Re: Jeanne- reply to questions

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Here is a reply to as many questionsas possible. I have dermagraphism. My

hives are more like large bloches that occur when I itch, they get hot and

then fade away. I do streak a lot also. If I flow my nose or scratch my

face/neck, I have red streaks wherever pressure was applied.

Yes, I have acid reflux. After have it for a month or two, I went to the

doctor and he gave me zantac (150mg 2x - day) It works well with so side

affects. I am going for an upper GI tomorrow to determine if I have a

hiatal hernia. I am over weight and he may want to help me with that.

What is GERD - I missed the explanation?

Yes, I think I have food sensitivities - strong cheese and spaghetti sauce.

I still eat them and put up with the hixes and heart burn. I did try an

elimination diet but nothing was found.

All medications I have taken have helped, but I have eliminated the ones

that make me sleepy of put me in a fog. Zertec will make me sleepy but I

eventually develop a tolerance to it. Atarax also makes me sleepy so I only

use it at night. Doxipin leaves me in a fog until 1 to 2 pm in the

afternoon so I cannot take that one. Nothing I take alters my personality.

Perfume and freshners make me sneeze. Some make up also makes me sneeze. I

have not wron makeup for years. When I do, I limit it to blush, lipstick,

eyeshadow and mascarra. No foundation or powder all over my face or neck,

no eye liner either.

I have no problems to soap or shampoos or detergent (I think). I am

constantly whealing and flaring but not especially after I shower or put

clean clothes on. The marks I see after the shower are streaks which match

where I used my washcloth. I do notice that I tend to get hives on my

wrists if I wear long sleeves (in the winter). In the summer, my bra bothers

me a little so when I get home, I take it off and change into a large tee

shirt.

Hope this helps

in Pa.

>

>Reply-To: urticaria

>To: " urticaria " <urticaria >

>Subject: " food issues " / sanity

>Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 23:46:10 -0800

>

>Hi Urticarians,

>

>I've just had a rough session with Allergist. I think one of the

>reasons he's so frustrated is that I rarely break out in hives although

>I do itch and have all the other symptoms of cholinergic and physical

>URT. I also get the weird and bizarre side effects of medication that

>are rarely seen - my husband (a Dr.) verifies this, but Allergist

>dismisses them as " emotionally based " . Allergist is also frustrated

>that nothing seems to handle URT very well, (doxepin and benedryl were

>the best, Zyrtec minimally at best).

>

>I'd like some feed back from you about the following:

>

>A) REFLUX: One of the things the Allergist questions - is the reflux.

>He has never mentioned that hives can cause it or be related in any way

>to URT, or that there could be hives within the intestinal tract (thanks

>for pictures Jackie). I've had this from the very beginning and it has

>never gone away (even with Prilosec for 1 month.)

>

>Question #1. Do most/many of you have GERD? What have you done to get

>rid of it?

>Question #2. Do you also have food sensitivities? Do you think they

>are related?

>

> MANY FOOD SENSITIVITIES: The second area of discussion were my " food

>issues " (as though I had an eating disorder - please!). This is

>laughable. I have an extremely limited diet basically bland and boring

>- it's a short list of what I CAN eat. And yes, this may be irrational

>but I am afraid to try many foods (onions, garlic, chili peppers, etc.)

>- the smells make my mouth, throat tongue, hands and feet sting and

>tingle so why would I want to put them in my body?

>

>I detected major doubt on his part as to whether or not I really have

>URT when I eat eggs, dairy, wine, shell fish, legumes, pistachios,

>chocolate, coffee, spicy foods, mangos, papayas and now honey! I've

>been told that people are only allergic to a few foods, not this many

>food types. (of course I'm not " Allergic " it just makes the hives inside

>my body ecstatic with itching/stinging - as Myra says, direct mast cell

>degranulation). I also have really bad Rx's to a lot of medications (not

>side effects but truly allergic).

>

>Question #1. Do of you have a lot of types of foods that you have to

>stay away from?

>Question #2. Are you also hypersensitive to medications as well?

>Question #3. Are you hypersensitive to odors, chemicals, perfumes etc.?

> (allergist says food/chemical sensitivities often go hand in hand). I

> " hive " at all kinds of 'lovely' chemicals, and have had to change all

>soaps, lotions, cleaning supplies etc. no perfume, chlorine or ammonia

>. . . .

>

>C) DOXEPIN: The last question is for people who've had experience with

>Doxepin. That drug was incredibly helpful but altered my personality I

>was became anxious, irritable, and agitated at times. Normally I'm very

>calm. I also had terrific cravings for sugar and I gained a lot of

>weight. Toward the end when I was having serious rx's with doxepin/pain

>and a host of other medications I had no appetite whatsoever and didn't

>eat much for about 6 days.

>

>Question #1. Did you experience personality changes with Doxepin.

>Anxiety, irrational behavior etc.?

>Question #2. Did you have appetite changes?

>

>My allergist is the best in my area. He says I have symptoms of URT but

>has questions about everything else. I'm also aware that " emotionally

>based " is Doctor-speak for " psychosomatic " . I did tell him that if he

>thought psychiatric evaluation would cure me I would go right now! (He

>backed off and referred me to internist to look at reflux). I truly

>believe he is trying to help me but doesn't quite know what else to try.

> Have any of you had similar experiences?

>

>Thanks for letting me emote on your collective shoulder but this really

>did put me over the edge! I don't know if I'm disgusted,angry,

>depressed or what. If I could only exercise, I would go run it off and

>put it in the emotional waste-in where it belongs. , you're a

>nurse - any thoughts?

>

>Jeanne , CA

>

>P.S. I finally got up enough courage to try Quercitin. Voila! No

>allergic Rx and it has markedly decreased URT. Thank You!

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