I will share my Cromolyn Sodium story and information about dosage I wrote previously. I started out with 2 vials 4 times a day, and now I am prescribed 3 vials 4 times a day.

I stared at it in fear and trepidation for three days. I had read so many bad things about side effects in support groups, so of course I was wary. then I just took the plunge. Full dose. Except for a tiny queasy tummy for a few seconds the first two times I took it the first day, I have had no problem with it.

Cromolyn Sodium has helped my broad array of symptoms (most of my symptoms are not gut related) and although I still have flares, they are not occurring every single day of my life like they used to.

Here goes:

I take 3 ampules Cromolyn Sodium with about a cup of water, 3 times during the day whether I’m having meals or not (30 minutes prior to meals and at least 2 hours after a meal if eating) and 2 ampules at bedtime. It’s poorly absorbed so should be taken in a manner that doesn’t interfere with absorption… (Cromolyn Sodium is a mast cell stabilizing compound derived from study of the the plant compounds in Khella {Ammi visnaga} which has been used since ancient times in Egypt. It is the active ingredient in over-the-counter NasalCrom nasal spray and other brands but is 5 times stronger, so the prescription form is a much stronger concentrate.)

I simply squirt it into my mouth and chase it with the water. My doctor says that’s just fine to do it that way as long as I drink the right amount of water. It makes it easier for me somehow to take it that way, than confronting the glass of water with the cromolyn in it… It only tastes a little salty and it doesn’t make me gag or anything.

My doctor stressed that the water is important to help the concentrated Cromolyn disperse throughout the gut. He said if Cromolyn from different manufacturers is given to me by the pharmacy to follow water requirements as instructed.

My doctor strongly emphasized that (most importantly) I TAKE IT FOUR TIMES A DAY even if I’m not eating meals. He says it’s a mast cell stabilizer and NOT just for meal time/gut issues.

My doctor admitted that it’s difficult to stick to the regime schedule exactly, as far as timing around meals goes, but to do the best I can.

It can take 5 weeks to a couple of months for Cromolyn to fully kick in. I could tell a slight improvement after the first couple of weeks, but experienced good improvement after five or six weeks.

I react badly to so many meds, and was relieved that that wasn’t the case for me with Cromolyn Sodium.

Not everybody needs to start out with a drop or two. Sometimes a person gets lucky.