Prayer Request for my Severe Allergy Problem

I have developed a severe allergy problem. I have been told by my allergy Doctor that I am "allergic to iodine when taken as food in combination with other elements" In other words I can't tolerate iodine in my food. He said I am the first true case of this type he has ever seen. Many people think they are allergic to Iodine but in fact are allergic to a protein found in shellfish.

I am living off of a few juiced raw vegetables,organic unsalted peanut butter,oranges,orange juice and organic strawberry preserves.That seems to be all I can tolerate.If I "make a mistake" I have the following symptoms.Immediate severe "tightening" of the muscles starting high up my back and eventually spreading up my neck and to the back of my head. This leads to pretty severe headache,elevated blood pressure..last time it went to 180/111 . I am retaining a lot of fluid and feel weak.I have gone into Anaphylactic shock,thrown up etc. Unexplained rashes across my face and my entire scalp. I also suffer from colitis and diverticulitis.

I spoke with a local Doctor this week who told me he had no idea what could be done to help me.He advised me to get as many Christians as possible to pray for me and stated that "you need Divine healing". My allergy Doctor has been good to help with supplements etc which have given me more strength but has also stated that he does not know what can be done and that my healing would have to come from God.I have been to several doctors,herb people,chiropractors etc and none have been able to help me.

I am 47 and the father of two and a happy grandfather. I am a Christian and I am trying hard to be at peace with whatever my future holds.The thing I struggle most with is the financial burden my sickness has brought to my family. I do not have the strength to work a normal work week and struggle with staying on top of things at my office.We are facing immediate financial crisis and long term issues as well.I hate having to be preoccupied with our needs instead of spending my time and efforts in service to God & my fellow man.

Thank you for pinging me metmom. I’m so sorry for the situation that you both find yourselves in. Having allergies to the ‘standard’ things is bad enough but cannot imagine being allergic to the very food we eat.

I wanted to make a couple of suggestions although both of you may have already checked these out:

Finances: In march my brother had an episode with his heart. He has a life long/birth condition. His heart is actually on the right side of his chest and it goes into A-fib without the proper medication. Anyway, he stopped taking those years ago but in March it caught up to him. Well you know the expense involved with heart conditions but what we found out during this process, and what I want to convey to you both, is that there are different catagories of hospitals and physician care.

My brother had no insurance as he had been layed off last year but, our community hospital treated him and they informed us that they are a “not-for-profit” facility and in order to ‘receive’ the grants that they do, they must extend treatment to those that cannot afford it (uninsured). Every year they allocate monies specifically for those of us that do not have insurance. Their grant money depends on this.

So...if you have to go to the hospital, be sure to find the ‘not-for-profit’ in your community. As a side note, they are not allowed and do not even consider whether or not someone has insurance once you are admitted. In other words, they treat you equally as well as their insured patients. In fact, the nursing staff has no clue.

Second: As far as the food. My brother (again-he’s really an example) has been going to the local health food store here in our town. This store is owned and operated by a registered nurse and what is recommended can be counted on as factual. There are “natural” foods that do not cause reactions, they can cure or alleviate conditions. My recommendation (for what it’s worth because I am in no way a medical professional) would be to seek out someone in your community that is knowledgeable about “natural” remedies/foods. It’s not a hoax. These things DO work. My brother (pain in the butt that he is) had severe chest congestion a couple of years ago and through their treatment at the health food store, came through it perfectly. Also, let me add that they have a specific machine in the store; computerized; that detects imperfections in the body. Now this may sound like voodo science but I am here to tell you, he was in very bad shape with his lungs and what they detected and how they treated him (naturally) worked.

I hope this is informational and gives you both food for thought. Metmom, I’ve been following your condition for some months. If you would like for me to have my brother’s nurse/source to contact you, freepmail me with your phone number. She is aweseome (and a Christian) and I’m sure she will guide you in the right direction regarding your allergies.

I will keep you both in my prayers and will also make mention on the thread I post.

Take care and please keep us posted.

I have heard this before from others who know how the medical community works. We are fortunate that mr. mm's job has a good insurance plan and that he's been at this job long enough that my condition does not fall under the *pre-existent* condition category. Matter of fact, much of the medical community doesn't even know about it.

Also, let me add that they have a specific machine in the store; computerized; that detects imperfections in the body. Now this may sound like voodo science but I am here to tell you, he was in very bad shape with his lungs and what they detected and how they treated him (naturally) worked.

I've been seeing a chiropractor, who many people have told me will help. No progress on that front so far, although, I have been very impressed with his evaluation of my physical condition because while it also seems very weird all the muscle weakness testing, he has very accurately detected my inner state based on my physical responses. IOW, when I've been having an unusually good or bad day, he notices it physically and I don't tell him beforehand. I wanted to see what he had to say without any input from me.

And it is weird, like voo-doo medicine, but I am impressed with his evaluations of my physical state.

So whether it works or not is still up in the air.

With foods, the problem I have is that I cannot eat almost all plant material except for oats and cherries in moderation without a reaction. Doesn't matter how *natural* or *organic* or whatever they are. And believe me, I have tried. You don't live like this without exhausting every possibility first.

This condition which I have been diagnosed with is not really an allergy. It's an immune response of some kind, that is true, but all the natural fixes for allergic responses don't work because the reactions are not taking the typical IgE pathway. I do not test allergic to very many foods at all and the ones I do test allergic to indicate only a slight allergy. Neither have I ever had hives or swelling or anaphylactic shock from foods.

I am on a lot of anti-histamines just in case and because sometimes they do seem to help. Other times they don't.

But so far, nobody has been able to figure out the mechanism that is causing the reaction.

Hi, I hope that this note finds you much better, but I just had to tell you what I know.

You should quite eating gluten and all grains immediately! You should go get yourself a copy of the book Breaking The Vicious Cycle - Diet for Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, Celiac Disease, Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Diarrhea by Elaine Gottschall.

Also immediately look up on google the SCD diet!!!!

People with the same symptoms as you are healing on this diet, including me. I pray that this is an answer and missing link that you are needing.

Conventional doctors will not know anything about this, they just aren’t educated in it!

It is best if you can afford it, and I know that many of us can’t, to see a naturopathic doctor about the serious situation you are describing. They will be able to help you and it will be worth every penny, even if you have to borrow from family or take out of savings.

There is hope and there are answers, you just need to find them elsewhere than at your doctor’s office sometimes, which baffles i know, but they don’t know everything!

I am new to Free Republic and actually just signed in so I could reply to you. I’m sorry to hear how you have been suffering but there is hope! I have struggled with similar issues and have been recovering health with prayer, most certainly and high nutrition, as in Eating to Live, pioneered by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. See his website drfuhrman.com for stories of others recovering health from crazy symptoms such as yours from food allergies. I have finally discovered the foods I can’t eat but now have learned all of the great things that can restore health: leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, beans. Just wanted to share.... I hope this will be helpful. God bless you.

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