Is this story medically accurate?

Discussion in 'Research' started by loverofcreations, Jul 21, 2018.

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Do you think the story is medically accurate?

  1. Yes

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  2. No

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  1. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    Not yet, just asking if she has a bad H2O allergy if she could get by from taking strong antihistamines every day.
     
  2. S A Lee

    S A Lee Contributor Contributor

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    I've got to ask, couldn't you have Googled this? Anaphylaxis specifically is not an area I'm wholly familiar with, but I understand allergies a bit more than most because of my bf having both dietary and dust allergies.

    Anyhow, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the short answer is no. The only effective treatment of an allergy severe enough to prompt anaphylaxis is understanding the triggers and avoidance, which as discussed is impossible. Antihistimines are effective at treating the milder symptoms, but are ineffective for this level.
     
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  3. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    OP, imagine that you wanted a human character who was allergic to human blood.

    Can you see any possible plausibility issues with that?
     
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  4. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    I did quick research before plotting up the synopsis and to my understanding mast cells (a type of white blood cell - important in mediation of allergies) don't really exist in the blood, but in connective tissues and the mucosa. Correct me if I'm wrong though since my source was Wikipedia.
     
  5. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Sigh. This was not really my point.

    OP, it's simply not plausible for a person to be allergic to one of the main things that they're made of.
     
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  6. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Guy doesn’t really want to know whether this makes sense or why it doesn’t.
     
  7. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    But he ASKED!

    I know, I know, I know.
     
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  8. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    I read in the Daily Mail a woman who claims she's so allergic to water she can only drink coca cola as water, tea and fruit juice cause her throat to blister and close up.
     
  9. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    And how does that compare to the scientific links you’ve been given?
     
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  10. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    Well why would you lie about such a thing? There were also photos of the hives she gets when she contacts water, which is similar to Aquagenic Urticaria (a skin condition) however she gets the same reaction to internal water as well.

    She survives on ''copious amounts of diet cola'' according to the article.
     
  11. Simpson17866

    Simpson17866 Contributor Contributor

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    That's not the only possiblility.

    I will see if I can find this.
     
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  12. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    She has the same thing as those above. If you want to write a story about someone with that condition, you could keep it accurate. But it’s not what you were talking about in the original post.
     
  13. S A Lee

    S A Lee Contributor Contributor

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    First of all, human saliva is a mixture of water and enzymes, so she would constantly have hives if that were true.

    Second, Cola is not a viable alternative to water for anyone. It actually dehydrates you because the body spends water breaking it down. You're better off sourcing it from watery fruits and vegetables such as celery, melons and berries.

    Third, Daily Mail is owned by News Corp, the same conglomerate as The Sun, the now defunct News of the World, and Fox News. Murdoch ran their reputation into the ground years ago.
     
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  14. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    From the NIH citation in the Wiki article:
    In both hypotheses, it's not the water that is the antigen, it's something that dissolves in the water.

    In both cases, drinking water would not cause the symptoms which are confined to the dermis. The OP scenario remains medically implausible.

    Interesting find though, @Simpson17866
     
  15. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Diet cola is almost entirely water.

    And this is not an allergy. It is not remotely what you’re talking about.

    Are you not accepting that all human bodies contain water?
     
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  16. S A Lee

    S A Lee Contributor Contributor

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    I'm starting to wonder whether or not the OP is gullible or trolling us...
     
  17. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    @loverofcreations , I think that you may be operating under the belief that when something is dissolved in water, the result no longer contains water molecules. That’s not how dissolving stuff works—the water molecules are still there.

    Lemonade, for example, is a mixture of water molecules, the molecules that make up sugar, and the molecules that make up lemons. It’s not a new “lemonade” molecule.
     
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  18. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I hope not I'm allergic to trolls.....
     
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  19. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    If it (and the exact details) were posted in the news (from multiple sources) would it make it more realistic? Like if you saw this case in the news and it was all presented as 100% fact, what would you think?
     
  20. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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  21. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    I would think, "Hey, there's a bunch of news networks I can't trust."

    Because humans can't be allergic to water.

    Like, if you want to write a fantasy story where this happens, somehow, go for it. Think Benjamin Button -- you can still tell a compelling story about an unreal medical condition. But if you're looking for actual medical accuracy ... nope.
     
  22. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I would think that the reporter had little to no education in science, and was deeply confused.
     
  23. loverofcreations

    loverofcreations Member

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    What if it wasn't the reporter saying it, but testimony of the parents? And then in later news articles (when she's older) she testifies the exact same thing, and in the article she poses with boxes of epi pens as proof?
     
  24. izzybot

    izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

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    What's the point of this hypothetical?
     
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  25. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Epi pens as truth serum? Parents as infallible scientific medical experts?

    No. Just no.

    You didn’t answer. Do you deny that humans are largely composed of water?
     

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