Penguin

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.