy flushing, throat closing sensation, tongue swelling and shortness of breath after exposure to essential oils and certain fragrances containing patchouli oil. Episodes started bothering since 2006. She has landed in ER couple of times and was observed to have flushing and tongue swelling per review of medical records. I am ruling out MCAD and will treat empirically as idiopathic anaphylaxis. I did not find anything in literature.
Answer:
I, too, could find no published literature on patchouli oil allergy, so the treatment would be for the patient to avoid this recognized trigger and have an Epipen available.
Patricia McNally, MD, FAAAI