Natural Remedies For Throat/sinus Infection After Cc

[YoloGx]

Has anyone else here gotten a bad throat/sinus or lung infection after being CC'd with gluten? This happened to me last year and now once again! I got this bug I seemed previously to be immune to for over two weeks, now worse than anyone else in my family--for me I immediately got copious yellow phlegm whereas theirs is just white.

I have discovered the hard way that the period of time I am suffering from having been glutened makes me a lot more likely to get sick from a virus or bacterial infection. If I take good care of myself with down-time both while I feel bad and a couple of days after then I am unlikely to get sick. This time however my 2 brothers and mother were already ill with this bug, so I was thoroughly exposed when I finally got glutened, once again from a kiss! From an old boyfriend who brushed his teeth this time, but failed to tell me he didn't rinse his teeth afterwards. This after he had just eaten a subway sandwich. Four hours later I had both a Gluten reaction and a searing sore throat! By morning my phlegm was bright yellow! And I was out for the count...

Yesterday, after I had been ill with this for over a week with little or no improvement, I finally got some herbs from a friend which is helping me combat the infection and thin the mucous. Namely sage, peppermint, chapparral and elder along with the marshmallow root, cleavers and barberry I already was using as well as apple cider vinegar and occasionally fresh lemon juice sweetened with stevia in a tall glass of water. The new herbs helped induce a fever all night long, which probably was a good thing though painful. Today I started using fresh garlic again in my chicken vegetable soup (I had run out of garlic). Gradually I am feeling a little better and somewhat less mucousy, a good sign but I am not out of the woods yet.

I plan to use a neti pot treatment with warm water and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt I just read about, though tonight I'll just use a small teapot I have with a little salt.

Either tonight or tomorrow morning I am going to try this outrageous solution of "oil pulling" which I figure will help remove not only some of the infection but also fungus and the residual after effects of being glutened. Many people apparently swear by its health effects and certainly it is cheap.

Apparently one uses a tablespoon of olive or sesame or sunflower oil, depending on what agrees best with you. Just don't use an oil for this stored in a plastic bottle. You put the oil in a clean mouth (they suggest scraping the tongue first and/or brushing with baking soda or even castille soap and then rinse), four hours away from food. Sometimes putting a drop of peppermint oil in the tablespoon of oil is good to counteract possible harsh Herxheimer effects. Often its easiest at the end of the day or the beginning. Swish for up to 20 minutes til the oil becomes white and spit out. Do not swallow the oil! Then clean mouth with baking soda and water and drink a couple of glasses of water. They suggest using some apple cider vinegar in the water, both 1/2 hour before and after.

The oil pulling pulls out toxins they say, especially congestion in the nasal passages and lungs plus whitens the teeth. It is supposed to be great for pulling out fungal as well as bacterial infections by the way. Has anyone here tried this??

I really don't want to end up having to use antibiotics like I did last year, when finally the infection from my lungs migrated to my kidneys.

Any thoughts, experience on any or all this from others? I am so tired of being ill from the past (pre going off all trace glutens). I have had celiac since I was an infant and used to get ill chronically from these sorts of infections after I was reintroduced to glutenous grains at age 4. The last 9 months I have been free of it thankfully and I don't want this to become another lost winter/spring saga...!! And if I can avoid the antibiotics, I really want to since I am allergic to most of them except for the expensive artificially created ones...and want to save the few I can have in case I have a real emergency.

[Lisa]

Yola, here is another thread on "oil pulling":

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=53811

[YoloGx]

Yola, here is another thread on "oil pulling":

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=53811

Thank you! I will check it out!

Bea

[NorthernElf]

Sounds like you are doing all you can - of course no gluten at all would be the best !

When there are colds around or I feel the least bit sinus-y I am ULTRA careful around gluten (I'm the only celiac in a house of 5). I have also found that avoiding dairy at these times is a good idea. When my sinuses are already sensitive it doesn't seem to take much to trigger them. I get a lot of headaches - often that's my fist clue I've had some gluten. Add dairy to that & I'm hooped ! I'm talking BIG headaches - Tylenol barely touches them, Advil works better but that's harder on the stomach.

When the sinuses are really bad - I take a non drowsy sinus pill - I get it behind the counter at Walmart (Exact brand). I think it just hits the inflammation. I pretty much only do this if I have to work - I work at a pool and that can bother already cranky sinuses too. I have been meaning to get a neti pot...

I guess I'd add getting rest & lots of fluids.

[YoloGx]

Thanks Northern Elf. Yes I am in bed quite a lot resting and sleeping. Not doing much but taking care of myself.

The oil pull seems to really have an effect. Immediately cleared my sinuses last night. My teeth and gums by the way feel great. However it also activated my lymphs in my chest so I was unable to sleep. Tried it again this morning. Am going to do the neti pot thing again. Took hot bath and hot soup, tea, apple cider vinegar etc.

Am worried actually that it might be bacterial at this point. I hope not but it keeps resurging with a vengeance after it seems its better. Am going to keep at the oil pull etc. and see what happens. If I don't get enough improvement in two or three days I am going to consider antibiotics even though I hate the thought.

As far as the gluten thing goes, I have decided to keep my mouth under lock and key during this part of the winter especially!! It was a year ago I got so sick from a bacterial infection. Same basic cause...!! Different guy.

Bea