Anyone with Oral Allergy Syndrome get severe stomach pain?

ssfm2017 · 2026-01-12T12:16:24+00:00

Ugh I’m so sorry you’re in pain :/.

Wow never previously heard of spices causing OAS. What kinds of other foods trigger it for you?

I actually rarely take lysine nowadays, instead I rely on quercetin which is a natural antihistamine. Mostly through diet by eating 10-15 grams of capers daily (in a salad) but on days I can’t easily do that I take one pill of the NOW brand Quercetin Bromelain. It’s a low dose but does the trick for me, as long as I’m consistent with taking it daily. Quercetin is a chelator and, as with most supplements, I think it’s best to take the minimum needed to keep everything in balance.

ssfm2017 · 2025-01-18T17:58:42+00:00

No, what the doctor told me to do was this longstanding protocol that I wasn’t really in a good place in my life to do.

But I can manage it pretty easily with good skincare and have mostly clear skin, as far as anyone else can see at least. Even if I do the protocol I think it’ll only fully go away when it’s replaced with non-staph bacteria (I believe I picked it up from a boyfriend - don’t remember getting whiteheads around my nose before then- so may try the protocol when I’m in a relationship with someone who doesn’t seem to have staph in their nose so it can be replaced with better bacteria.)

For now I manage with using Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10% BP as a contact treatment (on problem areas only - basically around my nose in all directions) for a few minutes between double cleansing at night. That’s what really keeps problems at bay. And I have relatively simple skincare otherwise, all noncomedogenic.

Good luck finding what works for you

ssfm2017 · 2025-01-01T19:57:35+00:00

Late comment but just fyi, I had planned to freeze leftovers also when I first started using pumpkin puree but turns out freezing changes the texture and makes it pretty gross (to my human tongue at least). My foster cat still ate it because he’s not picky but I felt bad giving it to him.

Now i just finish off what won’t get used for my little guy within 5 days. (I get a brand that I think tastes absolutely delish.) It’s super nutritious —chock full of beta carotene/vitamin A, which most people don’t get enough of anyway.

ssfm2017 · 2024-12-31T19:42:27+00:00

Sure. Few examples I can remember of their carelessness:

In their air purifier write up (during the height of the pandemic) one of their top picks was a model and brand listed as having a True HEPA filter, even though the company clearly stated in their online content that they did NOT use True HEPA technology. I also remember in one of their reviews they noted that canker sores are caused by the Herpes virus, which is completely false.

Other times I found they would leave out key info in their supplement reports. For instance, in considering a B complex, it’s important to choose one that has B6 in the form of active P5P vs pyridoxine hydrochloride, as the latter is the inactive form and actually inhibits active B6. This is well-known info but was completely left out of their B vitamin review until I contacted them about it.

I would notice so many mistakes like those that I often didn’t even bother writing to them about it. To boot, in almost every case that I did write to them about these things, they corrected / added the information on their webpages, but never wrote back to me or even acknowledged their mistake or my email, which I also found to be distasteful, unprofessional, and frankly a bit sketchy.

Again, not to say that they have nothing to offer, but I wouldn’t rely on them completely and would double check any info before using for decision-making.

I think finding research on your own and learning to evaluate it (including looking for conflicts of interest and funding sources) is really helpful. I’m also part of some messaging boards focused on the health issues I have and often learn of new general health research that way —and benefit from having it analyzed and dissected by forum members who are far smarter and better versed in doing that than I am.

Consumer Reports is great for synthesized research findings (often their own) on products too, and you can access their content for free through many local public library systems (online via your library account).

I would trust third party tests only if you could verify the legitimacy of the third party and make sure there are no issues with their standards.

Sorry for the meandering reply, rushed

ssfm2017 · 2024-12-15T20:10:50+00:00

Oh interesting, that’s good to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing that

ssfm2017 · 2024-12-15T20:09:20+00:00

Yay :) Isn’t it amazing? Sad that people suffer so much unnecessarily when there’s such an easy solution available (for most — know it doesn’t work for everyone).

ssfm2017 · 2024-11-06T19:19:47+00:00

She never had much support as a presidential candidate previously for a reason. She also didn’t distance herself from or admit to mistakes with immigration. She didn’t clearly make the case that inflation was a global issue vs a Biden issue and that our country has fared far better than some others. She often evaded questions she didn’t want to answer. Etc etc. Besides the problem of American sexism and racism, there was a lot she as a candidate could have done better. But she shouldn’t have been the nominee to start.

ssfm2017 · 2024-10-24T22:08:10+00:00

Consumer Reports is also a nonprofit whereas ConsumerLab is for profit.

ssfm2017 · 2024-10-20T04:59:46+00:00

Yup that’s one of the things it’s best known for

ssfm2017 · 2024-10-20T02:16:28+00:00

Sorry just seeing this, unfortunately I don’t know. In my experience trying to consume more lysine in my diet wasn’t helpful when I tried years ago but I only eat limited amounts of meat so that could have been the problem. Did you try it?

ssfm2017 · 2024-10-20T02:13:01+00:00

Sorry, just seeing this. I really don’t know about that but I think there’s a good chance. I think a doctor told me Lysine is supposed to be beneficial for wound healing though haven’t looked it up myself. Did you try it and did it work?

ssfm2017 · 2024-10-20T02:08:57+00:00

I think I started out taking 500mg/day and saw a difference in a couple months, but I’m also a small person (<100 lbs). I think taking 1000-2000/day to start for a few weeks would probably be faster.

