Allergy

© MMXIV V.1.0.6
by Morley Evans

I BEGAN TO ITCH in November 2013. Winter itch usually sets in around January due to the extreme cold outside and the very low humidity inside where it is warm. I thought it must be an allergy because the antihistamine, Hydroxyzine®, helped. Benadryl® and other OTC antihistamine and cold meds are garbage. Everything they advertise on TV should be avoided. TV should be avoided. I never buy anything the pharmaceutical companies advertise and neither should you — that includes, especially, the "news" which is unadulterated propaganda.

I eliminated various things that were new to my diet but was unable to discover the cause. By February, I had an itchy rash on the backs of my hands, the inside of my arms, on my chest, and around my neck. I was going nuts. 

In March, my pharmaceutical doctor prescribed ELOCOM® (mometasone furoate), "a mid-potency topical corticosteriod creme" and advised me to "stop taking the Vitamins," by which she meant Juice Plus+ and Vitamin D3. Naturopathic doctor #1 prescribed Enzy-Plex® to "assist in the proper digestion of food." He explained the origin of allergy in the gut. ELOCOM® and Enzy-Plex® made short work of my rash. Two days after I started them, the rash was gone. I was able to reduce Hydroxyzine® to one before bed from three-a-day, indicating my body was producing much less histamine but I was still getting an allergic reaction to something.

Naturopathic doctor #2 told me if I kept using Enzy-Plex®, my body would stop producing its own enzymes and stomach acid. He said, "If they test you for H-pylori, they will find some because it's supposed to be there. They will prescribe very strong anti-biotics that will create legions of new problems that they won't be able to solve."

I know from my own years of observation and direct experience that the pharmaceutical path leads to increasing sickness and death — though patients can live for years as steady customers (drug addicts) of doctors, drug stores and pharmaceutical companies — for whom this is successful "disease-management." Drugs can never produce health — the absence of disease. Drugs can alleviate symptoms that sometimes threaten life. I know what I'm talking about.

Naturopathic doctor #2 suggested I start taking two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar with 8 ounces of water 20 minutes before my main meal. With that, my heartburn disappeared. Good-by Gaviscon®! Antacids, especially proton-pump inhibitors like Zantac®, taken to reduce stomach acid are a very bad idea. Your stomach is supposed to have acid in it to digest the protein you eat and kill things that may be in your food that you do not want in your body. Stomach acid is your first line of defense and an essential part of digestion. Gastritis is a symptom that there are fundamental problems that you need to identify and fix. Taking an antacid is like turning off the fire alarm that woke you up and going back to sleep without bothering to call the fire department.

Naturopathic doctor #2 suggested an elimination diet to discover my food sensitivities. I eliminated the usual suspects: beef, pork, eggs, milk, corn, wheat, soy, coffee, tea, tomatoes and anything that contains them. (I stopped eating sweeteners, seed oils like Canola, and things in boxes and cans years ago.) A few days later, I stopped using Enzy-Plex, ELOCOM® and Hydroxyzine®. My rash did not return. My itch was gone. I have started introducing things one at a time and noting any reaction. 

At the gym, Gord exclaimed, "What can you eat?" "Broccoli and Coconuts," I answered. "Broccoli," he gasped! I can eat fish and chicken with lots of veggies and fresh fruit. Nuts are out. Nuts cause Anaphylaxis in me. The "Vitamins" are not a problem, doc. I have reintroduced Kefir and Yogurt, yet Dr. Mercola's Miracle Whey is a problem. I must be sensitive to something other than dairy in his product. Filet Mignon is okay. Ham might be a problem. I'll test eggs next. Eggs seem to be it.

A food sensitivity is like a slow leak in your ship. Anaphylaxis is like running into an iceberg. When that happens, you will not have to wonder what has caused your problem. You will know.

Yesterday, I was back at the gym! Yay!! I discovered a brand new StrongLifts App on my iPhone. Thanks, Mehdi! I lost 15 pounds which I didn't want to lose. I won't be adding 50 pounds of "shapely muscle" this way. Maybe I'm not destined to look like Arnold in his prime, but what's wrong with looking like Bruce Lee? I look better today than Arnold does. We are the same age. He has more money, of course.

All three doctors helped me. They all have their place.

I feel great today!

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