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After reading many posts and learning a bit about histamines, I am wondering if many others with MC also have rosacea. I'm beginning to think I am sensitive to histamines but don't know yet what else I am either sensitive to or allergic to. Does any else suffer from esophageal spasm? Most of my health issues seem to involve food and eating. They also seem to run in my family with 2 of us with MC, 4 of us with esophageal spasm but only one, me, with rosacea. I don't know if I posted this in the correct place. Thanks for any help you can give.
Sheila
Histamines and Rosacea
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Sheila,
Rosacea does seem to be one of the conditions with a possible link to gluten (a dear friend was diagnosed in high school or college, with both skin and eye involvement). You can find some specific mentions of it here, using the 'search' - which is up above in such big red letters that I was unable to find it for my first couple of weeks here (blush).
In my eyes, that raises a red-flag for gluten sensitivity. Here's one link that seems neither alarmist nor over-claiming any certainties that may not be certain: http://www.livestrong.com/article/45985 ... n-rosacea/
With your family history, it seems like a worthwhile avenue to explore, either by eliminating gluten on your own or pursuing testing (though your dermatologist and GI doc aren't likely to agree with me that there could be a connection... maybe you can teach them!).
Hope you're feeling encouraged more than overwhelmed by what you're finding here,
Sara
Rosacea does seem to be one of the conditions with a possible link to gluten (a dear friend was diagnosed in high school or college, with both skin and eye involvement). You can find some specific mentions of it here, using the 'search' - which is up above in such big red letters that I was unable to find it for my first couple of weeks here (blush).
In my eyes, that raises a red-flag for gluten sensitivity. Here's one link that seems neither alarmist nor over-claiming any certainties that may not be certain: http://www.livestrong.com/article/45985 ... n-rosacea/
With your family history, it seems like a worthwhile avenue to explore, either by eliminating gluten on your own or pursuing testing (though your dermatologist and GI doc aren't likely to agree with me that there could be a connection... maybe you can teach them!).
Hope you're feeling encouraged more than overwhelmed by what you're finding here,
Sara
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Sheila
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- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
rosacea and CC
Thank you for the link. I am hoping that I'm not gluten intolerant and am looking at everything else as a way to avoid that reality.
I think it will be a long, long time before I figure this out. I have had some form of colitis for most of my life, sometimes active, sometines not. The horrible diarrhea of the past 6 months seems to have been triggered by an anti-biotic generated C. diff infection. With a diagnosis I thought I would be able to deal with the symptoms immediately. I guess not. A food diary seems to be a smart thing to start and I will do that. I love to cook, especially complicated recipes and I can see that will be a big problem also. The histamine connection really got my attention. With no D for the past 2 weeks that I've been taking sudafed and claritin and also starting on Asacol. I thought the Asacol was what was helping control the D. Maybe and then again, maybe not. This message board and group of caring people is a blessing in my life, for sure. There is so little known about MC/CL/CC. Thanks for all the information.
I think it will be a long, long time before I figure this out. I have had some form of colitis for most of my life, sometimes active, sometines not. The horrible diarrhea of the past 6 months seems to have been triggered by an anti-biotic generated C. diff infection. With a diagnosis I thought I would be able to deal with the symptoms immediately. I guess not. A food diary seems to be a smart thing to start and I will do that. I love to cook, especially complicated recipes and I can see that will be a big problem also. The histamine connection really got my attention. With no D for the past 2 weeks that I've been taking sudafed and claritin and also starting on Asacol. I thought the Asacol was what was helping control the D. Maybe and then again, maybe not. This message board and group of caring people is a blessing in my life, for sure. There is so little known about MC/CL/CC. Thanks for all the information.
Hi Sheila
I think I had issues with esophageal spasms though it was never formally diagnosed. I suspect mine was related to the acid reflux issues I had before
going first low carb and then gluten free. I don't have much of a problem anymore.
Interesting about the rosacea link and gluten. DH has an issue with rosacea......hmmmmm!
