Hi Rose,
The only time I ever had acid reflux problems in my life was after I was coerced into taking a PPI for 3 days while in the hospital recovering from surgery. I had a choice of taking a PPI or going back on a respirator, so I took a PPI. But after I got home, I would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with a mouth full of acid. PPIs weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) so that it can no longer hold back stomach acid. I didn't take any H2 blockers or other medication, I just stopped eating several hours before bedtime and made sure that I never slept on my right side. My LES slowly regained it's strength. It took over 6 months before I was back to normal, though.
The Microscopic Colitis Foundation has some guidelines on weaning off a PPI that can be downloaded at the following link:
http://www.microscopiccolitisfoundation ... 112716.pdf
Glucosamine is good stuff. I've taken it for over 15 years, and my knees and hips seem to be in above average condition for someone for my age, especially considering that I spent many years doing hard, load-bearing work of a type that's hard on hips and knees. I also take flax seed oil. It's what vets prescribe for dogs and horses that have hip or knee problems.
Yes, unless the inflammation is stopped and prevented from being regenerated with every meal, AI diseases continue to develop. Diet changes prevent the inflammation, while medications just treat the symptoms.
Reaction delay times vary by the individual and the food, but they are typically in the 3 to 24 hour range. Some of us who have mast cell/histamine issues begin to react within just a few minutes. In some cases reactions can occur as long as several days after the food is eaten. Keeping a food/reaction diary helps to sort out associations between foods and reactions. But until you've avoided gluten for a few weeks or so it may not be possible to detect any differences because gluten (anti-gliadin) antibodies have a 120 day half-life, so they last a long time and tend to dominate the immune system. Most other antibodies to food sensitivities have a half-life of only about 6 days.
Only those of us who have malabsorption problems for years tend to be vitamin B-12 deficient. But it's relatively safe to take a vitamin B-12 supplement anyway, because excess amounts will usually just pass on through. Many of us show normal amounts of B-12 on blood tests, but we are still deficient of the active form of B-12 because our body is unable to convert the inactive form in food into the active form so that the body can use it. This is caused by metholation problems, which are somewhat common, especially among people who have AI diseases (including MC). I take 2,000 mcg (2 mg) per day because I have peripheral neuropathy, but 1,000 mcg of B-12 may be enough in some cases. Some members here take 5,000 mcg per day to rebuild their reserves if they are believe they are deficient, or if they notice neurological symptoms.
You're very welcome,
Tex
