Q: Wheat intolerance or Coleiac?
I am not sure if I have a wheat allergy or I am a coleiac?

My symptoms included:

sharp pains in the stomach
feeling ‘fed up’
the runs- some times with white skin or something that looked like it
Adreialin rushes
vomitting
Nausea
difficulty breathing (for example, I woke up gasping for air.. I could not breathe – mum says – but I can’t remember a thing – that’s scary!

Am I a Coeliac? or do I have wheat intolerence?

I

A: sounds like a wheat allergy but to rule out coeliac you need a blood test.

usual coeliac symptoms in adults:
- chronic diarrhoea
- weight loss
- anaemia
- weakness
- fatigue.

Q: does a wheat allergy go away?
i just wanted to know if wheat allergy’s can go away…. i stopped eating gluten in january and my symptoms went away, but i am still able to eat soy sauce and oats…. so i started thinking i just have a wheat intolerance rather than a gluten intolerance, i know that gluten intolerances dont go away but i just wondered if a wheat intolerance does… cos i really miss eating bread and pasta! my two favourite things! if anyone can help it would be gratefully recieved thanks

A: there is a big difference between intolerance and allergy, I’m guessing you are intolerant to wheat and I would say just have it occasionally as a treat, like pasta once a week , also bread once or twice a week, your body will tell you if it’s ok or not

Q: Can you have gluten intolerance/sensitivity if you test negative for celiac disease and basic malabsorption?
I have the gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, aches, vision change, weight gain and feel much better off if wheat

A: The answer is yes. Here is an article about someone getting celiac disease and if you read the inset about halfway through about the celiac iceberg, it discusses those with diagnosed celiac disease and silent and latent celiac which are gluten intolerant people that do not have the small intestine damage associated with celiac disease. Or you could have celiac disease and they missed the spots in your small intestine that are affected.

If you suspect you are in one of those categories, then you will need to try a gluten free diet for 2-3 months and if you are feeling better then you will know.

Q: Gluten intolerance or something else?
After catching an awful virus type thing last summer i havent been right. Exhausted all the time, with the virus coming back when over stretched. Since before xmas things have gotten worse with chronic diarreah in the mornings, extreme fatigue, aching joints, mood swings, receeding hairline, under weight, bad night-sweats – the list goes on. The Dc unexpectedly said i was depressed although this came as a shock as i have been depressed before and it never felt like this. I also have mild lupus although don’t usually have symptoms. My thyroid is slightly slow after one blood test. I’ve had a hair analysis that showed i am defecient in vit B6 and chromium, that i have a virus and that i’m intolerance to wheat and oats. I’ve been gluten free for 2 weeks – the Diarreah is a little better but i’ve been ill with the virus again and now i’m on antibiotics for a kidney pain. I have chronic headaches recently. Long list of possibles, but if any one has any ideas please advise.x

A: If you are on a gluten free diet remember to look at the pills you take as many contain gluten to hold them together. Also watch the foods you eat as some ready to drink juices can contain wheat products. The other thing is if you are on antibiotics you need to take probiotics to prevent yeast. Get the diarrhea checked out as you may have C-diff from the antibiotics. Also consider seeing an endocrinologist to get everything checked out and treated.

Q: Is this hypoglycemia or sugar intolerance?
I eat very little refined sugars–mostly just honey. I eat veggies, rice, meat–all healthy. Anytime I eat more than one or two cookies sweetened with brown sugar, or a little too much honey (really not excessive amounts) in the evening, I get pulsations in my stomache, twitching muscles, have difficulty sleeping, and wake up with sore muscles, bloating, and a foggy feeling as if I haven’t slept that stays with me all day–along with excessive hunger and/or an inability to eat much without getting bloated or having sympotoms recur. interesting, eh? I also have hypoglycemic symptoms from time to time, am hypothyroid with other food intolerances (milk, wheat, etc.) and underweight. 27 yr old female in distress.

A: Your digestive problems are probably caused by your hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism causes all body functions to slow down, which includes the digestive system.

Everyone’s intestines are normally full of intestinal bacteria. And if for some reason your body doesn’t digest your food well. Then these bacteria will digest the food for themselves, producing gas and other symptoms.

Here is a full description of the symptoms hypothyroidism can cause:

http://www.drkaslow.com/html/thyroid.html

Q: I always seem to have an annoying stomach problem where when ever I eat I have to go to the toilet, help!?
It doesn’t happen everyday but it is most days when ever I eat something I get stomach ache and then I often have diarrhoea, it is often after my main meal of the day but sometimes at lunch or after snacking. I have had this most of my life and its really starting to bother me, I though it could be an intolerance to wheat but I have no other symptoms, anyone got any ideas of what it could be or how to get rid of it? Thanks.

A: You may have a irritable bowel,see your DR.for a diagnoses & a referral to a specialist in whatever feild is needed for whatever is the reason.Hope it helps.Good Luck & hope your comfortable soon.

Q: people with celiacs – how did you first know and how old were you?
Hi there!
I think I MIGHT have a wheat gluten intolerance, but I am not sure. I am 23, lactose intolerant – I gave up dairy a while back, but now I am having trouble with other stuff and I suspect wheat MIGHT be it.
What kind of symptoms did you have that lead you to go wheat free, and how old were you?

A: Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten intolerance can be difficult to diagnose, even though there are tests favored by doctors. However, these are at best only 80% accurate.

In my case, I had severe joint pains, also for many years had wondered why anything I ate with cheese sauce (macaroni cheese/cauliflower cheese) always gave me diarrhea. I asked the doctor for a check for milk, but that came back negative.

Just before I realized I was gluten intolerant, I noticed that even thickened gravy seemed to be doing the same thing to me as cheese sauce. Now that I am gluten free (I use rice flour to thicken sauces), I don’t have the problem – which I have to say I had lived with since a child. I actually thought diarrhea was normal, and people just didn’t talk about it because it’s embarrassing. I know now that it’s not.

Diagnosing gluten intolerance from symptoms is not the easiest thing, although if you are lactose intolerant and no longer eat dairy, but still have the same sort of symptoms associated with that, you are in a better position than many other people. Gluten and dairy intolerance have very similar symptoms in a lot of ways – though gluten seems to have more “brain fog” or other mental disturbances associated with it, along with rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, and so on.

This 5-question multiple choice quiz may help you to work it out: http://www.AmIGlutenIntolerant.com

The simplest way to test for any food intolerance, though, if you are pretty sure you know what it is – cut it out for 2-3 weeks. If the symptoms you suspect to be related fade or go away, try a challenge test by eating the suspect food at 3 meals in succession and note the results. It’s usually pretty obvious after you’ve done this whether you are intolerant, or you aren’t.

Q: Any thoughts on those food intolerance tests? do they work? are they proven?
are those food intolerance and candida tests u can get in health shops really accurate or in fact proven??
I was told by 2 of them that i have candida but my DR, friends and family think my symptoms are down to anxiety and depression and weight. (symptoms are spaceyness, tiredness, headaches, pressure on face)
Are they proven to work or a load of rubbish (and i mean the ones where there is a machine with a dial that makes noise.. and the sensor thing they poke into your hand)
I came up with loads and loads of intolerances… sugar, yeast, wheat, dairy, oil, oats, barley, flavourings, ermmm and more that i cant remmeber..
Any thoughts?

A: Candida is common and can cause the depression, spaciness and headaches you describe. Don’t dismiss it. BUT, I don’t think I’d trust the over-the-counter tests from health food stores. I also think those machines are akin to snake-oil. If it were me, I’d try a product like Candidase or another yeast-fighter to see if things improve (lots of biotin). I would remove or reduce sugar and perhaps try a trial period of gluten-free diet. If you truly have a problem with gluten, going gluten-free (100%) will give near immediate results. You have to be willing to do it 100%. Your doctor just wants to prescribe drugs, right? Take your own health in your hands and look up candida overgrowth and remedies. Also, gluten-free. p.s. start slow with candidase! Good luck

Q: intolerance or coincidence?
I share many of the common symptoms that celiac disease sufferers share, except for diarrhea…I have the opposite problem when I consume oats or wheat.
Could it be an intolerance, coincidence, or celiac’s?

A: It use to be thought that all celiacs suffer from diarrhea but this just isn’t true. I’ve heard lots of people say that they went undiagnosed for years because they didn’t have diarrhea so neither they or their doctors considered it.

From the NIH web-site:
The symptoms of celiac disease can vary significantly from person to person. This is part of the reason the diagnosis is frequently delayed. For example, one person may have constipation, a second may have diarrhea, and a third may have no irregularity in stools.

The easiest thing to do if you even think you could have celiac disease is get a blood test. The basic celiac panel cost about $72 in my home town. It ended up being covered by my insurance. My daughter and I both had positive blood tests which prompted us to get endoscopies which confirmed the celiac diagnosis.

Q: Wheat / Gluten Allergy? Need Info plz.?
14 yrs old. Male. 45 – 50 Kilos. — Ive started getting Shortness of breath first. Months later, i got an Anxiety attack. Then i developed Heart Palpitations, Headaches, Dizziness when standing up quickly (lil blurry vision) then bck to normal. I have gotten Anxiety symptoms such as finding everything “Unreal”. Now im getting diarrhea. Ive noticed i got diarrhea after a bowl of corn. Happend twice. I got diarrhea again today but not after corn. but maybe Wheat/ Gluten is related? Are these symptoms related to Gluten Allergy or Intolerance? Are there helpful Home Remedies? I Dont want any prescription medicine plz. I visited the doctor when i got the shortness a breath and Anxiety attack but not after the palpitations and headaches. He told me to take vitamin medicine and to “have fun”.
I have also felt pressure on the sides of my nose sometimes. Doesnt happen often though.
Sometimes watery eyes too

A: There are two very strong possibilities that are causing this. The dizziness is due to adrenal fatigue most likely. The first possibility is that you are consuming lots of “diet” foods, low sugar foods that contain artificial sweeteners like Aspartame. Watch the film called “Sweet Misery.” The next thing is you are consuming genetically engineered foods. 70% of all the processed foods in stores in AMERICA ONLY, are genetically modified. Either one of these should be strongly looked at. If you drink ANY diet sodas, eat low fat foods, any processed foods (foods with a label), your chances of getting these symptoms are very great.

If you are drinking ANY energy drinks, no matter what the sales pitch is, you are doing your body a lot of damage. Labels lie or are deceiving in the way they are constructed. They are designed to fool you, not inform you as was their original purpose.

good luck to you

Q: Is there any such thing as an intolerance to glucose syrup?
I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance 3 years ago. Although wheat glucose syrup is deemed gluten free, I find that consuming it causes the same symptoms as consuming gluten-containing products. Why is this so? Could it be a separate intolerance to glucose?

I do believe there are tiny traces of gluten in glucose syrup, however my intolerance wouldn’t be severe enough to cause a reaction from them alone. Ie accidentally eating a breadcrumb doesn’t cause any harm.

It would be great if you could provide a reference thanks so much for your help!

A: The theory that processing wheat can produce a gluten free product is obviously impossible. You just fell down the hole left for a lot of celiacs and other gluten intolerants.

Similarly whisky is supposed to be gluten free, but any celiac will tell you they still get effects just like those they get from gluten if they drink even one tot.

In normal digestive systems (eg. not celiacs and other gluten intolerants), gluten is broken down in 2 stages, the intermediate stage (the final one in those who don’t digest it properly) is gluteomorphin. It’s possible the processing has a similar effect, so it could be deemed “gluten free” but still contain this intermediate product – which may be causing your symptoms. This is a guess.

Any highly refined product (like glucose syrup) can cause adverse reactions, possibly because the body was designed to deal with whole foods. I’ve noticed this quite often, though I’ve never seen any documented evidence about it. It’s pretty much a “given” amongst whole food freaks, though.

Q: Food intolerance question?
I have bad bloating due to IBS. I thought that wheat was the main cause of this so I stopped eating it. After a couple of weeks I took a food intolerance test at Holland & Barrett. It came up with cow’s milk, tomatoes, MSGs and various e numbers. Wheat did not test positive. I was told to keep off the wheat for another 2 weeks and then reintroduce it. It made me bloat but there were no other symptoms. I then gave up milk, tomatoes and e numbers. I’ve so far only reintroduced milk which again only made me bloated. Am I intolerant to wheat ? Does all food that just makes me bloated mean I’m intolerant to them (beans, brocolli etc)? Or do they have to make me ill as well? Hope I’m making sense!
When I spoke to doctor she just said to stop having fizzy drinks & veg with dark leaves. She didn’t seem interested so I doubt I would be able to get proper tests done.

A: You definitely need different tests / opinions. H&B is not enough and if your GP is not helpful then insist on seeing someone else that takes you seriously.
You might also consider a more holistic approach via e.g. kinesiology, homeopathy etc.
A good Health Kinesiolgist can often pinpoint and eliminate food/substance allergies (google the term).

Btw: MSG is a terrible substance. Allergy or not you should definitely stay far, far away from it -> it is known to cause obesity apart from being often the culprit in histamine reactions

Q: How can you tell the difference betweeb IBS and Celiac Disease?
My stomach has been very weird since I was stationed in VA.
I saw a show about Celiac Disease and swore up and down that I was going through the same things.

I am always tired, I have constipation/diarrhea in alternation, sometimes I’m bloated, my allergies change (one minute I’m allergic to wheat and can eat dairy and then I am lactose intolerant and can eat wheat), my body really shuts down at times,…

It’s not so bad now but I begged my doctor to test me for Celiac and he told me I was overexaggerating and it’s just lactose intolerance. I wanted to smack him because I don’t even eat a lot of dairy products and I knew it was the wheat doing those things to me. Ironically, some months later, dairy products tore me up but the symptoms weren’t the same.

I had a colonoscopy, everything and all my test results came back negative. SO, how can you REALLY tell whether it’s IBS or Celiac?

A: Celiac runs in my family, and most (if not all) of my family members that have it were misdiagnosed. My sister finally realized she had celiac simply by abstaining from wheat for a while. Try it for a few months and see if it helps. If you still feel this way, then you probably don’t have Celiac. Another possibility is that you have an allergy to both gluten and dairy. If this is the case, then sometimes you might react more to one or the other depending on your diet for that week. For instance, if you are allergic to gluten or dairy (or both), you might be able to eat one or the other for weeks before it builds up in your system and then seemingly randomly affects you. This is one reason why it so hard to diagnose. Hope this helps.

Q: Where can i get a good food intolerance test for a decent price in London?
I suspect that i have some sort of intolerance to foods.. i suffer from regular tiredness daily and get lethargic very easily. I also have anxiety and spells of depression. I think that consuming the wrong foods can worsen these symptoms. I’m guessing that wheat and dairy could be the culprits too. I’d rather get tested to see exactly what foods don’t agree with me, instead of eliminating foods myself.

By the way, i don’t plan to visit Bupa, as i think there prices are way too high. Any others?

Thanks

A: Commercial food allergy testing has been shown to be both unreliable and misleading. See your GP.

Q: Have you gone for food allergy testing regarding your acne?
I suffered from really bad cystic acne from age 14-16 and was put on Accuate. It worked and the acne subsided, but lately I’ve gotten raised bumps that are tender, in the same location where the bumps were before. I’m concerned that maybe I was highly intolerant to something back then, and as Accutane’s effect is wearing off, the symptoms are showing again. Has anyone gone for allergy testing for their mild to extreme acne? Did they discover any intolerances like wheat or dairy? And once detected, did you eliminate the food with good results? Sorry for the length! THANKS

A: Actually I have and I was allergic to eggs. I still get little whiteheads and clogged pores if I don’t use Clean and Clear but the bad acne is gone for good.

Q: Does anyone else take Spiriva for asthma?
I have asthma and until recently taken advair and spiriva and singulair for the asthma. I quit the advair and singulair due to weight gain. I currently am taking just the spiriva. Has anyone else had this happen?

A: Weight loss became a huge problem for me until I tried out acai berry. I realize they say that pills will not work, nevertheless they sure worked for me, and they have been featured on CNN too. There is a free trial on at the moment at http://deluch.slimmingdietnow.info , give it a try, what have you got to lose?

Q: does anyone know who is prescribed spiriva asthma or c o p d?
it is important i need a straight answer there is pleny info but i have not saw it saying it is not for asthma so who is prescribed it or in other words would you be prescribed it if you never had c o p d

A: Spiriva or Tiotropium is a form of the drug Atrovent, and used commonly to treat asthma, COPD and many other forms of respiratory diseases. It is a well known and well used drug and is quite effective.
Normally the Spiriva (Tiotropium) capsules are given to people who smoke or have other reasons for not using an Atrovent nebuliser or inhaler, but Atrovent and Tiotropium are basically the same drug and do the same thing. And to answer your question, both are used for respiratory diseases of most forms.
I have asthma and a serious form of COPD, I take Tiotropium daily and Atrovent as well when I’m seriously ill.

