Use Case For Antihistamines?

[somuch4food]

I am suspecting my child is suffering from more allergies (or overactive immune system). He already has a diagnosed egg allergy, but his blood level markers are low. His symptoms are runny nose and sensitive skin with recently occasional urticaria (after a bout of roseola).

I know doctors treat medication lightly and are happy to prescribe medication for even the slightest condition. I was suggested Benadryl. The thing is that I do not want to treat symptoms without addressing the main problem.

Can antihistamines be useful to reduce inflammation and assist in health recovery? If so, what should be done in addition to the medication?

I know it can be tricky to comment on children cases. I mainly want to know if medication is necessary for recovery. Despite his symptoms, my child is achieving his milestones and is agreeable most of the time.

 

[ddjd]

if theres any chance your child is low in choline, i would avoid antihistamines completely

 

[jitsmonkey]

benadryl is one of few antihistamines that have been used safely for decades by millions of all ages.
It wouldn't be my first choice or even my second but we used them periodically with my son when
his allergies were particularly disruptive. If you use them judiciously while addressing whatever other
more primary issues he's having its unnecessary to leave him to suffer needlessly.
I wouldn't use any of the "modern" allergy meds I'd stick to benadryl.
that being said there's a treasure trove of info here that can help you better approach his more primary issues if needed.

 

[somuch4food]

if theres any chance your child is low in choline, i would avoid antihistamines completely

I know eggs are a source of choline. Him being allergic to them might mean he is deficient. He does have peanut butter multiple times a week. I could try to introduce liver, I haven't tried adding it to my diet yet because I don't know how to prepare it. I can look into recipes. But I see that meat, poultry, rice and wheat are also good sources and he has those on a daily basis.

What are symptoms of low choline?

Also, why avoid antihistamines?

 

[somuch4food]

benadryl is one of few antihistamines that have been used safely for decades by millions of all ages.
It wouldn't be my first choice or even my second but we used them periodically with my son when
his allergies were particularly disruptive. If you use them judiciously while addressing whatever other
more primary issues he's having its unnecessary to leave him to suffer needlessly.
I wouldn't use any of the "modern" allergy meds I'd stick to benadryl.
that being said there's a treasure trove of info here that can help you better approach his more primary issues if needed.

Would giving it to him before sleep help? He often wakes up in the morning not looking fully rested. The lack of restful sleep might exacerbate his inflammatory response to environmental allergens.

Are there alternatives to antihistamines to relieve allergy symptoms?

 

[jitsmonkey]

when we would use them we'd use them prior to bed
we'd also make sure he was well fueled prior to bed

I don't think there are any simple answers to your questions that are reliable.

I also don't think antihistamines should be feared. Used judiciously yes, feared no.

There literally are 1001 things that might be going on with him or that might help.
You just have to do your due diligence and patiently figure it out.

Often times ray's simplest of suggestions are helpful but ignored
carrot salad, less fiber, decreased elimination transit time, etc...
peanut butter as lovely as it is is a problem in many ways from the contaminants in carries to the
obvious pufa content, I'd be inclined to stay away from it if I had allergies.
if you must it might be a better option to use peanut butter power with the pufa removed
and mix the powder with warmed coconut oil.

 

[somuch4food]

Often times ray's simplest of suggestions are helpful but ignored
carrot salad, less fiber, decreased elimination transit time, etc...

Transit time is good. 2-3 times a day. I already give grated carrot, not with coconut oil atm though.

@Amazoniac posted about calcium being bad for a permeable gut. Reduced fibers might also help. He loves dairy and I am giving him plenty, might be worth reducing it.

 

[Amazoniac]

@Amazoniac posted about calcium being bad for a permeable gut. Reduced fibers might also help. He loves dairy and I am giving him plenty, might be worth reducing it.

Noo. What was posted is that too little or too much cause problems, especially when vit D or C aren't adequate.

 

[somuch4food]

In the conclusion of the study:
An excess of calcium seems to favor the migration of bacteria into
the blood stream whenever used; and when vitamin C and vitamin D
are both deficient, it seems to favor a rapid multiplication of the bacteria
in the spleen and lungs.

I apologize about having worded my post poorly.

Calcium can promote bacteria proliferation into the blood.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

I am suspecting my child is suffering from more allergies (or overactive immune system). He already has a diagnosed egg allergy, but his blood level markers are low. His symptoms are runny nose and sensitive skin with recently occasional urticaria (after a bout of roseola).

I know doctors treat medication lightly and are happy to prescribe medication for even the slightest condition. I was suggested Benadryl. The thing is that I do not want to treat symptoms without addressing the main problem.

Can antihistamines be useful to reduce inflammation and assist in health recovery? If so, what should be done in addition to the medication?

I know it can be tricky to comment on children cases. I mainly want to know if medication is necessary for recovery. Despite his symptoms, my child is achieving his milestones and is agreeable most of the time.

Cyproheptadine is probably the safest anthistamine. Does he complain about any gut problem? I used to suffer from rashes and a lot of bloating when I was a child( I still do nowadays, so still progressing towards health). If he's having allergy symptoms, then his histamine is probably high. You said he doesn't wake up looking rested. Antihistamines are usually good for sleep. Regarding the milk, is this the regular, store-bought milk? If so, it probably contains added vitamins which can cause some allergies. I understand that using antihistamines can be seen as treating only the symptoms and not the root cause. But the thing is that the current world is very imperfect for the health of people. There many toxins almost everywhere( plastic bottles, smoke from cars, chlorine in pools, etc.), Do you have a wi fi router in your house? That can cause problems, maybe turning it off during the night can help him sleep better. You said he eats peanut butter and wheat frequently. I think these two things are very allergenic( lectins, irritating fiber, protein of bad quality, gluten, pufa etc.). I remember seeing a study in which the participants who ate peanuts had some of the peanut proteins floating in their bloodstream, which isn't supposed to happen. Eating them less frequently or replacing them entirely with something else( maybe something concentrated in calories such as guava paste or marmelade) is better I think. The rice is fine I think. Low pufa and nice amount of carb energy. Have you tried giving him some gelatin( in the form of fruit gelatin, since gelatin on its own tastes pretty bad in my opinion)?It can help him sleep and reduces inflammation, which muscle meats can exacerbate when not accompanied by glycine.

