Hormone Balancing

[CR5442]

Having been gluten free now for about 4-5 months I've started to get a real handle on the diet side of things and rarely slip up. My big bugbear now is hormones. I clearly have and have had a problem with hormone balance since puberty! I'm on a herbal prescription which is doing wonders in some areas, like tolerance and hot flashes, night sweats, sleeping and digestion but I am now developing other symptoms... These might be just the herbs slowly moving things around so the hormones are in the right place but I'm dreading that things might stay the way they are right now! I have developed water retention in my lower body and breasts, so everything below the waist and boobs! Whilst my boobs were getting very saggy (TMI!) and look a lot better now, I really am not appreciating carrying around the extra 3-4lbs of water! I know that the herbal prescription will take a while to settle me down - up to 3-6 months for chronic hormone imbalance. Does anyone have any experience of hormone balancing using herbs and how long does it take to settle down. The wierdest thing is that I feel like I have pmt in the first two weeks of the month this time round... really hoping this will subside in the next two weeks! (Bea, this is one for you!).

[navigator]

I'm 54 and have had hot flushes, night sweats, water retention for about 10 years. I tried various remedies (black cahoosh, red clover, menopace, flash fighters etc) but didn't have any success. My hot flushes were really bad - my whole body went bright pink and even my scalp sweated. I could take 6 in an hour. I've been wearing a ladycare magnet 24/7 for over a month now and my hot flushes and night sweats have now stopped. I know that it may be a coincidence but I'm willing to believe that the magnet works and will continue wearing it 24/7. It was

[maximoo]

How old are you? Perimenopause can begin in the 30's.

[CR5442]

Thanks for your replies. That's what I was thinking - re peri-menopause. It is quite possible. The herbs I have been given are balancing herbs. I'm just thinking that i need to be patient and let them do their work. Dong Quai takes about 3-6 months to change the hormone balance to something more comfortable. Guess I'll have to keep taking dandelion tea to get rid of the extra water!

[pricklypear1971]

Have you tried natural progesterone cream?

[CR5442]

Have you tried natural progesterone cream?

Yes I have before but it did no good at all. My problem is dropping Oestrogen levels I think. Chronic stress and tiredness since having my second child and my husband leaving hasn't helped! Certainly the stress and tiredness are much better. The hot flashes are gone on the herbs and my tolerance levels are much better, but it's like the whole hormone thing that I'm used to (probably too much oestrogen in the end of the cycle) has been turned on its head... so really I am now getting rid of the oestrogen at the right time of the month. I'm in the middle of my cycle and praying that the puffiness will subside over the next couple of days. Hormones are SOOO tricky!

[pricklypear1971]

Well, if you have too much estrogen a little progesterone wouldn't hurt to oppose it.

I've had times when pc helps tremendously and others not as much. Make sure you use the good stuff and give it a whirl.

Sometimes it takes a few months to see the effects.

[CR5442]

Thanks PricklyPear. I just emailed my herbalist (he's a third year on my course at Uni and knows a lot more than me) and he said that at the moment the hormones will be fluctuating trying to find the correct level, to persevere and try to rest a bit more! Am feeling a bit better this afternoon so will keep on the dandelion for the time being.

[pricklypear1971]

Thanks PricklyPear. I just emailed my herbalist (he's a third year on my course at Uni and knows a lot more than me) and he said that at the moment the hormones will be fluctuating trying to find the correct level, to persevere and try to rest a bit more! Am feeling a bit better this afternoon so will keep on the dandelion for the time being.

Yes, it seems EVERYTHING is trying to balance, coming off gluten.

[CR5442]

I know. It's nuts isn't it! Hopefully I'll be able to come back with a good report in a week or so time.

[YoloGx]

Hi Caroline,

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble! How awful to get the super bloat!

It would be nice to know which herbs you are taking and for how long--and what your diet is like besides being off gluten.

Not being able to see you I don't know, however I suspect you might be reacting to something. I for instance cannot

tolerate Dong Quai, it being part of the carrot family that I am allergic to (although parsley for me is fine, go figure!). You could also be reacting to some food(s) too.

I reiterate about the herbs, its often best to only take them for 10 days and then go off them for another 7, perhaps substituting other herbs in for the ones you are off if you really need them continuously. This is something you should talk to your herbalist about if at all possible.