Q: Asthma Question Advair to Spiriva Inhaler…How long untill you feel better?
I switched from Advair to Advair to Spiriva Inhaler 5 days ago. I do not feel any better. My symptoms have worsened. How long until I should feel better? My doctor says be patient, but ordered chest x-rays just to be safe. What is your experience with Advair versus Spiriva?
Thanks for your concern. I am blessed with naturally low blood pressure; but Doc checks blood pressure, etc, etc every 2 weeks during medication changes.

A: It may take a week or two for you to notice the Spiriva having an effect. If you see your doctor (or go to your pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist) show him or her how you’re using the inhaler, just to be sure you’re using it correctly. Most of the time if people aren’t seeing an effect with their inhaled medications, it’s because they are not using them right (if they’ve been using them for at least 2 weeks, that is!) You can still use your albuterol (or other short-acting beta 2 agonist) to relieve your symptoms if they are preventing you from doing your daily activities.

I’m not really sure why your doctor prescribed you Spiriva though… typically it’s reserved for treatment of COPD (or at least it’s more effective in preventing exacerbations of COPD than asthma).

Q: Can Spiriva be prescribed/used to manage Exercise Induced Asthma?
I am currently using Singulair and keep my inhaler handy, but I’ve seen Spiriva at work – my Mom has COPD, and it’s an absolute wonder drug in my opinion.

A: since this is for alternatives, I will offer something safer than drugs for you and your mother. look at the info on my page.

Q: Asthma. Took Advair, Spiriva, Ventolin, Claritin and still……..?
and still chest and neck feel very tight, mild-moderate short of breath, and anxious. I think the tree pollen is acting up my asthma. Have tried breathing techniques….What else can I do besides an ER visit…..really don’t want to go there.
Hubby is going to put air conditioners in this weekend or perhaps tomorrow to keep the pollen out…season just started and I have a lot of different tree allergies.

A: Drink a lot of water!

Q: does spiriva help with asthma?

A: Spireva can be used to treat some asthmatic symptoms but is not FDA approved to do so. This type of perscribing is called “off label” perscribing and is legal and common practice in the united states. However, this medication is only used as a short acting medication to help open airways, and is not the perfered medication to do so. Medications called beta(2) agonists which include albuterol are the perfered treatment for rescue in acute asthma attacks. Spireva and its class of medications (the anticholenergics) are reserved for patients who can not tolerate the beta 2 agonists. In addition, based on the severity of asthma symptoms other medications may be used in conjunction with this.
Hope it helps.

Q: can you get a tattoo if you have asthma?
i am 43 female, have asthma, am on spiriva, advair 500, singulair, allerex dose pack, and a nebulizer 3 times a day, but really want to get a tattoo,
is there any danger there of the ink interactiing with the meds ?
in other words, would i be good to get a tattoo?

A: Of course you can get a tattoo if u have asthma, The ink has nothing to do with your immune system. I have asthma and am on many meds also and have a tattoo

Q: I just began taking SPIRIVA ,a dry mouth inhaler for asthma. Twice in the 6 weeks since I began this treatment
Twice since I began this treatment my left eye has burst a blood vessel and my eye aches. Has anyone else experienced this?

A: Definitely ask your doctor about this. I had to quit taking Spiriva because it made me gag so badly that I would almost throw up every morning. Now I use Advair.
Also, be sure to rinse your mouth out really well with water after you inhale. Don’t swallow the water.

Q: What are the alternatives to “SPIRIVA” (sp?) as a preventer for asthma?
(im an 18 year old student) I went to the pharmacy with my prescription for speriva and the pharmacist looked at my with terror and said “ooohhhh, its a little pricey, €77.00!!!!) and that’s just for a month! He recommended i go back to my doc and ask him for something else cause there are many other alternatives that are much cheaper!

Obviously my doc wil know what the alternatives are but I just wanted to have an idea before I went back to him.

Cheers.

A: I used to take Singulair and Advair, both were pretty expensive…about $60 (US) for one month for the singulair and if memory serves it was over $80 for the advair. Fortunately in the past couple of years my asthma has calmed down a lot and I don’t have to take anything anymore. I still carry an inhaler though, especially in Spring or when it’s very humid or very cold…
Best of luck to you my friend!

Q: Question about asthma medication?
I take Symbicort, Singulair and Spiriva regularly for asthma. I use an Albuterol inhaler whenever I have an attack. A month ago I had a severe attack, was given nebulizer treatments and was put on a 2.5 week burst of prednisone. It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve been off the prednisone. But I’m still taking the other medication.

My menstrual cycle has altered since these events. I’ve gotten my period 3 times in the past 5 weeks and have been thrown into a mild state of depression.

Could all of the medication I was (am) on have caused this to happen?

A: it’s quite possible, yes. Prednisone is a corticosteriod, Albuterol is a ß-antagonist Symbicort an anti-inflamatory etc. etc. Astma should be treated very aggressively and unfortunatly the side effects of so many medication interacting with eachother can be not so insignificant sometimes. Talk to you health care provider

Q: Asthma Question: Switching from Advair to Spirivia – did you experience increased heartburn?
I feel terible since switching to Spiriva. Anybody else got experience with this?

A: It can happen during the switch… but if you asthma is allergy based you might ask your doctor about Cingulair.

Q: how can i cope better with severe asthma?
So I have really bad asthma. I’ve stopped breathing already and had to have CPR on me, i’ve been intubated as well for a week.

I’ve been on prednisone (steroids) for over eight years already.
I have developed a lot of the side effects already.

Osteoporosis, cataracts, weight gain, mood changes, sleeping trouble and I get sick almost every week and I get outbreaks of shingles as well.

I’m currently on prednisone, singulair, zyrtec d, protonix, advair, combivent, spiriva.
For the machine i’m on pulmicort, chromalyn and xopenex.

But what I have trouble with is dealing with it. I hate not being able to do anything. I used to walk 60 blocks a day (no lie) and now I can’t even walk two stairs without having a little attack. I’m getting depressed. I’m still managing to go to school full time, but I can’t get a job anywhere because i’m always sick.

One thing I’ve manage to never lose is my sense of humor. I’m afraid to let people know how i’m really doing. I’m the person wh
Anyways, if you were in the same situation, how would you deal with it? Would you try to go to a therapist or something?
i dont know how to respond to answers on here. i just joined today but my email is

mindlessklutter@verizon.net

A: Wow I have been to the point where I was on a vent also. I have to admit I don’t take care of my asthma the way I should. I should take advair and I don’t. I give you all the credit in the world for keeping up with your medicine. I do know how you feel, no one knows how much stress and anxiety you go though when you can’t breath if they don’t have respiratory problems.

I don’t know if you live in a large populated area, but do you think it may be your environment??? Might be too much pollution around you. Also keep a journal of what caused your attacks, write down what you were doing and where. Keep track of the time of day, what you were doing and maybe you can find a trend and avoid the situation in the future.

By all means if you are depressed over your asthma contact a counselor or your doctor. If you are stressed that can bring on another attack.

I too try to keep my sense of humor. Both of us are here to stay and it will take more than a bad lung or two to keep us down….lol

Good luck!

Q: Is it bad to be on a few corticosteroids at the same time?
I have asthma and take Advair, Spiriva and Singulair. I was just prescribed a 6 day dose of MethylPedinosolone because I have bronchitis/possible pneumonia and have been experiencing a lot of chest pain and shortness of breath.

Was just wondering if it’s bad to be on so many steroids at once though…
Yeah, it was an oversight – I take Albuterol as my rescue inhaler

A: The more steroids of any kind you are on, the more likely you are to have serious side effects.

I have asthma and take Advair 500/50 once a day, Spiriva, and Albuterol/Salbutamol. I find that if I take Advair twice a day, I cry about silly things for no apparent reason, my stomach gets more upset, and I have trouble sleeping. Because I have more serious and numerous side effects on a higher dose of the steroid in Advair (Flovent), I would say it is bad for me to take more than I already am.

As for you, please monitor what’s happening. Your medication will have came with warnings and lists of side effects. Familiarize yourself with these so that you can identify problems that are possibly being caused by your medications. If you start having troubling side effects, please see your doctor and get yourself re-assessed.

A course of systemic steroids (like Methylprednisolone) can be helpful for short-term worsening of breathing problems. Because systemic steroids have horrible side effects when taken long-term, this should be avoided if possible. Your drug side effect sheets for your medication will go into great detail about all the possible side effects you might experience.

If you continue to experience shortness of breath, I would recommend that you ask your doctor about switching your Albuterol for Xopenex until you get through this. Xopenex is much stronger than Albuterol and has fewer side effects, so it might be very helpful in the short-term. If your asthma is normally bad, Xopenex might be a good choice for a rescue inhaler. If you can’t get rescued on Xopenex, you are really in trouble…

I had a bad episode with my asthma last year. I had chest pain and shortness of breath that took about two weeks to fully resolve. It wasn’t fun and I’m never going to let things get like that again. It felt like someone wearing steel-toe boots kicked me in the ribs many times.

Time and strong medication is the best solution for breathing problems, in my opinion. Take care of yourself and monitor for side effects. Do your best to figure-out what is causing any side effects you may have. Having a well informed patient is the best thing any medical professional can hope for.

Q: Asthma attack or bronchitis?
For asthma, I take Symbicort, Spiriva, Singulair and Albuterol. The weather has gotten much colder and I’ve been having trouble breathing. As soon as I leave the house and am exposed to the cold air, it’s almost instantaneous (within a few minutes) that I start to become short of breath. One day earlier last week I coughed up a small ball of yellow phlegm. Had a really bad breathing attack last night (felt like I was choking at times during the gasps) It took 4 albuterol puffs to calm down.

Is my asthma acting up or is it bronchitis?

A: It sounds like you might have a combination of both. I have a really hard time with chronic bronchitis and asthma. But I think my bronchitis is much worse. I have a continuous cough. If you are coughing up phlegm it is probably bronchitis. I’d go to the doctor. Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia and you can die from it. Also, the cold weather is particularly hard on asthmatics and being around smokers. I’d wear a scarf around my mouth when heading into the cold.
Good luck!

Q: Asthma – am I on too many meds?
I am a 32 year old male, and have been on numerous asthma medications for most of my life. My current asthma meds are as follows:

Spiriva (tiotropium bromide) 18mcg one inhalation daily
Symbicort 200 – 4 inhalations twice daily
Advair diskus 250 – 2 inhalations twice daily
Singulair – 1 pill a day
Ventolin – relief inhaler – used only when very ill

When I get my meds filled at the pharmacy it always sets off alarms – and the pharmacist states he is concerned that I am over-medicated.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

A: Spiriva is not normally used for asthma, but for COPD. It won’t really help asthma symptoms.
You should be on either Symbicort or Advair. People normally don’t combine them.
I would trim your regimen down to Symbicort or Advair, Singulair, and Ventolin (albuterol). Singulair is a unique drug because it helps with both asthma and allergies.

Q: What is the best remedy for a sinus cold?
I think I’m in the beginning stages of a sinus cold, I have a scratchy throat and my nose is constantly either stuffed up or runny. Also, my head has been hurting and feeling full of pressure. I’ve been washing my hands a LOT and I have only taken iBuprofen for the headaches. Any suggestions to ditch this before it gets worse?

A: Neti pot…if you can deal with the awkwardness it works wonders…I used one a few weeks ago and was shockingly surprised!!! Good Luck and hope you feel better.

Q: What does a humidifier really do for sinus congestion?
I have a really bad sinus infection, I had my humidifier on, is it really doing ?

A: You usually do not need a humidifier when heaters are not on. Heaters dry the ambient air and this causes dryness of skin and nasal tissues. This is where humidifiers become helpful. But, it is spring time now and if you are not using heaters anymore, a Humidifier will not help you at all. (Sorry, for being so blunt but this is the reality)

Even when heaters are on, a humidifier alone is not enough; you need to irrigate your nose by sprays or rinsing.

Try aromatherapy with essential oils to clear the infection. Or, visit http://www.HowtoGetRidofSinusitis.com and see if the book they promote seems promising to you.

Best luck.

Q: What is the best way to moisturize sinus passages?
I get nose bleeds often and have tried many options such as sinus irrigation, humidifiers, Vaseline, saline solution, and some more. I had good luck with Vaseline, but I heard that Vaseline can build in the lungs if used often. It also leaves me feeling stuffy and gross.

Any ideas for a healthy solution that doesn’t feel so sticky?

A: Vaseline debilitates the innate sinus cleansing mechanism which is called ‘the mucociliary system’. In the long run, it causes severe sinus problems. Therefore, you’d better stop using it.

Saline sprays and sinus irrigation using squeeze bottles should help. But taking the water into your body will help much more. Try increasing your water intake.

Also do not forget that frequent nose bleeds may arise from some other factors. So, visit a doctor if your condition persists despite regular nasal irrigation.

Q: How can i get rid of a sinus infection by tomorrow?
I have Senior Ball tomorrow and this morning I woke up with a sinus infection. I need to know if there is anything I can do to make it clear for tomorrow. I want to be able to breathe.

A: take your common household vacuum and take the long snakelike end and put it to your nose and suck all the snot out

Q: What is the best medicine to cure sinus infection?
I have sinus infection, and want to buy a medicine to end it. But I don’t know which is the best to buy at drugstore.

A: if it is a full-blown infection, you will likely need anti-biotics … (if it is full-blown, the mucus will be thick and opaque and greenish-yellow and you will have a fever)

if you do not have a high fever, then you can get some Advil Flu and nasal saline …

use the saline twice a day, take long steamy showers, get plenty of sleep, drink TONS of water

eat healthy and drink OJ and have chicken soup … these are beneficial, too …

Q: What is the best way to cure a sinus infection yourself?
Since it is allergy season I am once again blessed with what seems like a constant sinus infection. I know it is primarily allergies that are causing the problems, however I am not big on taking meds if there is a more natural cure. Any suggestions are welcomed! I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar not to long ago and it did help but the infection came back not long after!

A: basically… drink LOTS AND LOTS AND LOOOTTTSSSS Of water… it flushes your system and gets rid of all the impurities… take allergy medicine or something… and get LOTS of SLEEP and Rest!

Q: How to ease the discomfort of pressure from sinus infection?
My son is being treated for a raging sinus infection that just won’t go away. The pressure in his ears is driving him crazy.

He’s on antibiotics, but is there a way to relieve some of the symptoms? He’s on a humidifier, nasal spray, drinking hot tea already.

Thanks.

A: Caveat: I am NOT a doctor, but I have friends who have had success with sinus infections by cleaning out their sinuses regularly with warm saline solution.

They use either a syringe or one of those rubber bulb things that you clean babies’ ears with, and they inject the warm solution up into their sinus cavities then blow it out again.

Personally I couldn’t do that. I can’t stand having water in my sinuses. But it seems to work for them.

Good luck to you and your kiddo.

Q: What is the best treatment for a chronic sinus condition?
I have been suffering from a sinus infection/obstruction for two years now, it goes away in the summer months, and comes back in the winter, sometimes it gets so bad (the obstruction) that it reaches my inner ear and affects my balance.

A: If the obstruction is that bad, I doubt a neti pot will help, but it doesn’t hurt to try. They’re only like $10-$15.

Ask for stronger/longer-lasting antibiotics next time, and if that doesn’t work, it sounds like you’ll need a minor surgery to lick this for good.

Could you try to answer mine, too?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoRVMNQ1mHd1i0anfVXpNpDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100121213038AAYtfZ1

Q: How can I tell the difference between a toothache and a sinus-related ache in a tooth?
It feels like it is one tooth. It is sensitive to heat, cold and pressure. I have had 3 sinus surgeries and I NEVER get the stuffiness and tenderness usually associated with sinus problems anymore.

A: The pain you describe is a familiar one to me. If I get that pain, I know it’s another root canal! But, that’s just me. Sounds like the dentist and some x rays will give you your answer. Good luck.

Q: What could be the cause of frequent sinus infections?
I seem to have sinus infections and other sinus issues all the time. The doctor told me to see an ENT which I have scheduled an appointment for, but what could be possible reasons for having these sinus problems so frequently. I would say I get about one every month. Thanks everyone.

A: Frequent sinus infections can be caused by a couple of different things. Probably the two most common are 1. failure to take all of the antibiotics prescribed which can result in resistant bacteria continuing to reside somewhere in the sinus cavities. 2. Swelling of sinus tissues or scar tissue building up which causes the openings of the sinuses to become smaller and smaller so that the fluids cannot drain out properly.
I had this second one happen myself. The surgery to correct it is very routine and although it’s a little uncomfortable I’d do it again if I needed it because the relief of symptoms is WONDERFUL!!

Q: How can I relieve pain from a bad sinus infection?
I’m currently dealing with an awfully painful sinus infection and the meds I’m on haven’t really kicked in yet. 800 mg of Ibuprofen works well for the pain temporarily, but it’s wearing off 3-4 hours before it would be safe for me to take more. Is there anything else I can try?
I should also add that my doc put me on an antibiotic and a prescribed decongestant/expectorant, so I don’t know if I should try other stuff like Sudafed or a nasal spray.

A: Don’t use Sudafed if you’re already taking a prescription decongestant. Try taking a hot shower or using a humidifier.

