Re: Special diet

[Guest guest]

Hi a...I wish I could answer your questions - and I wish there were

something I could say to help you right this minute!!! I just wanted to let

you know that you are not alone (I don't know what time zone you are in -

but here ist is 10:45pm (EST) and - just in case no one else answered, I

wanted you to know that someone is thinking of you right now..It sounds like

you had a really rough day...

I hope someone has some better suggestions - I'm just mentioning things that

i have done when the suffering was too much (like when my anxiety gets too

too bad because of the pain or itching or frustration of it all, I take a

little xanax - just to get through)...then, of course, there is the

controversial fasting - in the past, when i have gotten so desperate -

feeling that ANYTHING that i put in my mouth set me off, i would go on a

juice fast for one two or three days - that seemed to break my worst

cycles....Also to avoid taking prednisone, or to " get away " with a lower

dose of prednisone I have also taken little bits of heavy duty pain

medication (1/4 of percodan)...I have not seen anyone else write about

taking such strong pain medication or tranquillizers, but they have

certainly helped reduce some of my most severe suffering ...

meanwhile - I'm sure someone will answer your questions soon ....you sound

like you need fast immediate change/relief !!!!!!!!

Hope you (and me too) can get some sleep tonight....Sending you my best

wishes, Tree

Special diet

> Hi all.

>

> I've been doing terrible lately. Just when it seems like my " cocktail "

starts

> getting my hives under control... they appear again in full force. Today

I'v

> had a particularly horrible attack. I even got tachicardia from the

anxiety

> of my itching, with hives from head to toe. Literally!!! Does anyone else

get

> hives on their scalp? I get horrible ones there! Well, my question is the

> following: I am now on 30mg of Zyrtec, 180 of Allegra and 300 Zantac. I've

> also been taking Quercetin and Flaxseed oil for a few weeks. Nothing seems

to

> help. I've changed my diet, but have still been eating some protein like

> chicken and meat, and cold cuts... and occasionally cheese and milk

products.

> I have a weight problem and was on a very succesful run on the Atkins diet

> (lost 20 pounds, which I've managed to keep off). Then I found out most of

> the things I eat on this diet are HIGH HISTAMINE RELEASING FOODS and give

me

> horrendous hives. Now, I'm afraid to go on a potato / high carb diet

because

> I don't want to get the weight back on. But I can't stand the hives any

> longer... so I'm giving up protein to see if that helps. I want to try

> everything before I get on Prednisone. I really want to avoid that as much

as

> I can. My question is, is 40mg Zyrtec too much? What are some successful

> diets or websites where I can get info so I can formulate my own low

> histamine releasing foods diet. Water and potatoes??? I'm that desperate!

>

> Take care and God bless you all, a

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> If you do wish to unsubscribe then you can click on the following link:

> urticaria-unsubscribeegroups

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

> This list is in the service of those who suffer from Chronic Urticaria

(hives). We strive to support and lift each other as a worldwide

cyber-family.

>

> We share whatever needs to be shared to help one another in our struggle

with Chronic Urticria. Information provided in this forum is not to be taken

as medical advice. Always consult your health professional before trying

anything new.

>

> Any posting that is off the main topic of Chronic Urticaria, we post with

a prefix of NCU -. This is done out of respect for those who do not wish to

read such postings.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello a,

Sorry you had a rough day,just hang in there.

Zyrtec manufacturers have only tested up to 3 tablets a day, so I

don't think that you should go past that amount.

Jazad

> Hi a...I wish I could answer your questions - and I wish there

were

> something I could say to help you right this minute!!! I just

wanted to let

> you know that you are not alone (I don't know what time zone you

are in -

> but here ist is 10:45pm (EST) and - just in case no one else

answered, I

> wanted you to know that someone is thinking of you right now..It

sounds like

> you had a really rough day...

