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Caty

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  1. I have been thinking so much about you all and how your words and encouragement meant so much for me two years ago when I became so sick. You can search my first posts describing all my symptoms. I was diagnosed with dysautonomia and MCAS by a neurologist specialist. She helped me improve so much with high dose antihistamines and Atenolol. Then in Jan. this year we decided to remove the carpet in our home, one of my sons and I have suffered for years of very strong seasonal allergies. Three days after the carpet removal I started with a non stop cough, fever and all my symptoms of dysautonomia came back full force: the fatigue, the nausea, the confusion, anxiety and depression, palpitations, inability to find words, tingling. We were terrified, but thank God this finally helped us make the connection with the house. There was something in the house making me sick. So we fled to the coast. We live near Eugene, OR. It was incredible to see how every day some of the symptoms would go away. First I was able to eat then stand again, the strength slowly came back, then I could think and sleep through he night, and stop crying. We did more research about possible causes and thought of toxic mold. We tested the house with DNA of the dust and found high levels of various kinds of toxic mold! Now many things started to make sense, for example, every time I would get into the pantry I would feel overwhelmed to the point of crying (ok, our diets are overwhelming but not like that!) and the pantry is one of the places with more water damage from a skylight and with toxic mold. One dear lady told me two years ago in this wonderful forum that she had been like I was, in bed, unable to walk more that a few steps, and had mold in her apartment. Both her and her husband were ill. After deciding to move she was to be transported laying down in the vehicle. Well, after traveling for several hours and hitting the dessert, she was able to stand and walk. She couldn't believe it. But knew that the mold had been the problem and she had been well ever since. Back then, I was intrigued but certain that that couldn't be the problem for me. We knew we had some mold and leaks in our home but no black walls or scary humid basements. How wrong I was! Please forgive me for not returning sooner. These months we have had to figure many things out to find a new clean place to live. We realized that my symptoms would return immediately if I was exposed to belongings from the moldy house. I had read about this but couldn't believe it at all... until I experienced it. So with few things that I thoroughly washed we moved to a newly built rental and I am doing so well. I do know that there are many causes of dysautonomia and that not everyone's problem is mold. Definitely not. But I want to encourage you to discard this possibility. How much I wish I could have done that in the worse of my illness, when I felt I might be dying. There's two relatively simple steps you can take: First leave your home for a couple of weeks. I know this seems overwhelming and plain imposible when we are unable to get up, but consider te possibility. It should be with almost none of your stuff. Only a few changes of clothes that you could wash several times once in the place you'll be going. This place can be a hotel or an Airbnb. You don't want to go for two weeks to a family member's home that could also have mold. You'll see if some of the symptoms improve or change and go from there. Second, test your home with DNA of the dust (not air samples) for toxic mold. Places like Envirobiomics Lab do this test and see how your home is. Because water damage and mold can be hidden behind walls or floors. Of course do your research, there's some much out there and it can often seem crazy because some people can go overboard but please do consider it seriously. I wish I had known two years ago but God knows why things happen the way they do. Dr. Schoemaker is an MD that has done so much research in the field of mold toxicity, in my opinion. You may be interested his website, there's much to learn in there. With my prayers for all.
  2. šŸ¤£ Exactly! I still think thereā€™s something wrong with him!
  3. Same here! Growing up never thought much about it until I was married and realized how much water my husband drinks and his frequent need to urinate. I used to be glad I could be all day without having to use the toilet ( just a morning and before bed visit were enough for me)... I am glad you brought it up. An other mystery solved!
  4. What about a relationship between MCAS and B12 or VitD? Anybody has seen some papers/research on this?
  5. Hello everybody, I have been recently reviewing again the info available on B12. I know the topic has been brought up in the forum many times before but I thought I would share some thoughts. I noticed that there is a medically recorded (in medical journals) relationship between spinal stenosis and B12 deficiency. I wondered if anyone has tried high doses of B12 as recomended by Pocholock RN or Chandy MD and seen some improvement. This doses need to be maintained in a regular schedule for months before seeing recovery but improvement is usually seen after a week of two of treatment.... I wondered how many of our MCAS or Dysautonomia symptoms may be related or could be improved with B12... I've observed improvement in my digestive symptoms before, after using B12... but have always discontinued use after a few weeks thinking that the improvement was achieved and I should discontinue its use... I just thought how many have had diagnoses or symptoms of spinal stenosis and how supplementing with B12 may be of great help. This video is very informative: https://youtu.be/BvEizypoyO0 Blessings, Caty
  6. Hi Jim! Have you heard of Dr Afrin? He described MCAS. In his book he talks about how he frequently sees patients develop MCAS after a gastric band surgery. Have you read his book? If you havenā€™t, please do get it. ā€œNever bet against Occamā€ THe title means: Multiple dx are more likely caused by one cause than many. Best wishes!
  7. Has anyone experimented living some place else for a few weeks or months with the specific purpose of seeking improvement of symptoms? What about experiences actually moving? I remember moving to our current area 10 years ago. The first year I was well, but the second spring the allergies began and increased through out the years. With our children it was something similar. They began developing allergies at age 3 or 4. I wonder if we happened to move, the first year I would see improvement and be allergy free only to develop symptoms a year after the move... What do you think?