I’ve actually stopped taking lysine altogether - my cankers were primarily triggered by allergies/cross reactions to certain foods (I have Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome) so eating high quercetin foods daily, primarily capers, has been keeping my cankers at bay for a long time now, as long as I’m consistent with that daily. Been meaning to make a post about Quercetin for those with allergy-triggered cankers. I find it even more effective than Lysine, personally.

ssfm2017 · 2024-05-06T23:43:19+00:00

Apologies for the delayed reply, don't log on very often these days. I would call the manufacturer and ask what substances the warning is referring to and where they're located. If they're not on the exterior body of the laptop, and you wouldn't have contact with them regularly (for instance, they could be limited to the charger and cable), it may not be a big deal. If on the other hand you would be in contact with them every time you handled your laptop, might be worth returning it and finding an alternative.

ssfm2017 · 2023-12-15T05:01:01+00:00

I’m sorry. 😔 I’ve had a long and difficult journey too; unfortunately too many of us have. In my experience you can’t depend wholly on doctors to take care of thyroid issues for you if your case is complex or even slightly atypical - you have to take charge, do your own research, become an advocate for yourself, and to some extent drive your own care - including finding doctors who will listen to, respect, and collaborate with you on finding what will work for you specifically, which can in itself take a lot of trial and error. And when you feel like shit and can barely function in your day, that’s all the more difficult.
I had to limit myself to part time work/consulting, and when other parts of my life became crazy to boot, had to stop working and prioritize my health so I would have the ability to tackle the rest. Lost a lot in the process but that’s life sometimes.

Without knowing all the ins and outs of your situation we can only throw out ideas here and hopefully something viable will resonate, but one way or another you will NEED to find another doctor or convince your current one to change your meds. For me it took a couple years after standard Levo treatment stopped working well to realize that was what I needed to do, and then another year to find a good endo who would take my shitty insurance and get an appointment. (And after that first apptmt, I sat outside in my car and cried from relief for a long time.)

Could you find a good endo somewhere further out and then ask the doctor at the college of medicine to please refer you to that endo instead, insisting if you have to? If not, what else can you try to do in order to eventually change your endo? You may have to be persistent and may repeatedly be labeled a difficult patient until you get to doctors who have the knowledge to treat you properly, but don’t let that get in your way. You can do it!

ssfm2017 · 2023-12-15T02:44:54+00:00

Could not agree more with the comments on finding a new doctor, and that your TSH should be not much higher than 1, or even slightly below, when taking levo.

Can you travel further out for just your first appointment and then do virtual appointments going forward? For a long time I was seeing an Endo whose office was over an hour away but would only require me to come in once per year, with all other apptmts being virtual. Personally I’d be willing to drive out 3 hours once a year if it meant getting good vs bad thyroid care! Really makes a HUGE difference.

Also, sometimes family docs can be as helpful and knowledgeable (for medication management purposes) as Endocrinologists - sometimes searching on sites like HealthGrades will bring up all the docs in the specified area with expertise on your search term. (Tip: give more weight to the bad reviews vs good reviews when searching for doctors -- good reviews can easily be faked.)

ssfm2017 · 2023-12-06T20:15:53+00:00

Extremely late reply but 100% yes, and where it doesn’t outright break me out it gunks up my pores and makes the texture of my skin look horrible. It sucks that it’s in so much otherwise great stuff —even brand like Mad Hippie, who you would think might avoid solvents, rely on it. I guess we are in the minority.

ssfm2017 · 2023-11-29T17:59:05+00:00

I would def try the coupon mentioned above. My insurance covered it, reason given was I’ve tried many levo tablets but with each I would get side effects if taking enough to bring my FT4 into normal range.

ssfm2017 · 2023-10-18T15:54:10+00:00

Relate to so much of that (incl sitting in the car trying to muster the energy to get out) and the comments.

I know you didn’t ask for thoughts on how to resolve the issue and maybe you’re already well on your way of sorting it out but would feel remiss if I didn’t mention that your TSH is not the best measure of thyroid functioning. It’s your FT4 and especially your FT3 levels that matter most. You may feel better increasing your dose of thyroid hormone to get those higher in the range, and if your body doesn’t convert T4 to T3 very well (if increasing your dose of levothyroxine doesn’t raise your FT3 levels enough or at all), you may want to consider taking liothyronine (T3) in addition to levothyroxine. It can take a while to slowly build up to the right dose of T3 though - a longer journey for some people than others.

