Many Mast Cell Activation patients have similar experiences when it comes to this time of year, known affectionately by many as the “Fall Flare.”

What is the Fall Flare? It’s the time of year from around the middle of August to the first frost where the pollens, especially ragweed, are high. Other weeds and molds can also be high. This combination creates triggers for mast cells to activate, which can mean misery for MCAS patients.

Some MCAS patients are able to tolerate a wide variety of foods in their diet until the Fall Flare occurs, and then they’re back to only tolerating a few foods again. So frustrating! Stomach aches return and brain fog. Asthma can flare, and for those of us with EoE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis) coughing and choking can return with a vengeance. Nasal allergies will also become problematic as pollens hit the “high” or “very high” levels.

I’ve found that keeping track of pollen counts is a good way to prepare myself to increase my antihistamine medications (and Chinese herbs) to combat symptoms. The website Pollen.com doesn’t provide exact data for my area. Instead it is an “average” pollen count from past years, which can be wildly inaccurate especially if there is rain or wind. Better than this website, I like to follow a local allergist’s pollen count on their website because pollens will dip and surge depending upon the daily weather. Rain can calm down the pollen counts, while wind can make a “moderate” pollen count seem much higher.

Fall isn’t the only time that pollens can exacerbate MCAS symptoms. In the Spring, trees are usually the highest pollen producer. Grasses start in the early summer months, and can remain high throughout the summer depending upon your location. And for those with indoor allergies, it can be a year round adventure.

As a child, living in Colorado, I had allergies to grasses, trees, weeds and molds. My allergies would amp up in April when the trees would bud and remain until that wonderful first freeze that used to occur by the end of September. We always got our first snow by the first of October. Our weather has become so much warmer, and allergy season has now extended from March through October. This year, we had days in June that topped 90 degrees, and many days into the end of September with that same hot temperature. That is unprecedented, and my symptoms of gut aches were much worse this year than they have been in previous years.

Through the “magic” of Dr. Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine, I rarely have nasal allergies anymore. However, with this year’s Fall Flare I began having stomach aches in mid-August with the start of ragweed pollen. These have continued until now on and off. We’ve had only a few rains over the last 2 months, which would really help to tamp down my symptoms.

Short of being able to change the weather, what can you do as a MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) patient to calm your symptoms at this difficult time of year?

1. Keep a diary of your symptoms to see if there is a pattern with the weather, or with your exposure to fragrances or food. Getting rid of triggers goes a long way toward feeling better and more stable.
2. Pollens are a stressor to your body and mind, equal to the stress of working too long of hours or of not getting enough sleep. Give yourself a little extra care, and try to not take on too many activities outdoors when the pollens are high.
3. You might want to consider wearing a mask if you need to be outside. I’ve found that to help keep my symptoms at bay.
4. If you don’t have an air purifier, you might consider getting one. Additionally, air conditioning helps to not only cool the air (since many MCAS patients react to heat) but also to filter out pollens especially if you use HEPA filters. They’re more expensive, but I’ve found they are worth every penny!
5. Keep your windows closed during high pollen season, and keep your pets out of your room if they also go outside frequently. They are bringing in pollens to your home.
6. Make sure to speak with your doctor about your symptoms, especially if you are feeling unable to complete your regular tasks. There is likely something that can be done to mitigate your symptoms and get you back to life!
7. Remember that the Fall Flare doesn’t last forever. Taking it one day at a time, and maybe even one minute at a time will make it more manageable.

One of the most frustrating things with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is getting an actual diagnosis. The condition mimics so many other illnesses and conditions that it fakes out the patient, and even more so, the doctor(s). Sadly, some doctors, without the ability to make a diagnosis of what is wrong with a patient, will say “maybe it’s all in your head.”

I heard those words from various doctors when I was attempting to get diagnosed with what was wrong with me. It took me 5 years of suffering before I finally got a diagnosis, and that was 10 years ago. Once I did get a diagnosis, I would still hear variations of it. And it was very disheartening.

I saw a Chiropractor for a few years, who said to me once, “I should have someone sneak a new food into your meal. I’ll bet you’d be fine eating it.” I was mad and shocked that she would insinuate that the severe gut issues I was experiencing was caused by something I was making up in my head or by anxiety. She knew that I was seriously ill, and eating only 4 different foods. At the time, I knew that I was having reactions to trace amounts of foods (and chemicals). I had to be careful of pots that weren’t thoroughly cleaned, or a knife put into my vegetable oil based “butter” that cross contaminated it. Right around that time, I had awakened in the middle of the night at least twice feeling as if I couldn’t breathe. I finally found the source – my mouth guard I wore overnight. I had not thoroughly cleaned my mouth guard of the cleaning chemicals I had used. It’s frightening to awaken in the middle of such a severe reaction, and it taught me to be much more careful. It also taught me that trace contact with items could be severely affecting me. My body was really amped up, and I needed to be much more careful. I knew that this chiropractor wasn’t the right one for me anymore, and chose to see a new practitioner who honored the experiences I was having, and who knew that my symptoms weren’t all in my head!