I know what you're feeling about cooking. I was really getting into it before I got sick. Fortunately, I was able to resolve my MC issues pretty quickly
and I'm back to cooking.....albeit with a different focus but it's becoming fun again. My goal is to find good, healthy recipes that I can introduce to the
family and they won't object (know?) they're gluten free! :)
I think I had issues with esophageal spasms though it was never formally diagnosed. I suspect mine was related to the acid reflux issues I had before
going first low carb and then gluten free. I don't have much of a problem anymore.
Interesting about the rosacea link and gluten. DH has an issue with rosacea......hmmmmm!
I know what you're feeling about cooking. I was really getting into it before I got sick. Fortunately, I was able to resolve my MC issues pretty quickly
and I'm back to cooking.....albeit with a different focus but it's becoming fun again. My goal is to find good, healthy recipes that I can introduce to the
family and they won't object (know?) they're gluten free! :)
Sheila,
Dee is a professional chef, and she has developed several hundred gourmet quality recipes that are posted on this board at the following link. She has also posted tips and methods for making ingredient substitutions in recipes, if you want to try to modify some of your own recipes. All of her recipes taste great, and they're all free of gluten, dairy, and soy.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7
There are also some additional excellent recipes posted there by other members, as well. Some of them address additional food sensitivities.
Tex
Dee is a professional chef, and she has developed several hundred gourmet quality recipes that are posted on this board at the following link. She has also posted tips and methods for making ingredient substitutions in recipes, if you want to try to modify some of your own recipes. All of her recipes taste great, and they're all free of gluten, dairy, and soy.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7
There are also some additional excellent recipes posted there by other members, as well. Some of them address additional food sensitivities.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Sheila,
I took Asacol many years ago - I didn't think it helped a lot at the time, but - who knows.
I understand your overwhelm about gluten. Don't even think about "giving it all up." Just, while you're having a "health moment" - consider taking a few days off. You don't have to start tomorrow - the truth is, there are all kinds of your favorite foods that happen not to have glutens, or any grains.
Since you suspect lactose, you could just plan a few days of meals (probably with a lot of stuff you already have in the house), that don't "happen" to include dairy or gluten grains. No replacing your whole pantry, no throwing out the cookbooks... just - meat and potatoes? Whatever your cooking/eating style is, there's something you already cook (or could adapt with minimal effort).
My MC journey also started with C.diff. (And I suspect a few other triggers.) Many things seem to be able to trigger it, including certain pathogens, and certain drugs. (In other words... luck.)
Good health, and good eating,
Sara
I took Asacol many years ago - I didn't think it helped a lot at the time, but - who knows.
I understand your overwhelm about gluten. Don't even think about "giving it all up." Just, while you're having a "health moment" - consider taking a few days off. You don't have to start tomorrow - the truth is, there are all kinds of your favorite foods that happen not to have glutens, or any grains.
Since you suspect lactose, you could just plan a few days of meals (probably with a lot of stuff you already have in the house), that don't "happen" to include dairy or gluten grains. No replacing your whole pantry, no throwing out the cookbooks... just - meat and potatoes? Whatever your cooking/eating style is, there's something you already cook (or could adapt with minimal effort).
My MC journey also started with C.diff. (And I suspect a few other triggers.) Many things seem to be able to trigger it, including certain pathogens, and certain drugs. (In other words... luck.)
Good health, and good eating,
Sara
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Sheila
- Rockhopper Penguin
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- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
Thank you so much. I enjoy trying new recipes and I should look at this as a challenge. I will bookmark that link and keep it handy as I try to get through this initial phase. I've given up wine, my favorite ferrero roche chocolates but cannot give up ice cream yet. The Lactaid brand tastes pretty good and it doesn't seem to bother my stomach if I don't over indulge. I'm trying to keep my weight from going down any further and that's as good an excuse as I can come up with for eating ice cream. I don't have a big appetite to start with and CC seems to have taken away even more of that desire to eat. I'm praying the Z pack I had to take doesn't precipitate another attack of C. diff. That was really the pits!! Thank you again for taking the time to answer me and to provide that great link to recipes.
Sheila
Sheila
Sheila,
I have heard good things about So Coconut brand ice cream.
Here's wishing you NO more rounds of C.diff. That is one nasty pathogen.
