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With spring having sprung in Northern California its time to gear up for us that suffer hayfever. This has been my secret weapon, a WMD of sorts and having been a lifelong allergy sufferer its almost like a GF diet for a Celiac. I have used the Dr. Grossan nasal irrigator for 8 years and in that time I have not had a single sinus infection that I needed antibiotics to treat. I make my own solution
1 teaspoon full of plain NON-Iodized salt (important that it is non-iodized!)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
16 oz of distilled water heated to 100 degrees (in my microwave its just about 60 seconds in a pyrex measuring cup)
2 ozs of Alkolol - NOT Alcohol!!! Alkolol is a mucos solvent made from natural ingredients I order this from my local pharmacy no perscription required.
I am on my 2nd unit in 8 years, I have taken this around the world, I have even been questioned because of it and on several occassions security people have asked where they can get it (I suppose they were allergy sufferers too) All I can say is I don't leave home without it
Thanks for the info. Nice to know about non iodized salt. I use a Neti Pot and told my younger daughter to use one also. She lives in AZ and is really suffering with allergies.
JLH wrote:Thanks for the info. Nice to know about non iodized salt. I use a Neti Pot and told my younger daughter to use one also. She lives in AZ and is really suffering with allergies.
Since giving up dairy and gluten, my hayfever has practically disappeared.
I had a runny nose forever - boy, can I remember some awful situations due to this - now it is negligible. I stopped taking my Asthmas preventers last year as well, and just rarely get the tiniest start of a wheeze.
You may find that with a changed diet, this year is better than previously.
Another believer in nasal irrigation here! I use the Neil Med plastic squeeze bottle and prepared packets for convenience. I guess its effect is somewhere between the neti pot and pulsed irrigation in that you get some pressure/pulsing as you squeeze the bottle. Some of you may rememeber that I had 2 sinus surgeries and months of antibiotics 2 yrs. ago for ongoing sinus infection. I have not had one problem since I started doing the nasal irrigation daily one year ago. I am also a great believer in Mucinex, which I use whenever I get a cold or feel stopped up.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Polly,
I too use the Neil Med squeeze bottle with the packets. I have not used them daily....because I was concerned (as the article suggested) that doing it everyday could be counterproductive. But I am going to get back to using it more frequently because I wake up every morning with a stuffy nose.
Do you happen to know if the Mucinex can elevate one's blood pressure. I used to take an OTC for my nasal stuffiness (darn cant think of it this moment) very commonly known pill....and discovered that it can raise your blood pressure. Also it dried out my nasal passages rather severly.
I am still hoping my nose allergy will disappear with avoiding gluten and other stuff. Till now I don't notice any difference. My type of allergy never has been found. I call it a non specific allergy. I react to strong smells, open fires, wool (not only scratching also sneezing), dust, latex gloves (I know that because have been working a lab for two years), hey, straw. I have been using zyrtec for years, a couple of years ago a switch to zyzal. It is not hay fever or linked to a season. It is just always there. If I forget to take a pill it takes about 36 hrs after having taken the last one before I start sneezing again.
I sometimes say allergy is my middle name. In my bathroom in the "pill section": the entocort for the bowel, the zyrtec for the nose, eye drops if my eyes get irritated and hormone crème for my skin. Yes I have it all. My skin allergy I have pretty well under control with using the right crèmes. I rarely need to use my hormone crème. My skin allergy I have since I was a teenager and I had been scratching for years, before finally I was referred to a dermatologist (one of the health care problems here, to get a refer to a specialist). I was tested, a long list of allergies. As soon as I started avoiding them, problem solved.
Sometimes I wonder if there is a connection between my skin allergy, nose allergy and the MC.
Harma wrote:Sometimes I wonder if there is a connection between my skin allergy, nose allergy and the MC.
There is in my case.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
I had skin issues for years, and just in the last year have developed what appears to be a reaction to pollen for the first time in my life. All my worst skin issues went away with the gluten, but still have crusting issues in my ears and nose.
Resolved MC symptoms successfully w/L-Glutamine, Probiotics and Vitamins, GF since 8/'09. DX w/MC 10/'09.
