August....aka "Hell Month" for this allergy sufferer

There, I said it. I have dubbed August "Hell Month" because it is by far the absolutely worst time of year for me as far as allergies go.

I began taking Zyrtec back in May or June, in an effort to get it good and set in my system to hopefully have no allergy symptoms this month. In addition, I have been using a homeopathic for weed pollen.

The Zyrtec/homeopathic have definitely helped as far as the sniffling, sneezing, itchy throat and ears problem. I've still had some of that here and there when I've gotten myself immersed in ragweed pollen...or eaten melons(hello Oral Allergy Syndrome...)..but it really does nothing to help my eyes. Oy, my eyes! Itching like mad for weeks now.  I've been staying inside for the most part, not enjoying the beautiful weather at all. :(

I actually double-dosed on Zyrtec one day last week in my desperation to feel better.

Sunday night, my digestive system started giving me fits...Monday morning, my chest hurt and I've got the acid thing going. At first I thought "oh no, I hope I'm not developing asthma!" because it hurt to breathe....but as I woke up and moved around, I remembered feeling this same way awhile back....

I think the hiatal hernia is back and/or I got into gluten this weekend and it's caught up with me...

...and I have itchy skin that tells me I've gotten into something I shouldn't have/my body is in react-to-everything, high-histamine mode.

Suspects:

• Oatmeal cookies I made for the kids this weekend, made with regular (non-GF) oats...I had a few...
• Non-GF oats I had in a meatloaf over the weekend (and I forgot to take my digestive enzyme)
• Some other source of gluten/other food ingredient I have an issue with?
• The double-dose of Zyrtec causing GERD
• Eating Mexican food too close to bedtime on Sunday(though I had it before w/o issues)
• My body has just been pushed to the limit with the allergies and decided to randomly go haywire?

Maybe oats should be cut out for awhile. And I need to pay better attention to my Zyrtec intake and not double it...no matter how desperate I am.

I do know that the bone broth chicken soup I made for myself yesterday did wonders in helping me to feel better.  Looking at the Mark's Daily Apple blog post, it looks like other people associate gluten/grains with acid issues. (it's not just me!) Looking at my past with my elimination diet...when I was off of all grains and trying to add in wheat, one of my warnings that this was a no-go was the sometimes rather intense acid reflux and chest/back pains, and when I took it back out, that would go away...

I find it interesting that, looking at my blog post history, the last two years I have blogged about having this issue around the Fall...August 2010 and October 2011...and one of them was definitely related to a gluten/wheat exposure.

My Plan:
1. I am going to resort back to GAPS-like eating for a bit, using bone broth at least once a day for myself and hope my gut/digestive system will heal up again. 

2. I plan to remember to take my probiotics and digestive enzymes!

3. I am going to avoid oats(and gluten) until this passes.

4. I am going to try this method of Hiatal Hernia Massage, and if this doesn't clear up within a week, I will go to the chiro and get it adjusted as I have in the past.  Usually, when I get into something that bothers me, it takes about 3 days to pass.  This is day 2.

 5.I am going to look into getting some eye drops for my itchy twitchy eyeballs!

Pray for me--this is a hard time of year for me! I kind of hope it freezes soon, but that wouldn't be fair to all you who are enjoying this weather, would it? ;)

Amish farm kids don't have the allergy problems we do? Makes me go Hmmm.

I have often come across the supposition that farm kids don't have as many allergies, and that it's our modern pristine environment that is causing kids to have all of these allergy problems.  I haven't subscribed to that train of thought, though; having spent much of my childhood on a farm with plenty of dirt and animals, I still ended up with my allergy problems. I shudder to think of how they could be any worse than they got.

The thought that farm life leads to fewer allergies is based on an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002(citation at the bottom) about children growing up on farms in Switzerland. These kids had fewer allergies, thus leading to the conclusion that a less-than-sterile environment was conducive to a better, more appropriate, immune response.

More recently, there was a study comparing Amish farm kids in the Indianapolis area, farm kids in Switzerland, and non-farm kids in Switzerland. Results showed that the Amish kids had far fewer issues with allergies and asthma than did the Swiss farm kids, who in turn had fewer than the non-farm Swiss kids.

