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In another thread, (about MRT testing), Mary Beth made the following comment, which reminded me of the fact that I believe that hormones are one of the largely overlooked, (by mainstream medicine, at least), but very important modulators affecting the onset and/or recurrence of MC symptoms.
Obviously, puberty is a life stage in which hormones are, (for the first time, since birth), a dominant factor in many processes involved in development and growth. In view of the wide-ranging effects that they can have on chemical processes in so many systems of the body, it's not surprising that they might also have a profound effect on the immune system.My son is back to eating some of his reds without trouble but I think it is temporary. I spoke to Dr, Fine about a month ago and we talked about this. He told me that sometimes kids go into remission with food sensitivities around puberty but then they return in their 20s.
That's why I feel that the "experts" who claim that "kids will outgrow food sensitivities" don't know what they're talking about - that's a very short-sighted view. Sure, they may outgrow them while they're passing through puberty, but once the hormones settle down to a more normal level, those food sensitivities that have been put on hold for so many years, will once again begin to develop, and eventually cause significant symptoms, that if ignored long enough, will probably lead to more serious problems, somewhere down the road.
A similar event happens with pregnancy. Some women find that their MC symptoms virtually disappear during pregnancy, while others find that they become much worse. There doesn't seem to be any neutral ground - in virtually all cases, the intensity of symptoms are drastically shifted in one direction or the other.
The point I'm trying to make is that regardless of what happens during responses to pronounced hormonal excursions, when the hormone levels return to a more normal state, most people find that their symptomatic status returns to whatever it was prior to the hormonal changes. Note that this also applies to cases where the use of HRT triggers MC symptoms. Stopping the treatment will virtually always resolve the symptoms, (if they were originally initiated due to a hormonal response).
Is it just a coincidence that many women develop MC during perimenopause, or soon after menopause? Probably not, because the hormonal changes that occur then are quite significant, and, of course, they become permanent. Men go through a similar, (though less dramatic, and usually more gradual), change.
Maybe it's just my imagination, but I get the impression that the hormonal changes connected with puberty, seem to have a predominantly positive effect on immune system characteristics, as far as MC is concerned, (and possibly other autoimmune issues). On the other hand, the attenuation of those hormone levels, later in life, seem to have a predominately negative effect on the immune system characteristics that affect MC.
At least that's how I see it.
Tex
