Critterina's Histamine Intolerance Journal

[Critterina]

Well then that leaves the peppermint.

Peppermint is a vermifuge.. so could be! Edit- wait, was it a vermifuge, or was it other intestinal parasites that it messes with? Any one know?

 

[Gondwanaland]

@Critterina @ahmo

Ladies, I must consider the absorption sublingual vs. stomach

 

[ahmo]

I've been thinking about this and other matters re my improved status today. I no longer get hung up when I can't cite the science. My gently bewildered brain, as I've seen so aptly put recently, does not assimilate pathways and scientific evidence. But I can assure you that FMN has done what I can only call the miraculous, for me. I just completed my first iherb order in some years that didn't have anything beyond the most basic. I've ceased needing the range of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory and mast cell stabilizers that were making my life bearable. All of them. Including Neuroprotek, which, for me, was about brain storms. Now it's vitamins, minerals, EFA's, digestive. I'm eating some fermented food, and garlic.

Actually, it's bigger than that. I've just remembered the whole collection of things I'd been having by footbath. None any more. Bicarb, Vit C, Ca, biotin. the need for daily GABA and glycine had ended some time earlier, I think.

There was a dramatic reduction in these things with FMN, and after the fast, whichever of my life support system I was still using, ceased to be necessary. This is exactly what @ppodhajski reported happening for him. In the same way that I was able to experience all the benefits as promised with Freddd's Protocol, FMN has done something radical for me. He related it directly to MAO-A. I share that ++ as well. Sorry, no intention to hijack your thread.

 

[Critterina]

@ahmo ,

No worries about hijacking, sweetie! we get some of the best info sometimes when we take detours. I'm really happy for you that the FMN has been so life-changing.

I cut my supplements by about half this year. Partly some things started bothering me, like Vitamin D giving me a headache. Partly because once I could start eating better (not avoiding histamines) I figured I was getting much more nourishment through food. I'd be happy to try FMN instead of R5P if I could figure out the difference.

So, I did something a bit crazy yesterday.

Background: I was reacting two weeks ago at camp with the worst histamine reactions since my elimination diet in 2012. I did my prednisone protocol for histamine reaction, cleaned up my diet, and because my life has been physically demanding (oh, yeah, I start roof repairs tomorrow!) to do the fast, and because my stools are pre-4R, I'm doing the 4R gut rebuilding before I fast again.

Yesterday: for lunch I had a cup (generous 8 ounces) of yogurt with some strawberry "jam" (low pectin, low sugar) stirred in, just to see if I'd react. I didn't really, not noticeably anyway. So, wondering if my gut rebuilding was sufficient, and that I was back to being histamine tolerant, I had half a Trader Joe's Chana Masala over rice. Ok, so that did it. My nasal passages narrowed so that I used Afrin in one nostril to keep the air flow sufficient for the evening. I woke up with puffy cheeks and lips today, but I'm better by noon. Although unpleasant, this is much, much better than before the elimination diet of 2012, and better by far than two weeks ago at camp. The 4R hasn't changed my stools yet, but net reactivity is down.

I'm still going to eat 'low' histamine. I'm still going to do a third fast. Just wanted to make this post. Best of health to all!

 

[Critterina]

I did the third fast. They keep getting easier - less headaches, less bathroom problems. It seems to be working. I've been eating out a lot since - visitors, birthday celebrations, and a potluck - and I have to say that I may be reacting a small amount, but nothing worrisome. With all this food, I think I felt better on my fast than I do now.

 

[ahmo]

I've been eating out a lot since

I think I felt better on my fast than I do now.

 

[Critterina]

Grrr! I smoked salmon for Independence Day yesterday, and woke struggling with my breath today. Albuterol, Afrin, and Prednisone high dose first thing in the morning. Now to package up that salmon, since I'm not going to be the one eating it.

My guess is that I need to do a gut rebuilding program at least to the point that my BMs are brown (not the color of the MicroSoft Outlook icon) before I fast. That's what I did the first time, when the results lasted for 3 months. This has only been about 10 days. Will get to work on it. But I didn't write down what worked last time, so I'll have to shoot for brown. And brown that stays for a week after I get off the gut rebuilding supplements. I should have known it was getting too easy.

 

[ahmo]

@Critterina grrrr. I don't know whether this will be useful, as you may indeed need a broader gut program. But I've had excellent results with chanca piedra, initially for resolving acute gall bladder pain, and then for maintenance. When my BMs became pale, taking or increasing my dosage created normal color within 1-2 days. good luck, hop you're breathing freely now.

 

[Waldemath]

@ahmo What caused your acute gall bladder pain? Food sensitivities? I have had that problem sporadically throughout my life (at least I think it was the gall bladder). The pain usually lasts for a few days and is excruciating.

Sorry if this is off topic. I am going to read through the rest of this thread when I have time.

 

[Critterina]

@Critterina grrrr. I don't know whether this will be useful, as you may indeed need a broader gut program. But I've had excellent results with chanca piedra, initially for resolving acute gall bladder pain, and then for maintenance. When my BMs became pale, taking or increasing my dosage created normal color within 1-2 days. good luck, hop you're breathing freely now.

