identifying triggers and solutions

[Guest guest]

For irritants or triggers, how quickly do you generally react? For solutions,

how long do you generally give something (like tomatoes, say)/ or add something

(like oral Vit. E) before evaluating differences?

So for those of you who have a lot of experience in identifying irritants and

triggers, what is the time frame in which you generally react? Last night, I

had a major flushing incident -- the first in several weeks. I had gone

swimming in a chlorinated pool for the first time since diagnosis. I put an

extra layer of Zinco on before going in, then rinsed and re-applied afterwards.

When I left the gym, my face was cool and paler than usual, so I don't think

chlorine was the problem. Would I have known right away? When I got home, I

washed my face and used the Cetaphil cream. Later, I had dinner which included a

couple of potential triggers -- dairy and tomatoes -- as well as some red wine

(I do this pretty regularly and it is seems that it is only a problem when

combined with other irritants). At some point after dinner, I started flushing.

I put on some more Cetaphil cream but it only got worse -- definite burning. I

would say it is absolutely the cream, except that I used it in the past (before

I educated myself about bad ingredients) without problems. Maybe

psychosomatic? Either way, I think I will pitch it.

I ultimately re-washed, metrogelled and used some Sy lotion, took an aspirin,

put a cool damp cloth over my face, drank some ice water and went to bed. I

still have one hot spot this morning.

Lynn

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