The best laid plans...

On this diet, many of my minors have been better.  I am definitely less itchy and as my pictures demonstrate, the rash on my hands is gone as long as I am not reacting to something.  However, it does seem that while before this diet my overall health trajectory was a steady worsening with few bad episodes:

The last three weeks have felt more like this:

(I certainly need to get my new scanner installed.)

Why am I suddenly getting more severe episodes?  Before this diet I could tell that I was overall getting worse such that as the month progressed my overall symptoms were slightly worse but I was not having severe episodes.  I could eat whatever without reacting, I could go to stores and be around people with perfume/cologne without severe issues.  I could keep up with household chores and get dinner on the table on time each night.

Now, I have severe episodes that knock me out for several days.  Laundry piles up, my floors need to be cleaned and I just can’t tackle any particular task in my house.  I am easily overwhelmed all the time and so tired.  I am very blessed, though, with a wonderful husband that did catch up all my laundry last night which was a wonderful help.  He has always taken this illness seriously even when encouraged by others not to do so.

To top it off, the episode yesterday almost required me to go the ER.  I took some Vitamin C (another mast cell stabilizer) and Quercetin which stopped the escalating symptoms.  However, even though I was now stable apparently enough histamine, and perhaps other allergic immune compounds, made it to my breast milk and caused by nursing ten month to have an awful night in which he cried almost continuously.  If you recall, I have personal evidence that my children’s reflux/GERD was likely impacted by my mast cell issues.  I finally remembered that I had children’s liquid Benadryl in the house and gave that to him at 4 am.  By 4:30 am he was sleeping peacefully.  He woke at 6:30 to nurse again and went back to sleep until 10 am.  After breakfast, he played for a bit, nursed at 11:30 am and then went back to sleep.  Nothing breaks a mother’s heart more then having a screaming baby that cannot be comforted.

A low histamine diet transiting to a high nutrient, anti-inflammatory might not be easily attainable for me.  I was hopeful that my Aspirin/NSAID allergy would not be an issue for me.  However, many of the natural foods that I am now eating contain salicylates.  Aspirin is a salicylate.

I have regularly lamented my allergy to Aspirin and all of the relatives.  When you have things like fibromyalgia, nerve pain, bone pain and inflammation regularly Tylenol simply doesn't cut it.  Doctors are leery to prescribe narcotics and steroids for an invisible illness and I am not a big fan of those drugs anyway.  So, is one born with a high pain tolerance or does one develop a high pain tolerance?

But, I digress.

It seems that I need to treat more than just a mast cell issue here.  I also have a significant problem with many “healthy” natural foods.  Is it possible that some day I will be able to transition to a high nutrient, anti-inflammatory diet?  Certainly.  But right now I need to likely get some help from a medical doctor.  Aspirin desensitization has been recommended for me in the past and that might be my next step.