DoozlyGirl Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Future, have you had a reaction to the Zantac in addition to the insomnia? I react to red # 40 and yellow #5 and yellow #6, but am still trying to decide if I react to the zantac. Brand Name Zantac uses iron oxide dye, which is a natural dye and comes from the earth. I definitley react to several generic zantac products that incidentally have the Red #40 dyes made from petroleum. Thanks,Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Future, have you had a reaction to the Zantac in addition to the insomnia?I react to red # 40 and yellow #5 and yellow #6, but am still trying to decide if I react to the zantac. Brand Name Zantac uses iron oxide dye, which is a natural dye and comes from the earth. I definitley react to several generic zantac products that incidentally have the Red #40 dyes made from petroleum.Thanks,LynLyn, Maybe that's the problem with the generic form of zantac that I'm trying to take - it has FDC yellow #6 in it. It's better then pepcid - but, still not that great for me.My other issue is Claritin causes bad fatigue. How do you counter-act that?Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoozlyGirl Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Issie,Is it fatigue or sedation that you are feeling, or can anyone tell the difference when we have so much going on? I've read that to get over the sedative effects of the antihistamines that cross the blood brain barrier, start out with a small dose and taper up, taking the antihistamines at night until your body gets used to them. I've had to do this with hydroxyzine (crosses BBB) , the precurser to Zyrtec (doesn't cross the BBB). Hydorxyzine is available by prescription (2.5 x stronger than zxyrtec), which took about a week at half dose, before I began taking full tablet. Haven't yet tried to take during day. I don't mind the sedative effects of the hydroxyzine, because in combination with a dye free liquid gel of diphenhydramine, I was able to stop taking Ambien and as a bonus I can actually function in the morning now! Lyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Future, have you had a reaction to the Zantac in addition to the insomnia?I react to red # 40 and yellow #5 and yellow #6, but am still trying to decide if I react to the zantac. Brand Name Zantac uses iron oxide dye, which is a natural dye and comes from the earth. I definitley react to several generic zantac products that incidentally have the Red #40 dyes made from petroleum.Thanks,LynI usually stick with the name brand. With Zantac, it gives me insomnia. It is not worth it for me. I'm sticking with what works for me, and that is Tagamet.As for the Hydroxyzine HCL, it definitely can make you more tired. I've been on it for years now. For me, it is a toss-up...should I endure bladder pain (I have IC), or the tiredness? I voted for tiredness. Bladder pain is debilitating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 I was just reading on the Inspire forum - you can sign up for numerous types of interest, like EDS and MCAS - they were talking about the aspirin therapy that is being mentioned here. One person who is really knowledgeable on there about MCAS - said that what aspirin does is causes mast cells to slowly release so that you don't have a spike in their release. If you are not on the proper meds to control your reaction to the constant slow release of the mast cells then the aspirin is going to make you worse. I found this interesting - as obviously - I wasn't on the proper amount of anti-histamines to counter-act the release that the aspirin gave me. The idea is to get your body used to a slow realease and avoid a surge of a release. Sounds sort of like taking allergy shots - to me.Yes Lyn, the Claritin gives me sedation. I didn't feel at all good on Zyrtec -so not sure I want to go into that family of H1's - but, it would be nice to find something that would help brain fog and according to the above site that I was reading eventually after a few weeks it was said that Hydroxyzine would help with that. Do you find this to be the case with you? The person talking about it said to take it also at night as it should help sleep.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Issie, I don't know if you are asking a question of me or not? I take my Hydroxyzine HCL at 8:30 PM and I tend to go to bed between 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM.I can only take 1/2 of a zyrtec-like pill (xyzal) upon waking in the morning, or it is too much, too strong and I would feel weird, but I take 1/2 xyzal (generic) each morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 23, 2012 Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 Issie, I don't know if you are asking a question of me or not? I take my Hydroxyzine HCL at 8:30 PM and I tend to go to bed between 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM.I can only take 1/2 of a zyrtec-like pill (xyzal) upon waking in the morning, or it is too much, too strong and I would feel weird, but I take 1/2 xyzal (generic) each morning.Thanks for the reply - open to everyone and anyone that wants to answer me. I've been cutting a Claritin in half in the am and doing better with it now - not so sedated and tired feeling. Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharmedLinz Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 I'll chime in here.Those of you taking Tagamet, please do some googling and be careful, Cimetidine reacts with a lot of drugs.We beleive my Grandmother got acute pancreatitis from chronic cross use of xanax and tagamet.I use Zantac, don't have a problem with the dye......... but my Dog takes it too and can't have the pills (allergies), Ranitidine is available in Syrup form and it's pretty darn pure stuff.As for Claritin, I can't tolerate it.........causes major vertigo.I do ok with Zyrtec took awhile to get used to it.I take Hydroxyzine at night. I don't tolerate the tablets, I think I don't absorb them well or something. The capsules I do fine with.Now onto an MCAS realization, don't want to start a new thread, this one is sooooo good.My Doc here spoke with Afrin through email after I had and got some things clarified.My Immunologist was soooo excited he called me in for an appointment, plus he got another test approved (multi purpose appointments I like)Anywho........A test he ran last year for MCAD at the time was a Chronic Urticaria Panel. Contained lots of stuff.Came back really high but all I saw was the over view not the components and didn't make sense since I rarely get actual hives. But my Doc said it but me in the gray zone for Mast Cell probs. Happy enough.Well yesterday he told me that one of those components in the panel that he had suspected got confirmed for him by Afrin.I DON'T have actual MCAS.......... My body is actually making auto-antibodies that are attacking my Mast Cells and causing them to degranulate which in turn in causing my high Eosinophils to degranulate into too much ECP as well which is both good and bad because it's a cytotoxin and destroys tissue cells but on the other hand i should never have a problem with malaria or west nile or things like that becuse ECP destroys them.HmmmmmSo my body is allergic to itself and is attacking what it's allergic too........speechless.He wants to try cyclosporine or something but will all my other stuff wants to wait and see if we can find anything else auto-immune.Treatment still the same........ H1 and H2 just a little different than actual MCAS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 WOW, Charmed, keep us posted for sure on your developments. Sooooo interesting.Yes, I try to stay away from the Tagament now that I've read up on it. But, if I'm really bad - have to use an H2 and not tolerating pepcid or zantac. Will try to find a zantac without dyes and see if that's the problem. Maybe, look into the liquid.Thanks for the info.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 Charmed,My grandmother died from pancreatic cancer that went to her liver and she was taking xanax. Not thinking she used Tagament though. Wonder if there could be a connection with that drug.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 (Forget what I wrote here earlier.. . .if you got it by e-mail. Google has things about a connection to pancreatic cancer and xanx - but most of it was saying it is used to deal with cancer. Only one site said otherwise. Too much conflicting info for you to form a conclusion on this.)Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted May 24, 2012 Report Share Posted May 24, 2012 Ha! It appears that Tagament will boost the effects of xanax as will grapefruit juice. Lots on google about people doing that. Seems it affects the P450 liver breakdown of the drug and many are boosting the effects of their xanax with it. It also prevents the elimination of it and makes the effects last longer. (Learn something new every day.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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