Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Reflections and reactions after Christmas

I seem to be ultra-sensitive to salicylates again - and it's all my own fault. Just a little bit too much self-indulgence over Christmas.

For instance tonight I was picking the purple chocolates out of tin of Cadbury's Roses. These have a nut, surrounded by sweet toffee in a chocolate shell. No I did not eat the nut - it was easy to eat the chocolate and the toffee, remove the nut from my mouth and throw it away and nobody else in my family likes nut chocolates - so nobody would complain.

It didn't work - it was clearly too much exposure as my throat rapidly swelled up. It's been the same for days. Every small breach creates a reaction. On New Year's Eve I was at a party and was offered some mini spring rolls on the grounds they probably contained beansprouts and carrots. I wish. They contained some nasty mushed vegetable goo. On Sunday my other half pointed out I had sprouted a rash on the left side of my face. I also had jaw-ache on the left hand side. I took a montelukast last night and another one tonight.

So what does this say? I had three glasses of wine over Christmas - two on Christmas Day and one on Boxing Day - in spite of resolving not to. Reviewing the experience of previous years, it seems as though the effects of wine are long-lasting. I used up whatever tolerance I have - even with the aid of montelukast.

I wonder whether I can resist in Christmas 2012?

RAS

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I take Montelukast every day as recommended by the manufacturer and have no symptoms when I eat small amounts of an increasingly wide range of foods...even citrus, and all vegetables. If I forget to take the tablet, then I have reactions. Even antihistamines keep problems from allergies at bay if you take them before you have symptoms. Why make your life a misery?

RAS said...

Not sure what my GP would say about that. 12 prescriptions a year! I did take it almost every day over the holiday. I won't take antihistamines if I can help it because of the deep sleep they cause (even the non-drowsy ones)

Tiggeronlegs said...

I am going Salicylic free, have done it in the past, with great results. This time I am trying the RPAH elimination diet first, using the Friendly Food book and The Failsafe Cookbook by Sue Dengate as a guide. Also in the UK, and my doctor basically just poopoos the whole idea of salicylates being a problems. Doesn't show up in a bloodtest so can't exist! Also blogging about it all, thekiwione.wordpress.com. Have you found a toothpaste at all?

RAS said...

I see you have asthma. Presumably nobody ever thought to look for a cause of it? Do you take montelukast? - presumably not if no medical support.

Anonymous said...

Going salicylate free is easy, the difficult part is expanding your diet afterwards with few problems and discovering exactly what you can safely eat.