Q: How can you tell difference between bacterial/viral sinus infection?
How can you tell the difference? Without going to your doctor, I have had a “sinus infection” or head cold for 7 days now. It is getting better though and I have not been on any antibiotics, but I am still extremely stuffed up (especially my ears) How can you tell the difference if it’s bacterial or viral? Thanks.

A: You can’t tell the difference by yourself. Well, unless you happen to have a pathology lab in your basement, then you might be able to tell.

You’d have to culture the offending microbe to figure out what you’ve got.

Q: What to do for dry sinuses and sinus pressure?
I have sinus pressure in my nose, forehead, and ears and they also feel dry. I’ve talked to my doctor twice about it and she insists its allergies. Sometimes the medications she recommended works and sometimes it doesn’t. They’re been this way since May and are driving me crazy! Can I do anything do relieve the pressure and dryness? Is this something I should see an ENT about or not that serious? I don’t want it to turn into a big problem if it is more than allergies.

A: Your doctor may be right that you have allergies, but if she doesn’t take you seriously you should seek another opinion from either another allergist or ENT. ENTs know about nasal/sinus allergy – just won’t allergy test you. Been exactly where you’re at. Good Luck!

Q: How to use nasal irrigation for prevention of sinus infection?
I live in India and can not buy Neti-pot and all of these that are available in other countries. Can you please recommend a nasal irrigation thing I can create and use at home without going out and buying kits??

Also, please let me know how to use this.
I am pregnant and am having a lot of sinus problems and just finished amoxicillin and don’t want to have to use it again. This is why this is important to me.

Thanks!

A: If you can go buy any nasal spray at the store, then do that , empty the container wash it well, then fill it with saline solution, unless you can already buy a saline solution spray, Saline is buffered salt and water. Regular salt works but it burns a little. But the key is having a container to use.
Then you have a couple of choices, first you could try to use it just as a spray. If that does not give you enough relief then you can use it as a rinse where you spray it into one side of your nose and have the solution discharge out the other side.

Can you order neil med squeeze bottle and salt packets online?

Q: How can I tell if I have a sinus infection or ear infection at home?
My nose is stuffed and runny, and the mucus comeing out of my nose is a light greenish color, but still green enough to tell it is green, the roof of my mouth itches as do the insides of my ears (like all the way in) and at random times I feel a sharp pain in one of my ears (they kind of switch off) Thanks Oh and if it gets worse will I get a fever? What are the symptoms of ear and sinus infections?

A: It’s pretty hard to tell if you have an infection at home that’s something a doctor usually has to diagnose. It sound like a cold to me though, I have the same one it think. The thick mucus actually causes the sour throat and sinus pressure causes the ear pain. If you don’t start feeling better after a week go to the doctor. till then drink plenty of fluids and get plent of rest.

Q: What kind of doctor specializes in sinus & breathing problems?
I am 16, and I’ve had sinus and breathing problems for quite some time now.

My mom just got us good health insurance, so she wants to take me to a specialist, but we have no idea who specializes in that kind of thing?

What are they called?

A: You need a pediatric respirologist. They can usually be found in hospitals running clinics. Search “pediatric respirologist” at your local hospital.

ENTs can be good, but they tend to specialize more in masses and tumours and things that can be surgically removed.

By the way, before you can see a specialist, you usually need a referral letter from a GP or your family doctor or at least a walk in clinic. Also, when you do that, the GP can direct you to the right specialist, AND give you their address/phone/name etc.

Q: What is the best over the counter medicine for sinus headaches?
I have chronic sinus headaches and I am on lots of Rxs for allergies/sinus but they do not help the headaches.

A: I have chronic sinus problems and the only thing that helps me is to do as saline rinse a minimum of once a day. (OTC and prescriptions tend to dry me out so much I get really bad bloody noses…so I avoid them.)

If you are having a lot of problems, there’s a product called Alkalol. Here’s what it looks like: http://www.westburyonline.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=19299&HS=1

If you go to a Target pharmacy (or even some of the larger grocery stores) they sell it. Many times they keep it behind the counter so you just have to ask the pharmacist for it.

I use this only occasionally because it does pack a wallop. Nothing painful but it certainly does clear you out!!

Q: What is the recovery time for sinus surgery?
I am about to have sinus surgery but need to know more on the recovery .
When will I be able to return to work?

A: around 3-6 weeks, depending on your body, if your healthy and recover from illness well then it shouldnt be a lengthy process.

i think you can resume work after 3 weeks or so, because its not a very major surgery

Q: What is a sinus pillow, and where can I get one in Singapore?
My sister suffers from sinus and I heard that sinus pillows can help. How do these pillows work? Where can I get one in Singapore?

Thanks for your help!

A: >.> I think its a pillow with a slight smell on menthol to help your sinuses…. If i could guess i would say that u sleep with your head close to the pillow but not flat on it or you’ll die

Links I Found Sinus Pillows

http://cgi.ebay.com/Herbal-Aromatherapy-Heat-Pack-Neck-and-Sinus-pillow_W0QQitemZ110356653163QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19b1c4e46b&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Therapeutics-Anti-Stress-Microwaveable-Pillow/dp/B000W052OW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1241448531&sr=8-1

http://www.inharmonywithnature.com/dreamtime-face-pillow-sinus-pillow.html

Q: Are sinus headaches more common based on a particular geographic location?
I have lived in St. Louis all my life, and have not been out of the region too much. I get a sinus headache or infection about four to six times a year, either to getting a cold or a weird change in weather (as St. Louis is). For those who have lived in various locations in their lifetime, are headaches more common in certain areas such as St. Louis, and occur less often in other locations?

A: some times it happens when the air pressure changes.
when u go up and down the mountains you will feel it

Q: Where can I find a graphical image of the human sinus cavity and throat?
My sinuses have been dramatically draining during the past two weeks so I have had a tickled throat all this time.
Rather than continuing to take antihistamine tabs (which do dry things out) I want to SEE what all is happening inside my nose / throat that cause this irritation.
I’m seeking images of the human sinus cavity and throat.
Thanks for images or links.

A: I google searched and have posted the link below.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.medicinenet.com/images/illustrations/sinus_2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_rhinitis/article.htm&usg=__eu1e_f2EGCGX9ABrKnwDVnVk1T4=&h=525&w=450&sz=77&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=8k3iuGvg3POm5M:&tbnh=132&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsinus%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-au:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGLR%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Q: what is the best and quickest way to relieve facial sinus pressure?
My girlfriend was diagnosed with pneumonia about 3 days ago and now she is having terrible sinus pain on top of that. She is miserable and I am trying to make her more comfortable. Any ideas on relieving sinus pressure especially under the eyes? Thanks in advance.

P.S. she is already taking antibiotics for the pneumonia so we are pretty sure its not an infection.

A: A hot steamy bath & just soak in it providing there is no fever. or a hot steamy shower. Hope she feels better, but thats the quickest relief I know of

Q: What is the best way to relieve sinus pressure?
I’ve been taking sinus medication every 4 hours and nothing is relieving the pain.

A: Boil a pot of water on the stove and put your head over the steam and inhale the steam for awhile. I’ve tried it and it works.
You have to get a decongestant also to reduce the reason you have the pain. You can buy it ” over the counter”. You have to take care of the problem first.

Q: What are some common cures for a sinus infections without going to the doctor?
I am pretty sure I have a sinus affection, but I would like to avoid going to the doctor. Is there any other over the counter medicines or common solutions for my problem?

A: Well, you can try some over the counter sinus relief medicines, but if it keeps coming back you need antibiotics. That will require a prescription from a doctor.

Q: How can i get rid of my sinus headaches that i have everyday?
i have a headache everyday and it’s bothering me so much. how can i get rid of these headaches because i cant focus anymore. is their any medicine that you know that works really good for sinus headaches?

A: I suffer from sinus headaches, and use to have to lay in bed all day. I find if I take a long hot shower, drink lots of cold water, take advil, alka-seltzer, and try to keep my mind off my headache, I tend to feel better. This works for me the majority of time. Take a look at this book it may help. Http://mallpros.com/store/ciaramello/product/10042

Q: How can I get rid of a sinus infection if it does not respond to medication?
It’s making me feel sickly and tired to where I don’t want to do anything, and the other day I even vomited because of it. I’ve tried everything there is over the counter and I also got prescribed antibiotics and a decongestant. However nothing works. I still feel tired and sickly and I have this intense pressure all over my head. Do I need to have sinus surgery?

A: No to surgery– Its a typical acute sinus infection probably in which antibiotics won;t work because most are cause by fungus not bacteria. Sinus medications will just make you feel worse and won;t do anything for the sinus infection symptoms. Without doing anything it can take up to 3 weeks to get rid of a sinus infection if yo do nothing for it, that’s the normal course. Nasal irrigation will help flush it out FAST. There is more info at the websites below. You will get better..Nurse Sue.

Q: What is the best medicine to relieve sinus inflammation and congestion?
I have terrible sinus pain and congestion and don’t know what the right combination of meds would work best. Should I take a decongestant with an expectorant???
Is it safe to take a pain reliever along with the Mucinex D?

A: You may have a sinus infection, if you do, you need to go to the doctor and get antibiotics.

Otherwise, I would say yes, take a Decongestant with an expectorant. Mucinex is the best one I know of.

Q: What natural remedies are there for a sinus infection?
I’ve been taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection, and though I am feeling better, the symptoms are still bugging me. I want to try something else to add to it.

A: A warm salt-water solution poured through the nose provides great relief in sinusitis. A ceramic pot (a plastic one may also be used, it is far easier to carry) known as a “neti lota”, makes this procedure very easy. Fill the pot with warm water and add enough salt so the solution tastes like tears. Stand over a sink and tilt your head far to one side so that your ear is parallel to the floor, and pour the solution into the upper nostril, allowing it to drain through the lower nostril. You have to breathe through your mouth while doing this. Gently blow your nose using your gut muscles without applying pressure on your lungs as this may throw the mucus along with the bacteria back into your throat and the Eustachian tubes. Repeat on the other side. This procedure may be performed two or three times a day. It is a part of the yogic therapy and is extremely beneficial in sinusitis.

Yoga (neti pot use is actually a part of it) is extremely beneficial, especially when you use herbs along with it.

Usually, your sinusitis will require the use of antibiotics (I have myself taken tons of them) to get rid of bacteria and other organisms. Natural and holistic treatments have also been used for centuries to reduce the symptoms of sinusitis. Very often, conventional medications have harsh side effects and using more natural alternatives like herbal and homeopathic remedies are much safer and gentler for the body.

Herbal remedies are there to alleviate the symptoms by reducing inflammation and, if you still take prescription medications, also help them in curing the infection. Of course, some of them like Echinacea, help tremendously in not only giving a fillip to your immune system but also help prevent colds and shorten the duration of your cold or flu.

A highly effective herb is Quercitin which contains anti-oxidants and helps to promote healthy circulation and boosts immunity. Another carefully selected herb is Euphrasia officinalis (Eyebright) which is beneficial for good eye health. In addition, homeopathic ingredients such as Arsen alb, Nat. mur. and Kali mur. help to maintain the skin and nervous system as well as liver health.

You may wish to read further an intriguing article on sinusitis and its solutions with regards to diet, certain dos and don’ts and off course natural remedies available, here..

Q: Why is it that I always get sinus infections whenever the weather changes?
I always get sinus infections whenever the weather changes. It’s starting now with the sore throat, mucous, and chest soreness/congestion. Does anyone know why this happens and/or have any good remedies that are preferably holistic?

A: seasonal allergies maybe. i take zinc and magnesium tablets every day during the winter and it keeps me from getting sick.i use to be sick every other week in the winter until i read about zinc. you can get this at any drug store,wal-mart,etc.

Q: How do I help my 5 month old with a sinus infection flying in a plane?
Both my son and my fiance have had a cold that led into a sinus infection within 3 days. Both required an antibiotic. My baby girl came down with it last night, not bad though yet. We are leaving on a plane tomorrow morning at 8am, I am affraid the plane will intense the sinus pain and really hurt her. Does anyone have any home remedies? I am taking her to the doctor but her usual one is not in and I am affraid this one will not give her an antibiotic then we will be in florida without anything. I know about the saline nose drops and we are already using those and I will have her nurse or suck a bottle during take off and landings. Any other suggestions?
To Paul K—- It is really important we go– as my mother-in-law is the only “family” we have left and we just found out she is terminally ill and this may be her last trip… May want to think before answering a question… Anyways,,, I took her to the doctor and she has a double ear infection,,,, we got antibiotics and we will use tylenol and motrin…. I am sure she will be fine and we will have a wonderful trip and a very loving christmas as my family will be with me… Thanks to all that answered…

A: Stay home with your family.

Q: What is the best treatment for Lupus Rash?
My Dr. keeps prescribing different medications, mostly steroid creams for my rash I get from Lupus. None of them seem to work long term, though they all seem to work at first. What is the best medication?

A: try going to the docter if you ask god about it you will be just fine and remember you are in my prayers

Q: Is it possible for the Lupus rash to be more prominent on the nose and less noticeable on the cheeks.?
I have several of the Lupus symptoms, however, the rash is more noticeable on my nose. I don’t normally run a fever. My temperature usually runs below the normal 98.6–averaging about 96.5 to 97.5. The days that I feel really run down are the days when my temp jumps up, and then it is about 99.9. Can someone please give me a little more information on Lupus SLE?

A: Lupus patients sometimes have temperature ’spikes’ when their temperature fluctuates a bit – usually when they have a lupus flare (when lupus is active), ‘night sweats’ are very common too.

The rash is, like most of the lupus symptoms, different in all patients and not that many actually get the classic ‘butterfly rash’. So some may get it mostly on the cheeks and some mostly on the nose.

There’s lots more info on our website www.lupus.org.uk and there’s also a ‘nurse online’ there who can answer any future questions or concerns you have.

Hope that helps.

Q: Are a Lupus rash and Eczema linked to one another?
My grandmother passed away in 2001, primarily due to Lupus. I’ve been worried that I may have/get Lupus (since it is a genetically transmitted disease). I have common flare ups of a rash that i thought was eczema, but recently have thought could be related to Lupus. Could Lupus cause Eczema? Are they linked somehow?
Thanks!

A: Lupus is not genetically transmitted. You MAY inherit a genetic predisposition to lupus, but it requires triggers to develop the disease. There are many cases of genetically identical twins where one develops lupus and the other does not.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your own health tissue. The exact cause is unknown.

The exact cause of eczema is unknown, but it’s thought to be linked to an overactive response by the body’s immune system to unknown triggers.

Lupus of the skin is diagnosed by skin biopsy. Eczema may require some allergy testing.

In addition, eczema is commonly found in families with a history of other allergies or asthma.

Some people may suffer “flare-ups” of the itchy rash in response to certain substances or conditions.

See a dermatologist.

Q: lupus rash?
MY DAUGHTERS GRANDMAS HAS LUPAS AND THERE AUNT DOES TO DO I NEED TO GET THEM CHECK TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE OR JUST NOT WORRY ABOUT?

A: There are 2 types of lupus….systematic(involves mutiple systems including organs and discoid(usually just involving the skin). There is a “butterfly rash” that is typical in systematic lupus, which is over the bridge of the nose. If your daughter has a rash and you are concerned about it, definately take her and let a physician check it out. Lupus is not something you want to let go untreated it can be a serious condition. Good luck.

Q: How can I get rid of Lupus rash scars? I am so sad:(?
I have been have severe discoid lupus rashes. They are now leaving scars all over my body that are not fading anymore. i don’t know what to do, I am ashamed to look in the mirror now. Is there anyway to heal the scars or another treament that I can do . I am already on steriods and antinflamators.

A: Please send your question to our free lupus nurseonline service: http://lupus.org.uk/onlinenurse.htm

She was advising someone on this subject and I’m pretty sure laser treatment was the best course but she will confirm this.

Good luck!

Q: Can you have lupus without the rash?
I have every symptom of lupus but the rash. Like every symptom down to the protein in the urine. Is it possible to have lupus without the “butterfly rash”? Please no answers like “you should see a doctor”. Obviously, I have explored all the obvious options for an answer to this question. Please no obvious crap.

A: Yes! Lupus takes may different forms which makes it hard to diagnosis. My friend’s Lupus expressed itself by the swelling of limp nods in her arm pits that made her arm and had swell up like a balloon. She is also constantly having joint pain and is always exhausted. It many different forms. I have seen that some sort of rash does present itself eventually.

Q: How do you recognise a lupus rash? I know butterfly pattern but more detail please?
Is it dry? raised? fine dots? Does it react to creams etc?

A: Although it only affects about one in three people with lupus, the skin problem most often associated with the disease is a butterfly-shaped rash (malar rash) that develops across the cheeks and bridge of the nose. A malar rash may be flat or raised and may be blotchy or completely red in the affected areas. Some people with lupus develop skin lesions (subacute cutaneous lesions) that initially resemble small pimples but that eventually turn scaly and itchy, whereas others have large, flat, itchy lesions with clear centers. Both types of lesions usually appear after exposure to sunlight. Still other people develop a crusty, red, raised rash (discoid rash) on the face, neck, chest or scalp. A discoid rash is usually thick and scaly, may last for days or years, and often leaves hypopigmented or hyperpigmented scars. This rash is the only symptom in people with the discoid form of lupus. In a small percentage of cases, people with discoid lupus may go on to develop a mild version of SLE.

