So this might be a weird one because I can just look this up anywhere, but Ive been dealing with some vexing medical problems the past year and I just want to see how allergies affect others. Maybe hearing from regular people instead of doctors will ease my mind a bit. A little back-story on my issue (though I'm not looking for a diagnosis), almost exactly a year ago I developed sever constant chronic rhino-sinusitis. I am constantly having to clear my throat and snort/sniffle. Its non stop every 30 seconds or so and no matter what combo of meds I take for allergies, nothing really helps. I have never had allergies before (that i know of) and all of a sudden, after well over 40 years on this earth, I'm allergic to everything. And I do have allergies. According to the test I took a few months ago, I tested positive for 45 out of 50 allergens they tested for. To make a long story short, every doctor I go to says its allergies. Says to get allergy shots and keep taking sprays and pills everyday etc. Nothing brings me any relief. I'm on the strongest sprays that are killing my sinuses and multiple 24hr allergy pills (Doctor ordered), and its almost like I'm not taking anything. So my questions to you wonderful people:
- What do allergies feel like for you?
- Are they constant or do you have flareups?
- Do meds help you significantly?
- Am I just being a big baby and how I feel is just what allergies feel like?
I know this is subjective and everyone will have different answers and that's fine. Honestly, I don't really have anyone to bounce ideas off of and talk about this, so this is as much a way for me to scream into the void and vent, as it is to gather info. Again, I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just your personal anecdotes so I can put my own situation into perspective. Love all of you peeps, thanks in advance for any replies!
Edit- Mods, I realize this kinda flirts with rule 3, please feel free to remove it if you so deem.
If you're allergic to everything, it may interest you to look into mast cell activation or histamine intolerance. There's also a theory in alternative medicine circles (and an entire Ray Peat forum which is simultaneously informative and nonsensical) about your fat-soluble vitamins which are involved with autoimmune/allergy issues and can be out of whack. And so their answer is to take larger amounts of fat soluble vitamins. This can be dangerous if done with animal derived sources of vitamin A, like your skin can start sloughing off and you get wicked nausea and diarrhea and headaches. Theoretically, these symptoms in the Ray Peat world mean you need more vitamins D, E, and K to balance the vitamin A toxicity effects. An imbalance of fat soluble vitamins (too much or too little of any of them) can contribute theoretically to certain types of diseases/conditions.
I have an issue with absorbing fats/food and my allergies are worse when I'm having flare ups, so I do see some merit in this theory. I have found that supplementing fat soluble vitamins, (+omega 3 and 9, and various other B vitamins and vitamin C, and zinc and iron and copper and selenium), has helped my allergies out a ton. I really really recommend that if you have systemic allergies like this, to see if supplements/vitamins help.
Im taking doctor prescribed D2 and B12 along with Folic acid. My blood work always shows those as being low so maybe there is something to this. Ill have to bring it up to my doc next time, thanks!