Its also possible you need something to stimulate your liver and digestion, like fresh lemon juice or unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Other good things for your gut digestion are real yogurt (I like the home-made 24 hour yogurt since all the lactose is then fermented out of it--much cheaper this way too) and fermented cabbage (which you can also make yourself--see the SCD thread).

Consider too healing your traumatized villi with bromelain and nattokinase or eating natto (blech!-but maybe you could figure out a way around the nasty taste??).

Despite the bad rap some people have for mucilage, I think when we have an irritated, degraded intestinal lining due to celiac, things like marshmallow root are very healing and soothing to the villi etc.

Blended raw vegetables (like celery, parsley, lettuce) can also go a long way towards giving you the nutrients and the easy bulk you need. If you get too cold, eat or drink something warming afterwards.

Fresh ground flax seed with a pinch of apple pectin will also go a long ways towards aiding your elimination, which can help get rid of excess water.

Cleavers are a wonderful herb to use to clean out the possibly overtaxed lymphatic system. Its also great for the kidneys and bladder by the way.

I agree--the progesterone cream is a good idea at this time--maybe. Please let us know your approximate age. Am assuming you are taking vitex??

Good luck! must rush off now...

Bea

[YoloGx]

Hi Caroline,

Hope today you are feeling a little less bloated. I just wanted to add that nettles might be a good addition to the dandelion and marshmallow root. The nettles are good for a lot of conditions and specifically good for the liver, skin, excess mucous and detoxing gently. I have read someplace or other they are good for female complaints too.

In addition, I just recently purchased some books on acupressure. There is a lot there on the hormonal system, as well as others including the liver and kidneys, head and body aches et al. Have you looked into it? It might also be a great adjunct to your healing practice in the future. For now however it is likely to help you through this period of adjustment.

I also found a good enzyme formula made by Jarrow called "Jarro-Zymes Plus". It has Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes which are touted as being more effective than the vegetarian kind. It also has Alpha Galactoside which claims to be good for digesting difficult things like starches and beans. I am finding this to be a huge help eating a more vegetarian diet (read more beans and yogurt and brown rice and the requisite raw blended veggies as well as the occasional fish) since I am now off regular meat given that I need to clean out my liver and gall bladder. Seems you are too as I recall--so its possible digestive enzymes like this could really help. These enzymes by Jarrow are gluten, egg, fish, lactose, peanut and tree nut free. .

Meanwhile, I hope you are happily preparing for your holiday festivities with family and friends, if that is your bent.

Bea

[CR5442]

Hi Caroline,

Hope today you are feeling a little less bloated. I just wanted to add that nettles might be a good addition to the dandelion and marshmallow root. The nettles are good for a lot of conditions and specifically good for the liver, skin, excess mucous and detoxing gently. I have read someplace or other they are good for female complaints too.

In addition, I just recently purchased some books on acupressure. There is a lot there on the hormonal system, as well as others including the liver and kidneys, head and body aches et al. Have you looked into it? It might also be a great adjunct to your healing practice in the future. For now however it is likely to help you through this period of adjustment.

I also found a good enzyme formula made by Jarrow called "Jarro-Zymes Plus". It has Porcine Pancreatic Enzymes which are touted as being more effective than the vegetarian kind. It also has Alpha Galactoside which claims to be good for digesting difficult things like starches and beans. I am finding this to be a huge help eating a more vegetarian diet (read more beans and yogurt and brown rice and the requisite raw blended veggies as well as the occasional fish) since I am now off regular meat given that I need to clean out my liver and gall bladder. Seems you are too as I recall--so its possible digestive enzymes like this could really help. These enzymes by Jarrow are gluten, egg, fish, lactose, peanut and tree nut free. .

Meanwhile, I hope you are happily preparing for your holiday festivities with family and friends, if that is your bent.

Bea

Hi Bea, thanks so much for this. I touched on nettle the other day and remembered how good a diurectic it was for me. I did Dandelion the day before last and had the most awful night's sleep ever, though that might have been down to the hormones being all over the shop at the moment. The water weight is still there... though not increasing (touch wood!). I'm going to add some yoghurt in to the diet as well. I do take probiotics and one milk thistle tab at night. Last night slept like the proverbial log! Interesting what you said about acupressure too. That is something I used a few times though I suspect I'm not getting the points quite right. The underlying issue is that I had oestrogen in my system at the wrong time of the month, now it has moved to the right time of the month but is bringing water with it. I still have the water and it is day 16. I'm hoping the progesterone in my cycle will kick in soon to get rid of the water... (natural diuretic). Hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas too!