Q: How long does it take a lupus rash to heal?

A: There are many types of lupus rashes. How long it take to heal depends on the kind of rash, topical treatments (what you rub on it), and whether or not you are taking medication like prednisone or plaquenil. No one can answer that question for you without a lot more information, and even then it is varies from person to person. You can see the variety of lupus rashes at the link provided.

Q: Is the butterfly rash from lupus always on both sides of the face?
Or is it ever just on one side? Thanks

A: It usually goes across both sides, almost like a pair of sunglasses which have slipped right down your nose.
Unusually, I believe, I get the butterfly rash but I have discoid not systemic lupus.

Q: What drugs are used in treatment of malar lupus rash?

A: Topical and sometimes oral steroids.

Q: why is the butterfly rash in systemic lupus erythematosus was called such?
other than being shaped like a butterfly, are there any other mechanisms on why this butterfly-like appearance or rashes becomes visible on the affected patients? I hope you could help me. thanks!

A: Only 30% of patients with lupus have a butterfly rash.
Since Lupus is a system disease, meaning inside. Lupus can affect kidneys, joints, blood etc. As eczema it’s an autoimmune disease.
I know I’m off topic….
The butterfly rash will get worse with sunlight as most lupus patients are photosensitive, like having sensitive skin, it’ll act like a sunburn.
It’s an anti-inflammatory action of the body.

Q: Is it possible to have lupus and not have the butterfly rash?
Also, my doctor said he thinks my problems could by autoimmune like lupus because I show so many symptoms that match that and only predisone helps my symptoms, but my autoimmune test came back good, does anyone have any suggestions on what avenues to take to figure this out and how to get a diagnosis?

A: There are four different types of lupus: one that affects skin, one that affects the body, one that happens to newborns, one that is caused by certain medications. Not everyong get the rash. I never had the rash but the lupus affected my organs.

5% of people with systemic lupus (that affects the body) will have a negative anti-nuclear antibody test. This is documented in the medical text book “Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” by Dubois, and in “The Lupus Book” by Daniel Wallace MD.

Lupus is difficult to diagnose because there is no specific test. You need to see a rheumatologist. Most general doctors do not have the training to make an accurate diagnosis.

Q: If i had lupus the rash would ‘nt go away with skin lotion(moisturizer) would it and i would have more symptom
dont people with lupus have more than one symptom? i sometimes have a sore elbow,but my job involves heavy lifting repetetive all day and i have a history of tendenittis.I dont have a fever,i’am not fatiuged ,but i do suffer from anxitey

A: You are quite focused on lupus. Everyone is different, so if you had lupus, you may not have the same ailments as another person.

Q: Lupus question: can the butterfly rash spread over face and make one eye swell shut?
Dr thinks its lupus based on symptoms and borderline bloodwork but rash has him convinced. I’m wondering if its contact dermatitis

A: Yeah it could be contact dermatitis, but you should get a second opinion from another doctor.

Q: A lupus rash does’nt go away on it’s own does it?!?
Does anybody have any info about lupus rash treatment?! Yhank you and have happy New year!!!

A: Lupus rash does not go away on its own. You need to see a dermatologist who is knowledgeable about lupus.

Stay out of the sun. When the sun strikes the skin, it alters the DNA at the surface. In lupus people, we make anitbodies to this altered DNA which causes inflammation=rash.

Stress makes it worse.

Q: Gluten Allergy?
through a process of elimination, i have come to the conclusion i have a gluten allergy. can someone please tell me what type of foods have gluten in them. i can remember seeing on a pack of something (contains gluten) does all packaging have this label.

A: Here are two message boards that have tons of information, support, product reviews, products warnings, recipes, etc., etc., etc.

www.glutenfreeforum.com
www.celiacforums.com

Gluten is in wheat, rye and barley. Oats also need to be avoided because they are cross-contaminated with wheat as part of the milling process.

Gluten is in SO much stuff. There’s the obvious stuff like bread, pasta, etc. Then there’s the hidden gluten in everything from soy sauce, candy, shampoo, cosmetics, even some medications. The list goes on and on.

BUT, there are so many great replacement products. You will have no problem finding gluten-free bread, pasta, pizza, cookies, cakes, brownies, etc.

Once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy to deal with.

I hope you join us on those message boards. There are a ton of great people there.

Nancy

Q: gluten allergy?
I have an allergy to gluten, diagnosed by my specialist. Recently though i have eaten bread and biscuits and no ill effects, can anyone explain? Is it safe to do so? I find it hard eating gluten free bread and biscuits I have to say they are rotten.

Would the odd treat every now and again kill me?

A: What kind of specialist is he? Gluten allergy is incredibly rare, and if you can eat the stuff without noticeable effect, it’s unlikely that is what you are suffering from. You may have gluten intolerance – which may even be celiac disease.

Celiac disease does not involve the immune system, and nor does gluten intolerance. Both are caused by an inability to digest gluten properly, resulting in damage to your body. If you’re celiac, this will be in the intestine. But there are lots of other things that could be affected – even your mental health (the result of gluten not being correctly digested is a toxin very similar to opium).

If someone with celiac disease continues to eat gluten – perhaps because their doctor has misdiagnosed it – they run the risk of developing bowel cancer.

Q: Gluten allergy?
My friend has just found out that she has an allergy to Gluten. I am having a bit of a get together at my house this week and want to provide some nibbles to go with the wine. I don’t want to make my friend feel as though I am going to trouble for her but want to make sure that she has something to eat. What can I prepare that we will all be able to eat without it being specifically “gluten free” i.e shop bought gluten free?

A: Hi,
there are lots of things you can cook and buy, boil some eggs,
you can make salads,( Heinz salad cream is gluten free,)
you can cook long grain & wild rice (tesco),and make a cold dish or a prawn curry,(read lable for curry sauce)
In tesco’s they have a little section “free from” where you can get rolls(which are easier) they come in 4’s in a box, they have pizza’a bases, you an make veggie pizza’s (you can get the sauce in this section,) also pasta and cakes, there are cracker’s & biscuits called “Trufree”here as well. you can cook chicken drumsticks, use olive oil,and boil some new potatoes, there’s also caramelised onion houmous 190g ,
ardennes pate` with bacon 170g(check lables ) butter/ margerine you will have to read lables, there are gluten free beer’s Green’s do a few, and Strongbow cider is gluten free, tesco do 8 thick british pork sausages gluten free (tesco free from) in a purple lable, they are with all the ordinary sausages, branston pickle and heinz tomato ketchup are gluten free, fairtrade nuts and raisins,cashew nuts, and for a desert you could have swedish glace ice-cream there 3 /4 flavours. it is also vagan
( make sure by reading lables as sometimes they change)
If you want crisps, walkers do some but you will need to read lables, the ones that say suitable Coeliac’s are o.k, Most wines ,spirits,sherry,port,cider and liqueurs are gluten-free (again read lables, ) and most beers,lagers,stout and ales contain varying amounts of gluten, the only one that is gluten-free the I know of that is o.k. for your friend, is Greens natural lager,I hope this will help you, keep your friends separate from yours,
I’m a Coeliac I cannot have gluten,rye,barley,oats,or wheat , I have been like this 15 months now, it is horrid
I hope you have a good night.enjoy it
Has your friend been told by the doctor/hospital that she has this allergy. she maybe a Coeliac, if she is, she can get bread ,rolls, pasta, crackers,crispbbread,biscuits and cakemix/breadmix on prescriptions from the doctor and join the Coeliac U.K they send out a book with everthing that is gluten free,if she doesn’t join they send the book for £10-12
SARAH SLEET is Chief Executive
THE HELP LINE NUMBER
0870 4448804
E-MAIL foodanddrink@coeliac.org.uk.
They will help you
P.S. if you do buy the rolls, you will have to warm them in the oven or toast them they, are better this way,
Most chocolate contains gluten, Bendicks, cadbury roses assortment,flakes,nestle after eight, aero all variants, dairy box all sweets are few gluten free

Q: Is it possible to develop a gluten allergy later in life?
I’m 16 years old, and for a month and a half, I have all the symptoms of having a gluten allergy. Whenever I eat gluten, I feel sick to my stomach, cramping, joint pain, and more, but after a couple days off of it, I feel fine. Is it possible to just become allergic to gluten like that?
Thanks!

A: You may have an allergy to gluten which is different and less severe than Celiac’s disease. You may have developed it now. The good news is that you can live gluten free and feel good. Some of my fave gluten free must haves are: Tinkyada pasta (Whole foods or online), Sami’s Bakery-bread, bagels and pizza crust and rice crackers. A few helpful links are below.

Q: What are some foods you can eat if you have a gluten allergy?
i think i might have a gluten allergy so i want to stop eating foods with gluten to see if how i feel
and all i have been hearing is what i can’t eat
so what CAN i eat?

A: Here’s a website with all the gluten free foods.

http://www.celiac.com/articles/181/1/Safe-Gluten-Free-Food-List-Safe-Ingredients/Page1.html

Also, CHEX cereal is gluten-free.

My girlfriend has the same allergy. One day she had a terrible flu so I made Homemade Chicken Soup for the first time & put the huge pot into small microwavable containers so she could eat them by just warming up each one. It have fresh chicken, chopped celery, carrots, & onions. She said it was delicious.

Everyday gluten free foods
Fresh meat Fish and shellfish Poultry and game
Vegetables Fresh herbs Fruit
Dried fruit Nuts Eggs
Cheese Cottage cheese (not cheese spreads) Milk (when newly diagnosed you may be lactose intolerant)
Dried beans, peas and pulses Vegetable oils, sunflower oil, olive oil Almonds, ground or whole
Rice, ground, long or short grain Rice cakes/crackers Rice flour (and other gluten free flours)
Yeast Cream of tartar Bicarbonate of soda
Sugar Dried peppercorns Cornflour (from the maize plant
Tamari soy sauce Marmite (only if made in the UK) Yoghurts (without crunchy bits)
Cider vinegar Wine vinegar Distilled vinegar
Sago Tapioca Millet
Quinoa Flax seed Corn Tortillas
Corn tacos Popcorn (check any coating) Homemade soups (not roux based)
Jelly (jello) Jam Marmalade
Honey Golden syrup Black treacle or molasses
Tea (check herb teas first) Fruit juice Fruit squash (not barley water
gluten free beer Wine Xanthan gum (replaces “elastic” quality of gluten)

Seasonal Vegetables and Fruit
As an accompaniment to main meals or the meal itself if you are a gluten free vegan or vegetarian, it is nice to eat fresh vegetables and fruit that are in season.

Beetroot Purple Sprouting Broccoli Asparagus Wild mushrooms
Cabbage Carrots Courgettes (Zucchini) Sweetcorn
Leeks Spring onions (Scallions) Mange Tout Beetroot
Onions New potatoes Globe Artichokes Sweetcorn
Brussels Sprouts Spring greens Garden Peas Cauliflowers
Shallots Lettuces Green beans Carrots
Parsnips Asparagus Cucumber Marrows
Swede Broad beans Lettuces Broccoli
Spinach Spinach Radishes Butternut squash
Curly Kale Rhubarb Watercress Turnips
Artichokes Peppers Cabbages
Pumpkin Tomatoes Parsnips
Apples Sweetcorn Celery
Pears Summer berries Leeks
Nuts Cherries Apples
Currants Pears
Plums Almonds
Melons Chestnuts
Apricots Elderberries
Grapes
Figs

Hope this helped a little. Best of luck to you.

Q: How can you tell if you have a gluten allergy?
I think I have a gluten allergy, but how can I tell?

A: http://healthygourmetgifts.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/tips-for-going-gluten-free/

check out the link at the bottom of the article for a full list of answers to gluten allergy etc. it’s a lot of info to put here.

testing for gluten allergy is a long and difficult process. for me, i found it faster to just cut down on gluten since i’m still not officially diagnosed after so many unpleasant tests and probes and hospital visits. without gluten everyday only maybe once a week i found that almost right away i started feeling better. if you feel better without it, then you have your answer.

Q: Can wheat or flour pass from my body, specifically my semen orally, to my wife and cause a gluten allergy?
My wife who has a gluten allergy notices a painful response after we engage in oral sex. I hate to ask questions of such a personal nature, but we really want to know if the allergens can pass through my semen causing her an allergic reaction?

A: No this will NOT happen. Semen is too refined to carry gluten protein with it. However, this could make for a good science fiction story.

Q: Is there a way to reverse a gluten allergy or intolerance?
Im almost 20 and have known about my gluten allergy for almost 4 years.. i want to know if there is a way to reverse it.. or be able to eat some gluten..

A: Unlike some people, I will not use a cut and paste from others who have no idea the functioning of the digestive track nor the full reason of the “cause” of allergies.

To put it in layman’s terms, your immune system starts in the gut.

I have worked with health care practitioners well schooled in the world of holistic healing and nutrition.

My daughter was what you describe and with the proper nutritional tools, we were able to end all of her allergies.

Yes, you can reverse it.

This is my issue knowing what I know:

Anyone who says allergies cannot be cured but only managed was the same medical dogma I was given for over 30 years of my life by the limited and narrow world of medicine, which I suffered since the age of 2.

I reversed my allergies and asthma and have been cured for over 10 years now. Cure is a very powerful word and it is against the law in the US and Canada to say cure for something non toxic that allows the body to cure itself. You can look up this suppressive fact by simply using your google search engine, which is another subject that has had very powerful implications on freedom of choice for health care.

The body is the miracle with what is “missing” in the human frame and diet and anyone telling you or I otherwise, must not be sick and tired enough to get educated about it outside of the medical dogma..

For those who argue just for the sake of argument, you haven’t suffered, because if the shoe fits… Wear it, but please don’t impose your beliefs that there is no cure when you yourself, have not experienced the suffering that goes on from medications that do not address the cause and the side affects of those medications are often times, worse than the disease itself.

Message me for more details on what I did and see if this is what you want to do.

If you do not have Celiacs disease… In your digestive track, you cannot break down glutens and I wouldn’t be surprised if you react to raw vegetables as well. like raw broccoli or raw bell peppers or raw leafy greens which are essential for anti aging and keeping cancer at bay.

Your immune system is sending out histamines to attack the food molecules that your body no longer recognizes because it has not been broken down properly, so anything going through the blood portal that appears foreign causes you major problems.

If you have do have Celiacs Disease, your cells are not in the normal shape to absorb glutens, therefore they are impaired in picking up food molecules for the blood portal to take in as nutrients and it causes the same affect.

I’ve also seen improvements with absorption with Celiacs with the proper nutritional tools.

When the digestive track is out of balance, it can also manifest itself as chronic sinus infections, excessive mucous, coughing up mucus, susceptibility to bronchitis, migraines, bloating and sometimes hives.

If this imbalance is left long enough, an autoimmune condition can occur. Which are all symptoms of the cause that is never addressed in the medical world. They just put you on powerful anti inflammatory drugs which cause insult to injury in the gut and reduce the enzymatic conversions for youthful tissues, which cause rapid aging and more side affects, like joint loss, decrease in bone density, cardiovascular damage and high blood pressure, just to name a few.

My deduction is that you have been on antibiotics in the past several times, you have taken medications or antacid products each week and you have been eating or drinking dairy as well as sugary type quick carbohydrates to try to gain quick energy in your past. I repeat dairy was in excess in your past.

I know your digestive track is out of balance and getting it back in balance is doable so that where there is balance there simply isn’t any room for disease.

DIS – Ease… Not at ease. Balance is wellness.

Q: Can I still have a gluten allergy even if I tested negative for celiac?
I just wanted to know if I can still have a gluton allergy of some kind even if my blood test said I don’t have celiac disease. I am still recovering from H-pylori. I know gluton in general is hard to digest so with all my stomach problems could it just be that its hard to digest or an actual allergy?. I have been eating gluten free pasta and bread and I feel amazing afterwards which is so rare. I have been on a liquid diet for a long time because my stomach just won’t work. However if I eat just gluten free solid foods I feel okay. Just looking for advice.

A: Ok, I hope I can help. First off, you CAN still have Celiac Disease even if you tested negative for several reasons:

1. You MUST be eating gluten for a significant amount of time prior to the test for the blood test to be accurate. If you are not eating gluten your body will not make the antibodies that the blood test is looking for.

2. Some people are IGA and IGG deficient. Meaning that although they may still have Celiac Disease, their body does not make the two major antibodies that is looked for in a Celiac blood panel.

3. The blood test was done wrong or the wrong antibodies were looked for. Not every lab understand how to dot he test, nor does every doctor know how to read the results.

Now. If you are feeling better on a gluten free diet, then that is a good indicator that you may have Celiac Disease. If you want my opinion, I’d reschedule the test (an experienced GI doc should be ordering these tests and they should understand and accept Celiac as a serious autoimmune disease–if they do not,f ind another doc!) I will list the diagnoses process and that may help. YOu can redo the blood work but you MUST be eating gluten! Consider it your last horrah!

