Question:
I suffer from polen allergies every spring and summer. I have tried allergy
shots with not much success. Now, I have to use two inhalers, plus Tavist-D
and Theodur, to be able to function. All these medicines are not enough to
make me feel allergy free but help. The medicines make me feel tired and
my stomach gets very upset. I would like to know if anyone has tried another
aproach. Do you know of any alternative treatment? something natural?.
Answer:
I found that after I became a Reiki practioner, I could use the Reiki
energy to control my hay fever. I went from using an antihistimine
for 3-4 months one year (seldane) to approximately 2-3 weeks of discomfort
but no antihistimines the next. I was amazed.
I have also heard that a strict vegetarian diet has helped some people.
(Perhaps someone else could comment on this.)
A friend of mine suffered terribly from allergies for many (20+) years. He
went through desensitization shots for at least 5 years with limited success
(i.e., his symptoms improved but did not go away). About six months ago he
started getting regular accupuncture treatments. Now he says that even with
the terrible pollen season we had here in Wash. DC, he has very little discomfort
and no trouble at all breathing. He no longer gets shots or takes antihistamines.
I don't know that accupuncture works for everyone, but you may want to give it
a shot! Functional plasma glutathione levels may be a critical factor in allergy
treatment and management. The glutathione family includes glutathione
peroxidase, glutathione disulfide and glutathione reductase that provide
us with vitally important intracellular defenses against disease causing
invaders and chemical reactions. These compounds fight off free radicals,
the neutralization of chemical toxins while acting with other enzymes and
the inhibition of carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds. Low functional
plasma glutathione levels may be measured with a DETAILED QUANTITATIVE
ORGANIC ACID ANALYSIS, looking at analyte, solute and metabolite patterns
to give us high yield information about the metabolic pathways in a
particular patient. Treating the underlying metabolic pathways, circuits
and loops that produce low plasma glutathione, with inadequate macrophage
and lymphocyte activity (INSUFFICIENT NUMBERS AND PROLIFERATION) in the
alveolar spaces is more important than giving symptom suppressing drug
treatment with problems of drug toxicity and side effects. ARE YOU HAVING
YOUR SYMPTOMS MANAGED BY SYMPTOM SUPPRESSING DRUGS OR ARE YOUR UNDERLYING
METABOLIC PATHWAYS BEING ENHANCED? Severe and life threatening
bronchospasms must be drug managed quickly but long term allergy care and
treatment require a much more broad spectum approach that treat the root
causes (real pathophysiology) and involve the patient in biobehavioral
modifications.
I recommend to my patients that they enhance their sulphur amino acid
metabolism by using sulphur based agents like sodium selenate, sodium
selenite, L-Taurine, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine with buffered vitamin C. Thiol
derived compounds act to mediate macrophage and lymphocyte activity within
the alveolar spaces (lungs) [THEY CLEAR YOUR PIPES]. They act as enabling
agents rather than blocking agents in upregulating detoxications systems.
They are chemical precursors to glutathione. These metabolic pathways
include;
1. acetylation
2. acylation
3. peptide conjugation
4. sulphur conjugation
5. methylation
Each of these detox systems depend upon (1) sulphur amino acid loading (2)
and sulphur amino acid metabolism. PATIENT-APPROPRIATE, DOSE RESPONSE
CURVES are established with each patient. These dose response curves vary
from patient to patient and season to season; individualized management is
mandatory because of our biochemical individuality and special
biobehaviorial responses to dosing regimens. I teach, counsel, educate,
train, coach and/or fight with my patients about REAL NUTS AND BOLTS ISSUES
like the above mentioned pathways and to influence them for enhancement of
self-care, personal hygiene and patient autonomy (even during allergy
season).