[CR5442]

Hope you all have had a wonderful Christmas. Well I suspect the problems have been down to a horrid cold/cough/flu type thing that my children then I came down with over Christmas. I took some Solgar vits yesterday with a healthy dose of Bs especially B6 and half of the water has come off... so will keep taking. Bea, I'm also taking the cider vinegar again like you suggested. It doesn't seem to be hurting my stomach like it used to so will keep on that too.

Hope all eating and festivities went safely to plan for you all!

[Reba32]

how is your diet, other than being gluten free? Do you eat a lot of manufactured and processed foods? Or do you eat whole, natural foods? If you've just replaced gluteny foods with the manufactured gluten free equivalents, this could contribute to weight gain, water retention, and hormonal imbalance. There is *very little* nutrition, if any, in manufactured (gluten free) foods. Added sugars and fructoses (HFCS, agave, honey, other tree syrups etc) also can have negative effect on hormone levels. Sugar causes insulin spikes/crashes, and insulin is a hormone which can effect every other hormone creating organ in your system, from thyroid to ovaries.

A lot of women have very good luck with a low carb, whole foods diet in regulating hormone levels. Lots of healthy fats (Omega 3s from cold water fish, flax, and chia, avocado, nicely marbled meats, olive oil, coconut oil, etc), moderate servings of proteins 3 times a day, and lower carbohydrate fruits and veggies. Eat 5 to 6 times per day rather than 2 or 3 times, to keep insulin levels in check, and don't starve yourself.

[YoloGx]

Hi Caroline,

Hope you are starting to feel better from the flu!

Reba is entirely correct--often eating less or no sugar and no pre-packaged anything helps the hormones and everything else. Back to the basics is the best healthy food there is usually.

Also be careful of cross contamination. If you have been getting some trace gluten in your system it can set you up for both water retention and getting ill. I am always washing my hands even at home before I eat or put my hands to my face to make sure I don't get CC'd. It makes a big difference.

Well its a good time to cozy up. Hope you are getting some good rest in.

I had a very pleasant Christmas with my boyfriend and an old friend.

It seems I am turning the corner with this gallbadder condition. I am still allergic to lemons! I was consuming lots to help flush out my liver... sheesh! Now without them last night I tolerated eating a bit of (skinless) chicken. Hurrah! The dandelion root and marshmallow root with either the Oregon grape root or barberry root or the nettles is still working for me....

I am also considering trying out some homeopathics: Chilidonium majus to be specific and cholestronium.

Bea

[CR5442]

how is your diet, other than being gluten free? Do you eat a lot of manufactured and processed foods? Or do you eat whole, natural foods? If you've just replaced gluteny foods with the manufactured gluten free equivalents, this could contribute to weight gain, water retention, and hormonal imbalance. There is *very little* nutrition, if any, in manufactured (gluten free) foods. Added sugars and fructoses (HFCS, agave, honey, other tree syrups etc) also can have negative effect on hormone levels. Sugar causes insulin spikes/crashes, and insulin is a hormone which can effect every other hormone creating organ in your system, from thyroid to ovaries.

A lot of women have very good luck with a low carb, whole foods diet in regulating hormone levels. Lots of healthy fats (Omega 3s from cold water fish, flax, and chia, avocado, nicely marbled meats, olive oil, coconut oil, etc), moderate servings of proteins 3 times a day, and lower carbohydrate fruits and veggies. Eat 5 to 6 times per day rather than 2 or 3 times, to keep insulin levels in check, and don't starve yourself.

Hi Reba, I'm pretty low carb in what I eat. Mostly meat, some fish, some eggs and vegetables... though hardly any potatoes, butternut etc. Sometimes I'll have some seeded bread, but not that often. I agree totally that the processed foods can make things worse so I do tend to steer clear. I have to say it is pretty tricky being gluten, coconut, dairy (mostly apart from some cheese), processed food, and fruit free (I sometimes have banana but my acupuncturist says I need to stay on warm foods, which fresh fruit generally isn't). I don't tolerate flax very well and the avocados we get here in sunny UK are pretty dreadful. I'm intolerant of coconut oil and a few other things. I find though that if I'm feeling puffy a meal or two worth of fasting sometimes gets things sorted. I don't really suffer luckily from low blood sugar because of the food diet I follow.

[CR5442]

Hi Caroline,

Hope you are starting to feel better from the flu!

Reba is entirely correct--often eating less or no sugar and no pre-packaged anything helps the hormones and everything else. Back to the basics is the best healthy food there is usually.

Also be careful of cross contamination. If you have been getting some trace gluten in your system it can set you up for both water retention and getting ill. I am always washing my hands even at home before I eat or put my hands to my face to make sure I don't get CC'd. It makes a big difference.

Well its a good time to cozy up. Hope you are getting some good rest in.

I had a very pleasant Christmas with my boyfriend and an old friend.

It seems I am turning the corner with this gallbadder condition. I am still allergic to lemons! I was consuming lots to help flush out my liver... sheesh! Now without them last night I tolerated eating a bit of (skinless) chicken. Hurrah! The dandelion root and marshmallow root with either the Oregon grape root or barberry root or the nettles is still working for me....

I am also considering trying out some homeopathics: Chilidonium majus to be specific and cholestronium.

Bea

Hey Bea, I'm really glad that you're managing to get on top of the gallbladder thing. That is the condition that I find the most difficult in our recovery. Sometimes the discomfort is unbearable! I know now that generally the gallbladder/liver play up with me when I'm fighting something off. Normally I don't really get symptoms (since going gluten free) but this time WHAM, we are all down with this thing ... my poor children have had fever on and off for 5 days. If it goes on much longer I'm not sure what to do. My first line would be peppermint oil on the soles of their feet (diluted down of course!) but I really don't like doing that as it is such strong stuff and not ideal in such small children. Wonder if Spearmint will have the same fever reducing effect - do you know? Interestingly, I'm still on the herbal formula (will be until the 16th Jan) and it does really seem to be working. Sometimes I add in either dandelion or milk thistle for the liver but overall pretty good (touch wood!).

Well at the moment it is 4am here, been woken up yet again by my daughter, who is upset because I can't fit both her and her little brother in my bed (he has been up two nights in a row because he gets very bad breathing with a cough and I need to make sure i get him to the steam room in good time - i.e. the bathroom with hot steam from bath and vicks vapour rub - a classic UK thing). Have nearly finished the company accounts for my husband - what a nightmare jigsaw puzzle that was! Then we have a houseful of family on New Year's Eve. Now, if one's estranged husband should pay a surprise visit to you and your children on Christmas Eve and bring you not one but three haunches of venison because he knows you like it... how would one read that?!

[YoloGx]

Hi Reba, I'm pretty low carb in what I eat. Mostly meat, some fish, some eggs and vegetables... though hardly any potatoes, butternut etc. Sometimes I'll have some seeded bread, but not that often. I agree totally that the processed foods can make things worse so I do tend to steer clear. I have to say it is pretty tricky being gluten, coconut, dairy (mostly apart from some cheese), processed food, and fruit free (I sometimes have banana but my acupuncturist says I need to stay on warm foods, which fresh fruit generally isn't). I don't tolerate flax very well and the avocados we get here in sunny UK are pretty dreadful. I'm intolerant of coconut oil and a few other things. I find though that if I'm feeling puffy a meal or two worth of fasting sometimes gets things sorted. I don't really suffer luckily from low blood sugar because of the food diet I follow.

Are you sure Caroline if you might not have a low level salicylate sensitivity? It sounds to me like you might.

[YoloGx]

Hey Bea, I'm really glad that you're managing to get on top of the gallbladder thing. That is the condition that I find the most difficult in our recovery. Sometimes the discomfort is unbearable! I know now that generally the gallbladder/liver play up with me when I'm fighting something off. Normally I don't really get symptoms (since going gluten free) but this time WHAM, we are all down with this thing ... my poor children have had fever on and off for 5 days. If it goes on much longer I'm not sure what to do. My first line would be peppermint oil on the soles of their feet (diluted down of course!) but I really don't like doing that as it is such strong stuff and not ideal in such small children. Wonder if Spearmint will have the same fever reducing effect - do you know? Interestingly, I'm still on the herbal formula (will be until the 16th Jan) and it does really seem to be working. Sometimes I add in either dandelion or milk thistle for the liver but overall pretty good (touch wood!).