>

> I hope someone has some better suggestions - I'm just mentioning

things that

> i have done when the suffering was too much (like when my anxiety

gets too

> too bad because of the pain or itching or frustration of it all, I

take a

> little xanax - just to get through)...then, of course, there is the

> controversial fasting - in the past, when i have gotten so

desperate -

> feeling that ANYTHING that i put in my mouth set me off, i would go

on a

> juice fast for one two or three days - that seemed to break my worst

> cycles....Also to avoid taking prednisone, or to " get away " with a

lower

> dose of prednisone I have also taken little bits of heavy duty pain

> medication (1/4 of percodan)...I have not seen anyone else write

about

> taking such strong pain medication or tranquillizers, but they have

> certainly helped reduce some of my most severe suffering ...

>

> meanwhile - I'm sure someone will answer your questions

soon ....you sound

> like you need fast immediate change/relief !!!!!!!!

>

> Hope you (and me too) can get some sleep tonight....Sending you my

best

> wishes, Tree

>

> Special diet

>

>

> > Hi all.

> >

> > I've been doing terrible lately. Just when it seems like

my " cocktail "

> starts

> > getting my hives under control... they appear again in full

force. Today

> I'v

> > had a particularly horrible attack. I even got tachicardia from

the

> anxiety

> > of my itching, with hives from head to toe. Literally!!! Does

anyone else

> get

> > hives on their scalp? I get horrible ones there! Well, my

question is the

> > following: I am now on 30mg of Zyrtec, 180 of Allegra and 300

Zantac. I've

> > also been taking Quercetin and Flaxseed oil for a few weeks.

Nothing seems

> to

> > help. I've changed my diet, but have still been eating some

protein like

> > chicken and meat, and cold cuts... and occasionally cheese and

milk

> products.

> > I have a weight problem and was on a very succesful run on the

Atkins diet

> > (lost 20 pounds, which I've managed to keep off). Then I found

out most of

> > the things I eat on this diet are HIGH HISTAMINE RELEASING FOODS

and give

> me

> > horrendous hives. Now, I'm afraid to go on a potato / high carb

diet

> because

> > I don't want to get the weight back on. But I can't stand the

hives any

> > longer... so I'm giving up protein to see if that helps. I want

to try

> > everything before I get on Prednisone. I really want to avoid

that as much

> as

> > I can. My question is, is 40mg Zyrtec too much? What are some

successful

> > diets or websites where I can get info so I can formulate my own

low

> > histamine releasing foods diet. Water and potatoes??? I'm that

desperate!

> >

> > Take care and God bless you all, a

> >

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> > If you do wish to unsubscribe then you can click on the following

link:

> > urticaria-unsubscribeegroups

> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> >

> > This list is in the service of those who suffer from Chronic

Urticaria

> (hives). We strive to support and lift each other as a worldwide

> cyber-family.

> >

> > We share whatever needs to be shared to help one another in our

struggle

> with Chronic Urticria. Information provided in this forum is not to

be taken

> as medical advice. Always consult your health professional before

trying

> anything new.

> >

> > Any posting that is off the main topic of Chronic Urticaria, we

post with

> a prefix of NCU -. This is done out of respect for those who do

not wish to

> read such postings.

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Thank you for responding Tree and Jazas. Sure enough, I feel better this

morning... it's a bran new day at least. Take care, a

[Guest guest]

Thank you so very much for these sites. I'll get on them right away!

Thank you! a

[Guest guest]

Hi a,

Sorry to hear that you're having such a bad time.

Below you will find some links that I copied from the

board by another member on diet's. I thought it may

come in handy. Hope this helps.

Carla

The diet I'm on that is low in " biogenic amines " (like

histamine and

tyramine), which alter blood vessel permeability and

contractability.

