I have only been a member of this forum for a short time. I found this site as I have so many problems and I am constantly searching for answers. I have been participating mostly in the allergy forum. I will try to be brief but I have a long history of illness. Over 12 years ago I started out with a "flu" and bronchitis - gave up smoking. Saw a respiritologist who put me on Hismanal for a year, at this time I was reacting to smells, windex caused me to feel so ill and dizzy as did some other cleaning products and fumes from cars. The long term antihistimine treatment helped but did not stop all of the reactions. I was then dx with asthma and started on the usual puffers and preventers. Two years later I got another "flu". I felt unwell for months, and I was on continuous courses of cortisone, there was also a lot of stress in my life mainly from my job and I was working harder than ever even when I was so ill, I now regret this. At this time '94 I also had a hysterectomy for continual bleeding and pain. This op was a blessing. In 95 I got another "flu" and I have never recovered from this one and went downhill fast. I went to a naturopath who put me on a lot of vitamins and an elixer and a diet. I lost a lot of weight on the diet but still did not feel very well, my asthma symptoms seemed to improve and I was off the cortisone. One afternoon in 95 I broke out in hives, it would happen late in the afternoon and at night. My welts were huge, my feet and legs would swell up and I thought I would go crazy. I would go to the ER and they would give me some drugs and send me on my way. (I was told to go off the vitamins from the naturopath and the diet and this was considered to be causing the hives). The symptoms would only come on in the afternoon and by morning would be gone so off to work I would go, silently I was going crazy not knowing what on earth was happening to me. My husband was also worried and my family physician said they would be gone in a few weeks but they have never gone away. Eventually I got to see a dietician who suspected that I had some reactions to foods. After 6 months and no improvement I was then sent to an immunologist and I have been in his care for 7 years. I have been tested for every disease known to man. HIV, Hep C, thyroid, parasites, mastocytosis, Lupus, RA, Candida, etc, ect. Finally my Immunologist diagnosed me with delayed pressure urticaria, chronic ideopathic urticaria and after a lot of food challenges proved that I am intolerant to MSG and Sulphites - see footnote. In addition to my skin problems and asthma I have had long term problems with my stomach and after a few scopes both ends I have been diagnosed with IBS and GERD, this has also (apparently)contributed to my asthma. My other problems are osteoporosis, aspergillus sinusities, nasal polyps, mastoid ear problems, you name it I have had it. I am on a lot of medications to treat these individual disorders although I suspect they are all part of the same illness. In the last few months I have been waking in the morning in excrutiating pain. My local dr did the touch test and I had some points that hurt. Well I hurt a lot anyway. He suspects that I have FMS as well so I have been researching this. The pain in the morning is so great that I cannot sleep in, I have to get up and move around. I also get stiff when I sit for long periods, say at a movie. I don't have the energy that I used to have. I have put on a lot of weight with all the drugs I am on and most nights because of the urticaria I have to knock myself out with these drugs to get any sleep. I have lots of aches and pains but mostly in the legs, hips, sometimes shoulders. I know that this post is so long but if anyone out there can identify with my symptoms I would love to hear your comments. I noticed in the FMS information that I have come across that chemical sensitivities and rashes are common in FMS, anyone out there in the same boat as me?
BTW: I am 48, happily married and now work part time due to these illnesses. I am desperate for answers to my problems, please help me.

Footnote: When I had the food challenge testing I tested positive to MSG and sulphites. The liver diet that the Naturopath had me on was full of vegetables eg, capsicums, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes. I was also on a lot of vitamins and an elixer that tasted like liccorice. My Dr reviewed this diet and pointed out to me that this diet was making me sicker not better and combined with the vitamins they built up to toxic levels in my body. I am very skeptical of naturopathic treatments now and prefer to look for answers in traditional medicines.

Traditional medicine does not do a good job of treating FMS- there is no CURE!

Transdermal Progesterone will greatly help your bone density problems and perhaps some of your other problems.

Among other things I would suggest that you see an endocrinologist (did I spell that right) to determine your existing hormone levels to see if they are normal.

If you want ideas, check out my previous posts by doing an user name search for batman777.

Penguin, please explain or describe the food challenge test. Did you have to keep a food and smyptoms diary?

We have two daughters diagnosed FMS. One also has asthma and food allergies. They both are sensitive to odors (some foods, some chemicals). They both occasionally have hives and ecezma patches.

The diet consists of low chemical foods as listed in a booklet given to me by a dietician, some examples as follows;

pears ripe and peeled, pears canned in sugar syrup, brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, leeks, iceberg lettuce, white potato
white wheat flour, cornflour, rice flour, rice, pasta, cereals, plain, rye flour, cashew nuts (raw)
chicken (no skin) steamed or cooked in saffflower oil or sunflower oil (cold pressed no antioxidants, veal
butter, fresh cream, plain yogurts, cows milk, goats milk, boiled white rice. This is just a sample of the low chemical foods listed.

Food is cooked and eaten on the same day, leftover increase the amine content in foods.
There is a second book in the series with a set diet and this includes a food challenge progamme where suspect problem foods are introduced and a dairy is kept to record any reactions.

I will do a search online to see if the diet is listed on the hospital web page and get back to you.

2 of my 3 children have food related asthma, my son had excema as a toddler.

Give me a couple of days research time and I will see what I can do