The article I read online on Yahoo News touched on many possible reasons for the health differences between the three groups of kids. Some reasons mentioned include: limited gene pool in the Amish community, positive effects of drinking raw cow's milk, and more time spent outside and in barns due to the low-tech ways.

I would like to add to their speculation that the Amish may not be exposed to Genetically Modified crops, since they grow their own food and use the lower-tech ways. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt the Amish buy into the government-subsidized crops.  They probably don't have Roundup to deal with, either, in their surrounding air, or in their food, and thus their bodies don't have to deal with the repercussions from being around it. 

I would like to see further scientific research as to what exactly each of these population groups eat on a regular basis, and whether that might have some bearing on the health of the populations' immune systems.  My guess would be that the non-farm Swiss families may get some GMO's in their foods(yes, there are GMO's in Europe, but not as prevalent as in the US), the Swiss farms might eat less if they grow much of their food, and the Amish would have very little to none, and that may explain the results of this recent study.

What are your thoughts?

Bax Update: After My Struggle

After my last (sad) update, I wanted to update again.

Interestingly, looking back at previous years' blog posts, August 17 or so is the day that I really started complaining about fall allergies, both this year and last year. Something to take note of.

I re-evaluated my hayfever problem and have made some changes around the house to hopefully help me out this season.

1. I am continuing the Gluten- and Tomato- free thing, especially through the end of this allergy season.  I am also avoiding cucumbers and melon (and zucchini), as they are associated with Ragweed allergy and can cause problems similar to hayfever when consumed during Ragweed season (Oral Allergy Syndrome). Just because I've had that problem in the past and know I am still struggling with hayfever....trying to give my body the best chance to NOT increase the "bad" things it has to deal with.

2. I have closed nearly all windows in the house.  I'd prefer to let the cool night air in to cool the house off, rather than torture us with hot rooms to sleep in....but for now, the (clean) fans are working 'good enough'.

3. I have made our bedroom an Allergy Safe Zone.
This means:

• Closing the windows
• I have gotten a not-doused-in-pollen-fan to help circulate air
• I swept the floors with my vacuum that has a HEPA filter
• I got rid of the laundry pile on hubby's side of the bed
• I took off ALL of the covers and pillows from the bed and washed them on HOT and dried them thoroughly in the dryer.  As I was taking the pillow cases off of the pillows, I had a sneezing fit. A couple of our pillows' allergy covers are worn out/holey and I need to replace them. 
• I have also mandated that we each need to take a shower before going to bed---no bringing pollen from being outside into the bedroom!

After my sneezing fit when handling the pillows, I really think my "Allergy Tank" was overflowing when I was trying to sleep in my pollen-doused room/bed.  Even I wasn't showering every night (tsk-tsk)...the pollen built up over a couple days on our pillows and bedding---pollen that was stuck to our hair after walking around outside in the garden/fields.  I wasn't getting the rest I needed to recuperate at all, and it was having a snowball effect.

At my last post, I mentioned that I thought about taking Claritin on top of my homeopathics. I did so, and drank a TON of water to hopefully prevent the sinus-clogged-effect I got the last time I took a 24 hour allergy med.  Still, once the Claritin wore off, I found that I actually felt better OFF the Claritin!  (makes me wonder whether there is something in the allergy meds that doesn't agree with me...corn? I hope not.)

Weird. Especially since today's allergy level on Pollen.com is even higher--a 10.6 on a 12 point scale. Maybe finally taking these precautions is actually helping.



So anyway, yesterday and today so far I have only taken my homeopathic and used my Neti Pot once or twice.  It's supposed to get HOT today...we'll see how it goes from here on out.