Then there was the allergist at a food allergy conference that I attended about 5 years ago. I asked a question about Mast Cell Activation, to which he replied that there is no such thing. It is made up! That was difficult to hear, but I realized that in his pediatric allergy practice he didn’t have the training to understand mast cell issues. I couldn’t imagine being one of his patients trying to find out what was wrong, and having to hear him negate their experience! I decided to unfollow him on Twitter as my final goodbye to his way of thinking.

When I would hear comments like these from a doctor, I felt he/she was suggesting that my physical symptoms weren’t real. And I knew they were very real, and were causing me a lot of pain.

Yet, I also knew that my mast cells activating had a mental/emotional component to them. And I’ve understood and tracked this better through the last few years. If I feel stressed because of pollens in the air, or feel overwhelmed with work, or not getting enough sleep, my gut hurts more. And why does my gut hurt? Because the twitchy mast cells in my body are most prevalent in my gut. The receptors on those cells are constantly looking for a reason to protect me. And there’s nothing like stress to activate those receptors.

I’ve gotten better at being able to identify when I’m stressed. I have a local allergist’s office that posts the local pollen counts daily, and this helps me to check their website when my gut feels especially cranky. Inevitably, the pollens have gotten higher, and I might need to increase my antihistamines.

I can clue into my body when I’ve been working a lot to see what is occurring in my energy levels. Am I overtired? How am I sleeping? Am I anxious with a new client? All of these help me to monitor whether my mast cells are likely to activate in an attempt to safeguard me. And a lot of those feelings are actually sourced by what’s going on in my brain. What am I telling myself?

This is where I’ve learned that there is communication between my brain and my body that is important to recognize. The desire to be perfect at work and to never make a mistake is sadly a familiar mantra in my brain. Yet, recognizing that I’m human, and mistakes are part of the human experience is something that I still struggle to accept. And when one of those mistakes occur, my brain is likely to chastise me with harsh language. And guess what? The mast cells activate!

Another way that my brain affects me is how I view my condition. I’ve learned with a chronic illness that if I awaken in the morning feeling less than optimal, and I then kick into telling myself, “Another day of feeling terrible,” I’m guaranteeing that I will have a joy-less day.

If, on the other hand, I tell myself, “Okay body, you’re not feeling as well as you would like, but let’s get going and see if this gets better,” it’s amazing how my body starts to shift. Inevitably, I find that I can still take a slow walk in the neighborhood, or even just have a loving conversation with my husband or a friend. And my mood begins to lift, and my body begins to feel better.

I’ve learned that if I wait until I feel wonderful, or even normal (whatever that is/was!) to do things, then I will never go and do anything. Sometimes, going and doing things is what helps me to feel better. And if nothing else, just having a conversation with someone and connecting to them allows my brain and body to shift.

So, while MCAS isn’t all in my head…the thoughts surrounding the symptoms and conditions of MCAS are certainly affected by my thoughts. I’m continuing to learn more about the brain and its wiring with the body with an app called Curable. I will write more on this blog about what I’m learning as I continue to practice the exercises. So stay tuned!

I have been a patient of Dr. Xiu-Min Li’s for over 5 years now, utilizing her Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs to assist with healing my gut, and minimizing the symptoms I have experienced from the dual diagnoses of Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).

I have also been slowly weaning myself of other medications that are standardly given for EoE and MCAS. I am currently on a very small dose (1/4 of a 10 mg tablet) of Zyrtec (antihistamine) and an even smaller dose (1/20 of a 1mg capsule) of Ketotifen (mast cell stabilizer) in addition to one puff of swallowed Asmanex daily. The reason why I am on such a low dose of these medications is that my gut has been healing, and taking higher doses of any of these medications makes me feel worse rather than better.

Additionally, while Flovent is generally given to be swallowed to mitigate the symptoms of EoE, I recently found out I’m reactive to it. I experienced hives and eczema on my upper chest after being on the drug for a few weeks, and even with lowering the drugs, the itching was severe. Therefore, I went onto Asmanex, also swallowed, and no longer have any itching!

There is no cure for EoE or MCAS currently. These traditional drugs are to assist with symptoms, and prevent further damage to the gut. I wanted to find a cure, which is why I became a patient of Dr. