anti histamine how many per day??

[barbiem]

Merry Christmas ! hope everyone had a successful Xmas with no flare ups!!!! I for one did okay but may have eaten a little too much coconut flour cookies I made and then tried corn chips - not good. I was quite sick for a day but then back to the basics of chicken, beef and green beans again and all was good LOL.

Anyways, wondering how often those of you that take the Claritin redi tabs take per day?? It does state 1 dose = 24 hours but I find I am needing them more often? My heart racing is back - I am drinking vivonex daily now 1 cup per day and seems to be causing some heart racing probably due to the corn starch as corn seems to bother me but I need it for nutrition until I can start adding more foods in. I am taking the ketotifen 1mg 3x daily and feel I need more then 1 Claritin a day. anyone else?? also, there is some research by dr. Janice joneja who feels by taking antihistamine it can confuse the body and make it produce even more histamine? any thoughts?

Thxs
babs

[tex]

Barb,

Allergists commonly prescribe up to 4 times the labeled dosage of antihistamines for treating chronic cases of urticaria, and I'm not aware of anyone who has ever reported an adverse reaction at that dosage level, so it's apparently safe. Don't use much more than that though, because research shows that around 10 times the labeled dosage can cause toxic effects.

Sure, taking antihistamines tends to confuse the body, because they work by blocking antihistamine receptors, but so what? Virtually all medications confuse the body, because they block one thing or alter another, etc., but so what? And Dr. Joneja is very likely correct (IMO) when she says that antihistamines cause the body to produce additional antihistamine. Why? Because the body always tries to make up for changes imposed upon it's operation, but so what?

The bottom line is that antihistamines work, and for most of us, they work well. They are one of the safest medications ever developed (certainly one of the safest available for treating MC), and they don't normally cause any significant side effects. Not only that, but they are very economical, when compared with most other medications available for treating any disease, and they are widely available, in various formulations. And they have a track record that is probably unmatched by any other medication on the market. So why would anyone gripe about that? Dr. Joneja's claims about antihistamines are of academic interest only. Out here in the real world, such claims are moot.

Tex

[DJ]

Hello Barb,
I recently had a coconut incident too - macaroons - eleven to be specific I too pulled back on fiber and got back on track quickly.

I currently take one Claratin daily. Although I feel that I might benefit even more from taking 2 Claratin daily, my diet is under control and I'm satisfied enough with the control of my multiple symptoms for now. I plan to stay with the Claratin while weaning off Entocort and probably for a minimum of an additional month after I'm off Entocort entirely. At that point, I may try going off of Claratin. On the other hand, if my gut gets a bit unbalanced when I go off of Entocort, I may try two Claratin per day and eventually wean off of the Claratin.

We folks with MC have huge commonalities but our paths vary. I hope you find a smooth path.

[barbiem]

Excellent thanks so much - so should I take 1 Claritin in the am and then one around 7 pm ??? or do you take 2 at once??

And DJ - how long have you been on entocort??? And are you finding you are now able to eat more foods? Sorry to hear about your macroon collapse LOL - it's hard to resist anything during xmas when everyone gets to eat all they want around you.

babs

[carolm]

Babs-- I also do well with Benadryl in cases where I feel I am having a histamine reaction to something-- for example if I eat something and in 20-30 minutes my nose gets stuffy. For me Benadryl seems to have a stronger antihistamine effect but it lasts 4-6 hours. I take 1 Claritin a day (although during allergy season I might try two-- 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening), but 25mg-50mg Benadryl has also been helpful for me as a supplement. I take the non-drowsy formula, but be aware that some folks find it still a little sedating. Night time might be best for Benadryl.

Just a thought--
Carol

[tex]

Excellent thanks so much - so should I take 1 Claritin in the am and then one around 7 pm ??? or do you take 2 at once??

I agree with Carol, that it's best to space out the antihistamines, if taking more than one each day. Here's why:

For example, I take Allegra (right after breakfast, usually) when hay fever is a problem, and even though it's supposed to last for 24 hours, I can tell that by late afternoon, it is no longer as effective as it was during the morning. If I didn't get good control in the mornings, then I might need to take 2 at the same time, but since I get good control during the mornings, it would be pointless for me to take more in the morning. Right? If I need more later in the day, then later in the day would be the optimum time to take it, because if I took that extra pill in the morning, it might have already worn off (or purged from the body) by the time I needed it later in the day.

At least that's the way I see it.

Tex

[barbiem]

thanks makes sense!! The manitol in the Claritin redi tabs is causing me gas issues (IBS for years and have never been able to tolerate it). I will keep taking for another week to see if gets any worse.

