Posted on 04/22/2011 7:53:46 PM PDT by NCSEADOG
I am a longtime lurker here and visit nearly everyday.
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.
I ask you my Free Republic friends to pray for me and my family.
prayer bump
Prayers up.
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ping. Got any ideas?
Heartfelt prayers for your healing.
NAET - google it.
Prayers up.
Happy Easter.
Prayers for an answer to your problems be found.
You need to see a real doctor.
Prayers up for both of you. Sea dog, could there be something in your environment that is crippling your system, like something in your home? Praying for relief for you both.
Prayers for God’s blessings.
Certainly.
metmom: as I have gotten older my sensitives have come to include food additives, MSG and the huge number of flavor enhancers that can be added to everything in the kitchen.
I certainly hear you when you discuss eating at social events. It is a nightmare and at times it is easier just to decline the invitation or arrive late after “I have already eaten, thanks”.
Do have your doctor do a tryptase test. It measures certain allergic reaction type cells in the body. If it is high, you might have a mast cell issue.
I'm allergic to just about any man made compound, and lots of natural things too. I am not a shocker, although some things (like chocolate), do make my heart/blood pressure go crazy, I start sweating, can't catch my breath, etc. Other things, like garlic and cherries, make me sick immediately. Other things have a cumulative damaging effect on my throat/stomach/intestines.
Currently I take generic benadryl (I am allergic to something in the name brand, isn't that ironic!!) everyday to stop the more mild reactions before they start, because I can never tell what will cause a reaction. I also take a systemic mast cell stabilizer, but I have to order it from a pharmacy in Canada as it is not available in the US. The mast cell stabilizer has given me my life back, although I seem to have regressed a bit lately. Do you have other physical symptoms or problems, or other diagnosed health issues? Many things are caused by mast cells acting up. I developed osteoporosis that was first diagnosed when I was 36. As far as prayer and religion, I don't pray to be healed. I feel that this is my cross to bear, this is part of my earthly test, and I welcome the challenge. I can persevere in spite of my illness, but I tell you what, when I was at my most ill I certainly didn't understand it.
What I pray for is the strength to continue leading my family, to teach my family how to survive physically and spiritually if I should not be around anymore. It has freed me from "wanting" things. My health problems began a true soul searching process that taught me to see the materialistic hamster wheel we are raised to run on. I am done with doctors and tests, which ate up years of my life and tens of thousands of dollars (we too are self employed, and all my medical costs have nearly pushed us to bankruptcy). I will spend my time teaching my children, and my husband, how to feed their souls and their bodies, and rejoice in every lovely day. I can't eat, drink, or use on my body lots of things, but so what?
Eat what you can and be happy! I will pray that your mind will be put at ease, and that you too can find the strength to fulfill your earthly purpose.
Prayers up.
Many herbs and seasonings, the typical ones like used for Italian cooking, are high in histamine. Cinnamon is especially high and is one of the foods that dropped out first.
Here are a bunch of links to various immune related conditions.
There’s the mastocytosis and there’s histamine intolerance.
Mastocytosis is a disorder of the mast cells where you either have too many (mastocytosis) or you have the normal amount but they trigger to release histamine VERY easily. That’s what I have (MCAD- Mast Cell Activation Disorder).
The Mastocytosis Society
http://www.tmsforacure.org/
This video explains what the disorder I have is all about.
Mast Cell Activation Disorder is a kind of mastocytosis.
Mast Cell Activation Symptomatology
http://www.tmsforacure.org/video.shtml
Allergy Drugs Fight Obesity and Diabetes in Mice
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=21970
New aspect of liver abnormalities as part of the mast cell activation syndrome
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18662284
Allergy meds slim down obese mice
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45912/title/Allergy_meds_slim_down_obese_mice
Histamine intolerance is similar to lactose intolerance. It is a deficiency of an enzyme called diamine oxidase, which binds to histamine in foods and helps flush it out of your body. Weirdly, NCSD can eat very high histamine foods, stuff I haven’t been able to eat in years.
This condition is widely known in Europe but try finding a doctor in this country who is interested in hearing about it.
Here are some links on histamine intolerance.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1185-1196, May 2007
Histamine and histamine intolerance
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/85/5/1185?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=gastrointestinal+food+allergy&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
Histamine and histamine intolerance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490952
Histamine Intolerance
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/commonfoodallergies/p/histamineintol.htm
International Chronic Uticaria Society
http://www.urticaria.thunderworksinc.com/pages/lowhistamine.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20070830124324/users.bigpond.net.au/allergydietitian/fi/amines.html
http://www.rainbowminerals.net/histamine_factor.html
http://roosclues.blogspot.com/2009/09/histadelia-and-low-histamine-diet.html
http://roosclues.blogspot.com/2009/09/histadelia-and-low-histamine-diet.html
Prayers your way FRiend...
I have to ask, do you carry an EpiPen? I have allergies, asthma (take Singulair, Allegra, carry a Proventil inhaler at all times...and an EpiPen). I have severe reactions to Iodine (yes...iodine...people are infact allergic to it) along with the proteins in shellfish. I use Kosher salt (no iodine) and basically don’t eat out (restaurants that deep fry shrimp contaminate everything else they deep fry). I learned this the hard way...ergo, I carry the EpiPen just in case I develop an anaphalactic reaction.
Have you been tested for Lupus?
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