Dr. Stoll,
Sorry to bother with this topic again, but I was just wondering if you had any ideas of how I can help ease this problem until the SR takes care of it, kind of along the lines of the GERD protocol.
It's become much more than a mild annoyance. Whatever exercise I can do has become a nightmare, because as soon as I get warm, I am itching all over my body, and I am covered with swollen red marks from it. The only way I can avoid this is to start my walk when I am literally shivering from the cold, so that I don't warm up too much (a t-shirt in 30 degree weather), and I don't think that is too healthy. I can't even take a warm shower anymore, let alone allow myself to get hot at any point in the day without having to head to the bathroom and scratch all over. And it isn't just a regular itch - it's more like a burning pins and needles kind of itching.
Sorry about all the complaining, it's just that it's hard enough trying to heal myself from my illness and to keep a positive mind set without these horrible headaches and itching setting me back further. Although I'm sure it's all related (even though I had the itching and headaches years before I got ill), I still would like to ease it if I can until I can take care of the cause.
Thanks again Dr. Stoll.
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Dermatographia...
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 19, 1998 at 10:25:47:
In Reply to: Dermatographia... posted by Tony on December 18, 1998 at 10:06:15:
Hi, Tony.
You might call a local teacher of self-hypnosis. That would be a quick way to stop these symptoms while the SR is getting at the cause.
Also, even though the triggers in your diet are probably not the most important contributing factors in this, just eliminating a few of them could get you back to where you were before this was such a bother to you.
Contact Robert McFerran, on this bb, for help with doing that.
Let us know what results you get.
Follow Ups:
Re: Dermatographia...
Posted by Tony on December 19, 1998 at 22:17:34:
In Reply to: Re: Dermatographia... posted by Walt Stoll on December 19, 1998 at 10:25:47:
Dr. Stoll,
So what you're saying is that this is a result of stress, and not some kind of actual allergy? When I was young, I was put on Seldane, and the problem went away. I just didn't want to be on it all of my life.
You did mention food allergens, and I am in contact with Rob, but I am on the best diet I've ever been on in my life right now, and the itching is getting worse. (I know this seems like a trivial problem Dr. Stoll, but believe me, it's not. It is honestly agonizing sometimes, and it's starting to cause me to avoid doing a lot of simple things.) I was just trying to wash dishes at my grandmother's house, and the energy exerted from that caused me to get slightly warm, and I ended up outside for about 10 minutes with no shirt in 40 degree weather, scratching every part of my body. It was horrible! I came in with my entire body red and swollen.
If I do have CFIDS like they tell me, could this be a result of increasing allergies and intolerances, even though my diet is the best it's ever been? And also, I have had numerous times in my life where eating something sweet (especially fruit) has given me the same reaction, although I'm not sure if it was because I got hot from eating it (which I did), or because of the sugar itself giving me a reaction. Is it possible to be allergic to sugar, and if so, what would be the reaction?
Thanks.
Tony
Follow Ups:
Re: Dermatographia...
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 20, 1998 at 10:32:24:
In Reply to: Re: Dermatographia... posted by Tony on December 19, 1998 at 22:17:34:
Hi, Tony.
I KNOW that this is not a trivial condition!
It is likely that you DO have allergic triggers for your dermatographia. However, focussing on that is like saying that the trigger of a gun is what causes the bullet to be forced out the barrel.
What I have been talking about is doing something about the gunpowder.
In the meantime, avoiding pulling the trigger is a valid approach. See Robert McFerran's entries on this BB and ask him directly.
If you have read my book, you surely know that ALL of your symptoms are caused by the same mechanisms.
Walt