My issue isn't with reflux, it's with flushing episodes and some other symptoms. I have been taking Zantac and Allegra daily except for a brief break for a few weeks when I had some other medical issues come up and couldn't take Zantac.
I take Allegra for allergies which I think is similar to Zyrtec. I don't have a script for Ketotiferon, or is it over the counter? If it's anything like Benadryl I won't be able to tolerate it, I can't tolerate that type of antihistamine but I do fine with Allegra if taken at bedtime not during the day.
Thanks for all the info. I'd love to see how you continue to do on the protocol, hopefully well. What are your main symptoms, they are mostly stomach? Mine is flushing and severe nasal congestion usually after eating and overall feeling of being ill, out of it, unwell that accompanies the flushing. I'm running out of foods I can eat that don't trigger it. Fish and vinegar are particularly bad for this problem for me.
I have bloating and reflux after eating gluten, amines, salicylates, sulphites, pretty much everything. However for the first couple of years I had severe hayfever with fatigue. This was before the full onset of cfs. Oddly enough, my hayfever symptoms have abated, although I have itchy and gritty eyes, but no sinus
I stick pretty much to what is called a fail-safe diet which is mostly free of the above:
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDEQFjAA&url=http://fedup.com.au/&ei=6FK7UMC8G4iziQe3moG4BA&usg=AFQjCNHLD-wFD4daxDOkS0twyDB5obRL3w
I am not sure of the mechanisms involved, or why they seem to wax and wane, but I suspect it has something to do with mast cell issues. Eg your symptoms, although they seem like h1 response, may be h2, hence I guess, why you are taking Zantac as a h2 receptor antagonist. Or they may be due more to mast cell activation, which is why unless you take specific mast cell stabilizers, you may not be able to control your symptoms.
Ketotiferon is not like Benadryl afaik. All the research says it is best stabilizer and extremely side-effect free. However, it can make you drowsy. I take it prior to going to sleep. It is also said to increase appetite.
It is quite cheap:
http://mymexicandrugstore.org/
Despite the name, lol, they are efficient and the source, although not provided on the site, is legit. It only took 2 weeks to get to Aust. There are also US specific sources, though you would need a script - google it.
You can also get zyrtec generics for a fraction of the price anywhere on the net. Zyrtec is very expensive here. I urge you to do more research on mast cell activation and visit specific sites, rather than get a half-assed story from me. There are also a couple of threads on this forum on mast cell activation disorders.
I am pretty sure that mast cells are involved to some extent in my case. As I said previously, although the rani worked pretty well for years, my reflux gradually worsened. The nexium had an immediate effect, so I can now tolerate the food issues to a greater extent. I am unsure if this means I should still avoid them though.