Even if you dont have Celiac you could indeed have just an intolerance or an allrgy. If its an allergy you would need to see an allergist to get diagnosed bc if it is an allergy you may need to carry an epi-pen because you could run the risk of anaphalyatic shock if u accidently eat gluten.

Here is the testing info: let me know if I can be of any further help:

Blood Tests
A number of tests, sometimes collectively referred to as the Celiac Blood Panel, will aid the physician in diagnosis. The tests may include, but are not limited to:
·Serologic Tests
1.EMA (Immunoglobulin A anti-endomysium antibodies)
2.AGA (IgA anti-gliadin antibodies)
3.AGG (IgG anti-gliadin antibodies)
4.tTGA (IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase)
·Tolerance or Measure of Digestion/Absorption Tests
1.Lactose tolerance test.
2.D-Xylose test.
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2: Biopsy
In the event that clinical signs and laboratory tests indicate probable malabsorption, a biopsy of the small intestine [jejunal] is called for. In this test, a small flexible biopsy instrument is passed through a tube, down the throat, through the stomach and into the upper end of the small intestine where patchy, multiple snippets of tissue are gathered. The tube is removed and the tissue samples are examined under a microscope for signs of injury.

Q: After having a biopsy, found an allergy to gluten and milk, tested negative to Celiac however. What do I do?
After having much trouble with my health for about 20 years, finally found that the acid reflux was a huge problem. My Dr. did a scope and found my esophogus is completely scarred. He did a biopsy and found milk and gluten allergy. The test for Celiac came back negative. Now what do I do. How careful do I really need to be if it is not celiac disease?

A: An important thing to know about the test for celiac is that it many times shows even if you are celiac the test can show up as negative. In most cases you would have to have eaten a lot of gluten for weeks before the test for it to actually show an accurate positive result. If you are showing allergy’s to milk and wheat then stay away from it. even trace amounts can cause you severe discomfort. Gluten is everywhere you will need to watch out for even the most basic things like the glue on an envelope, lip balm etc. Do as much research as you can it seems overwhelming at first like there is nothing you can eat or touch. But it is not as bad as it seems. I know I have the same allergy’s

Q: How did you find out you had a gluten allergy? Symptoms?
I have been experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea, intermittent vomiting, severe bloating/gas, diarrhea. I have gone for ultrasounds of my abdomen, a series of gall bladder tests, and a stomach endoscope. All that the Dr’s have discovered is inflammation in my stomach. I feel that maybe it’s something else. I have been reading up on gluten allergies and wanted some “real life” stories before approaching my Dr with this. Any thoughts?

A: All of your symptoms _can_ be caused by celiac disease. (I was 14 when I was diagnosed – I was just unwell – I couldn’t manage a whole week at school, was very tired, nauseous, headachy etc.)

The main thing is to make sure that you don’t cut it out of your diet until after having tests (don’t even reduce it). It is difficult to eliminate it fully without the support of a dietician, and although that small quantity can still cause serious ill-health, it may not be enough to register in the tests. (The current recommendation is to have about 5 or 6 slices of bread, or the equivalent, per day.)

Go and ask to be tested – it is only a simple blood test in the first instance. If that comes back positive, then you will probably be send to have an upper endoscopy with biopsy. (The damage is often not visible by endoscopy, and the samples need to be examined under a microscope in the path lab.)

Good luck.

Q: Is it possible to still have celiac disease if you have tested negative for a gluten allergy?
A month ago I had a RAST blood test done for the following allergens: wheat and gluten. My results came back as slightly intolerant to wheat and negative for gluten. What I’m wondering is if this mean I’m in the clear or would I need a different test to make sure? I’d ask the allergy clinic about it but it’s a small office and the doctor is always really busy. —- Also, I read somewhere that if someone is intolerant to something, they can eventually re-introduce it back into their system after a substantial amount of time.. is this true and if it is, about how long should it be? —- Thanks
If I should be tested in a different manner who should I make an appointment with? An allergy clinic? or would I need to see a certain specialist for that?

A: If you are unsure whether or not your intolerance to wheat is a definite problem after the RAST test, your best bet now would be to go to a gastroenterologist (doctor of the digestive system) and speak with them. They are specialized in dealing with any disease of the digestive system, including wheat/gluten allergies. If they suspect that you do indeed have celiac disease or an allergy to wheat, they will most likely do an endoscopy which is a simple, pain-free test that will definitively verify your wheat/gluten problems by taking a small biopsy of your intestine and testing it.

As for reintroducing wheat into your diet over time: it is possible, but not always the best choice. Once you meet with a specialty doctor, they can tell you what changes you may or may not need to make in your diet. Overall, the general idea is that if you have an allergy to wheat, it needs to be cut of your diet, period. If you do gradually re-introduce it, the symptoms may not show up as physically as they did before, but by eating wheat at all (if allergic to it!) you are still doing damage to your intestines which can lead to some very severe outcomes.

But, my overall advice is to seek out a gastroenterologist. They will give you the clearest, most valid answers. I was diagnosed in August 2006 after suffering from celiac disease for nearly a year and after changing my diet, I feel a million times better! Good luck

Q: I’m over weight could a gluten allergy be the reason why?
My dads sister has a major gluten allergy and my family believes that a lot of our problems could be connected to this allergy could this be the reason that I’m over weight?

A: I think that a gluten allergy carries alot of the same symptoms as Celiac. Weight loss, abdominal pain, bloating,diarrhea, anemia

Q: Questions for those who have a gluten allergy or intolerance?
I think I may have this, as I at first I thought I had an allergy to chocolate or milk, which still can be the case with chocolate. However I notice after i have anything like rice, pasta, baked goods, I have terrible upset, headache (sometimes), I feel tired throughout the day (but I also have low iron) and rash and acne. I want to know what can be done to determine if I am intolerant or if I have an allergy. How were you diagnosed and what were the signs that got you tested?
Please some advice.

A: avoid the trigger foods, take probiotics, keep a food diary, and see a GI doctor & allergist. avoid processed foods & read labels.

Q: can a gluten allergy become noticeable or really bad from anxiety and stress?
I have always suffered from headaches and tiredness, but recently I have experienced multiple stomache problems, panic attacks,mouth sores, leg cramps, and frequent headaches. I have been going through alot of stress and was wondering if I could be allergic to gluten? Because I stopped eating gluten for a couple of days and felt a little better, btu someone told me I would have always been allergic.

A: Go to your doctor and be diagnosed correctly. Many people unnecessarily put themselves on ‘gluten’ free diets when they don’t need to be. What you are describing are not necessarily only related to gluten ingestion or allergy-they could purely be a result of you being stressed or some other condition. See your dr. for some expert advice.
cheers caz

Q: Acid Reflux?
So I think I had a case of Acid Reflux today; I felt like there was some sort of acid in the back of my throat, and now it feels like there’s something ‘caught’ in my throat, which I read were all symptoms of acid reflux. I’m a teenager, and this is my first time ever experiencing this. I’ve never had problems like this before, and I was just wondering if this kind of thing can happen randomly just once, or does it continue on forever?

Thanks!

A: It can be somthing that happens here and there if you have a minor case of it. It can also be a very persistant full Blown Disease if it is a severe case.

I am not a doctor, so either way you will want to talk to them, but this is what I have to say as a long time sufferer of Acid Reflux (G.E.R.D.)!

Three part answer: information, what not to do, and what to do!

INFORMATION!!!!!!
I have a very severe case of Acid Reflux (G.E.R.D.). I have had to go to the hospital for some of the heartburn that I have had because the pain can become overwhelming or your breathing can be effected. It can be caused by Smoking, Drinking Beverages with caffeine (My case with hereditary), Drinking Beverages with Alcohol, Stress, Anxiety or can be Hereditary

The good thing about G.E.R.D. is that it can be a temporary thing and can be cured. It is never a permit thing even if you end up with it for the rest of your life it has the ability to be cured.

G.E.R.D. is caused by too much acid being created in your stomach. This can lead to or cause ulcers, esophagus damage, heartburn and/or damage in the mouth. . Other symptoms that can be found in a few cases are dizziness, tingling in limbs, numbness of Limbs, Chest/Back pain focused on the left side (in most cases), and shortness/difficulty breathing.

WHAT NOT TO DO!!!!!!!!
In most cases, stress is a factor to the reflux if you watch what you eat and reduce some of the stress it will help. If you watch what you eat for about a week you should find relief, if you do not then that is when you definitely what to listen to the doctor. Things to watch for are as follows:

Fatty Foods
Citrus Foods
Oranges (Juice and fruit)
Lemon (Juice and fruit)
Foods That Contain Grease
Fried Foods
Potatoes (Starch)
Buffalo wings
Chocolate (including any Coco)
Caffeine
Smoking
Alcohol
Doughnuts
Brownies
Cake
Tomato Based Products
Lactose
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese
High amounts of Carbohydrates
Roughage (Berries and Nuts)
Onions

WHAT TO DO!!!!
The two foods that I recommend is Black strap Molasses and Raw honey. The apple is better for night time reflux while these will work for just about all of it. What you will do is take about a tsp. of whatever one you chose. Molasses being the better because of strength and nutrition, but must be use to the taste. What the substance will do is stick to the sides of the esophagus and do two things, one is heal and the other is protect.
On the healing end, both substances have a healing property in them, and as they sit on the walls of the esophagus they will heal it. This is also helpful if you have a sore throat in the morning from refluxing.
On the protection end, both substances are high in sugar and when acid that is refluxed comes up to that the sugar will neutralize it and it will not longer be a problem at that point.

I would also look to putting Cinnamon and Ginger in you diet, they have been know to help with digestion and will help you reduce the amount of acid needed to brake down food, therefore causing you to reflux less.

Q: Acid Reflux & other symptoms.. confused.. ?
Recently, I took Corocidin Cough and Cold, and accidently overdosed on it, which landed me in the ER. Symptoms began arising – such as short of breath, difficulty swallowing, chills, fever, etc. Afterwards, when the symptoms didn’t go away completely, I went to the Doctor and he told me I had a stomach virus, and all I could do was wait it out. So I did. It was the most horrible thing ever. It, honest to god, made me think I was going to die. The shortness of breath was still there, as was the difficulty swallowing. And I just felt weak, and like I could die at any minute. More often than not I woke up with panick attacks. I do have Anxiety and depression, and I know that can affect chemicals in your body alot. Eventually, my stomach virus went away, and for a while – a month or so – I felt okay again. And everything was fine.
Also some other notes – I’ve had an ongoing UTI for about 3 or 4 years now. I’d take pills for it, but it only went away while I was taking the pills. And, my grandma Sandi, who was a nurse, now believes I have Acid Reflux. UTI & Acid Reflux at the same time.. ugh..

Anyways, so the symptoms went away. Just the other day I was smoking quite a bit of cigs since sometimes I can be quite the chainsmoker, and I had a lot of stress. Suddenly it hit me like BAM. All of those symptoms of feeling like I was dying and week came back. Now I can barely even walk down the road without getting worn out, or walk up and down a flight of stairs. I have a hard time swallowing, constantly. I have aches and pains everywhere that keep coming and going. And I’m always rushing to the bathroom, which I know isn’t good, since I’m letting out too many fluids from my body, when there aren’t any I put in there. I am also having trouble sleeping, for fear that I’ll die in my sleep.
I guess you could say I have an irrational fear of dying. Like it could happen at any moment, second, time. And I HATE it.
Anyways… I hope I can get some good answers on this, because It’s really confusing.

A: You have several issues going on at the same time, but your desire to die is evident in the fact that you are smoking. The UTI problem is due to biofilms that have established themselves in your bladder and urethra tubes, no doubt. The biofilms prevent the body’s natural immunity from touching the germs and any antibiotics you are taking or have taken have destroyed 3/4 of your immune system by killing all the probiotics in your small intestines. I suspect you also have a very bad digestive system happening due to the lack of stomach acid and a toxic liver. The muscles are controlled (energetically) by the liver and if it is toxic, as I suspect it is, this will cause lots of aches and pains in your muscles.

Drugs are the last thing you want to take for all this because that will only exacerbate the liver toxic issue.

You need to clear the biofilms from your body, support the bladder tissue to make it strong, and get rid of the UTI problem for starters. I would then do whatever you have to do to stop smoking. I would also propose that you are dehydrated as well.

Go to: (800) 370 – 3447 and order the following:

UTI Complex — take 3 of these 3 x per day (after meals)
Allicidin — Take 2 of these 3 x per day (after meals)
Multi-pollen — Take 2 of these 3 x per day (after meals)
Bladder Complex — Take 2 of these 3 x per day (after meals)

Your UTI symptoms should be greatly diminished after 3 days of doing this. Keep up this regimen for 3 weeks and then reduce the amount to 1 capsules of each per day as a maintenance dosage for a few more weeks. This will clear the UTI. As for the acid reflux issue, e-mail me after you have completed the other regimen and cleared the UTI.

good luck to you

Q: If acid reflux happens, what happens when there’s no symptoms?
What I mean is when people have Gerd or acid reflux, and they get a symptom- What happens to the hours or minutes they get no symptoms, meaning, is that when the spincher is staying closed, or does that mean the stomache is out of acid, or is it not digesting? Thanks.

A: It means they are eating the right foods and drinks. Some foods set off acid reflux symptoms while other foods do not.

Q: Acid reflux?
Recently my sons pediatrician switched him to the alimentum for spitting up and colic… the colic seems to have died down a little..but hes still spitting up excessively.. could this be acid reflux? what re symptoms that would make it obvious?

A: My daughter had acid Reflux and she spit up alot she would always drench her clothes so we always kept her naked but i switch to Enfamil A.R which is a formula that has added rice cereal in it so its much more thicker and its harder for baby to throw up. And if they throw up it would only be the liquid while they keep in the rice cereal so that they dont lose weight. Ask ur doctor for a sample first to see if it works for ur baby.

Q: Does taking medication for GERD/Acid Reflux, make symptoms worse, once medication is stopped?

A: are these the half pink half black pills? If so, then they did not do that for me.
Not taking them will increase your chances of getting acid reflux, but just take an ant-acid before a meal or if you’re like me and forget, just take an ant-acid while your having gerd and it will help relatively quickly

Q: Can you have acid reflux without heartburn?
I am planning on seeing my doctor, but lately I’ve been having trouble falling asleep because of what I think may be acid reflux. The symptoms are very subtle. I have either no heartburn, or very little heartburn. I usually experience the feeling of acid coming up right as I’m about to lose consciousness (half asleep). If I’m laying down fully awake, no problems. It’s only when I’m about to fall asleep. It also doesn’t seem to wake me up when I am asleep.

Also, must an endoscopy always be performed to diagnose this?

A: The type of night time acid reflux is not uncommon. It can be a dangerous condition so you should take it seriously. However, there are may steps that you can take without needing to see a doctor:

Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Don’t eat within 2-3 hours of bed time.
2. Don’t drink alcoholic beverages within 6 hours of bed time.
3. Take an antacid such as Tums or Rolaids before bed.
4. Consider an acid reducer such as Zantac before bed.
5. Put blocks under the head of your bed to raise it 4 inches.
6. Avoid Caffeine 6-8 hours before bed time.

regarding the endoscopy, I think the answer depends on your doctor. I was treated with medication for years before I had to have an endoscopy done.

Q: Acid Reflux Symptoms…? What do you think my problem might be?
This past month or so I have been getting this heartburn feeling in my upper stomach and into my throat.
But in the past week, its been every day feeling pretty bad.
I get it after any time I eat, and if I forget to eat, and don’t eat for several hours, it gets worse.
I feel nauseated and like I’m going to throw up some times….
I get it after I go run…
I’m active, I run every day, and I’m a vegetarian, semi vegan.
I eat pretty healthy,
do you think this might be a sever problem?
Should I contact my doctor?

Please help me, Thanks for all the help!

A: okay karina
this is a problem
your symptom has persisted for a month now and it’s time to book that doctor’s appointment.
you don’t want your stomach acid to completely ruin your esophagus.
overtime this can lead to cancer and i believe you don’t want that
i don’t mean to scare you but u have to go see ur doctor, okay?

good luck

Q: Anyone ever take Protonix for acid reflux?
Did it make you nauseous?

I read it’s one of the more common side effects, but I’ve never experienced side effects from medicine before. Nausea is my main acid reflux symptom, not heartburn, so I can’t tell if the medicine is working or not.

A: PPI’s usually take few weeks to work anyway.. so talk to your doctor and ask them what they think ..

Q: What is acid reflux and what are the symptoms?

A: I am not a doctor, so either way you will want to talk to them, but this is what I have to say as a long time sufferer of Acid Reflux (G.E.R.D.)!

Three part answer information, what not to do, and what to do!