Bax Update: I am Struggling

I am at 6 weeks after my treatment with the BaxAura. I am really struggling with the environmental allergies lately, even taking the homeopathics. Pollen counts have been in the 9.8 area (on a 12 point scale), HIGH. According to Pollen.com, the culprits are Ragweed, Chenopods, and Nettles.  What is bothering me the most is my eyes, which is a new thing in the last week once the pollen counts got to the High point.  I haven't had this severe of eye allergies for a long time. :(

There has been a few nights that I have resorted to Tylenol PM so that I can sleep ....and Benadryl or Zyrtec some days when I *have* to function, albeit through a medicated fog. The last time I took Zyrtec, it only made my congestion worse so I don't know that I will be doing THAT again anytime soon.   Besides that, Zyrtec makes me feel weird...

This is the worst time of year and is horrible for most allergy people. I do have to say that it's better in comparison to other years, but still, I could really do without any allergies at all.  I've had hayfever my whole life as far as I can remember, so maybe there are just some things that the Bax systems (the Bax3000 and the BaxAura) can't treat and have results right away (or ever).  Maybe I am just still working through it/healing.....  Alternative medicine has done wonders for me as far as foods go, as well as the molds around my house, and most of the summer I have done well without any antihistamines (until August).

I just can't seem to kick these fall allergies.  I want to go outside and enjoy the cooler fall days and the beautiful weather and sunshine....work in the garden, mow the lawn, haul wood...walk, even, but I still pay for it to some extent if I do so.

Ugh.

Maybe I should move to Antarctica.

BaxAura Update, 4 weeks 3 days after treatment

Today I had my BaxAura consultation, 4 weeks and 3 days after the initial treatment.

As you may have read in my previous posts, I went back a few weeks ago and was told to continue using my homeopathic sprays because my body was "still working on healing". Which I have been doing.

The last 3 days and nights, (especially the last 24 hours), I have been having  more and more flareups. Last night I woke several times with an itchy throat and with insanely itchy ears.  We have a fan in our bedroom window(blowing out-a compromise with hubby b/c if we turn it off altogether and close the windows it's too hot to sleep). I realize the fan is sucking air(and pollen) from outside from other windows of the house, but it's the best we can do at this time.

I explained all this to my chiro, and we started up with the BaxAura computer system. I held the metal cylinder thing while  she used the program.  Then she did some muscle testing with and without my homeopathic bottles and I got new bottles since mine held mere drops.

I was also given a different bottle to replace my previous Gall Bladder bottle. This new bottle is labeled as BioPhasic 4 Lung and Large Intestine Support.

I can take my homeopathic drops more often than three times a day. They will do more good, taking 3 sprays more times a day than, say, simply upping my dosage to 16 sprays 3 times a day.  Since I am struggling, I am going to take it on a day-to-day basis, maybe doing 3 sprays 6 times a day or so. That way, I will hopefully have enough to last me until my next appointment. That's my plan, anyway.

My issues are with stuff that I was treated for before but have risen to the top and am dealing with more currently: Cut Weeds being the one we made note of as being pretty prominent. Cut Weeds as in mowing the grass.  So if I am going to be cutting weeds or mowing or otherwise harming vegetation (So sorry, Mother Nature...), I may need to take my homeopathic sprays more often.


We'll see how the next few weeks goes until my next consultation.

BaxAura Update, 4 weeks after treatment

I am still taking my homeopathic sprays. I still have some intermittent allergy symptoms, so I suspect I am still in the healing stages.  I'm doing surprisingly well, considering I am not taking any allergy medication other than the homeopathic and it's peak allergy season. I do wish, though, that I didn't have these "spells" and have to rely on the sprays 3 times a day (or more--there's been a few times I have taken an extra dose rather than resort to antihistamines)...


I do have to say that I am doing better than 4 weeks ago, before I did the BaxAura treatment (having had AAT a few years ago, and BioAllergenix through the last year +). The treatment seems to have reached more than the other two systems for me (or the not having to avoid all the pollens is a big positive compared to the other systems).  Previous to the BaxAura treatment, I found myself reaching for the Claritin or Zyrtec as I approached (my) peak allergy month, but I haven't done that since the BaxAura treatment.

