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I posted originally about my experience of getting unexpected relief from
weeks & weeks of knee pain by taking an antihistamine (Actifed) for allergy
symptoms.  I asked the following questions:
Allergies & knee pain?  What's the connection?  Have you ever heard of
anything like this before?

I wasn't planning to post a summary because of PC problems.  (I have rotten
e-mail software that prevents me from using the cut & paste feature
efficiently.)  But, I got so many good responses, I just couldn't NOT
summarize.  So here it is.  It's not the detailed summary I like to do with
quotations & such, but at least it gives me & others a place to start
researching this topic.  There's only one quote, it's first & it's from my
sister in Houston.  The rest is a simple listing of a few resources,
suggestions of supplements & foods to try or avoid.  I think  it's
interesting to note, that all the contributions below came from the personal
experience of the repsondants or their friends or loved ones.   [My
obnoxious comments in brackets.]
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My sister's response:  Wow! No I haven't. But histimine has a huge influence
on body functions and general well-being. Bob [her friend] used to swear by
niacin and vitamin C. The niacin releases histimine, causing a flushing
effect (which is awful to me) [me too]. Bob loved it, however. He maintained
that without histimine, we are incapable of orgasm [hmmmm...]. He was very
opposed to anti-histimine (or "histimine blockers").  When he got a cold he
would take more niacin, vitamin C, garlic and echinecea. His contention was
that niacin releases histimine into the bloodstream so it can be utilized by
the body, rather that being stored up.  I don't understand it at all.
Anti-histimines are histimine blockers. They prevent the release of
histimine. Apparently, according to him, the optimim situation is to have
your histimines freely released on an ongoing basis so when you do have an
allergic reaction it will be less violent because you don't have an enormous
stockpile of histimine. The reason for the vitamin C was that niacin alone
can be toxic to the liver. I don't know much about it but I think it bears
looking into.  [I'm intrigued by this response, because so often in medicine
the best treatment for disease is completely contrary to what would seem the
logical choice.  Examples: stomach acid supplements eliminate heart burn,
reducing PM insulin sometimes reduces elevated AM blood glucose, adrenal
extract often calms an over active adrenal gland, increased calcium intake
reduces formation of kidney stones & calcification of soft tissues,
increased sodium intake sometimes causes diuresis rather than fluid
retention, etc.  I'm always intrigued by the reality of unexpected results.]
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Things to TRY for reducing arthritis symptoms:
~ Black cherry juice.
~ Most often mentioned was an elimination diet as a tool to isolate &
eliminate reactive foods.  [For details on the elimination diet, you will
need to do a Google search, as it's too detailed to discuss in this
summary.]
~ Food allergy testing.
~ Glucosamine. One person notices an increase in arthritis pain if she stops
taking it.  [This totally makes sence becasue glucosamine heals a leaky gut
& a leaky gut is the source of allergy sensitization.]
~ Probiotics, of course, which will improve gut health thus reducing
allergies & inflammation.  [My personal favorite probiotic is kefir.  My
next best choice is Garden of Life Primal Defense, which isn't nearly as
tasty or cost effective.  My third choice is raw homemade sauerkraut.]
~ Increasing omega 3 fatty acids by eating more deep sea fish, taking flax
seed oil, fish oil.  One respondant recommends EcoFish which are caught wild
& frozen on the fishing boat.
~ High omega 3 eggs.  These are eggs layed by chickens fed a special diet
high in flax seed.  Available at many health food stores & some grocery
stores.
~ Goldenseal & fresh garlic to rid the GI track of parasites.  [This sounds
very plausible since most of our immune function originates in the gut &
parasites could disturb the delicate balance of microflora as well as cause
an inflammed, leaky gut.]
~Quercetin & bromelain.  Quercetin is an anti inflammatory dietary
supplement often taken to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms.  Bromelain is a
plant derived enzyme that aids in the digestion & utilization of quercetin.
~ Apple cider vinegar.  Dilute with water, sweeten with honey if desired.
~ Take the amino acids lycine, glutamine plus biotin.  Increase use of bean
flours while decreasing use of rice & corn flours.  (see resources below)
-----------------
Things to AVOID to reduce arthritis symptoms:
~ Decrease the amount of omega 6 fish oils which are known to increase
inflammation.  These are found in margarine, mayonnaise, chips, most baked
goods & all vegetable oils except olive & coconut.
Oils highest in omega 6 are sesame, evening primrose oil, rborage, unrefined
sunflower, rice bran, black current.  [I have personal experience with
seeing shoulder bursitis clear up after giving up sesame butter.]
~ Legumes (soy, beans, peanuts, lentils, peas, etc.)
~ Casien, a complex protein found in milk & some legumes.  One respondant
reported that her husband's "arthris" completely disappeared when he cut out
gluten, casien & soy.
~  Several respondants said red meat aggravates arthritis symptoms.
~ Two respondants mentioned that dark poultry meat causes them problems.
~ Sugars.
~ Grains [which, BTW, are high in omega 6 FA.]
~ Avoid Acid foods: citrus, vinegar, tomatoes, etc.  This was the therapudic
diet of choice decades ago for children with rheumatoid arthritis.  However,
the respondant wasn't sure this really helped her or not as she also was
avoiding other foods at the time, by cutting out hamburger buns & other
foods she normally ate.  She believes that gluten was the most likely cause
of her RA flaring as a child.
~ Pesticides found on non-organically raised produce.
~ Nuts & all vegetable oils except olive becasue only olive oil is NOT
contaminated with nuts.
~ Avoid long term use of Ibupprophen.  [I love the way it makes me feel, but
hate the way it makes me susceptible to bleeding.  I'm definately looking
for safer alternatives.]
---------------------
Resources:
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/essential_amino_acid  (a detailed discussion
on the role of biotinin & biotinase plus glutamin & lysine crosslinking to
form collagen.
~ PAIN FREE IN SIX WEEKS  (a book)
~ CONQUERING ARTHRITIS by Barbara Allen
~ I CURED MY ARTHRITIS - YOU CAN TOO a book by Margie Garrison
~ Any books by the authors Eugene Zampieron & Ellen Kambi.

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