INFORMATION!!!!!!
I have a very severe case of Acid Reflux (G.E.R.D.). I have had to go to the hospital for some of the heartburn that I have had because the pain can become overwhelming or your breathing can be effected. It can be caused by Smoking, Drinking Beverages with caffeine (My case), Drinking Beverages with Alcohol, or can be Hereditary

The good thing about G.E.R.D. is that it can be a temporary thing and can be cured. It is never a permit thing even if you end up with it for the rest of your life it has the ability to be cured.

G.E.R.D. is caused by too much acid being created in your stomach. This can lead to or cause ulcers, esophagus damage, heartburn, cheast pains, stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, burning sensation in your Throat, Burning in your mouth, and/or damage in the mouth.

WHAT NOT TO DO!!!!!!!!
In most cases, stress is a factor to the reflux if you watch what you eat and reduce some of the stress it will help. If you watch what you eat for about a week you should find relief, if you do not then that is when you definitely what to listen to the doctor. Things to watch for are as follows:

Fatty Foods
Citrus Foods
Foods That Contain Grease
Fried Foods
Chocolate (including any Coco)
Caffeine
Smoking
Alcohol
Tomato Based Products
Lactose

WHAT TO DO!!!!
The two foods that I recommend is Black strap Molasses and Raw honey. The apple is better for night time reflux while these will work for just about all of it. What you will do is take about a tsp. of whatever one you chose. Molasses being the better because of strength and nutrition, but must be use to the taste. What the substance will do is stick to the sides of the esophagus and do two things, one is heal and the other is protect.
On the healing end, both substances have a healing property in them, and as they sit on the walls of the esophagus they will heal it. This is also helpful if you have a sore throat in the morning from refluxing.
On the protection end, both substances are high in sugar and when acid that is refluxed comes up to that the sugar will neutralize it and it will not longer be a problem at that point.

I would also look to putting Cinnamon and Ginger in you diet, they have been know to help with digestion and will help you reduce the amount of acid needed to brake down food, therefore causing you to reflux less.

Q: Is acid reflux a symptom of coeliac disease?
I have had really bad acid reflux for the past about 6 months, after a bout of taking a lot of pain killers and anti inflammatorys. I also have pernicious anemia and I was just curious to know if the two were related and if acid reflux could be a symptom of coeliac disease?

A: Acid reflux is not a symptom of coeliac disease and if your PA is antibody positive it has no relationship to your reflux either.

Q: What does acid reflux feel like? Heartburn? What are the symptoms?
I have been getting periodic intense chest pains in what feels like the esophogas area. It feels like when you swallow a chip whole and it pokes you from the inside. But it’s not like bile rising or anything. I’m also a little burpy. Is this acid reflux or heartburn? (what’s the difference?) What can I do to treat it?

A: That is heartburn. Now if it feels like a bunch of hot nasty liquid is burning in you upper esophogus then that is acid reflux. Try Tums or Pepcid.

Q: I suffer from bad acid reflux. How should I sleep to help improve symptoms?
I’ve been to the doctor this past week after being very ill and was diagnosed with acid reflux. I have been losing sleep because I wake up with acid in my mouth and throat and I am so sick of it! My sleep is horrible and it is really affecting my daily tasks. I notice when I sleep on my right side I notice MORE fatigue than when I sleep on my left side. Is there a certain way to sleep?? Also, I’ve been taking Mylanta Ultimate Strength for my sour stomach .. been working so far any further suggestions?

A: If you were diagnosed with acid reflux, that doctor should have given you clear instructions on medication, sleep, and told you to call or make an appointment if those initial measures did not work. This is not just annoying, it can cause serious damage to your esophagus, even eventually to cancer. Lack of sleep puts you at other risks as well.

You may need prescription or other medication to control how much acid you make, not just Mylanta to neutralize it. You must discuss this with your doctor at once.

As for sleeping, one thing that may help immediately is elevating the head of your bed. Not propping it up with pillow, but actually raising the head end on blocks or bricks or books or special little plastic cups that you put under the legs at that end.

Also, avoid eating for several hours before reclining or lying down,

However, you really, really need to have another discussion with your doctor.

Q: Do I have acid reflux/GERD? (Symptoms listed in details)?
Hey. I’m a singer, and I’m getting worried because recently, my range has been deteriorating and I don’t know why. But recently I’ve figured that I may have acid reflux.

I have been waking up with a throat so soar I can barely speak. Every morning, without fail, this has been happening. Also, I notice that my tongue gets a little white and foamy sometimes. In addition, sometimes it will randomly feel like there’s a fiery volcano erupting in my throat.

Singing-wise, my belting range has been stomped on and crushed. I used to be able to belt up to a G4 and now I struggle on/past D4. Whatever this is needs to go away NOW.

My first question is, does this mean I have acid reflux / GERD?

My second question is for singers: If you are a singer who has had acid reflux problems, where you able to overcome them or were your chords permanently damaged?

Third question: Besides antibiotics, are there any household remedies for acid reflux I should try? If I have it?

Thanks.

A: It sounds like thats exactly what you have, You need to go to a gastroenterologist. He or she can put you on an acid inhibitor to stop the acid reflux.

Q: Acid Reflux Question about symptoms?
If you have had personal experience or know of any of the symptoms can you tell me: Do people normally get a “foggy head” with acid reflux? My boyfriend always describes it as foggy head and I am like “WHAT? What do you mean by foggy head?” he describes it as if a person has a head cold that feeling you get. I think he has something else like maybe a sinus infection. He has been feeling soooo horrible for weeks now and refuses to let the doctor know now what it is. He will not call. He feels other stuff too, but the main is the foggy head and oh some stomach and back pain. He thinks it is the 2 different blood pressure meds & stuff for acid reflux (like the purple pill type stuff) that is causing it. The doctor said the blood pressure meds do not cause them symptoms. He is on diovan hct & amlodipine for blood pressure. The 2nd one was recently added on…it all started sometime after the diovan. What do you think?
Oh and to mention he states it got a lot worse after the amlodipine was added.

A: Well, I’m not sure how acid reflux fits this but the prescribed medicines definitely have a side effect. Blood pressure medications slow you down when they lower your blood pressure and could definitely cause a “foggy head”.
Sounds like your doctor is not very sympathetic to your boyfriends symptoms. Amlodipine which is the generic of Norvasc has many side effects.
Diovan HCT is also a blood pressure med and has many side effects. The most common side effects of Diovan used to treat people with high blood pressure include: Headache

Dizziness

Flu-like symptoms

Tiredness

Stomach (abdominal) pain
Sounds like that’s the one causing the most difficulty. Maybe his dosage is too high.
For Acid Reflux I learned that by drinking less liquid before, during and after meals cured mine.
Good luck, I hope he feels better soon!

Q: what symptoms did your baby have with acid reflux?
are they more fussy…My 2 mo old has never spit up; yet dr believes she has silent reflux. I just hate that she has to take meds daily but im willing to do so, if it will make her feel better. My baby cries all day even if I carry her. I have taken her to 4 diff drs 3 said she was just irritable. But she screams…please help

A: the most common symptom is spitting up a lot.my daughter was on 2 types of medications for 4 months.its very unpleasant for them.its like heartburn.

Q: What are the allergy symptoms to wheat?
I was on a low carb diet and did not eat any breads for the past month and I felt great! My stomach pains, bloating, and constipation, and lethargy went away. As soon as I began introducing bread in small amounts back into my diet, I started to get the same symptoms again that I have had my whole life. Could this be an allergy to bread, namely wheat?

A: Yes it could be an allergy to wheat or possibly yeast, but more than likely it is your body reacting to the re introduction of bread products so stear clear of such items wheat yeast maybe try pure rye bread from a natural foods store

Q: What the allergy symptoms of wheat?
I was on a low carb diet and did not eat any breads for the past month and I felt great! My stomach pains, bloating, and constipation, and lethargy went away. As soon as I began introducing bread in small amounts back into my diet, I started to get the same symptoms again that I have had my whole life. Could this be an allergy to bread, namely wheat?

A: You don’t say what country you are in. You are probably producing an antibody to the protein in the wheat. This protein is called gluten. If you’re in the UK it called Coeliac disease – outside the UK it’s usually called celiac disease. Remove gluten from your diet and you’ll probably be OK. Gluten is in products made from Wheat, barley, rye and Oats. 1 person in 100 in the UK are said to have Coeliac. But one doctor tested 1000 of his patients and 35 had it. so that’s more like 1 in 30. you don’t always get all the symptoms you describe. left untreated – it can get nasty – so don’t ignore it. get your doctor to send you to hospital for a blood test for that antibody. The test is called the anti-endomysial antibody test. Then get refered to a gastroenterologist if it’s positive and a dietician. The specialist will help you join Coeliac UK if you’re in the UK. Most countries have some kind of society to advise on diet. Coeliac is also hereditary – you could have inherited it or contracted it when you got an infection. You can pass it on to your children. It effects children and can stunt growth – not mine – I’m 6ft 2″ tall! More info on the medical page of my website. Plus the other conditions you risk if you don’t stick to your diet. Assuming you have it of course. Some very few people are allergic just to wheat – but it’s very rare. You are more likely to be a coeliac – you have all the symptoms. Even beer isn’t gluten free and lots of other stuff like soy sauce, so you need to join something like Coeliac UK to get their food list of Gluten -free foods. Gluten -free foods are available on a doctors prescription for diagnosed Coeliacs. Bread made from rice, biscuits( cookies) that are gluten free, pasta, pizza bases. Get a season ticket for your prescriptions in the UK – one for 6 months or a year – unless you get free prescriptions. Contact me if you need help and the blood test is positive.

Q: wheat allergy symptoms?
How do you know if you are allergic to wheat? I ask because, every time I eat wheat bread, I get super bloated and gassy-feeling. Is this a sign of an allergy?
I don’t have these symptoms with other breads – just whole wheat.

A: I do have a wheat allergy, and if I eat it, I just get itchy rashes. I’ve never heard of anyone experiencing gas when they eat wheat, it could be the yeast in the bread (maybe there is more in the specific kind you eat). It could also be pesticides, because the outer shell of the wheat they use is most exposed to pesticides. It might be that you are reacting to chemicals. Unless you eat organic bread. Anyhow I would recommend asking your doctor about it, especially if you have other allergies.

Q: Wheat allergy question? symptoms….?
We recently had my son tested for allergies, his doctor was sure he had allergies to our cats.

He had been sick since starting school,
It usually starts with him clearing his throat a lot, then the cough comes, then ear infection , then bronchitis.

When the results came back he has no “inhalent” allergies but on the food results we had several.
Wheat was 18.8 – class 3
Gluten 19.9 class 3
Cheese Mold 20.0 class 3
banana 18.6 class 3
Whey 27.7 class 3

There were 23 others that had high numbers in the level 2 category.(including Rye, Barley, oat,and corn).

Would a food allergy cause my son to have the symptoms i described above?
Any info or websites on this matter would help….

A: Yes they would
If he’s at school during lunch time you might wana get an idea of what he’s having and pack him his own lunch from time to time if he can’t eat certain things like u described
And u mite wana get him an epi pen for him to carry or I would say a close teacher you can count on that is if he starts to have a great deal of allergic reaction which doesn’t allow him to breathe.
An epi maintains his bodysystem back to health for about 20min and then seek medical help
Hope this helps

Q: Symptoms of wheat allergy?
Hi everyone. My baby is nearly 7 months and from birth always had some problems,she had lots of wind, diareah, and breathing problems, she was always wheezing and had lots of mucous on her chest. She was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy and put on soya milk. Since then she has been fine. I have always been careful wehn introducing new foods and have recently introduced wheat (hipp a bisc). She seemed fine to start with but then about 24 hours later I noticed she had big weeping sores on her bottom, like blisters. She has never had nappy rash before and I always change her nappy every two hours, more if she poos obviously. I was just wondering if the sores could be due to wheat/gluten? Does anyone know??

A: Wheat allergy and wheat or gluten intolerance are two different issues.
Those with gluten intolerance have a disease called celiac, and the the intestine’s “sweepers” (cilia) are damaged and immobilized, causing the body to lose crutial nutritional absorption. This condition can cause a wide range of symptoms, and is different with each person. Gluten is found also in barley and rye, as well as in wheat and spelt. Oats have a very simular protien to gluten, and some celiacs are sensitive and must avoid them as well. This can cause malnutrition, and if untreated can cause extreme and severe illness.
Wheat ALLERGY, on the other hand, is the body’s reaction to the protiens of the food. The body mistakenly identifies the food as the enemy, and in turn produces histamines to “fight a battle” with the wheat’s protiens. The histamines produced in the body put up a ferocious fight, and can cause a wide range of symptoms from sneezing, watering eyes, hives, eczema, swelling, severe drop in blood pressure, or in severe cases (like my own son’s case) anaphylaxis, when the airway becomes so swollen the person loses consciousness. For this time of potentially fatal reaction, only a fast acting antihistamine following epinepherine and a trip to the emergency can save a life.
In your babies case, she could be having some form of allergy, as opposed to celiacs disease. I would avoid the foods you think are the offenders, and seek treatment from an allergy specialist. At this young age, most of the antibodies in her system are from you, and if you have any food allergies, she may have them as well. After the first year of life, her own IgE (antibodies) will begin to mature.
In any case, I would seek the advice of your pediatrician, and let them know your concerns. It sounds like you’ve got suspicion enough to know something is going on, whatever it may be.
Good luck with her.

Q: Symptoms of an allergy to wheat?
I recently discovered I’m a bit allergic to wheat. Earlier today I had sandwiches with whole wheat bread and am now painfully bloated. So I can relate this problem to the allergy – if I cut out all wheat from my diet this bloating problem will/should go away?

A: Most likely it could be a wheat intolerance, a wheat/gluten intolerance, or Celiacs disease (severe intolerance to wheat/gluten)

I would mention it to your doctor, see if he/she can recommend you to a nutritionist or specialist who knows about Celiacs disease or wheat/gluten intolerances

There are many symptoms–from fatigue, headaches, joint aches, depression, skin issues like eczema, as well as severe stomach aches and bloating. In the long run…you can damage your digestive system and be susceptible to cancers and infertility and other issues. So if you think there is an issue its good to get it figured out.

Just make sure–if your going to get tested (which is usually advised so you can be sure of what is bothering you) keep eating wheat/gluten until after the test otherwise the test won’t be accurate. Also make sure that those who are administering the test are familier with Celiacs and wheat/gluten intolerances. Many people don’t test it right.

Typically all that needs to be done is eliminate wheat and/or gluten from your diet. But it takes some discipline and label-reading (lots of hidden glutens like modified food starch, dextrin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein as well as the obvious–wheat, barley, spelt, semolina, rye, etc). If you talk to a nutritionist they can help you with some resources or post another question on Yahoo and some people will respond. Going wheat/gluten free can be overwhelming–its a big diet change–but in the long run you’ll feel so much better.

Good luck to you!

Q: what are the symptoms of a wheat allergy?

A: “If you are allergic to any wheat protein strictly avoiding wheat and wheat products is the only way to prevent a reaction, which can include stomach upset, eczema, hay fever, asthma and even anaphylaxis.”

I hope this helps. There’s a whole article on wheat allergies that you should read.

Q: What are some of the symptoms of a Wheat allergy, not celiac desease, just wheat allergy.?

A: wheat allergies are one of the easiest to get rid of….its the same group as wool, feathers,dust,detergents and pet dander…..if you count 5 ribs up on the right side…there could be a sore spot…thats yr sensore button…..also right earthese are areaas that will tell you if yr bod is low on l-histamine……slack off on sex 4 a while…this is needed for bones gastro tract and red an white blood cells…histtidine is needed to remove heavy metals from the body…thus the wheat association as most of our bread and v flour leaves a small amount of metal in processing…vita b5,c,b3, and e are boosters…complimentary minerals are…potassium,bromine,sodiumchloride[sea salt] chromium, and zinc…………this is found in most protiens and should be taken with l-arginine as peanuts…….magnesium and vita f….asa olive oil, peanut oil sunflower oil….Italians that drink an ounce of olive oil once a week don’t get wheat allergies….if yr partial to sunburn…boost the vita f and slack off on pasta and pizza…. cocoanut oil is great for sun too….drink or mix it in a drink…..you can by proper nutritrion…..remove the results of imbalances….usually bcalled allergies…..talk to a chiropracter who is nutrit oriented…naturpathes are great too…..do some study on amino acids…that will really get you interested….and when thers an interest…thers life

Q: Wheat allergy sufferers – what are your symptoms?
I have been conducting a little experiment on my own eating habits recently and have found that if I reduce the amount of white flour I am consuming, I have much more energy. I was putting the new-found lethargy and desire to have a little nap in the afternoon down to loss of youth, but cutting out flour in this way has given me a new lease of life! I am coincidentally also reducing the amount of sugar I consume since many of the products I was eating with flour in also contained sugar, so perhaps it is the sugar which makes me feel tired? Anyway, I would be interested to know your thoughts if you have side-effects from eating wheat.

A: Eating wheat and gluten makes my stomach bloat up, im on the toilet alot and all i want to do is sleep…i have recently been diagnosed with coeliacs disease so i cant eat gluten or wheat now and i feel so much better for it. It is all to do with your small intestine not being able to break down wheat or gluten.