It definitely helps to look at this as a recipe challenge instead of a deprivation! It took us a while to get a few regular new recipes into rotation. We are getting there ;)
And you'll get there, too. Hope you're feeling better already,
Sara
I have heard good things about So Coconut brand ice cream.
Here's wishing you NO more rounds of C.diff. That is one nasty pathogen.
It definitely helps to look at this as a recipe challenge instead of a deprivation! It took us a while to get a few regular new recipes into rotation. We are getting there ;)
And you'll get there, too. Hope you're feeling better already,
Sara
Sheila,
IMHO, a gluten-free diet is much easier to deal with than a histamine-free one. There are many substitutes for gluten, but it's pretty impossible to substitute tomatoes, for example. I'm still pondering whether I should start taking an antihistamine to deal with the mast cell issues. It may be the only way I'll be able to add some foods back into my diet.
Gloria
IMHO, a gluten-free diet is much easier to deal with than a histamine-free one. There are many substitutes for gluten, but it's pretty impossible to substitute tomatoes, for example. I'm still pondering whether I should start taking an antihistamine to deal with the mast cell issues. It may be the only way I'll be able to add some foods back into my diet.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
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TooManyHats
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Sheila
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2011 5:10 am
- Location: Palm Beach Gardens, Fl
Histamines
There is quite a learning curve with this problem. Every time I think I "get" something, there is yet more information. I thought the lactose sensitivity had nothing to do with gluten. Surprise, surpise! I have tried the SO ice cream and it isn't bad, not a fan of coconut and it does taste of coconut.
I found out about the anti-histamine connection purely by accident. When I look back I had almost no stomach problems, (gas/pain/d), while I was sick with brochitis and taking a Z pack, sudafed and Claritin. I was on a cruise at the time and eating a lot of things I shouldn't have; ice cream, cakes, pastries, bread, cream sauces. I rarely eat any of those things. So I am totally confused and think I need to take the celiac test from Entero Lab just to get to the bottom of things. My mother took it years ago and I don't think she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She always ate a very healthy, vegetable based diet but sabatoged that by enjoying her cocktails a little too much. My family and I are riddled with auto-immune disorders and allergies and I suspect that the CC is an auto-immune response.
I just love this site and the way it is arranged by topic. I have so many questions and it helps to be able to poke around as things come to mind. The recipes by Dee look great and I know I will try some of them. Thank you, thank you again. BTW, is Judy Malinowski still a part of this blog? She was the person I contacted way back when my mother first became ill with CC. She was very helpful at a time when CC was just being "discovered".
Sheila
I found out about the anti-histamine connection purely by accident. When I look back I had almost no stomach problems, (gas/pain/d), while I was sick with brochitis and taking a Z pack, sudafed and Claritin. I was on a cruise at the time and eating a lot of things I shouldn't have; ice cream, cakes, pastries, bread, cream sauces. I rarely eat any of those things. So I am totally confused and think I need to take the celiac test from Entero Lab just to get to the bottom of things. My mother took it years ago and I don't think she was diagnosed with celiac disease. She always ate a very healthy, vegetable based diet but sabatoged that by enjoying her cocktails a little too much. My family and I are riddled with auto-immune disorders and allergies and I suspect that the CC is an auto-immune response.
I just love this site and the way it is arranged by topic. I have so many questions and it helps to be able to poke around as things come to mind. The recipes by Dee look great and I know I will try some of them. Thank you, thank you again. BTW, is Judy Malinowski still a part of this blog? She was the person I contacted way back when my mother first became ill with CC. She was very helpful at a time when CC was just being "discovered".
Sheila
Hi, Sheila, I'd like to recommend that you click on the "Mimic Cream" post that should be on this same page towards the bottom. I posted to it re ice cream, and if you don't mind making your own via Cuisinart or similar, the Mimic Cream plus a dairy free milk produces an excellent treat. If you need a specific recipe, let me know, I adapted a chocolate ice cream from an old book that really is good.
And I second the advice re Dee's Kitchen. Good luck. Best regards, Beverly
And I second the advice re Dee's Kitchen. Good luck. Best regards, Beverly