@gbs, @claire and @herondreams,
This is in response to your kind posts to me under the ‘Prayer List” thread.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experiences. Although I’ve known how much stress can physically affect me, I sometimes forget that it causes inflammation. Duh...! ? So when you combine all of those stressors – food reactions, emotional and physical stress, etc. – our bodies are on fire. No wonder they can go haywire.
I’ve been having the IBS/GI issues at least a month before the "allergic" food reactions began. Those reactions have been strange – nauseous, hot, lightheaded, tachycardia, and then my blood pressure goes through the roof. I've never had that happen before. The first time it occurred was about 5 weeks ago; we called 911 because I also had chest burning and a searing headache. The EMTs found nothing wrong – oxygen levels, EKG, etc. were okay. They stayed with me until my BP normalized (which is usually 115/70).
@gbs, I can relate to the intensity of hormonal changes. There’s a reason they call it “change of Life” – at least it was for me! My adrenals were shot. After I ended up on short-term disability from how sick I became during menopause, I had the gift of time and self-reflection. Something good came out of it – I soon left that job and found another much less stressful. (I’m retired now.)
@claire, so interesting about your sudden sensitivities to nightshades. I began reacting to those years ago while I was experiencing an aggressive bout of rheumatoid arthritis (thankfully that appears to be in remission). Nightshades contain chemicals that can contribute to leaky gut and stimulate and exaggerate an immune response, especially in those people with autoimmune diseases. I am able to eat tomatoes, but in small doses. Potatoes are also okay. Eggplant, which I love, creates havoc for me so I avoid it. (Bye bye, eggplant parmesan!) Thanks for suggesting the probiotic and carrying antihistamines.
@herondreams, so true that so much is interconnected! Like you I’ve learned recently that I have histamine intolerance – something called mast cell disorder. It seems to cause problems for me when seasonal allergies are active, and my stress (emotional) levels are high. The problem is the reactions can mimic those of a severe food allergy. There are a lot of foods that either contain or produce histamine, at varying levels, many quite nutritious (e.g. spinach, fermented foods, avocados). I’ve read that you need not totally eliminate them (unless there is an allergy); the trick is to balance those with others that do not contain it. The amino acid tyramine contained in some foods can also create problems.
Thanks again for your feedback, everyone.
The food intolerance thing is SO crazy-making--I feel you! And HUGS!! My husband is allergic to MSG and he gets heated, tachycardia, BP elevation, etc. with food reactions. There were times he almost went to the ER in the middle of the night, thinking he was having a heart attack, and then realized there may have been MSG in his food. Taking taurine helps his body recover more quickly. He also has some tyramine sensitivity, which started when he got Lyme disease several years ago.
I'm fortunate that my histamine reactions are fairly mild--rashes and hives. Often on my face, which isn't fun or attractive, but not worth giving up cheese and chocolate for. I'm strictly gluten free, and since I eliminated gluten 100%, I've been better able to notice when other foods cause spikes in inflammation. When it gets to a certain level, I watch my diet, but I love me my raw cacao! And right now it is strawberry season and I am enjoying them! They've always been my favorite, but they make me blotchy too.
You might experiment with L-theanine and different adaptogens to see if something might help your body resolve stress more easily. I always take it on an ampry stomach in the morning when I expect a more stressful day. It has been a must on grocery shopping days--even before COVID-19 hit.
And it is such a vicious cycle: stress affects your digestion, your gut flora--all of it, and in turn, you become more easily anxious, which ramps up the cortisol and makes you more stressed, and... aaaarrrrggh!
Hope your nerves & GI system settle down soon!
@herondreams, Wow ... I actually felt comforted when I read about your hubby's reactions -- not that he was miserable; just that I'm not alone with those responses. They were identical to mine! Thank you for mentioning taurine. I'm meeting with my integrative doctor tomorrow, so I will ask him about it.
Oh yes -- l-theanine! I love that stuff. My doctor recommended it, so I have multiple bottles at home. I've been taking it at night before bed, but I should probably add it during the day. The problem is that it can make me very tired, and I am already fatigued. But I guess better tired than wired.
Strawberries -- been eating way too many of those until I had that first reaction. That meal didn't contain strawberries, but better safe than sorry. I'm still eating 88% dark chocolate without any issues; also some cheese (except for blue, which I love).
I'm sure that if we polled everyone who frequents this site, we'd find many people who have food intolerances.
Thanks again!
@ghandigirl I completely understand I don't get on social media very often anymore, i only facetime my family to see them and that's about it. When i get freaked out I listen to some soothing music, have a warm bubble bath, or read a book to relax. I get a little freaked out too but I tell myself deep down i know everything will be alright I just need to focus on the now and the future will unfold and won't be as bad as I think it will be. ? we are always here for you.
Checking in just to let everyone know that I'm alright. I've been seeing my counsel today. She suggested that I should get in touch with another therapist where they can do a comprehensive look into some of the things that have been clawing me in the back of my mind, where they can work together to get me back onto the recovery road.
I'm not going to lie and say it's now gone. My depression and other underlying illness won't be disappearing overnight, nor the questions about justice I've been getting since the Pell case has ended, but I am trying to fight through this dark haze as humanly as possible. I still want to close this awful chapter and move on to the next, rather than ending in a sad way. I would look forward to something more quieter and meaningful once this whole storm is over, like doing some beekeeping and art, while married with a nice spouse who understands me and the occasional theatre display in the courtroom to just annoy a criminal defense lawyer. For justice of course.
Thanks for the prayers and the love. They mean a lot to me. ? ❤️
Very relieved to hear that you are essentially ok. Keep checking in here, or just reply on any thread about any thing. Glad the counseling is working out positively. Keep going.
Praying for you and sending you so much love and light! You are courageous to tell us all! ? ❤️ ?
Aw i'm sorry. This is a time of great loss. We sensitives feel this acutely. I too have been depressed and extremely overwhelmed. I have had to do a lot of thought replacement and it gets tiring.
It can feel so bleak but it's like a spider web in the dark and then it becomes backlit with dew and light in the early morning. The darkness is no less beautiful than the light.
I am imagining your name and surrounding you in healing energy and light. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to you and remind myself.
I put my health above all else. I am digging in so as not to slip any further. I surround myself and you with a protection of white light, and invoke peace of mind to our highest good.
and all of you heart warriors and light workers, now is our time. Allyn sounded the shofar...
Time to hold the fragile, & powerful earth in our sway.
Posted by @ghandigirl:
It can feel so bleak but it's like a spider web in the dark and then it becomes backlit with dew and light in the early morning. The darkness is no less beautiful than the light.
ghandigirl, how beautiful! Thank you.