I don't seem to have allergies to pollen or to animal hair. As far as medications go, I'm allergic to penicillin.
The following allergies have not been verified by a diagnostic test as of yet, also, some of them would be classified not as allergies but as intolerance or merely sensitivity:
- soy
- gluten
- casein
- lactose
- fructose
- sugars in general and artificial sweeteners though I seem to feel fine with Stevia
- yeast
- black pepper
- I also stay away from mono-sodium glutamate
- I minimize consumption of corn and peanuts to avoid potential exposure to mycotoxins
- I minimize consumption of beans unless I have a digestive enzyme handy which contains alpha-glactosidase
- dust really irritates my skin
Soy ingestion of even minute amounts causes me dull, painful migraine headaches and also painless migraines (scintillating scotoma). I seriously can't even kiss someone who has chewed gum containing soy lecithin or eaten it- if so, I WILL get a dull, painful migraine.
My digestive tract has never liked gluten or casein, which are wheat and milk proteins similar in molecular composition to opioids. (inflammation, bloating, gas, loose stool, dehydration, fatigue, dermatitis, vivid dreams, schizophrenic auditory hallucinations, panic attacks). I thank the mythical gods that those things don't occur anymore. I do miss the vivid dreams, but at least I don't have nightmares or feel anxiety in my dreams, anymore.
My digestive tract and sinuses have never liked lactose, i.e. milk sugar, (causes ear, nose and throat issues like sneezing, colds, sinusitis, ear infections and other throat infections). My father has sinus allergies which also diminish when he reduces how much dairy he consumes, however I have to stay on a strict dairy-free diet. If I start sneezing soon after eating then I know with surety that there was a trace amount of dairy in what I just ate. The only other thing that makes me sneeze is how the bright outdoor sun causes me to initially squint, nostrils flare up, and *ACHOO!* only once.
Due to fructose malabsorption, I cannot eat anything which contains more fructose than glucose (ratio must be 1:1 or 1:1+) which means no tomatos, no onions, no asparagus, no dates or figs, no apples or pears, no agave, no inulin, no honey, etc. unless I accompany the ingestion with an amount of glucose equal to or greater than the fructans or fructose content. Result of too much fructose is osmotic diarrhea = nutrient loss + dehydration. D: I apparently can consume dextrose with fructose to help my digestive lining absorb the fructose correctly; I read the account of someone who actually eats the candies Smarties or Sweet Tarts with meals to help facilitate this since they contain dextrose. Fortunately, I can eat berries and citrus fruits with no problem- which are my favorites, anyway.
I also can't eat too high an amount of any refined sugars or yeast per day of any kind, or else my health tangibly suffers (fatigue, drowsiness, ear problems, etc). I can simply look at my tongue to see the result of consuming too much sugar- if it's perfectly pink, I've been conforming to the low sugar diet correctly, but if there is a whitish film I have been eating too much. It can take me about a week to get sugar levels back to normal if I don't indulge cravings. I am investigating whether these troubles with sugar could be related to my high cortisol levels which result from stress (see final comment at the end).
It's very difficult to get a test verifiable diagnosis of candidemia from a medical doctor, so I've been diagnosing and treating myself over the past 10 years with very drastic improvements as I remove more and more irritants and allergens from my diet. It appears to me that my digestive tract and immune system have yet to fully recover from a history of sporadic oral antibiotic treatments. I finally can maintain my body weight and things should continue to improve once I start an allergen free multi-vitamin regimen.
Last but not least, I'm allergic to stress. =Þ My body tends to operate on high cortisol levels as a result of chronic stress, which can affect my metabolism especially regarding fluctuating blood glucose levels. I typically feel and function much better when not around my spouse, which is why I should stay single (or at least marry someone more responsible than me)! If I ever happen to be tested as diabetic or pre-diabetic like my grandmother, I wouldn't let it phase me, I'd just start doing yoga and following daily exercise and stress relief routines while adhering to the diet which I know works for me.
