sora

To all that know me and all of you fellow sufferers of wheat allergies who also suffer debilitating airborne reactions like me; I have finally found a solution and I hope and pray it keeps working.  I've been airborne reaction free for a week now, so I thought it was time to share.  

The story:

I went to a new doctor last week about a ladies issue I was having, and while in the appt.  I was having an allergic reaction.  The doctor noticed and asked me what I was allergic to.  I told her "wheat" and that maybe the coffee shop down the hall was baking stuff.  She said, "maybe, but I happen to be wearing wheat germ based beauty products, so I think you are reacting to me"  She was shocked by how sensitive I am and asked how long I had been suffering with the airborne reactions.  I told her since April, right after I had my gallbladder out, and cannot eat wheat either, I've been gluten free for 20 months.

She asked me if anyone has ever put me on a HISTAMINE 2 BLOCKER.  I said, I didn't know, I had never heard of histamine 2.  So, she looks through my prescription history and saw allegra, zyrtec, claratin, benadryl..and says, "No, you have never been on a Histamine 2 blocker, only histamine 1 blockers".

She explained to me that Histamine 2 is produced in the stomach and can make food allergies worse.  She said blocking histamine 2 will help knock down the airborne reactions by blocking  histamine 2.  I hope I got her explanation right, it was confusing and went way over my head.  However, I've been on zantac 150 mg twice daily for a week now, and it’s working. I got mine in prescription form, but you can buy it over the counter.  

Well I am here to tell you that it is a miracle.  I have not had an airborne reaction since I started on this stuff.  If anyone remembers, I react so violently that I had to take prednisone just to fly on an airplane because of the pretzels people eat, so I would not die of anaphylactic shock.  Life has been hell. I've been a bubble girl since April, I couldn't even be in peoples houses because they have wheat products in their kitchen.  And, I had to wear a mask all the time in public because there is no escape from wheat.

So, I've been testing how well this Zantac is working (with my epi-pen close by of course).  I went to the grocery store and went into the bakery, opened a bin full of hot dinner rolls and smelled them (not eat, just smell).....shockingly, I had no reaction, none, zip, zilch, miracle!!  The biggest test for me will be to go into a stand alone bakery.  That will be the final test.  

I just wanted to share this crazy solution just in case it helps someone else.  I've found very little info on it on the internet.  I think that prescribing it for allergies and asthma is fairly new. I'll never be able to eat wheat again, but at least I can breathe it again and can go places again.

Just curious if you are still taking the Zantac and if it is still helping you?

I have been feeling very Christmasie these last few days. This is not normal for me. I am not a scrooge but it is what it is year after year.
We have our family traditions growing up and then if we have children we create new traditions. Everything seems to revolve around food.
We show people we care by cooking for them or giving them food. We celebrate friendship with food by eating out together or having those summer BBQ's. If someone is going through a hard time or ill we want to respond with food. If we ourselves are ill we want what mom made for us as children. It's a comfort.
I realized today that the traditions I created for my children was all about the meal. And sharing it with those friends who couldn't be with there own families.
Now we have food restrictions.
When we are new to all of this we are feeling pretty daunted.  But, I have realized that there is a wonderful side to everything. It just took me a few weeks.
I will have my Christmas meal tomorrow with family and friends. I will make everything gluten free of course. My joy will be to share my new discoveries with others by way of food.  The compassionate and caring thing that is instinctive for human beings.
So if your father wants his meal the same as always try to understand that it is an instinctive reaction, it is his comfort thing. He will get it eventually. If your mom makes you a traditional family treat full of gluten, give her a hug and thank her for loving you. She will get it eventually. It's all about caring.
So, obsess about your food, it means we care.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.
Charlotte