Dr. Joneja also says you can make your own natural antihistamine out of sodium bicarbonate (b.soda) and potassium bicarbonate - anyone heard of this or tried it?

thxs everyone for your advice
babs

[Leah]

Hi Babs. I take one Allegra in the morning and one Benadryl at night. It's great for sleeping also :)
Leah

PS I also had a "holiday food reaction" this past week, but it only took a couple days to get back on track ( with a little help with an H-2 antihistamine)

[DJ]

And DJ - how long have you been on entocort??? And are you finding you are now able to eat more foods?

babs

I've been on Entocort since 5/31/13. Along with starting Entocort, I began eating a very high meat diet - almost all meat - and worked my way up, testing the waters a little at a time. Each time I reduce my dose of Entocort, I need to pull back on my food selections and/or quantities a little bit and focus more on meat for a short time. I balance out again in a week or two, maybe even less. Although I am on only 2 mg of Entocort right now, I continue to take baby steps forward with the foods I eat. I just started adding very small amounts of kale to my soups. I could not have used kale at all two or three months ago. With the exception of the macaroon incident, everything I do is in small increments. I stay GF, DF. SF, NF, legume free, chicken free, nut free, and have eggs only in baked goods but I am successfully adding healthy foods a little at a time. When something disagrees with my gut, I just up the meat and reduce other foods for a day or two and I'm back on track.
My current Entocort story:
9 mg for 2 months
6 mg for 2 months
3 mg for 2 months
2 mg for 28 days
My 28 days on 2 mg will end on 1/31 and I will then begin 1.5 mg for a likely minimum of 28 days (length of time to be determined by results)
I make my own low-dose capsules by pouring Entocort 3 mg contents into empty gel caps purchased on line or in health food stores.

[barbiem]

wow DJ sounds like you have a good grasp of things! Do you feel you have a histamine issue as well or just MC?? I have been on 9mg of entocort since August. I am down to 1 BM a day but still pains when I eat and try to keep that to a min. I can't gain any weight - actually lost 2 lbs UGH!! down to 106 now which is my lowest but I have read that those with histamine issues also result in high metabolism - is that right tex?? I also depend on meat but only chicken, beef and bison - those items do me well also. I need to add in new veggies since all I eat are green beans. Don't know what to try next. I do have an apt lined up on jan 15 with dr. joneja who is an expert on food intolerances, histamine issues. can't wait since the drs here are stumped by my case !

babs

[tex]

but I have read that those with histamine issues also result in high metabolism - is that right tex??

I've never seen any research on that topic. Where did you read that?

Tex

[barbiem]

I will have to look back as there was an article on anorexic and they were indicating drs should be looking into mast cell/histamine issues as they tend to cause high metoblism.

babs

[Leah]

Hi Babs. If I were to try a new vegetable, I would start with squashes and carrots. They seem to be the easiest on the system. Start with a small quantity and go up from there. Roasting them with a bit of oil on high heat is yummy.

I take antihistamines and have not lost any weight from it.

Leah

[barbiem]

thanks leah - it's not the antihistamine that causes high metabolism it's the disease itself.

I keep losing more weight - now at 106 - lost 2 lbs in a day even though I am eating 2 chicken breast and 1 6 oz steak each day. But no snacks as can't find anything I tolerate.

So, I had to stop the Claritin redi tabs - the mannitol was bothering my IBS - I also had to stop the Vivonex nestle elemental drink as the corn starch or something else in it was causing my heart racing to come back again and I can't stand that!!! So stopped the vivonex and the Claritin and feel better.

My hubby is very concerned as he sees how much food I eat and doesn't understand why I can't put any on! my blood pressure tonight was 86/58 not too good. My legs were wobbly that's for sure.

This is also the first time my nose is starting to react along with the bump on my gum with everything I eat. UGH! what next!!

Does this ever end?? How many keep hoping this is all a bad dream or one day you will wake up and the magic pill will have been discovered. Or how many of you see people and say to yourself "that person can eat normally and that person can have hot dogs and that person has a life and that person can eat out with their family and that person can drink something other then water" - I am in a slump again and can't get out of it. I have such a hard time accepting that there is no end in sight for this disease. My oral allergy syndrome has taken over my MC. I don't even think about my MC anymore - it's all about my reactions in my mouth to food and then worrying about if I react there then whats happening in my gut UGH!!!

babs

[DJ]

wow DJ sounds like you have a good grasp of things! Do you feel you have a histamine issue as well or just MC??

I'm sorry that you are having such a difficult time Babs. I feel that my situation involves more than my large intestine. I have a very long history of burpy GERD with a cough the produces ultra-white stuff that is apparently from my stomach. My vocal chords are also singed and covered with a thick protective elastic gunk. I did a trial of Claratin for a few weeks and it helped so I'm sticking with it as part of my weaning process. I was on high dose PPIs for the above when I became ill. I was also taking two adult aspirin every night for years.

I'm with Leah on the squash and carrots. They were my earliest veggies too. Some of my highest calorie early foods were bacon and GF, SF, DF potato chips.

Does fat make you sick? If not, might you switch to dark meat chicken? It has more calories. Are you eating ANY carbs at all? Do you tolerate sugar? I know that leaky gut is a problem for many but we know the Atkins story....meat alone can cause weight loss. Have you tried sweet potatoes yet?