Q: Is this normal for allergy symptoms to worsen when I am sick?
I recently discovered I was allergic to wheat.
I started feeling so much better once i stopped eating wheat.
I haven’t eaten any wheat products at all, but I have been around wheat products lately. I have gotten my symptoms back (heartburn and tightness in chest) since. I am currently sick and that is when it started getting worse. Is it normal for my body to have symptoms back when I am sick?

A: When we are ill our body is fighting an infection and everything else seems worse – our defences are down.
Are you 100% sure you are allergic to wheat? It would make sense to go and talk to your doctor about this – make sure that the heartburn and tightness in your chest are definitely due to allergy, that there is no other contributory factor.

Q: what are symptoms of wheat/gluten allergies?
What are some of the symptoms of wheat/gluten allergies.

A: Some symptoms are stomach aches, fatigue, loss of energy and weight, a general feeling of discomfort.
The way most doctors test for a gluten allergy is by a blood test, but the only for sure way of knowing if you have it is by getting a biopsy of your stomach. Which of course is not the first method of choice.
If you family has a history of the allergy or if you or a family member has an auto-immune disorder (lupus, diabetes, etc) it is easier for you to have the condition.
Google celiac disease. Tons of sites and info will come up.
Good luck

Q: what are the symptoms of wheat allergies?

A: What are the symptoms of wheat allergy?
Allergic reactions to wheat (IgE-antibody mediated) usually begin within minutes or a few hours after eating or inhaling wheat. The more common symptoms involve the skin (urticaria, atopic eczema, angioedema) gastrointestinal tract (oral allergy syndrome, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting) and the respiratory tract (asthma or allergic rhinitis). Ige-mediated reactions to gliadin or gluten can cause urticaria, angioedema or life-threatening anaphylaxis in association with exercise. Other gluten-containing cereals (rye, oats and barley) may also cause these symptoms due to cross-reactivity of the allergens.

Q: What symptoms do people with wheat/glutin allergies have?

A: my father has celiac disease so i know all about it, often stomach ache, or flu like symptoms, throwing up, gasy, stuff like that

Q: Could a wheat allergy cause pain, flushes and skin rash?
In 2002 suddenly started to suffer with very achey muscles and was told that I probably had fibromyalgia. Over the years the pain has waxed and waned but has got very much worse in the last year. I now have very stiff and painful joints as well as painful muscle aches. A weird purple/red itchy rash has appeared on both my arms and for the past few weeks I have been feeling “flu like” and have been getting what I presume are hot flushes. The doctor has said the rash is neither eczema nor psoriasis and is baffled and has given me a steroid cream to put on it – so far no improvement. I do eat alot of bread and pasta and just wondered if all my symptoms could be wheat allergy? Maybe none of it’s connected. I am 57 and had a hysterectomy when I was 33. Could it be menopause? Any advice would be very appreciated. Many thanks.

A: I don’t think you have celiac. My husband has it and the symptoms are not the same. he has a lot of bowels and tummy trouble. But now my cousin also has and her joints do hurt so bad that she use to be down in bed a lot but she did take herself off wheat and she did say that it did help a lot so there is something in the wheat. But to get relief you are looking for you would have to go off wheat and all gluten in your food its not as easy as it sounds there are hidden words in food like artificial food starch Most ice cream has some kind of gluten and so do vitamins. I would recommend you go to a book store and find all the Information you can about wheat and gluten free diets. I hope this helped you out a little.

Q: Wheat allergy advice?
I have just been diagnosed with a moderate wheat allergy. Was wondering if others out there with moderate allergies still manage to eat bread etc and not have too much of a reaction. I understand that there can be severe allergies with severe symptoms. i am not one of those – I am mostly interested in how your wheat allergy affects you if it is only a moderate allergy.
Just wanted to add – I have been struggling for a long time to lose weight and wondered if this was connected in any way. Did any of you have this problem and did you find it easier to lose weight if you avoided gluten/wheat?

A: There is an excellent book you should read called, “Life Without Bread” by Christian Allan, Ph.D. It explains how the body works in relation to grains and what you can do and not do. Additionally, I would not just take your doctor’s word for his diagnosis. You can do your own evaluation that works great and only takes a few minutes. It is called the Cocas Pulse Test and is used by practitioners everywhere.

Sit in a chair for a few minutes, quietly. Take your pulse for a full 60 seconds, not the 15 seconds and multiply by four thing, and write down the number. Then chew the food you want to test for 30 seconds. Leave it in your mouth and take your pulse for another full 60 seconds and write that number down. If the second number is 6 pulse points over the first one, you have an allergy or sensitivity to that food. If your blood type is type “O,” you need to use 4 pulse points as the determining factor.

Doctors are the last people you need to take nutritional advice from because they have NO training in nutrition. They are about drugs and surgery. I would see a Certified Nutritional Therapist to find out what you are deficient in, get a good diet program going, and make yourself healthy.

good luck to you

Q: i really scared please help this is a health and relashionship question?
these are some illnesses i have shortened down
Acute sinusitis
Depression
Nearsightedness
Chronic sinusitis
pms

my symtoms
aches
pains
neckpains
headaches
migraine
heartburn
sadness
depression

if this helps:
there was this guy i went out with i intruduced him to my friend and a couple weeks later he said he loved her

13 years old
female
no peiriod yet

A: uh well im a dude 15 and i get these symtoms (your symtoms u pointed out)
ONLY when im feeling guilty or went like my gf broke up wit me last month i felt all this. UH mayb ur jelouse im sure u can get tht way if i get it wit guilt, mayb if u wanna get him bak tlk to ur freind bout it or tlk to him, see if he stilll likes u or not, sometime tht happens, and us guys jst dont show it
thts all i can say, hope it kinda helps a lil
GOODLUCK

Q: Could someone please share their experiences with leaky gut?
I have been on an elimination diet for about a month and a half now in hopes of curing Leaky Gut and Adrenal fatigue, and I do not feel any different at all. I suffer from profound depression, ADHD, insomnia and chronic sinusitis among other things. I’ve heard that most people feel better right away and I’m starting to lose hope. I have been dealing with this my whole life so I’m naturally, very sceptical about the whole thing. Any miraculous recovery stories?

A: I was diagnosed with Leaky Gut and Adrenal Fatigue last March. The things that have worked best for me is taking tumeric capsules, MSM, and drinking George’s Aloe Vera Juice. All three of these heal the gut and they are oh so soothing. I’ve not really changed my diet too much, I still eat sweets and such but doing these things has helped tremendously. I am now in the process of ingesting bentonite clay (calcium) in hopes of detoxing my digestive system of candida, in which I think is throughout my whole system. The truth of the matter is it takes time to heal a lifetime of damage BUT you will feel better. Good luck and God Bless!

Q: Which doctor do I see about sinusitis?
I think I may have sinusitis, but I want to get that confirmed by a doctor. But I don’t know if I can go to a general practitioner or should I see a specialist for it. Just in case I have to certain tests.

I want to check because I have suffered from migraines for a long time. And most people have said I might be suffering from depression. However my migraines get worse when I have a cold, added to that I get regular sinus infections whenever I get a cold—at this point it’s chronically associated with my colds. However, I’ve never confirmed whether I have sinusitis.

Any help would be great in the sense of what type of doctor/specialist I need to see, relative price (no health insurance—yet), and is it curable or not—would I be on permanent medication?

Thanks in advance.

A: ENT specialist(Eye nose throat).

Use shaddbindu oil from ayurveda medicine shop regularly in nose for one year.

Q: how do you treat sinusitis / post nasal drip…?
i think i had sinusitis after a bad cold 3 yrs ago and developed chronic halitosis. i had 2 sets of antibiotics, variuos tablets and even surgery to open up my sinuses. but i still have chronic bad breath. i also have pnd, a constant dry mouth, a white coating on my tongue that doesnt go and a constant bad taste in my mouth. ive been the doc, dentist and even an ENT specialist and have tried all the options they have suggested, and they have no more suggestions for me. im getting realy desperate and it has lead to depression. im a girl and only 17. can any1 help me please?

A: There is something called “Neti”. It is a part of Yoga. Have heard it helps.
It is a pot. Like a teapot. you put luke warm water from one Nostril and out of the othe otheer nostril.
To start with it is difficult. Try letting it in and out.
then out of mouth….

Coating on tongue is because your tummy
Also try Homeopathy.

Q: Please help me doctors dont?
for the past 3 years my health seems like it is deteriorating and doctors arent helping. they take 10 minutes on me and then perscribe me a medication! over the past 3 years i have been diagnosed with chronic UTI’s, chronic cystitis, depression, insomnia, costochondritis, sinusitis, upper respitory infection, myofascial pain syndrome and finally fibromyalgia. Im 21! and always in pain i feel there is something really wrong what do i do? none of the medication they give me ever helped…ive stopped taking them because im sure its destroy my immune system

A: you have to bring someone to block teh door–

i ahve been trying for 9 yeras to get a doc to talk to me–

in december it got to teh point that i couldn’t work–i have no income becuase i cna’t find a doc who cna fill out the diability forms–and i can’t go back to work becuase i don’t have a doc to giv eme medical clearance

i paid my last copay with me credit card and than filed a complaint with the card company saying teh doc didn’t provide services –therfor i deserve a refund

Q: what would motivate you to investigate the toxicity of your body? what would you do about high toxicity?
Toxins may be defined as substances which produce physical, emotional, and psychological imbalances in an individual. We are consistently exposed to toxins every day. There are two types of toxins: exogenous and endogenous. Exogenous toxins are present in the outside environment, whereas endogenous toxins are produced as a result of imbalances in our metabolism.
There are two types of illnesses caused by toxicity:

1) Nonspecific illness

This includes poorly-defined symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, bad breath, muscle stiffness, depression, allergies, etc. this group is very difficult to categorize, with many combinations possible. Many of these symptoms are also labeled as hypoglycemia, candidiasis, food allergies, and stress.

2) Specific illness

This includes better-defined syndromes having a characteristic set of symptoms. Some examples are: migraine, arthritis, psoriasis, influenza, sinusitis, immune deficiencies, tumors.

A: I’m not so scientific, but my line of work exposes me to the worst germs, toxins, yucky stuff one can imagine.
After I had been working in this stuff for a few years, I happened upon a “cleansing” vitamin drink called “Clear Flush”. It is about 50.00 per bottle and can be ordered on line.
The directions are complicated, but promises 99% to cleanse your blood, and fluids. The first time I went by their prescribed “Cleansing”, I felt better than I had felt in 20 years! I was surprised.

good luck & blessing

Q: pristiq, Why do i take it for anxiety and nervousness?
I just came for Dr. where she gave me sample of pristiq. I am worried about taking it. I was in ER a few nights ago and diagnosed with sinusitis. I now have Appt. with ENT in a couple days. I have had history of panic and anxiety attacks within the past year. Dr. seems to think part of my symptoms is also related to that.
Has anyone taken prestiq? How good is it? And why would i have to take for anxiety, i thought it was for depression?

A: Pristiq is basically Effexor with a patent extension (essentially the same drug). It does have some anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties, but it is primarily used to treat depression. Perhaps your doc believes that your anxiety is related to your depression (a very common situation).

~Dr. B.~

Q: For about 1 week now i have had this pain on just the right side of my head and forehead my right eye hurts an
my right cheek going into my right ear and down my neck could this be someting to do with my sinusus? I do have chronic sinusitis. But im also being taking off some meds for anxiety that i have to taper off.I feel awful.Seems like my ENT told me that chronic sinusisitis can cause all kinds of problems even depression………………any advice out there

A: It appears that you are suffering from a chronic maxillary sinusitis. As you are already under the follow up of your ENT surgeon you may follow his advice for further necessary treatment.
Regarding the treatment and the tapering the dose of your antidepressants and anxiolytics you may consult your psychiatrist only.

Q: do i have hypothyroid or what?
Ive been dealing with these symptoms since i was 20 ( im 38 now) my hair has been falling out since the birth of my first kid i have gained alot of weight. Im tired all the time i have chronic crampy stomach pains when i have to pass stool which i do quite often and it is always lose and mucosy. i have chronic sinusitis chronic skin infections( boils) heat flashes severe pms and depression. i cant make sense of it and my body feels like its gettig worn out. My doc did a TSH which came back normal i was wondering about t3 and t4s is it possible all these symptoms are related to my thyroid?
i forgot to mention i have pittng edema in both my calves

A: Go back to your doctor and demand a TFT – full Thyroid Function Test. Just testing the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone is NOT thorough enough.

All of those symptoms can be related to Hypothyroidism. Your did not mention your periods though -are they heavy ?

Get the doctor to check for antibodies to your thyroid too.

Q: Does “Daddy Has A Roommate” represent the psychological and other health issues that go with “alternative
lifestyles”? Classical sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, infections with Chlamydia trachomatis, syphilis, herpes simplex infections, genital warts, pubic lice, scabies); enteric diseases (infections with Shigella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, ["gay bowel disease"], Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and cytomegalovirus); trauma (related to and/or resulting in fecal incontinence, hemorroids, anal fissure, foreign bodies lodged in the rectum, rectosigmoid tears, allergic proctitis, penile edema, chemical sinusitis, inhaled nitrite burns, and sexual assault of the male patient); and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).[iv]

Can anyone refute that increased morbidity and mortality is an unavoidable result of male-with-male sex–not to mention the increased rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide and other maladies that so often accompany a homosexual lifestyle?[v] By Kathleen Melonakos, M.A., R.N. http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/nov/061130a.html
The author holds the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association “criminally responsible” for their complicity in helping to create “the culture of denial about the lethalness of homosexual sex” and their “attitude of political correctness that is killing a substantial proportion of persons” engaged in active homosexuality.

She also implicate those same, highly influential organizations for allowing themselves to be influenced by gay activists to deny that many homosexual persons can indeed be helped by therapy to overcome their same-sex tendencies.

Melonakos writes, “What if doctors said, ‘We refuse to treat cancer (or, say, alcoholism) because we only achieve a 50% cure rate–and many people who don’t want to be cured find it oppressive that we do cure the others?’ Why wouldn’t the lawsuits for malpractice be filed?”

The article concludes, “What will it take to insist on truth? Lawsuits? Protests?..”
Where’s the medical bias here??
Just show me the facts from a medical viewpoint without homosexual agenda bias that refute these statements and I will read it.

A: OK, since “Daddy Has A Roommate” is supposed to help YOUNG children understand their family structure, why would, say, a chapter about STDs and other sexual things be appropriate? What do any of those things have to do with a young child understanding their family structure?
Should every young kid who lives with their mom get a book that explains breast cancer in detail regardless if their mom has breast cancer or not?
How about “Daddy Might Get Prostate Cancer”?
Maybe “Mommy Might Have A Little Ovarian Cyst”?
Or a book that explains heterosexual sex and sexual issues in detail, including things like sores, yeast infections, etc.?
Basically you’re suggesting that we have young children read a book that explains sexual acts, illnesses and STDs in detail. I don’t know where you’re from but where I’m from that’s actually a crime (and immoral).
Wow, I didn’t even address your blatantly obvious homophobia.

Q: anybody else with several health problems? (kinda a rant)?
You see I have a bunch of health problems. And it makes me sad. I wish I was healthy like everybody else. Is anybody else in the same boat? Any advice? I’m only 17 and I’m miserable all the time.

-chronic sinusitis.
-rhinitis
-asthma
-acid reflux
-chronic constipation (slow transit-colon)
-leg pain at night
-I’m tired all of the time.
-clinical depression

A: YES! Although I am not in yr age group. I beat the terrible number of ills by following a sound nutrition plan (I got from a book called “Let’s Get Well” and taking vitamin supplements too. I also do not smoke or drink. This helps!! I handled the tired all the time stuff by taking extra vitamin B 12, and got hold of some liquid vitamin B supplements from the health food store: expensive but boy did it boost my energy levels!! Eating plenty (underlined) of protein also is a great way to “fuel” the body!
Re leg pain at night: ditto. I get “Calmax” which is simply a calcium/magnesium supplement but the big difference is that it works almost IMMEDIATELY. It also has vit C in it; and is made into a drink hence the immediate action in the body!
Re cronic constipation: EAT Burgen breads ….the “digestive” or the “pumpkin seed” …have some daily and that will get things movin’!!!
Eat some natural yogurt for aid with digestion and cut back on all overly oily foods….. that shld assist you with acid gut.
Finally, take vitamin C throughout the day (at each meal time) this shld help with yr sinus situation. Also good is a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the corner of yr pillow at night and you can do inhaling with steam and one/two drops in hot water; terrif for clearing the airways!
Good luck with yr efforts! (it works when applied!)*

Q: Neurology diagnosis suggestions PLEASE?
I have a diagnosis for anyone to help with:

My girlfriend’s mother is suffering from chronic sinusitis and peripheral muscle weakness in her legs. She is roughly a 60 yo female. Here’s the history that I know.