There's a web page that describes the foods that are

low and high in amines:

http://www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk/library/articles/am_food.htm

There's another class of foods with salicylates

(aspirin-like compounds) that a lot of people are

sensitive to. Here's some web sites for the low

salicylate diet (I tried this last January without

luck):

http://members.tripod.com/kathskorner/html/salicylate.html

http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/Food/Salicylate.html

http://www.allergysa.org/histavoid.htm

One of my favorite sites, very good info on

salicylates and what to avoid:

http://www.everybody.co.nz/docsq_w/salicylt.htm

This link looks like a really good detailed list:

http://allergies.about.com/health/allergies/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%\

2F%2Fwww.zipworld.com.au%2F%7Eataraxy%2FSalic_03.txt

Plus there's some interesting general info at:

http://allergies.about.com/health/allergies/cs/salicylate/

--- spg1227@... wrote:

<HR>

<html><body>

<tt>

Hi all.<BR>

<BR>

I've been doing terrible lately. Just when it seems

like my & quot;cocktail & quot; starts <BR>

getting my hives under control... they appear again in

full force. Today I'v <BR>

had a particularly horrible attack. I even got

tachicardia from the anxiety <BR>

of my itching, with hives from head to toe.

Literally!!! Does anyone else get <BR>

hives on their scalp? I get horrible ones there! Well,

my question is the <BR>

following: I am now on 30mg of Zyrtec, 180 of Allegra

and 300 Zantac. I've <BR>

also been taking Quercetin and Flaxseed oil for a few

weeks. Nothing seems to <BR>

help. I've changed my diet, but have still been eating

some protein like <BR>

chicken and meat, and cold cuts... and occasionally

cheese and milk products. <BR>

I have a weight problem and was on a very succesful

run on the Atkins diet <BR>

(lost 20 pounds, which I've managed to keep off). Then

I found out most of <BR>

the things I eat on this diet are HIGH HISTAMINE

RELEASING FOODS and give me <BR>

horrendous hives. Now, I'm afraid to go on a potato /

high carb diet because <BR>

I don't want to get the weight back on. But I can't

stand the hives any <BR>

longer... so I'm giving up protein to see if that

helps. I want to try <BR>

everything before I get on Prednisone. I really want

to avoid that as much as <BR>

I can. My question is, is 40mg Zyrtec too much? What

are some successful <BR>

diets or websites where I can get info so I can

formulate my own low <BR>

histamine releasing foods diet. Water and potatoes???

I'm that desperate! <BR>

<BR>

Take care and God bless you all, a<BR>

</tt>

<br>

<tt>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>

If you do wish to unsubscribe then you can click on

the following link:<BR>

& nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp;

urticaria-unsubscribeegroups<BR>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<BR>

<BR>

This list is in the service of those who suffer from

Chronic Urticaria (hives). We strive to support and

lift each other as a worldwide cyber-family. <BR>

<BR>

We share whatever needs to be shared to help one

another in our struggle with Chronic Urticria.

Information provided in this forum is not to be taken

as medical advice. Always consult your health

professional before trying anything new.<BR>

<BR>

Any posting that is off the main topic of Chronic

Urticaria, we post with a prefix of NCU -. & nbsp; This

is done out of respect for those who do not wish to

read such postings.</tt>

<br>

<br>

<tt>

[Guest guest]

Hi a:

Carla quoted the web sites in her e-mail that I suggested to another

person a few weeks ago. I've been on a histamine and food

coloring-free diet for about a month now with very good results. I've

had hives for a total of 2 years, but about six months ago they

started going completely out of control and even 40mgs of

methyprednisolone didn't supress them. I've been on a prednisone

" roller-coaster " for the past six months where I would go on the

prednisone, slowly come off of it, and then my hives would get

progressively worse and worse (never better from one day to the next,

only worse) until I was back on highs doeses of prednisone. I also

take 40 mgs of Zyrtec a day (20 mgs in AM, 20mgs in PM) and 150 mgs

twice-a-day of Zantac.

