Have you ever eaten pollen while collecting?


In the evening, while collecting the pollen from my traps, I casually
tossed into my mouth a handful of fresh pollen—perhaps three or four
spoonfuls—and munched on the pellets.  I have never done this before, for
I was saving the pollen for the next season, but due to today’s drizzle
and rain, I thought the collection was not big enough to bother.  It
tasted dusty-dry and flowery as it passed through my esophagus, mixed with
saliva.  In about thirty minutes or so, however, my body went into a mild
shock.  It started to manufacture an incredible amount of histamine to
react against this foreign substance in my system.  I am allergic to
ragweed pollen.  The pollen pellets were grey [probably ragweed] and
orange [golden rod and late sunflower variety].

My throat, I could feel, started to choke me as my voice started to recede
deep into my throat.  Upon sensing this mild, yet almost systematic
reaction, I took one antihistamine pill, a prescription pill I have been
avoiding to take for quite some time, thinking my body had, over the
years, built up enough tolerance through my raw honey consumption albeit I
had never taken fall honey.  All night, nevertheless, my stuffed nose ran
the mucus, my blurry eyes started to itch, and I could breathe only
through my mouth; to say the least, I could not rest well, especially
since I was sleeping on the couch not to bother my wife with my constant
sneezing, blowing, and occasional coughing.

For me, it was worse than getting stung by a dozen angry bees whose pain
dissipates in a short while.  I felt as though I was suffering from a self-
induced sickness.  Only after midnight, as the Chlorphaniramin Maleate (8
mm) and Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride (120 mm) started to work their way
into my system, my congestion gradually cleared up, enabling me to breathe
through the nose.  The next morning I felt OK although it took twelve
hours for me to regain my normalcy.  I understand I should have taken
small doses before the ragweed season to build up my tolerance.  I just
did not realize a handful of pollen could be this potent.  Perhaps this
anecdote illustrates how pollen, taken in gradual doses, indeed works.
Have you experienced any similar reaction against pollen?