Editing to add: We had our annual Awana Carnival last night.  3 and 4 years ago, before treatments, it was horrible. Constant itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing, feeling hot/flushed, tired, itchy skin, etc. And this was while taking daily Claritin.   Last year (after BioAllergenix treatments) was better, though not perfect by any means. I was newly pregnant and it was hotter this time of year last year. This year, I went inside a few times for a tissue and had one small flareup of itchy throat, but it was nothing near the years previous. I was worried, the whole time (and have been this whole season) that it wasn't going to work at all. But it seems to have worked/be working fairly well, especially considering I'm not taking anything other than my vitamins and the homeopathics.

One of the worst times of day for me is first thing in the morning. For some reason, that time of day usually includes itchy throat for me, but is usually remedied once I get something to eat or drink. I sometimes wonder if it's a conditioned response, after living so long with allergies and having this happen....I do find that if I can control to urge to "give in" to the itching, that it passes much more quickly. Probably because I'm not rubbing the roof of my mouth with my tongue and triggering more histamine production in my body.  I do find that this itchy throat phenomenon is more noticeable if I have eaten something "questionable" the day/night before. (By questionable, I mean something with gluten, the dreaded GMO corn-->soda, or lots of junk food/food with lots of additives.)

My next appointment is on Saturday, so I will see where we are from there. I would be willing to bet that I am "still working on it" and will need a refill of the spray(which should take me through the rest of the allergy season)...hopefully I won't be asked to spend more on it, as I simply can't afford to do so.

If it's suggested that I get another BaxAura treatment, I will probably:
1. Opt for staying inside more (hard to do out in the country, trying to pick and prepare our own food);
2. Taking antihistamines when I plan on going out a lot, and
3. Being even more picky about what I eat, especially in regards to gluten and GMO's.
 
Much as I would love to pursue further treatment with the BaxAura, sometimes the almighty dollar wins. Unfortunately.

Allergies: Presenting Differently After Alternative Treatments?

Have you had allergy treatments with AAT, BioAllergenix, or Bax Aura? If so, have you noticed that your allergies seem to be presenting differently?

I asked my chiro whether other patients have had this experience.  I have noticed this in myself and have seen it mentioned on various online boards, and finally had the presence of mind to ask this the other day, since I had no other pressing issues at the time.

Her answer was that often the noticeable symptoms of the allergy that bring people to seek out treatment are addressed with the treatments, but that as the cause of those symptoms are addressed, there are often other underlying issues that are brought to light. Things that you may not have noticed when you were dealing with the other allergy issues.  As treatment progresses, you address the cause of those "new?" symptoms, and so on, until you get to the bottom of things.

What this translates to for me is that the hayfever I remember having since I was a very young child, that progressed to multiple food allergies, year-round indoor allergies, chronic sinus problems and gut problems is what brought me to the point of seeking out more than a mere pill for treatment. (A pill that didn't work by that time, anyway.)

When I began seeking treatment with AAT, then BioAllergenix, these treatments took care of many of the food and environmental allergies (ie. most of my hayfever symptoms and sinus problems).  Once these symptoms had been gone for the most part, I started to notice a "something's in my throat" feeling here and there.  My family doctor ordered a thyroid test (which came out perfectly fine) and chalked it up to GERD/reflux/heartburn and told me to take Pepcid. 

I wasn't happy with the "take a pill" solution to my throat problem; I wanted to get to the source of the problem rather than slap a band-aid on it...a band-aid that could bring some long-term health problems if used regularly.  Having had the experience of keeping a food journal and keeping track of symptoms, I noticed a correlation between tomatoes grains and the throat feeling in my throat.  When I stayed away from those things, the throat issue would go away. With internet research on WebMd and online medical journals, I learned about Eosinophilic Esophagitis.  While I don't have the means to pursue an actual diagnosis, the end result would be the same for me were I given that diagnosis: avoidance of known allergens/triggers. (The other alternative would be swallowing, rather than inhaling, the contents of a steroid inhaler. Something I would consider only as a last resort.)

So that is what I am doing: avoiding gluten and tomatoes.And trying to eat healthily and maintain a healthy gut.

My body is apparently working deeper on this allergy issue. According to the chiro, there is a good chance that I had problems even as a child. They were just not recognized at that time (EE is a relatively newly-discovered and named disorder; one that is alarmingly rising in our young children).  With food and environmental allergies on both sides of my family, I would not be surprised if that were the case.