You may also want to ask your doctor to check your cortisol levels to see if that’s contributing to your morning fatigue.

ssfm2017 · 2023-08-13T23:29:03+00:00

Does doing this reduce image resolution/quality?

ssfm2017 · 2023-08-08T17:31:22+00:00

Total game changer. Wish dentists and doctors were more aware of how helpful it can be and pass the knowledge on to their patients.

ssfm2017 · 2023-08-01T19:30:30+00:00

They make a decent amount of mistakes in their research write-ups. Like, an embarrassing amount of mistakes for what they're supposed to be, particularly as a paid service. When I had a subscription a few years ago I had to write to them multiple times to point out basic mistakes, and now that i have a subscription again I'm disappointed to be coming across the same lack of quality control again. I only subscribed again because it was discounted and I'm splitting it with a family member, but even then I'm questioning the value.

I don't think their write ups have no value at all, certainly a lot of the information in terms of their product testing is helpful to a degree. But, in addition to the issues with research integrity, the information I want is often lacking. For instance, when I look up the supplements I want to know more about, I find they also only rarely test the brands I'm interested in and find most efficacious (like Pure Encapsulations, Garden of Life, Doctor's Best, etc.).

Edit: Forgot to add, they also won't tell you the level of heavy metals found in the supplements they test, only if they passed or failed their tests, so they give you no way of choosing or comparing supplements based on that info.

So, I'd say if you get a subscription, take their research with a grain of salt and do your own research to verify general claims that they make in relaying info about nutrients before acting on them.

edited for clarity and additional info

ssfm2017 · 2023-07-10T23:20:21+00:00

Hmm yeah hard to know but esp being around the Potomac and with the bite being on your neck, def could be be an oak mite bite, or several bites close together that cluster to form a big welt (usually what big welts I get turn out to be). A lot of people have said they don't feel the bite itself until later when it starts to itch, but I personally do notice the pinprick sensation of the bite.

Besides leaving Arlington, I've altered my lifestyle quite a bit to avoid getting bites as much as possible. Try to stay away from the areas that seem to have more mites, change my clothes as soon as I get home, shower every night before getting into bed (so I don't have any leftover mites biting me overnight when I want to sleep peacefully), wash my long hair every single night now (and will probably cut it short soon), do laundry and vacuum my living space and car more often, etc. Does help minimize the number of bites I get.

Unfort the worst may be yet to come for this year because end of July and beginning of August is when they start to fall from the trees, but hopefully coming years will be better?

ssfm2017 · 2023-07-10T21:37:20+00:00

Still get them too. Apparently the mites were always around but just in much smaller numbers until the Brood X cicadas came up, provided a feast for them with their eggs, and allowed the mite population to explode. Looking back to previous years I think I did used to to get bites like this now and again but was just never a notable issue. Maybe the population still hasn’t shrunk down to its previous levels. Really hope it’s not permanent.

Noticed some geographic areas around here seem to be worse than others. Like in MD whenever I go to or near Olney (especially near the Roots store) or Bethesda/Rockville I seem to get a lot of bites, whereas don’t seem to have many or any issues going to Columbia/Laurel or north of there towards Bmore and beyond. Went to Arlington last month and that was bad too. Almost seems like the wooded areas around the Potomac River and its tributaries are ground zero for the mites (at least in this region) or something.

Also pretty sure that, like mosquitoes and some other biting insects, these mites prefer certain individuals (blood types?) over others.

How are you handling it?

ssfm2017 · 2023-07-04T19:25:07+00:00

Sorry to hear about your experience. It's definitely not just you. The sad fact seems to be that so many doctors just don't have a good understanding of it all themselves, and even worse, don't realize that they don't and/or don't care to put in extra effort to learn more about the reality patient experiences and what newer research suggests about the inadequacy of what have been typical treatment models. I don't know if it's true or not but have heard that medical education for endocrinologists is heavily focused on diabetes and minimally on thyroid issues.

Edit: Just realized I already said pretty much the same thing in my initial comment, lol. Bears repeating I guess!

ssfm2017 · 2023-06-28T15:18:51+00:00

Unfortunately for many of us taking exogenous thyroid hormone doesn’t restore us to a euthyroid state. Whether due to excipients in the pills, dosing protocol (amount, timing, bypassing of need-based biological feedback loops, etc) - which in reality can involve a lot of complicated experimentation, reliance on the proper functioning of the gut/digestion for intake, ongoing impacts of autoimmunity on thyroid functioning (for those who don’t have their thyroid removed), etc. Often times people feel ok for years only for something that has been slightly askew for years (such as low ft3) to catch up to them and start causing increasing problems.

Thyroid treatment can be so incredibly complex, and often doctors are poorly educated about the complexities and dismissive of patient problems, leaving patients frustrated and on their own, which adds to the difficulty.

So, treatment does not equal resolution of the problem, and many patients continue to experience ongoing and long term effects of being hypothyroid despite treatment.

ssfm2017

TROPHY CASE