Well at the moment it is 4am here, been woken up yet again by my daughter, who is upset because I can't fit both her and her little brother in my bed (he has been up two nights in a row because he gets very bad breathing with a cough and I need to make sure i get him to the steam room in good time - i.e. the bathroom with hot steam from bath and vicks vapour rub - a classic UK thing). Have nearly finished the company accounts for my husband - what a nightmare jigsaw puzzle that was! Then we have a houseful of family on New Year's Eve. Now, if one's estranged husband should pay a surprise visit to you and your children on Christmas Eve and bring you not one but three haunches of venison because he knows you like it... how would one read that?!

I'd read your estranged partner is probably trying to get into your good graces, if not more... But then what do I know??

Most people in my experience do not think peppermint is "such strong stuff" unless they have a sensitivity to it. Hmmm...?Really do check on the salicylate thing. Maybe a homeopathic remedy for your kids might be better??! Are your kids gluten free too? If so, make sure its a gluten-free formula.

My dad did the Vicks vapor rub too. Also kept the windows open at night... Froze us half to death even in California. He was mostly of Scottish descent. We'd always get sick around Christmas which often lasted til New Years at least. I used to count on losing ten pounds over the holidays; and I was pretty thin to begin with. If only I knew what I know now back then I would not have had to experience all those years with colds and flu up the yin yang.

I'm a little less enthusiastic about the meat thing today from last night. I was pretty much fine until I went for my daily walk and ended up feeling pains in my gut I don't normally. Plus my head got feeling a bit under it. Not as bad as before--so I am definitely improving. However I am not out of the woods yet. I did not eat any meat tonight and now that I had more peeled apples and pears plus my dandelion et al tea I feel much better. I am starting to eat a bit of sprouted tofu with my veggies and rice these days just for a change from beans and the occasional fish.

Meanwhile doing the acupressure is helping both me and my good friend Graeme -- I did some acupressure on him after work and it seemed to help. He too is going through a healing crisis--also involving the hormones--for him it is testosterone. He's started taking testosterone cream but neither the pharmacist nor the doctor told him how much to use. So for now we are guessing, which is not the greatest thing to do. His left arm has been hurting terribly. It went away after the first day when he took too much of the testosterone cream (which made him feel strange in other ways--so it really was way too much)--but now it has come back again. The acupressure helped him feel less wigged out and more calm. I thought maybe it was his heart also acting up but it seems not, if the acu pressure points are correct. Very strange. He'll be writing an email to his doctor first thing in the morning. Christmas got in the way of his getting the correct information on how much testosterone to take...

Meanwhile I was reading acupressure can be great for treating colds and flu. Another avenue for exploration?? Not to speak of regulating hormonal conditions. It is definitely meanwhile helping out my liver and gall bladder... Especially the points on the feet on the top between the large toe and the next as well as half way down the to of the foot from the little toe where it hurts (assuming it does of course...). Could help you too with your edema--esp. the liver drainage spot. The kidney spot is underneath on the bottom of the foot where the large toe makes a big curve underneath... I bet there are diagrams on line. Other spots around the ankles affect the sex glands... There are drainage spots on the face on either side of the nose for nasal catarrh etc.

Hope you feel better soon, no matter what direction(s) you explore... And that you recover enough for New Years!

Bea

[CR5442]

Are you sure Caroline if you might not have a low level salicylate sensitivity? It sounds to me like you might.

Hey Bea, I'm not so sure as I've been taking these herbs and I don't get a reaction from them at all.. and they are full of salicylates. I really think this bloating has been down to the change in bowel activity (going from D to solid) and also from the changing in hormone levels. I have no sinus issues, which is usually a tell tale sign according to on of our herbal tutors. I don't get the urticaria with them... only when I eat something gluten suspect or when my liver is overloaded from something. Today, after a week of being poorly I feel kind of fine. No liver pain, no itching (all my itching came in the first half of the month - aka estrogen), no nausea (touching wood here!)... Looking forward to the next monthly cycle to see if the liver pain/itching improves from this time round.

[CR5442]

Just looking at the top symptoms of salicylate sensitivity from the website:

Itchy skin, hives or Rashes 8 - only in estrogen cycle

Stomach pain/upset stomach 7 No

Asthma 7 No (used to have when eating gluten)

Headaches 6 No - only when have a cold

Swelling of hands and feet 5 A little

Breathing difficulties 5 No

Bed Wetting 5 NO!!

