Angioedema - my brother in law is having a severe attack now and cant get his meds for days because?

It took me more than a year to discover the cause of my Angioedema which turned out to be an allergic reaction to a supposedly inactive ingredient in one of the medicines (Lyrica) I was taking. That ingredient was polyethylene glycol. It is in many many prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, foods, shampoos, toothpastes, cosmetics, laxatives and more. I have finally determined that I am allergic to P.G. in all forms, where ever it shows up. I have had several serious reactions that almost lead to death twice.

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The most important thing to do while waiting for a "permanent" solution is to start identifying all possible sources of a sensitivity or allergic reaction, and keeping records of which things aggravate the condition, then start avoiding those aggravations. From my reading, many people who get angioedema later in life, are usually reacting to some type of food, drug, or environmental factor in their life. There are various tests that allergists can do to identify the type of angioedema, and its origin (inherited or situational), that a patient has.

In the meantime, I discovered only a few methods to cope with the pain, before I was able to eliminate the offending medication (Lyrica). I found that ginger tea, or ginger candies can help temporarily, though not completely eliminating the symptoms or pain. Also, sucking on cold ice helps. I also find that even now, when I discover another item that has secret P.G. in it, that I can use Xyzal, an anti-histamine, to lessen the effects of the burning, itching, swelling, and difficulty breathing. I also use children's liquid benedryl, 2 teaspoons, until the Xyzal takes effect. I have also used Zyrtec for this purpose, but it doesn't work for me as fast or as long as the Xyzal.

The herb Tumeric sometimes helps with various kinds of inflammation, including arthritis. It might be useful also for angioedema. Tumeric can be found in capsule form at health food store. Vitamin C is also a natural anti-histaminic that seems to provide some relief. Not really enough by itself, but it seems to help a little bit. Usually, I do NOT take vitamin C in the form of orange juice, or other citrus drinks when my mouth is hurting, since it tends to make the mouth hurt more. But, I take a softgel capsule in a fairly high dose, like 1000 mcg.

Also to be avoided until the mouth pain recedes are: tomato juice, tomato sauce, hot spices, sharp foods like potato chips, chunky foods like granola, salty foods, acid foods like citrus drinks, lemons.