The first symptom was muscle weakness in her legs (both). She was carrying her son up a flight for stairs and her legs became weak. This first started almost 18 years ago! Currently, she is still suffering from weakness and lack of stimuli response. She cannot jump nor run (can walk, but slowly). Even though it hurts to try, she is physically unable to get her muscles to respond with that much force needed. Reflexes are completely absent in both legs. She has tingling and pain. About 10 years ago she had a muscle biopsy from her arm. I have no idea why her arm, her symptoms are in her lower end. She is also suffering from chronic sinusitis. She has been taking oral antibiotics for years! The medication doesn’t help. I do not know which antibiotic she’s taking. I would assume amoxicillin. Also, chronic fatigue, seems “flighty”, and depression. According to my girlfriend, her mother has lower attention span and bouts of short-term memory loss.

Here’s the treatments and tests she’s had thus far: Keep in mind, none have worked.

I believe the leg weakness and pain may not have anything to do with her sinus issues. She has been getting treatments for these treatments for MANY years. The doctors still do not know what the cause is. They are treating the symptoms, not the illness.

Oral antibiotics
Muscle biopsy (arm)
CT
MRI
X-Ray
Ruled out MS and other genetic diseases

My thoughts:

Even though I am not a doctor, but have medical training, I have a few ideas that might be possible.

Lyme Disease
Myasthenia Gravis
Guillain Barre
Low dopamine levels due to sinus pressures affecting her Substantia Nigra.

Let me know if you have any ideas. Any will be appreciated! I’ll add more symptoms when I know.

A: It might indeed be Lyme disease and/or co-infections (other nasty stuff from a tick bite.).There also could be issues with mold, yeast, Epstein Barr virus…the possibilities go on and on. This stuff, and more, tends to move in and take up residence when the immune system is impaired.

I’d recommend finding an integrative medicine practitioner who is also quite familar with Lyme disease. Alas, there aren’t too many of them around. Some of the on-line Lyme support groups can help you here.

Good sources of info about Lyme disease:
http://www.lymedisease.org
http://www.canlyme.com
http://www.lymenet.org
http://www.lymeinfo.net
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org
http://www.ilads.org

http://www.betterhealthguy.com

Q: What’s wrong with me ? 5 points for a good attempt.?
Im an 18 year old female.
For the past few months I’ve been feeling tired and sleepy, no matter how much I sleep I still feel tired.
I’ve started getting olfactory hallucinations ( I smell foods and other things that don’t exist ) and tactile hallucinations (formication- sensation of bugs crawling all over you).
I have atypical depression and bpd, dull headaches ( not sure if it’s got to do with my sinusitis), memory problems.
I get sick atleast thrice a month which is caused due to complications of a sore throat initially, my lymph nodes under my neck keep swelling up every now and then.
I’m just really tired. My mum thinks I’m imagining things. I thought so too. But now, not too sure. I can’t function anymore.
I just need some kind of explanation.

A: Ignore what everyone else has said regarding the possibility that you are just imagining things. If you seriously believe that something may, in fact, be wrong with you, I strongly urge you to be proactive about your health and go to a physician. The frequency in which you get sick and with cervical lymph node involvement tells me that there may be some underlying pathology. I’m sorry, but I do not know the differential diagnosis for these conditions, as I still do not have a good picture of what is going on. You need to seek testing to identify what is happening and to explain ALL symptoms, not just one or two.

Q: Am I allergic to Gluten/Dairy?
I have had many symptoms of sorts that may indicate an allergy to something. I have been suspecting Gluten and/or dairy.

So these are some of the symptoms I have experienced over the past few years:

-fatigue (tired all the time, never seem to have enough energy)
- soreness (Mostly all over my body, no apparent reason)
- sinusitis
- headaches (usually major and effect me for long periods of time. I have headaches every day)
- depression (Sometimes I feel depressed, like I can’t do anything or go anywhere)
- dizziness
- nausea
- occassional dhiarrhea
- migraines (I have had 3 migraines since February. They include the aura and when they happen I cannot function at all… I can barely see because of all the blind spots and zig-zag lines. I must immediately go to sleep)

I have noticed that most of these symptoms appear after I eat.. I have gluten and dairy with almost every meal.

I have been suffering for a long time with these symptoms, and am really hoping to find out what is wrong with me so that it can be fixed. It is severely affecting my life and I constantly feel like crap.

So if you know if these are symptoms of a gluten or dairy allergy please let me know and give me some advice on what to do. OR if it could be something else, please let me know!
btw I am planning on going to the doctor and ask what he thinks. Most likely will be doing allergy testing. But I will not be able to get in for at least a few weeks so I am asking for advice so that I know whether I should at least avoid gluten or dairy until I know for sure. Gluten and dairy free foods are very expensive… so I dont want to go buy them if no one thinks I could have an allergy to gluten or dairy.

A: You really need to go to the doctor and get tests done to know for sure as there are too many problems related to the digestive system and sometimes even doctors need a long time to find out what it is.

But while you wait for your appointment, you could go 1 week without dairy only and see if it makes a difference. Take notes on any changes that occur. If it doesn’t work, maybe it’s not lactose. With gluten it’s more complicated. It can take a month for you to notice a difference. Also, gluten intolerant people are usually skinny and find it hard to gain weight, no matter what they eat. Then once they start eating gluten-free products, they start to gain weight.

I find your symptoms could more easily be due to gluten intolerance than lactose intelerance, as celiacs feel fatigued and get headaches and joint pain, among other things. But only a doctor or long-lasting experiements can tell for sure.

P.S. Gluten-free foods are usually expensive, but you don’t need to buy bread that says gluten-free on the package all the time. You can buy rice crackers and eat rice a lot, and buy some alternative flours and bake things at home sometimes. It’s not that much more expensive. There’s also rice pasta and it’s not too expensive either. If you choose or have to go gluten-free, pay attention to some products that apparently don’t contain gluten in them. Some thickeners and food colouring etc are hidden sources of gluten.

Q: medical question, wannabe doctors (or real ones) help me out.?
what types of underlying illnesses could cause chronic tonsillitis and/or sinusitis in a patient? other symptoms include fatigue, puffy under eyes, severely swollen lymph nodes, and a cyst on the back of neck poking from under the skin. in addition, this person also has an auditory processing disorder. he was diagnosed with add and put on several different drugs, but had adverse reactions to strattera, concerta, and focalin (detatched personality, rapid heartbeat, apathy, depression etc…) i don’t really want to be mocked for trying to help my friend out. his doctors seriously suck. they put him on antibiotics which aren’t working, but they can’t take his tonsils out until the infection is clear — or the surgery could be difficult i guess. i’m curious to see if maybe there is something else going on. he has had no blood tests or scans. idk… weird.

A: too difficult to diagnose, but have him checked by an allergist. Almost all of these things mentioned could be coming from some kind of allergic reaction.

Q: Singulair?
I have been taking Singulair for about 2 years now, I have mild asthma, but it is mostly because of my allergies.

Anyways, I have just heard a news report about Singulair, about suicide, etc, and I am freaking out.

What should I do? I don’t want to have suicidal thoughts.

A: If you have been taking it for 2 years, and you haven’t had any adverse thoughts or reactions, you should be fine. You’re not going to snap and suddenly turn suicidal out of the blue.
They’ve barely just started to investigate if there’s a correlatation between suicides and Singulair. And correlation is still a far step from causation.
If you start feeling very anxious or depressed, contact your doctor.
And cheer up.

Q: How long will it take for Singulair to start working/making you feel better if you have asthma?
I take Pulmicort twice everyday as a preventative medicne, but my doctor just prescribed Singulair to help as well. It’s been 5 days since I started taking Singulair on top of the Pulmicort but I’m still having waves of breathlessness.

How long does it take for Singulair to start working and making you feel better?

A: My daughter takes singulair, pulmicort, and nasonex. They need to build up in the system before they start working. I saw a difference in her breathing after a few weeks.

The upside is if she forgets her medicine once, it doesn’t have a bad effect either. Takes a while to work out of the system.

I’m sorry you’re feeling crummy.

Q: How long does it take for Singulair to start working?
Yeah, how long does it take for Singulair to start working when it is being used for allergic rhinitis? I was prescribed this and
Veramyst, I tried the veramyst, but I got horribly sick. So yeah, how long should it take?

A: It’s probably going to take a few days to get in your system if not a month.

Q: Is here a difference between singulair and advair?
Hello-

My boyfriend has been taking advair for several months. Recently reports have come out about suicidal tendencies and depression linked to singulair. Do you know if this could stem from Advair as well condsidering they are used to treat the same thing? Just curious if anyone knows if there is something in singulair that may be causing this that advair doesnt have in it?

A: There may be a link to how both affect the leukotriines in your cells that cause the allergic reaction.
What kind of allergies does he have? If they are pollen,dust, mold-related, instead of drugs (prescr. or OTC), check on the web for “NETI POT”.
The Neti pot washes your sinuses of all dust, pollen, and mold allergens, and also hydrates the sinus tissues that may be dried-up. I used to use the OTC stuff, and was drowsy all the time. When I started using the Neti pot about a yr. ago, I don’t need ANY prescr. or OTC drug @ all!!
Check on your BF food allergies :
wheat, milk, egg, sugar, yeast, artificial sweeteners (saccharine, Aspartame, MSG), food colors/dyes, pesticides/insecticides (on the fruit and or veggies), household sprays (OUST, WINDEX), and/or scented or plain candles (these too have chemicals).
There are food-allergy tests that your BF could take to check for these, and other allergies. Check out your local health food store and ask for organic foods,fruits, veggies- they’ll be glad to help out!
1 more thing: check out www.doctortalk.com (this is the spam-free website for Dr. Howard Hagglund, a naturapath in Tulsa that specializes in allergies of all kinds).
Hope everything works out for you and your BF. All the best to you and your BF.
(p.s.- there is a possibility he may be allergic to you! There are people who are really allergic to themselves or others! No joke!)

Q: What is the difference between singulair and zyrtec or claritin?
I currently take Singulair which has not helped me even though it used to. I’m now experiencing itching when im out side and my body feels like its burning up all the time.
Can Zyrtec or Claritin do the job that Singulair couldnt?
or should i look elsewhere besides me allergies for the root of the problem

thank you all

A: I take singular every day and every other day I take zyrtec. the zyrtec has helped a lot even though I take it every other day. I would recommend that. I have taken claritin before but it didnt really help me. Ask your doctor if you have any other questions.

Q: What sort of side effects does Singulair have?
I’ve been on Singulair for about six months, and not long after that, I started to experience gastric problems. I never had these sort of problems before taking Singulair, and I was wondering if maybe that is the cause? What are the general side effects of Singulair?

A: What are the possible side effects of montelukast?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
severe sinus pain, swelling, or irritation; or
worsening asthma symptoms.
Less serious side effects may include:

upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea;
mouth pain;
tired feeling;
dizziness, headache;
sore throat, cough, hoarseness; or
stuffy nose.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

What other drugs will affect montelukast?
Before using montelukast, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); or
rifampin (Rifadin, Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane).
This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with montelukast. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Q: Saving opened packets of singulair granules to use next day?
Saving opened packets of singulair granules?
Does anyone know why you can not save the opened packets of singulair granules to use the next day? I am supposed to be weaning my child off of this and just wondered.

A: singulair contains a drug called phenylanlanine which is used to prevent athsma attacks, this drugs effect is hindered if exposed to moisture or heat prior to use. it should be kept in a cool dry place and granules should only be opened immediatly prior to use.

Q: What drug can i take in place of singulair for my asthma?
Singulair gives me a ear infection. One of the side effects.

A: Usually if you can’t take singular, they’ll give you an inhaled steroid. Personally, I’ve had it so bad that I’ve been on serevent or pulmocort, as well as singular and predisone all at once! But when it’s not so bad I usually get by with the albuterol. My lung doc just gave me this new controller medicine because fall is always bad for me, called Asthmanex. So far I really like it, it’s kind of like advair and pulmocort, but I haven’t noticed the bad taste or irritation (the powder ‘halers tend to bother me), that I did with other similar inhalers. I don’t know of any other every day pills like singular though.

Q: What happens when singulair gets embedded into your liver?
My friend is sick. She was recently prescribed to singulair, but later taken off do to an allergic reaction of some sort. (2 mnths ago) She was really sick last week, and went to the doctor. He said that although she had stopped taking the medicine, she developed a rare condition where it had been embedded into her stomach. They are not sure what will happen. I am soo scared for her! Does anyone know what will happen, or any treatments for it?!?!?!

A: Hepatobiliary disorders: Rare cases of cholestatic hepatitis, hepatocellular liver-injury, and mixed-pattern liver injury have been reported in patients treated with SINGULAIR. Most of these occurred in combination with other confounding factors, such as use of other medications, or when SINGULAIR was administered to patients who had underlying potential for liver disease such as alcohol use or other forms of hepatitis.

This is what I found about Singulair and the liver. It certainly looks like it can affect the liver. They may have to wait to see how damaged the liver is. If it is mild damage, she will probably improve as the liver does. Worse case scenario is that she’ll need a liver transplant.

She should be getting tested if she hasn’t already. Sometimes there is treatment with steroids. She should be avoiding Tylenol and any product with acetaminophen, alcohol or any drug that may add to the liver problem.

The liver’s main job is to filter the blood coming from the digestive tract, before passing it to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. As it does so, the liver secretes bile that ends up back in the intestines. The liver also makes proteins important for blood clotting and other functions.

Q: How long before effects of Singulair stop?
My daughter has been experiencing the anger and depression of Singulair. She has been taken off the medicine and things are much better, but she is still having a short episode of one or the other at night. How long should I expect her to still be suffering from these effects?

A: I completely DISAGREE with the above post! Unless you have personally experienced the effects of Singulair, you cannot possibly imagine how horrible this medication can be. The FDA is actually continuing its evaluation of Singulair.

My daughter is six years old, and started Singulair for extreme allergies. Within a few days, her disposition completely changed. She became very irritable, aggressive, angry, throwing horrendous tantrums and crying constantly. She started having severe separation anxiety, to the point that we would have to literally drag her into school every day! She also had multiple episodes of nausea every day, and stopped eating. We were starting to consider that she may need therapy.

We called our doctor, and even after explaining her symptoms, he still denied the fact that Singulair could be to blame. Ignoring him, we discontinued the Singulair, and were amazed at how quickly she returned to “normal”. We could see a difference in her mood within just a few days. Now, almost two weeks later, she is almost completely back to being herself, with just a few mood swings here and there.

Hang in there, and she will get better! I know how difficult and helpless you feel when there’s nothing you can do. Just remember that you made the right decision by taking her off the meds. Her body will soon adjust.

Blessings!

Q: How to give 6 month old singulair granules?
My son was given the singulair granules packets and im trying to figure out the best way to give it to him. It seems that when I disolve it in liquid I cant quite get all of it.
Thanks!

A: My niece was on reflux meds as a baby…I think it was granuals. My sil took a bottle nipple, made the hole bigger, cut a small X where the hole is. she mixed up the meds with a little water, put it in the nipple, and her baby sucked it down.

Q: Is Singulair a good substitute for Claritin?
I have bad allergies to cats, and I travel to an area where there a few cats every weekend. Normally I take claritin, which will almost completely stop an allergic reaction. We’re currently out of Claritin, is Singulair a good substitute?

A: Singulair acts on leukotrienes, while Claritin primarily targets histamine. Both can provide temporary relief from allergy symptoms, though there are many other cheap and effective ways to improve your symptoms. Keeping pets out of the bedroom, using an air cleaner and taking herbal antihistamines like butterbur can help treat AND prevent symptoms, whereas Singulair and Claritin only reduce symptoms that already exist.

For a more in-depth view, check out my article, “Remedies for Seasonal Allergies,” which includes these and many other tips.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2961306/remedies_for_seasonal_allergies.html?cat=5

Best of luck to you!

Q: Is it ok to take Aerius and Singulair at the same time?
My step son has always taken Aerius when at our house (he is 12) – but has just been prescribed Singulair to take at night. Is there any interaction with these drugs, or are they ok to take together?

A: Yes, it’s fine to take Aerius and Singulair together. There are no known interactions between them.

http://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php

Q: How can I know if Singulair works for me?
I have been on Singulair for a few years and don’t know if it is having any effect on my asthma/allergies. My brother has total relief of his asthma and never requires use of inhalers since being on Singulair. That’s not my situation – I can’t see a difference and I’m not sure if it’s worth staying on it. Any advice?

A: Singulair is different from most maintenance meds in that it doesn’t affect the lungs directly but instead inhibits one of the more common causes of Asthma.
However, you might have a different trigger and thus not experiance a benefit from this medication.
If you find that there is no change in the frequency of using your rescue meds you might want to go back to your physician and get re-evaluated for your asthma triggers.

Q: What Can taking singulair make you miss your period?
Can taking singulair make you miss your period?
whats going on? I just started taking singulair
yes i haded sex that was like 2 1/2 weeks a go but i don’t feel
I would be pregnant maybe I’m missing something!
I don’t know what to think should i just stop taking them?
what do you think?

A: my sister and i both took singulair for a long time, and neither of us have experienced anything like that. i think it might be something else