Mouth Ulcers or raw hot red rash around mouth 5 No

Persistent cough 5 No

Frequent need to urinate/urgency to pass water 5 No (since eliminating gluten)

Wheezing 4 No

Changes in skin color/skin discoloration 4 No

Swelling of eyelids, face and lips 4 No

Fatigue 4 Well who wouldn't be with two children, a business and a university course?!

Sore, itchy, puffy or burning eyes 4 No

Watering eyes 4 No

Anaphylaxis (this is very rare, but deadly) 3 Clearly not

Sinusitis 3 Used to but has resolved

Diarrhea 2 No (since no gluten)

Nausea 2 Not really - only in estrogen cycle

Chronic sweating or no sweating 2 Not since taking the Herbals

Aching Muscles and joints 2 No

Congestion 2 No

Nasal polyps 2 No

So overall I would say no. Though the above are often signs of a sensitivity to something ingested... not just salicylates. They are allergic reactions and intolerance. Now I def. had a lot of these when I was eating gluten and coconut oil. Now they are both gone so are most of the symptoms.

[YoloGx]

Just looking at the top symptoms of salicylate sensitivity from the website:

Itchy skin, hives or Rashes 8 - only in estrogen cycle

Stomach pain/upset stomach 7 No

Asthma 7 No (used to have when eating gluten)

Headaches 6 No - only when have a cold

Swelling of hands and feet 5 A little

Breathing difficulties 5 No

Bed Wetting 5 NO!!

Mouth Ulcers or raw hot red rash around mouth 5 No

Persistent cough 5 No

Frequent need to urinate/urgency to pass water 5 No (since eliminating gluten)

Wheezing 4 No

Changes in skin color/skin discoloration 4 No

Swelling of eyelids, face and lips 4 No

Fatigue 4 Well who wouldn't be with two children, a business and a university course?!

Sore, itchy, puffy or burning eyes 4 No

Watering eyes 4 No

Anaphylaxis (this is very rare, but deadly) 3 Clearly not

Sinusitis 3 Used to but has resolved

Diarrhea 2 No (since no gluten)

Nausea 2 Not really - only in estrogen cycle

Chronic sweating or no sweating 2 Not since taking the Herbals

Aching Muscles and joints 2 No

Congestion 2 No

Nasal polyps 2 No

So overall I would say no. Though the above are often signs of a sensitivity to something ingested... not just salicylates. They are allergic reactions and intolerance. Now I def. had a lot of these when I was eating gluten and coconut oil. Now they are both gone so are most of the symptoms.

Hi Caroline-- I thought you might have a salicylate condition due to the things you mentioned that you were allergic to--particularly coconut, most fruit (except banana), flax, avocados plus the getting puffy from some meals and only tolerating potatoes now and then. I would look at the salicylate lists of low to medium to high sals and just see. I did not get clear symptoms until fairly recently, except for being very sensitive to aspirin and nuts. For me trouble sleeping came first. It could explain your liver problem.

[YoloGx]

I hope you are right and are not salicylate sensitive. However I think it may be worth checking out a bit more given your particular food sensitivities. Here's the salicylate site in case you are interested. You just might find it helpful. The forum might be a place to check out too besides the food lists...

Open Original Shared Link

The good thing with SS is that people often do get better. Curing the liver and the gut seem to be key--as well as avoiding heavy salicylates.

Bea

[CR5442]

I hope you are right and are not salicylate sensitive. However I think it may be worth checking out a bit more given your particular food sensitivities. Here's the salicylate site in case you are interested. You just might find it helpful. The forum might be a place to check out too besides the food lists...

Open Original Shared Link

The good thing with SS is that people often do get better. Curing the liver and the gut seem to be key--as well as avoiding heavy salicylates.

Bea

Hey Bea, I'll take a good look at the things i'm sensitive to. You may be right, but it doesn't explain why I can tolerate the herbs so well.... Hmmm! Anyway, the good news is that Izzy seems to have turned a corner this evening (touch wood) and Hugo is now in bed hopefully to wake up later with no fever. Hugo seems to get things much worse than all of us. They are on pretty much gluten free - the occassional thing turns up when we go out that isn't, but I think my family are fairly happy to accept that I'm so much better without it, therefore it is likely that the children will be too!

We now have a houseful for New Years. What do you have planned?!