So, there's that.  I wanted to just set that out there in case anyone was wondering. :)

Here's to better health! 

My BaxAura Experience - The Day After

So far the environmental allergies haven't been horrible after getting the treatment with the BaxAura.  Last night, it was quite difficult to sleep, but that could very well be due to the high temps/humidity and we live in an old farmhouse with only fans for cooling. It's stinky hot these days, folks!

I did have a few episodes of itchy throat last night. It sort of came in waves, though. I found that if I concentrated enough and did NOT rub the inside of my throat w/my tongue (fellow allergy sufferers know what I'm talking about, I'll bet), then I wouldn't get near the histamine response/pileup that I would get if I gave in.  And then the feeling left and I could sleep a little bit.

I have had my jaw tension come back, again, in waves.  It comes and goes.

Interestingly enough, my head itchiness has gone away for the most part. I mention this because one of the things that came up on the scan had to do with this issue I've  had off and on for some time. (I have had such a hard time finding commercial shampoo/conditioner that doesn't cause this!)

I am taking my homeopathic sprays as recommended and waiting to see what happens next.

Allergy Update July 1, 2011

I think it's about time to give a little update on how I am doing with my allergies.

Overall, I feel like I am doing well. I still have (what I think are) issues from tomatoes off and on (presenting in a "there's something in my throat" feeling, heartburn, and gut pain/burning), but I find I can have a tomato-containing meal and not suffer many repercussions as long as I don't repeatedly eat them the next few days.

I am doing a Gluten-light sort of avoidance diet as well. I don't have immediate responses to gluten, like those with Celiac disease might have.  However, it tends to back me up over time if I eat it every day(or multiple times a day) and my guts tend to ache for a week until I quit eating it regularly.

I am taking my multivitamin, an acidophilus supplement (and eating yogurt or drinking kefir most days) and trying to eat a diet as close to whole foods as possible with minimal additives.  I also take fish oil. I have read that it is supposed to be helpful for reducing inflammation, and it's generally good for me since I don't eat much fish.  Interestingly, as a side note, I find I don't get those gross "fishy burps" when I take it with a meal including a leafy salad. Go figure, but it works.



As far as environmental allergies/hayfever, I find that I am no longer the guinea pig to determine when things start pollinating. Other people complain of their allergies long before it bothers me. I do take a Claritin or a Zyrtec ever so often (and may start doing to more regularly leading up to August, my worst allergy month in the past), but---get this---the meds actually *do* something now, where before they would  hardly touch the allergy stuff! Woo-hoo!

I can't say I am 100% cured, but then the Advanced Allergy Therapeutics and the BioAllergenix systems used to treat me are man-made and have their limitations. They can't catch every single thing out there I am allergic to, isolate it, treat me for it AND me successfully avoid it for the allotted time (those pollens and molds are a trick to avoid!). Or maybe they could over time, but there comes a point when one is weary of trying to figure it out and finds contentment where they are.

I am still happy with the outcome of my treatments.  I may go in for a chiro visit in the near future, but at the moment I can't think of anything to get myself tested treated for in the allergy realm...which is a good thing.

Product Review: Neilmed Rinse Bottle

It's springtime, the time when pollen counts start to go up.

My BioAllergenix treatments have helped substantially. I am no longer taking daily antihistamines to survive the Spring/Summer/Fall seasons(not that they ever really helped anyway), but I still have here-and-there episodes of hayfever.

For example, yesterday I was mowing our grass for nearly 2 hours and by the time I got to the end, I was sneezing and blowing my nose a lot.

Enter the Neti Pot. Or a similar product I actually prefer:  the Neilmed Rinse Bottle.

Both the Neti Pot and the Neilmed Rinse Bottle work on the same premise: run warm salt water through your sinuses to rinse out all of the stuff your body is reacting to. 

This is a simple, cheap, effective means of finding relief, not only for hayfever/environmental allergies, but also for when you are fighting sinus problems/cold symptoms.  It flushes out bacteria the same way it does the pollens.