When I started the histamine and food coloring-free diet, I was on 24

mgs of methylprednisolone per day, with tons of hives breaking

through. The next day after starting this diet, I had NO hives. Not

even one tiny one! I was amazed and thrilled! I had a few setbacks

while I was still learning the diet (e.g., ate some popcorn at the

movies, but of course the " butter " isn't real and has lots of food

coloring--oops!), but I'm slowly coming off the prednisone and doing

pretty well. I still have some hives, but they aren't escalating in

severity--some days they're worse and some days they're

better--usually in relation to how strictly I've followed the diet the

day before. I feel like I have my life back, albeit with about 30

extra pounds from the prednisone. I've rejoined my community choir

that I quit six months ago because I was so depressed, and I'm trying

to get pregnant (something that I have been wanting to do for the past

two years).

The " Food Can Make You Ill " web site that lists foods with varying

amounts of amines seems to have some mistakes in it. I recommend that

you buy the following book. You can get it at Amazon.com (I don't

work at amazon.com, nor do I own any of their stock--I merely suggest

this as a way to get the book within a few days if you don't have

access to a very comprehensive bookstore):

Dietary Management of Food Allergies & Intolerances : A Comprehensive

Guide

by Janice Vickerstoff Joneja (Paperback - March 1998)

$38.00

The woman who wrote this book is a nutritionist and has two sons with

food intolerances. It's a GREAT book and includes a section on a diet

to try for urticaria and angioedema that eliminates histamines as well

as food colorings (I found that food colorings in particular give me

angioedema). It also has about 15 other diets to try for other food

sensitivities. This book is the best $38 I ever spent!

In your e-mail you list that you are eating cheese and some other

dairy products. This diet excludes all diary products except milk,

cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and panir (an Indian cheese). I find

though, that I react to even some cottage cheeses, so I've eliminated

all dairy except for milk (and cream in ice cream). I try to eat the

freshest food I can and now shop mostly at a food co-op with organic

foods.

Good luck!

> Hi all.

>

> I've been doing terrible lately. Just when it seems like my

" cocktail " starts

> getting my hives under control... they appear again in full force.

Today I'v

> had a particularly horrible attack. I even got tachicardia from the

anxiety

> of my itching, with hives from head to toe. Literally!!! Does anyone

else get

> hives on their scalp? I get horrible ones there! Well, my question

is the

> following: I am now on 30mg of Zyrtec, 180 of Allegra and 300

Zantac. I've

> also been taking Quercetin and Flaxseed oil for a few weeks. Nothing

seems to

> help. I've changed my diet, but have still been eating some protein

like

> chicken and meat, and cold cuts... and occasionally cheese and milk

products.

> I have a weight problem and was on a very succesful run on the

Atkins diet

> (lost 20 pounds, which I've managed to keep off). Then I found out

most of

> the things I eat on this diet are HIGH HISTAMINE RELEASING FOODS and

give me

> horrendous hives. Now, I'm afraid to go on a potato / high carb diet

because

> I don't want to get the weight back on. But I can't stand the hives

any

> longer... so I'm giving up protein to see if that helps. I want to

try

> everything before I get on Prednisone. I really want to avoid that

as much as

> I can. My question is, is 40mg Zyrtec too much? What are some

successful

> diets or websites where I can get info so I can formulate my own low

> histamine releasing foods diet. Water and potatoes??? I'm that

desperate!

>

> Take care and God bless you all, a

[Guest guest]

Dear :

Yo have no idea how thankful I am for your detailed and helpful response. I'm

getting the book you recommended today!!! Also, I'm really happy to hear your

hives are pretty much under control with this diet, and sincerely hope it

stays that way for good! I haven't been good about eating healthy stuff... I

actually love red meat and sweets and ice cream! But, since I'm trying to

lose weight anyways, I think this diet is a blessing. Maybe my hives are a

blessing in disguise? The universe saying to me: enough is enough!!! You've

eaten enough junk for two lifetimes!!! Now stop it! lol

Well, whatever it is, I'm determined to make the best of it, and achieve a

quality life inspite of my hives. by the way, how do you feel when you eat

brown rice? Is that an ok food? Thanks again and stay healthy, a

[Guest guest]

Hi a:

Good luck with the diet! Actually, the histamine and food

coloring-free diet is pretty easy to stick to, so I don't feel very

deprived. Plus, I have an incredible incentive because my hives are

so reduced. I've tried the yeast-free diet (yikes...that was hard)

and the salicylate-free diet (not as hard, but harder than

histamine-free) with no improvement in my hives. I have found that

I'm paying a huge amount of attention to what I eat (far more than I

ever did in the past), and I go the the store far more often than I

used to because the meat that I eat has to be very fresh.

