6 replies to this topic

[sowet]

I don't know how to start this so here it goes. Right to the chase. Everytime I eat (90% of the time) I get this weird reaction. Be it yogurt and an apple. Be it pasta with tomato sauce. Be it chicken with vegetables.

The reaction I get is this. My skin gets itchy. My face gets inflamed (you can tell because my lips get big and red). My butterfly rash that never goes away gets worse. Basically my entire face gets more red and SUPER uncomfortable. I am a pretty anxious individual and after I eat I always get pretty bad anxiety. My mouth also always becomes dry after I eat. I FREAKEN HATE EATING NOW. I dread eating every meal because I know that I will be uncomfortable for the next hour.

I don't have lupus. My bilirubin is slightly raised. I have taken large doses of Vitamin A and vitamin B5 in the past. It has been 3-4 years since I ever supplemented with anything consistently. I also took minocyclin when I was younger FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.


Can someone, for the love of GOD, please tell me what the F is going on. I've tried describing my symptoms to doctors and they think im crazy. THIS NEEDS TO END.

And realize that I eat all organic, home made (for the most part), food. I ate horrendously up until I was 15-16. The last 3-4 years I have been eating a very healthy diet.

I've had blood work done numerous times and all my levels are "normal" besides the bilirubin thing. My thyroid and liver levels are good. I had abdominal ultrasound done and nothing abnormal there. I know there are MANY other tests I should probably get done, but it's hard to do without looking like a goddamn maniac. I nearly got an endoscopy but I did not have insurance at the time so I had to abort that. It would probably make a lot of sense for me to get an allergy test?

Edited by sowet, 10 December 2012 - 02:06 AM.

[doodleme123]

Raised bilirubin could be a sign of Gilbert's Syndrome. It's considered harmless, however. But it's still a deficiency of a particular enzyme to help break down the bile in your blood. Bile is released from the Gall-bladder and... the Liver. That's why you also may have a yellow tint to the whites of your eyes and skin.

[kaleidoscope]

Sounds like you have a heck of a lot of food allergies, which probably indicates a leaky gut. I'd suggest cutting out gluten, first of all, since it's a major cause of leaky gut. (I'm guessing you're not gluten-free since you mentioned eating pasta.)

You may also have a yeast or bacterial overgrowth (due to the antibiotics), which can cause or exacerbate leaky gut. Treatment for these would usually require a more restrictive diet, probiotics, and perhaps some supplements.

[alternativista]

Well, I would do everything you can for your digestion including stimulating bile and digestive acids and promoting healthy bacteria. And your liver health. You can see the pinned Good Things thread for nutrients and habits for those. There's a link in my signature.

And yes, you should try getting tested for allergies. Such an immediate reaction would be an IgE mediated response, the kind ordinary allergy tests look for. It is possible to be allergic to water so it's possible to be allergic to almost anything that you come in contact with while eating.

It could also be entirely emotional. When did this start? After you improved your diet?

[sowet]

I want to go ahead and acknowledge all of your replies. I have read them and I can relate/agree/familiar with almost everything that has been said. One weird thing that I notice - Every time I take fishoil, vitamin A, or vitamin D I start to develop a horrible butterfly rash.

@alternativis - I totally think it is emotional because I went gluten free for 3 days about two weeks ago and I was still having this reaction to food. The reaction is decreased if I eat less. But it pretty much always happen. Part of me thinks that my skin is so sensitive and thin that I feel or am sensitized (probably cause of the anxiety too) to the increase in blood flow that occurs to my peripheral circulatory system after a meal. I've also noticed that carrot juice, fruits, and sometimes even a tiny little amount of honey will trigger this reaction. I get pretty bad gas sometimes, constipation, diarrhea - I feel like I am really messed up. It breaks my heart to think this because I am a very athletic and smart individual that has been treating his body fairly well for the past some years. I dabbled with a few entactogen amphetamines for a few years, BUT very responsibly and with extremely infrequent usage. I did however had a near death experience (or so I thought I was going to die) and about 3 weeks after that incident I started to develop serious anxiety issues. Two years later and I still struggle with anxiety/stress/ and mood fluctuations.

My biggest concern: Is my emotional state causing or contributing to my acne/digestive issues OR is my digestive issues causing my anxiety and bad skin. I've had acne since 15 but my skin has been "raw" for the past couple of years. Needless to say, I feel like I live in a prison even thought I have a decent group of friends, a home, a good job, etc.

I will be getting an allergy test soon and I also should probably get an endoscopy/colonoscopy once my insurance kicks in at my new job.

Edited by sowet, 12 December 2012 - 01:21 AM.

[alternativista]

Just keep eating right as nutrients affect your brain and emotions. And take steps to improve your anxiety. Meditate. Take a walk. Do you keep as natural as possible circadian cycle?

Edited by alternativista, 12 December 2012 - 10:36 AM.

[Ind1g0]

Are you and I the same person? Seriously. I too ate horribly until the age of 16- ironically though, that's WHEN I started getting acne and began to clear up my diet. I too have elevated levels of bilirubin which the doctors "conveniently" dismissed as Gilbert's Syndrome (genetic).

Pretty much any food gets to me. I have GI issues and most depressingly (acne). I have had a basic allergy test for peanuts, gluten, dairy and eggs which rang up negative. Weird things like certain fruits, tomatoes, soy, etc. seem to make my acne worse. Some days I'm fine, some days I'm not. I've tried almost everything supplement wise and dairy wise and I'm kind of at a loss. When I get the money I will try to do a full panel allergy test though from what I hear they are inaccurate and a waste of money.

Also, I'm a highly anxious person. I have a lot of theories about why I have acne from doing tons of research. One of them is that anxiety puts you in the sympathetic state where your digestion basically shuts down. I am always anxious, and food makes me anxious, so when I eat, naturally, my stomach is barely working. Hence the bad reactions (maybe?). Specifically, about the digestion and the bilirubin thing, I made a thread about it. The link is:

http://www.acne.org/...poor-digestion/

I am taking a shot of apple cider vinegar in the morning, Betaine HCL with meals to improve my digestion, an occasional probiotic (don't want to overload my compromised system), and eating Paleo. I'm looking into digestive enzymes next, but I'm worried I will become dependent on them because some people on here have said that can happen.

Eek. Let me know if you find out anything, cuz you and I are in the same boat.