It's also particularly entertaining for kids to watch. My daughter was mesmerized by it yesterday.(Hee-hee) Cheap entertainment, lol. And it makes you feel better, too!  When I was finished mowing the grass yesterday, I made sure to use this, and my condition greatly improved after I did.

 Note: If you have completely blocked sinuses, it might not work well. But if you are having lots of hayfever reactions/runny nose issues and can breathe through your nose at least a little, it will most likely work and help get rid of the stuff your body is reacting to.  If you have an ear infection, it might be a good idea to treat that first before using a sinus rinse aid.



My method of using the Neilmed Rinse Bottle is:

1. Fill with very warm tap water. My water is softened. If you have hard water, you may want to use warmed distilled water.


2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of Canning Salt or Sea Salt, put your finger over the hole and shake to mix.  You don't want any additives in your salt (don't use iodized salt!). (If you prefer, you can buy little packets instead of using your own salt).


3. Over a sink, with your head slightly tilted, place the bottle tip at the highest nostril and gently squeeze the water into your nose. Breathe through your mouth and relax. If the water is too warm, let the bottle sit for a bit. If it's too cold, you can start over with warmer water or microwave it in 5 second increments until it's the right temp for you. If the water is coming into your mouth, sometimes it helps to pretend you are about to say a word starting with hard sound of the letter "k". 


4. Once the bottle is half-empty, stop squeezing the bottle and let your nose drain into the sink.  Place a finger on your highest nostril and press as you gently blow the excess water out of the opposite nostril. 


5. Repeat for the other side. Rinse your face with fresh water. Dry. Then use a tissue and gently blow your nose to get any residual water out.

This can be repeated throughout the day. I believe the recommendations are for morning and evening, and after you are exposed to your allergens. 

Fall Allergies....They're Baaaack!

Yesterday was the first cool fallish day.  It was the first day that, according to Pollen.com, Ragweed, Grasses and Nettles are almost in full pollination mode. And it's only supposed to get worse the next few days. :(

Yesterday was the first day that my allergies were really beginning to bother me. This is good in view that yesterday the pollen count was at a 9.4 on a scale of 12. Before AAT and BioAllergenix/BioVeda, if it was even registering, I was reacting.  A few nights ago, I started taking one Benadryl before bed because I would wake up in the night with my throat itching. We have a box fan in the window and something must pollinate at night. If anyone has any ideas what it might be, please tell me!

Last night was the pits--I took 2 Benadryl because my sinuses were completely clogged and the Neilmed Sinus Rinse bottle couldn't break through. (I should have started earlier with the bottle...it usually works like a charm)  I woke up a lot with the itchy throat/runny nose. I find that if I can get a handle on it and not rub my throat with my tongue(how's that for a word picture?), it helps it not to get worse.  Sort of a mind over matter thing.   If I give in to the urge, it gets much worse and spreads to my ears itching and more copious drainage. Grrr.

I am going in tomorrow for some muscle testing/treatment. I had originally made the appt to see if there could be something done about this weird feeling in my throat that I think is due to reflux/acid from the pregnancy and possibly a response to my toothpaste or our water.... Guess we'll see what we can find out about the pollen, too, although I have no idea how I can successfully avoid it when the air is practically saturated with it.

I have a feeling that whatever the pollen is that I'm reacting to, is something I've had problems with my whole life. Something, like the tomato problems I still have(though they are now very minor), I will likely deal with my whole life to some degree.

In the meantime, I took a Claritin this morning to hopefully take the edge off.

Allergies - The Saga Begins

I have had hayfever my entire life, as long as I can remember. It was seasonal, and while living in Colorado it would start when the trees started blooming and end when everything was frosted in the fall. No biggie, really, as long as I remembered to take my antihistamine.

In college, I began to notice that my throat/palate would itch when I ate or drank anything peach flavored. Things like Lipton Peach Iced Tea or Peach Snapple or even Peach Jolly Ranchers would 'get me'. And on the rare occasion that I ate a fresh peach, sometimes that would 'get me' too. But not always. Go figure.

