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Throat irritation and appetite...

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Posted 5/21/2011 11:14 AM (GMT 0)
First question:

In my much reading I found a study posted that talked about people with fibromyalgia having allergy like symptoms, without actually having allergies. Has anyone else heard/read this? I regularly have a mild throat irritation, it feels like I am just at the beginning of a cold, that usually comes on the most on days I am really tired. I do cough up little bits of phlegm also, it's just white and more annoying than anything else. When I was younger I was kind of prone to throat problems, any time I got sick it started in my throat, but this is different. I also seem to have an increase in occasional sinus pain without significant congestion.

I've been to an allergist and he says I am not allergic to a single thing on their panel.

Second question:

I am ALWAYS STARVING. I've always had a.. "healthy" appetite (sometimes too healthy, hehe) but I find that, at work especially, I need an inordinate amount of food to keep going through the day. I have really put on weight since this has started, and I think it's partially to do with getting less exercise, and partially with the fact that I am CONSTANTLY STUFFING MY FACE.

I kind of figured it had to do with being tired. Because I'm always tired, my body wants to make up for it with eating, right? Gotta get your fuel from somewhere.... but then I read on one website that people with fibro sometimes have trouble with absorption? Has anyone else heard this? Could I be hungry all the time because my body doesn't get everything it needs?

On that note... I'm going to go eat something!!!

Any thoughts appreciated !!

(I could re-find the web pages I mentioned and posted them if anyone wanted me to, but I'm not 100% clear on the rules around posting outside links so I decided to err on the side of caution and leave them out)
Posted 5/21/2011 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Moonsinger -

It sounds like GERD to me.  I'm no doctor, so I suggest you see one to get a real diagnosis. 
It could also be from a sinus infection.

Allergy tests are only good for IGE mediated allergies.  They do not test for intolerances and sensitivities.  My allergist is a "lumper." says they are all alergies.   Allergists will often dismiss you with the "no allergies" Dx, unless they have been in practice for many years and are highly esperienced. 

My allergist had me keep a food log/journal when I told her I had symptoms (refluxing stomach and tachycardia) after eating specific foods or drinking wine or beer.  It took a couple of months, but I came up with a list.  Then she had me break down the foods into their components and do "challenge testing":
       For bread I ate a teaspoon-size bite of a plain pita (no additives, no grains except wheat). 

       Then I waited 20 minutes.  I was to stop if I got symptoms!

       Next I ate 2 small bites and waited 20 minutes.

       Then 4 pieces, wait, 8 pieces and wait, finally 16 pieces and wait.

I did 2 items a day.  For gelatin I had to eat plain, no flavor, no color.  I mixed with apple juice, which I had previously tested and had no problem.  I did react to the gelatin!!

When I got my list together I googled it and found the common denominator of all my foods was SULFITE.

That story is just in case you suspect food intolerance.  Seeing a gastroenterologist would be my first move.

Posted 5/21/2011 2:24 PM (GMT 0)
For what it's worth, I'm like you in that if I do a lick of work, my body thinks it's starving. I always, always get fat in spring and summer :) I think it has to do with how our bodies handle (or don't handle) energy on a cellular level in that when we use ourselves, the signals being sent to our brains from our muscles is that they are starving because they aren't able to use or convert the available energy so that, in turn, triggers appetite.
Posted 5/21/2011 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
I have acid reflux plus allergy symptoms and my allergy panel came back negative too.
Posted 5/22/2011 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
Just a thought on appetite...are you taking any medications that might affect your appetite? Sometimes appetite is increased by stress and pain sure is a giant stress. I get the munchies like crazy when I'm stressed, down or in pain and comfort food is the food of choice. It's something I've fought as long as I can remember.

Just a few random thoughts...
Chutz
Posted 5/22/2011 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
Appetite wise, it could be two things that I can think of right off the top of my head. 1) Get your thyroid checked. When your thyroid is out of whack it can cause many problems, including increased appetite, fatigue, and more. 2) I also think you are right, that when your body is really tired and needs energy, it craves food to try and get the energy it needs. Also, I have absorption issues myself, but more with like pills and such rather then food. Probiotics help a lot with that.

As for the allergy issue, I had never read that it was linked to fibro, but it makes sense. I am in the same boat. I have allergy symptoms but no allergies either. My doctor tried to explain something to me about that, but honestly he lost me.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents in.
Posted 5/23/2011 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
I'm not really taking any meds and my thyroid is fine, so those aren't triggers. I am indeed a stress eater, and I sure have been stressed but I feel very significant levels of hunger lately. Usually when I stress eat I'm not truly hungry, I just am driven to put something in my mouth. It must be related to exhaustion.

As to the allergy thing, I am finding this general consensus online:

"Rhinitis in Fibromyalgia
The rhinitis allergy signs that many fibromyalgia sufferers experience are unique in that they are not actually triggered by any specific allergy. This type of rhinitis is referred to as non-allergic rhinitis (also known as irritant rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis). Allergic rhinitis is triggered by specific things in the environment and this causes antibodies to manifest in your blood. However, non-allergic rhinitis will not produce these antibodies. This means that, though your symptoms flare up when you are exposed to certain triggers, they are not actually caused by an allergy to those triggers."

If I google Fibromyalgia and Sore Throat I get a lot of hits. I think this may be connected to energy level (for me, anyway) since I really do notice it on days I am feeling exceptionally cruddy. I wish I could find the one paper I read, I should have bookmarked it, as it had citations and appeared to be study based.

I'm just glad I'm not the only one noticing having these particular issues. The appetite one is particularly hard, I am always either starving or IBS symptoms like wicked gas. Almost never in the middle!
Posted 5/23/2011 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Some days I would wake up with sore throat, left ear ache, sinus pressure and feel like I was coming down with strepp or a cold but it never progressed. I have been to doctors, allergists, ENT but still no answer.
Well, thats not entirely true. One doctor told me that the eustacian tube was not opening and closing properly and that an anithistamine would help - not. The allergist said I was allergic to dust mites but not to the extent of all my smptoms but just to be sure lets try the allergy shots. 6 months later...same symptoms, no relief. Then the ENT. He said that he could see nothing but was nice enough to send me for an MRI of the throat to see if anything was going on. It was my thyroid. It was way too big and pressing against my windpipe and esophagus. I had it removed but the symptoms are still there. I do not get them as often or as severe but they are still there. I usually wait several days before I call the doc. If I get no fever or if the symptoms don't change then I know that it has to be the fibro (or something undiscovered?)

I also get antsy for food while at work. I don't have the same problem at home where I can stay busy but here its a sit and work only if someone walks in the door (receptionist for travel agency)job and I get bored. I am right now trying to break the need for jelly beans. Pure sugar is what I crave and they are the best, small, and just pop right into the mouth without any mess. I keep repeating " I am strong, I do not need the candy...I control what I eat and I can lose this weight. I do not need the candy" but it doesnt seem to be working.

Oh well, its time to go......
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