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Posted: Fri Jan 27th, 2006 02:30 |
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Is it an allergy or is it an immune system reaction?
The word allergy is often misused. An allergy is an acquired hypersensitivity to a substance (allergen) that does not normally cause a reaction. It is essentially an antibody-antigen reaction. The reaction is due to the release of histamine or histamine-like substances from injured cells.
Manifestations most commonly involve the respiratory tract (most serious is anaphylactic shock) or the skin because this is what the histamine reaction affects. Other types of reactions such as gastric disturbances or side effects of medications are more correctly labeled intolerances.
True allergies are a Th2 response of the immune system. Many patients on the MP have found that their long-term 'allergies' disappeared. This is not surprising since Th1 inflammation is often not recognized as the cause of allergy-type symptoms.
"...review my presentation on antibiotics at Chicago, where I argued that the size of antibiotic molecules is too small for true allergy to develop, as they are too small to catalyze the formation of antibodies? Consequently they are typically recognized by innate immunity, and not by acquired immmunity. Now, my arguments can (of course) be challenged. But nobody has done that yet " ..Trevor..
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic or recurring inflammatory condition in which the airway develops increased responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, increased mucus production, and intermittent airway obstruction. Only a minority of asthma sufferers have an identifiable allergy trigger. Sounds a lot like Th1 disease, doesn't it? The Marshall Protocol will resolve your asthma.
Sinus symptoms
Symptoms may include trouble breathing through the nose, headache, aching behind the eye area, tenderness in the cheeks, sinus congestion, nasal discharge, or post nasal drip.
Nasal irrigation or a steam inhaler may relieve some symptoms.
Sinus symptoms are often an expression of trigeminal nerve dysfunction and will respond to the MP, albeit in the later stages of the therapy. ~Greg Blaney, MD
Pollen allergies
Dr. Marshall has said, "The issue of pollen allergies is a difficult one. I cannot personally suggest anything, as all the allergies (which I used to have aplenty) slowly disappeared as therapy progressed. I would suspect that the pollen will be less of a problem for you this year, and virtually no problem next year, but I may be wrong. Be careful to not confuse the signs of sinus due to immunopathology and sinus due to allergies."
Food allergies/ intolerances
Reactions to foods are due to inflammation and immunopathology. Many members report resolution of their food intolerances on the MP.
-My food allergies are totally gone. For the first time in years, I am not having reactions to trigger foods like corn, milk, sugar, wine, etc. ~Amypea
Treating 'allergy' symptoms
If your 'allergy' symptoms are intolerable, first reduce immunopathology by using the strategies suggested in My immune response / symptoms are too strong. What should I do? to see if they improve. If they do, then you know you are dealing with a Th1 response, also known as Immunopathology.
If you do not achieve relief from the MP meds adjustments, you may use palliative meds (Rx or OTC) orderd by your Dr and not listed in the Medication To Avoid While on the Marshall Protocol
It is okay to take antihistamines to treat intolerable symptoms. Try to use short-acting antihistamines, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) which can be taken as needed only, to reduce the amount of medication used.
Allergy medications
The use of allergy medications such as Singulair tablets, which is a bronchodilator, preventive for allergic (Th2 immune system) responses and anti-inflammatory agent, are not so benign. They affect the immune system and may interfere with the MP meds so their use should be avoided unless you are sure that the source of your symptoms is a true allergic response. If your breathing feels okay without it, perhaps you do not need it. An short-acting, nonsteroid inhaler may be a better choice.
Members' experiences
-We've found that hypersensitivity, whether skin reactions to metals or reactions to fumes, dust, odors, smoke, etc., resolves with recovery on the MP. Evidently when the Th1 inflammation is under control, normal homeostasis is reached. I know this will be hard to believe. I myself find it astonishing that I can wear jewelry without rashes, touching and eating certain foods no longer bothers me, and I pay little attention to smoke, orders and fumes. It's quite a change in my life after 40+ years. ~Belinda
-I think it's just experience that tells us things are herx. We nearly all start by arguing that something 'couldn't be herx because...' and we all end up saying 'ok, you were right, it was herx' when we see what a limited timescale it has, and how its coming and going relates to the medication programme.
Anyway, it doesn't make any practical difference to what you do, does it? I mean, the MP is the way forward, no matter what's causing your symptoms. And you'll gradually see them fading, or going altogether. Keep a good record of daily symptoms, so that you track your progress.
I had a lot of true allergies before I started the MP; I had no idea they could be sarc-related. Now they've gone - except that sometimes I get a few hours or even a day or two of returned allergy, on the same days of my Z cycle each time. Allergies are an over-reaction of our distressed immune system; it stands to reason that some herxes will be allergy-like symptoms. ~Julia
-I can be certain it is herx and not "allergy" to the antibiotics because so many of us took larger doses of antibiotics many times pre-MP with no adverse reactions at all; but it knocked us on the ground once we avoided light, D and got the 1,25-D down with the Benicar. I can see no other logical explanation for why I could take large doses every day before, and then a 'crumb' will now hit me like a freight train on MP. Others have noticed this too, and it is no group hallucination. I am certain if you looked for antibodies to the antibiotic in your system you would find none. ~PBear R.N.
-One thing I wanted to mention is on Christmas, the wind was blowing and the dust was kicking up. This often happens in Arizona and there are days when you can't see the mountains because of the dust. On Christmas day, I had some pleurisy like symptoms, dizziness, brain fog, fatigue and sinus problems. Since I started the Marshall Protocol, I haven't needed steriods for my allergy / asthma problems. In the past, I would often need steriods and/or emergency care when this happened. ~Plateletgal
See Dry eyes and eye drops
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