Randy and I got married and about two years into our marriage we moved to Ohio. For a time, my allergies were actually BETTER, which isn't unheard of when moving to a new location. As expected, my body decided to react to the local pollens a year or two later--and with Ohio's summer seasons being longer, the much higher humidity, and the overall warmer climate, my body had plenty to complain about!

Four years into our marriage, Duncan was born and we moved back to CO. Again, my allergies kinda subsided--or else they were just less since we were back in the dry, short-seasoned, less-growing environment. I continued to react to peach things(and even craved them madly, which is an ironic thing with my being allergic to it). I believe I also was reacting to orange juice at this time, but not enough to give it up.

Six years into our marriage, we had moved back to Ohio and a few months after that Hunter was born. I was given antibiotics in the hospital which might have something to do with my state of health in the long run... I kind of sank into a depressed state at this time, operating on little sleep and learning how to parent 2 kids in (what was to me) a foreign environment, far away from blood relation. I think it was at this point that I felt my body had started to rebel against me. To betray me.

Two years later, eight years into our marriage, Ivy was born. I was able to have a natural birth this time around(yeah!) and felt much more in control of my world. BUT, the August following the June birth was the ABSOLUTE WORST Ragweed Season of my life (followed by the next two Augusts). I was nursing and afraid to take antihistamines on a regular basis lest they reduce my milk supply. It was around this time that I started making correlations to what I was eating and how my body was responding and started to really research what the heck was going on with my body. I was finding out that I was really reacting to a lot more foods than I originally thought, if I paid attention to my body and what I was eating.

I had thought maybe it was Oral Allergy Syndrome, a condition where your body mistakes the proteins in certain foods for the proteins of pollens you are allergic to, and reacts accordingly. I was working off of this assumption, until one day I reacted to raw broccoli. It was the only thing I had consumed for a few hours, and the reaction was unmistakable and almost immediate. It was an itchy palate and itchy ears that was just about enough to drive me insane, along with the runny nose and sneezing. After taking a Benadryl, I went back to researching.

After not much research, I found a few sites describing Salicylate Sensitivity. And, come to find out, just about ALL of the foods I was reacting to on a regular basis were moderately high to very high in Salicylates!
So, for a time I went on a low-salicylate diet. I felt vaguely better, but was still struggling mightily. So, back to the research.

Here are some of my symptoms that could occur by themselves or in any combination:
~ Almost instant palate itching when coming into contact with an offending substance
~Ears itching
~Eyes itching/corners irritated and red and burning
~Nose itching
~Drainage down my throat
~Sneezing
~Stuffy nose/inability to breathe through my nose(I hadn't been able to breathe through my nose since Ivy had been born until she was about 3 years old!)
~Redness/irritation at the corners of my mouth leading to cracking, especially after consuming anything in the nightshade family(tomatoes, peppers, etc). It would heal only after I was no longer exposed to the offending food.
~Difficulty swallowing
~I felt like I was living in a fog the years after dd(my third) was born. Probably for longer than that, now that I think of it.
~I would get tunnel vision type symptoms, could not concentrate for the life of me, difficulty multitasking, very extreme irritability/depression, overwhelmed by/oversensitive to places like Walmart with all the smells and colors and once you get up to the front to check out the beeping would nearly drive me insane.
~Skin feeling like it was crawling and there was nothing there to be seen. Skin that burned/hurt/itched but again, nothing visible
~Eye twitches
~Skin breakouts
~Horribly chapped lips that just would not heal until no longer exposed.(corn in meds does this to me)
~Stiffness/soreness from the base of my skull to my shoulders. Last fall it radiated down one arm for awhile. I got a massage from a friend in massage school who said I was very tense there...so maybe that was all stress. I do know that today I was fine in that regard until I went in and got my allergy shot, though, so I think it has something to do with allergies...
~Jaw Pain.
~Fatigue, lack of energy and stamina.
~Digestive issues-heartburn/acid reflux, stomach pain/pain on lower right side under ribs after eating, constipation
~Changes in my cycles

I believe that covers it for now.
More tomorrow! There is hope!