I can include some " sinful " foods such as steak (allowed!), home-made

tapioca pudding, " Kozy Shack " rice pudding (their tapioca contains

annatto, a food dye made from plant seeds that some people may react

to), Breyer's pure french vanilla ice cream (you know, the one from

the commercial with the kid trying to name all the chemicals in

regular ice cream, then reads off the simple ingredients in Breyer's

vanilla), and maple syrup (the Breyer's is great with maple syrup when

the plain old vanilla gets boring). I do miss chocolate and actually

cheated by having some chocolate chip cookies at choir last week--and

my hives were worse the next day. Oh yeah, I also had HaagenDaz (sp?)

" Dulce De Leche " ice cream (YUM!) the other day with no problem. I can

also eat melons, pears and apples (maybe bananas), so I can get my " 5

fruits and veggies per day " as the nutritionists recommend.

I eat jasmine white rice mixed with chicken and allowed veggies (red

pepper, asparagus, etc.) with garlic for dinner at least once a week.

It seems to be OK for me. I really don't care much for brown rice.

The diet list says no teas at all, but I'm cheating by having half a

cup of green tea (green tea is non-fermented) in the morning for my

caffeine fix. Otherwise I drink water, milk, and some lemonade,

though the lemonade is cheating again. " Talking Rain " sparkling water

is really nice as a soda substitute---you get the bubbles without the

sugar or caffeine and it adds variety.

I'm still trying different things that aren't on the diet list to see

what reaction I'll get. However, when it seems that my hives are

acting up, I go back to what I know absolutely works: chicken baked

without the skin (I cover the pan with tin-foil to make it " steamed "

and moist) and corn-on-the-cob with butter and salt. It's a

satisfying dinner and I don't feel deprived at all.

The biology behind eating low-histamine foods is that people who have

chronic urticaria might have an enzyme in their intestine (diamine

oxidase) that doesn't work as well as in " non-urticarians. " This

enzyme normally breaks down histamines in food, and if you don't have

enough of it, the histamine can get into your blood stream and set off

a reaction...hence the hives. There have been medical studies that

show that a low-histamine diet helped the majority of people in the

study with chronic urticaria (I don't have the journal article

reference on me at the moment). This is what convinced me to try the

diet in the first place. I'm a molecular biologist and like to have

clinical evidence of things that work.

I sincerely hope that this diet will work for you. When you get the

book, try the diet especially for people with chronic urticaria and

angioedema. There's another diet listed for low-histamine only, but I

found that the urticaria diet is best.

Good luck and let me know if I can help out in any way. Where do you

live? I'm in Seattle, WA.

> Dear :

>

> Yo have no idea how thankful I am for your detailed and helpful

response. I'm

> getting the book you recommended today!!! Also, I'm really happy to

hear your

> hives are pretty much under control with this diet, and sincerely

hope it

> stays that way for good! I haven't been good about eating healthy

stuff... I

> actually love red meat and sweets and ice cream! But, since I'm

trying to

> lose weight anyways, I think this diet is a blessing. Maybe my hives

are a

> blessing in disguise? The universe saying to me: enough is enough!!!

You've

> eaten enough junk for two lifetimes!!! Now stop it! lol

> Well, whatever it is, I'm determined to make the best of it, and

achieve a

> quality life inspite of my hives. by the way, how do you feel when

you eat

> brown rice? Is that an ok food? Thanks again and stay healthy,

a