Thanks for the tip. I don't have a gall bladder, so I'm not sure if that's an herb that's suitable for me or not. No gall bladder - can't stimulate it to dump bile. (But my surgeon thinks I may have set a world record for stones!) Hmmm.

When I did the 4R program, it was very unscientific, but after 8 weeks (and maybe sooner - because I didn't write it down, I don't think) plus some days off I did the lactulose-mannitol intestinal permeability test and came in between 1 and 2 standard deviations. So, not great but not bad, and ruled out Celiac (thank God - everybody and their doctor tells me it's gluten, but it's not.) Previous attempts made temporary changes to brown that reversed when I stopped taking the whatever.

Yes, I'm breathing well. I may just go back to my regular meds/supps if I'm still good tomorrow.

 

[ahmo]

What caused your acute gall bladder pain? Food sensitivities?

I'm not certain. Started about 4-6 months into GAPS diet, which I've continued on. Possibly too much fat at that time, although the pain was many months into my hi fat diet. Cnanca Piedra's also helpful for kidney, liver. Wikipedia: P. niruri is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used for problems of the stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney and spleen, The plant has also been used in Brazil and Peru as an herbal remedy for kidney stones.

@Critterina oh dear, all this and no gb as well.:thumbdown:

 

[Gondwanaland]

I'm not certain. Started about 4-6 months into GAPS diet, which I've continued on. Possibly too much fat at that time, although the pain was many months into my hi fat diet. Cnanca Piedra's also helpful for kidney, liver. Wikipedia: P. niruri is an important plant of Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine which is used for problems of the stomach, genitourinary system, liver, kidney and spleen, The plant has also been used in Brazil and Peru as an herbal remedy for kidney stones.

@Critterina oh dear, all this and no gb as well.:thumbdown:

I suspect you were purging oxalates at that time, Ahmo. On a side note, the infamous stones purged by liver flushes are oxalate stones.

 

[Valentijn]

I suspect you were purging oxalates at that time, Ahmo. On a side note, the infamous stones purged by liver flushes are oxalate stones.

I thought the general scientific consensus was that the lumps resulting from "liver flushes" were just saponified olive oil. Or is there some proof now that they're something else?

 

[Gondwanaland]

I thought the general scientific consensus was that the lumps resulting from "liver flushes" were just saponified olive oil. Or is there some proof now that they're something else?

If they were oil only they would be soft, and not stone-hard.

 

[ahmo]

I suspect you were purging oxalates at that time, Ahmo

no, not oxalates, no signs or symptoms of oxalate issues. The gb issues would have just preceded discovering the sulfur and histamine sensitivities. Rather more likely that this was early signs of liver overload, affecting gb, but not yet, or I was not yet attuned to, affecting adrenals.

 

[ahmo]

@Critterina A recent conversation led me to get out the bottle of B2 that poisoned me. I now realize I was wrong in my earlier posts re FMN/B2. I have edited them to indicate my negative experience had been from B2, not r5p.

 

[Critterina]

Hello critterina, you mentioned a bad reaction on shampoo. I have also scalpproblems after washing my hair, with colds, slight breathing problems, heart bouncing. I think this might be an allergic reaction?
Do you have any advice concerning the shampoo's to avoid or try?
Thank you.

I know now that my scalp problems were entirely caused by one of my hormone replacement medicines. Apparently I don't tolerate progesterone, although there was also some estrogen in that Rx.

 

[Critterina]

OK, time to start thinking about my fourth 3-day fast. I did pretty well these last three months, but it's September, and while I'm still getting away with murder (dietary histamines that would kill me - or at least make me wish I were dead), I'm still careful and have occasional reactions. I have two weeks within which to complete it, as I think I will have work again after that. My bowels are solid, and not as light, so I think I'm in pretty good shape gut-wise, but I'll do a few days of gut rebuilding. Scheduling is difficult, though, as I have so many contractors and so much home repair to get done - everything seems to have broken at once around here.

 

[Critterina]

Started yesterday, my 4th fast. No headache or intestinal problems the first day. I'm doing all my meds and supplements. I bought some lite salt (mostly potassium chloride) because I've been needing my coconut water lately and didn't want to forego the potassium. I mixed a half teaspoon in water - yuck. But I think it helped. Feeling pretty good, but with just 30 hours to go, starting to feel hungry and a little head-achy, but I haven't needed anything like aspirin or tums yet.

This morning I thought I'd stretch it past just water to some herbal tea. I love Pukka brand and found some yesterday that was called "cleanse" with nettle, fennel, peppermint, licorice and aloe. I love all these (except the aloe) in other teas, and aloe is good, just never had it in a tea before. Well, it didn't stay down. Hmm. I'm thinking that's not what they meant by "cleanse". Just water, thank you.

 

[ahmo]

oops. Hope the rest of the fast is uneventful. I've been contemplating my 2nd fast, probably by Nov. I've eaten a small piece of avocado 2 days in a row.(Straw berry was not welcomed.) + near-daily spoonful yogurt & sauerkraut.