Difficulty Swallowing--Allergy?-Eosinophilic Esophagitis?

I've fallen a bit behind in my updating! Please forgive the long post!

I went ahead and did the Hydrocarbon treatment about a month ago. Retested it today and am strong. So, that is good. (Yeah!)

I suspected our water softener salt was bothering me(something about the shower and when I wash my hands at night...products? the water itself?) and brought in some of the salt and tested weak to it. I was treated for Water Softener Salt. Still need to remember to bring the salt in again to test again, but I am not experiencing the itchy throat during/after I shower and when I get up in the night and wash my hands after using the restroom. (Yeah!)

I also had a Water Samples List scan done and Tap Water(!), Arsenic and Aluminum came up and I had those treated. The doc was able to test the Aluminum today and I am strong there. (Yeah!)

So, in general, I have been doing pretty well. I have had very minimal reactions. I don't remember the last time I had one of those mega-itchy throat/palate/ears/runny nose/sneezing attacks. As a result, I am starting to notice other symptoms lurking about that I missed before when I was dealing with all the immediate allergy reactions.

About 2 weeks ago, I started having a feeling of having a lump at about the base of my throat and some difficulty swallowing. Looking back, I *think* this began when I had made meatloaf and had put 1/4 cup of ketchup in the 2lb loaf and had some for dinner. (I know, I know, what was I thinking???) Two nights in a row. And two nights in a row I had heartburn about an hour after eating it.

So, I am fairly certain it was the tomatoes that started it. I have been putting off the tomato treatment for some reason. I have been treated for the general "Tomato", but have not been treated for the Genetic Predisposition toward tomato. That is next on my list, I believe, since my dad has difficulties with tomatoes.

I had gone to the family doc last Friday about my throat and she seemed to think it was due to acid reflux and irritation. She also ordered a thyroid test.

I followed the family doc's instructions to take Pepcid, but I haven't really noticed any difference while on that. In fact, I felt worse the first few hours after taking it yesterday. :(

In my internet perusals, I came across the condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Turns out a friend's child was diagnosed with this and I didn't know what it was so I looked it up. I was surprised that the adult description fits me very well. It is a condition where, in response to allergy, the white blood cells form in the esophagus in these little things called eosinophils and cause inflammation. It's a fairly new diagnosis in adult medicine.

I really cannot afford to go to another doctor--much less a specialist and testing. Whether I have this condition "officially" or not, the approach is the same: Figure out what is causing the allergic reaction and avoid/treat that allergy. There are medications to take as well, but nothing is promising or really recommended for lifetime use.



So, I went to the BioAllergenix doc today. I brought my list of suspect foods and she muscle tested me for the things that she had available to test me for. I was strong on all of them.

After much talking and looking over my charts and past history, she suggested a re-scan of the Second Procedure on Mother Tincture, since that was not available when I first started. So, I did this scan and most of the Groups came up as Multiple Responses, which means I had a trace response to more than one item in each Group. Unfortunately(for my inquiring mind), it doesn't break it down to exactly what it was my body was reacting to. I decided to go ahead and be treated for all of them today and fast for 6 hours rather than break it up and attempt to avoid a lot of things until tomorrow and have to repeat the process again later with different foods.
(The reason I can do only 6 hours this time is because they were ALL Multiple Response. If I had any actual foods come up, I would have to avoid until tomorrow.)

I'm a bit hungry...but I will survive...in the meantime the kids are going to have to fend for themselves!

Next...Genetic Predisposition for Tomatoes.