 

[somuch4food]

@Rafael Lao Wai Thank you for your input.

I have since reduced dairy intake, I never limited wheat.

An excess of vit A seems to be the cause of all those problems I am having.

I'm still tweaking around to see how much is tolerated.

When he gets red cheeks and his eczema worsens, I give one dose of Benadryl before bed for one night and it usually speeds up recovery.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

My pleasure :)

How much dairy is he consuming now? Replacing it with fruit juice and maybe a little egg shell calcium can be good. That way you can make up for the potassium and magnesium in milk and control his calcium intake better, and as a plus, he gets more vitamin C. Egg shell calcium is probably better reacted with Orange juice or some lemon juice. I think apple juice, which contains malic acid, would work too, since calcium carbonate, in my experience, can be very constipating.

How much is in one dose of benadryl? According to Dave Foster, 150mg or more can increase serotonin, which can increase inflammation a lot. Lower doses seem to be safe, though.

Grant Generaux and Peat aren't in agreement regarding the vitamin A topic. Ray said that when he was having some acne( I think this was when he was living in the woods), one pill of vitamin A( with 10000 iu, if I recall correctly) solved it very rapidly. He also says that it is importante for sebum production, importante for a healthy skin. Experience is the only way to know and people are so different. Some do better with lots of retinol, while some do better with little or none. Besides, liver could be valuable, since it has so much stuff other than vitamin A. Amazoniac posted a while ago about how vitamin powders work much better with some liver extract, since there are some cofactors in liver not found in isolated vitamins, so maybe small amounts can be interesting.

I think taking care of the histamine shortly after the symptoms appear is definitely the best approach. Is he getting a good amount of vitamin D? Ray said it can be good for allergies.

 

[somuch4food]

How much dairy is he consuming now?

One cup a milk, not everyone. Half a cup of yogourt most days and a bit of cheese when included in meals.

As for eggshell calcium, I would not attempt it since he's allergic to eggs.

Ray said that when he was having some acne( I think this was when he was living in the woods), one pill of vitamin A( with 10000 iu, if I recall correctly) solved it very rapidly.

I'm currently more on Grant's side and I believe vit A worked for Peat since it speeds up the skin turnover, but if your body as trouble getting rid of vit A, you get in trouble later.

I'm really not doing any supplementation at the moment and am avoiding A, D and calcium since it seems to be a trio that can work well, but if something is amiss they amplify many issues.

What I'm using from Peat right now are some principles:
- Finding food combinations that my body thrive on
- Improving bowels to reduce endotoxins
- Reducing stress in every day life
- Improving metabolism

I have found that my body feels great (warm and calm) after oatmeal or white vegetables, but most Peat staples are neutral or negative.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

I'm really not doing any supplementation at the moment and am avoiding A, D and calcium since it seems to be a trio that can work well, but if something is amiss they amplify many issues.

Yes, I agree. I would add magnesium and vitamin k to that group as well. If I use vitamin D or calcium alone, I get heart palpitations.

What I'm using from Peat right now are some principles:
- Finding food combinations that my body thrive on
- Improving bowels to reduce endotoxins
- Reducing stress in every day life
- Improving metabolism

Nice.

I have found that my body feels great (warm and calm) after oatmeal or white vegetables, but most Peat staples are neutral or negative.

So you do better with starches? Peat recommends sucrose and lactose as major sources of carbohydrate, both of which target the liver more than glucose or starch. Have you already tried the caffeine plus k2 protocol? Some people report benefits from that.

 

[somuch4food]

Yes, I agree. I would add magnesium and vitamin k to that group as well. If I use vitamin D or calcium alone, I get heart palpitations

I just can't bother trying to control so many variables. I'm going on a reductionist approach. Instead of supplementing to speed everything up, I'm getting out of the way and let my body tell me what it needs.

So you do better with starches? Peat recommends sucrose and lactose as major sources of carbohydrate, both of which target the liver more than glucose or starch. Have you already tried the caffeine plus k2 protocol? Some people report benefits from that.

I don't think I have trouble with lactose, but the calcium from dairy cause constipation. Vit A also seems to constipate me. I think D + calcium is causing my knee pain.

Strangely enough, sucrose seems to depress me. It tastes awesome, but does not motivate me. Starches seem to be best.

I never was interested in coffee and would need to be pretty desperate to go that route. I also do not want to micromanage my food/nutrient intake since that fuels orthorexia.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Buteyko can cure most allergies. There is a method for small children called the STEPS method. This will set your child up for a life of good health. I wish I had this when I was a child. Instead I was treated to endless medications that left me messed up until I finally figured things out in my mid 40s.

The idea is that increasing CO2 levels will fix virtually all health problems in children and is easy to do.

 

[Luk3]

Cut the wheat, dairy and peanut butter, and his allergies should improve—mine did dramatically. Just make sure you replace the lost nutrition.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I also think antihistamines affect cognition and are best avoided unless there is really no choice. Evidence has emerged with respect to very old people but I think it’s true for any age.