  8. Thank you Macca for your thoughts and ideas. It is very strange. I cannot pinpoint a single food that would be the culprit since our diet is pretty much the same here and in Mexico. Actually in Mexico I did eat everything! and felt so well - no GERD symptoms... My feeling is that Mast cells are active again reacting more so to the local allergens. We live in an area very high in grass and tree allergens. I am already on H1 and H2 blockers which improved the severe onset of dysautonomia a year ago. During the trip to Mexico I kept the meds exactly the same but my overall well being improved to my before dysautonomia state... Wish there were some of you out there that have felt better going to dyer, warmer places... have been reading that also altitude can make a difference with opposite results depending on the person.
  9. Hello dear all! We just came back to Oregon after a 3 week trip to Mexico. My husband and I are originally from there and went to visit family. This was my first trip after having been so sick and diagnosed with Dysautonomia and MCAS last year. Before we left I had improved with antihistamines and a tinny dose of Atenolol, but still GI sx remained together with brain fog, tiredness, sensory issues and a feeling of sadness or emotional ups and downs. On our way there I was tired but made it ok. As the days went by, I felt better, the GI sx improved a lot to the extent that I forgot about them. I felt my strength was back to normal and the brain fog gone. When we returned I was so happy to realize how much I had improved with the trip and renewed my regular activities at home with my old energy and clarity of mind. Exactly 9 days after being back, I woke up to the old GI symptoms. That day I felt how the Dysautonomia was back, not only GI sx but also the sensory issues, the fogginess and the tiredness were coming back... Has anybody else experienced this? It seems difficult to rule out my home or the area where we live as main factors. They imply living somewhere else! What would you do?
  10. Never heard of him but he surely sounds wonderful! I hope you do get to meet him and I that he can help your girls!
  11. Thank you all for being there and your replies. How greatful I feel for this forum! Itā€™s hard, and we are used to finding a quick fix for things, illnesses and any discomfort. Not knowing what to do or how to make your child feel better is hard! We have been in this home for 10 years. Since he was little he had episodes of hives lasting weeks when any food would bring them back. Chronic diarrhea, asthma, ulcers in his mouth... a constellation of weird illnesses and some unusual behaviors that fluctuate. Iā€™ve read stories here of people starting with symptoms from living in buildings with water damage. That made me wonder... Our doctors are used to seeing low Vit D levels in this area and donā€™t think much about supplementation. Our Vit D levels come always low (in the low 20ā€™s) in winter. Have you experienced any difference with supplementation? Thanks again for your kindness and reassurance. We love our home! Weā€™ve been so happy here all these years. Being worried about our home being harmful for our own family is not fun.
  12. First of all, I ask the Lord for strength and hope for all of us. I am trying to find support in your experience. I have been recently diagnosed with POTS and MCAS and in the ups and downs of all these strange and scary symptoms I am finding it very hard to notice more and more signs of dysautonomia/ MCAS in my 11yo son. It has crossed my mind multiple times that our illness may be related to environmental conditions but the thought of moving without proof is not logical. We are 6 in our family and only him and I have dysautonomia symptoms. But it seems to me that all winter everybody has symptoms of ā€œgetting sickā€ without obviously having a cold or an infection. We live in Oregon in a valley that is known for increased allergies in summer and mold issues in winter... However it seems to me that some of you started with dysautonomia while living in dry places... We have a well and water tests have always been good. Could it be pesticide from fields around us? It is exhausting to think all this, but at same time, how not to search for answers? for healing? Why thereā€™s so many people with dysautonomia? Our food? Then I remember that I donā€™t have much strength or brains to figure it all out... so I come to you. May we grow in patience...perseverance ...and trust. Caty
  13. Danny and peachy, this is how my dysautonomia started- increased heartburn, taquicardia that would wake me up or that would begin as soon as I changed position in bed, the tachy came together with nausea and a shaky, a tremor feeling inside as well as teeth chattering, anxiety and hypersensitivity to sound. This happened early morning, just like you say. Symptoms have slowly improved with medication- I donā€™t have the tachycardia because I am on Atenolol, antihistamines help with the heartburn, the nausea, the fatigue and other esophageal symptoms I had during the day. But still last nigh I woke up shaking/ teeth chattering when I changed positivos in the early morning. This has remained. Of course the anxiety and crying and negative thoughts all come together. My dr. says this is typical of dysautonomia and it is high adrenaline at that time of day. For some reason symptoms had gotten worse this last week... Hope you are both feeling better. Like Pistol said, we have to use the meds if we want to feel better. Have to take the risk, and starting slow- with a tiny dose- makes side effects ( in case thereā€™s any) tolerable or limited. Wish someone could tell us what meds might help. Someone has mentioned Clonidine but I canā€™t try it because my BP is Low. Please tell us how you are doing.
  14. As far as I can understand nothing to be worried about. The findings are in your sinuses... chronic congestion related? But I am no expert šŸ˜‰
  15. My problems started August this year: first scary GI symptoms then POTS. Intense Gerd, esophageal spasms, dysphagia, intense nausea, and pots symptoms after trying to eat. I was diagnosed with MCAS and possible pots. After starting treatment for MCAS I saw an immediate improvement in the GI symptoms and they still continue to improve. Pots symptoms like fatigue, lightheadedness, have improved also. My doc said that most people with GI symptoms at the beginning of the disease have MCAS. I am on Zyrtec, Zantac, Quercetin and a tiny dose of Atenolol and much improved!
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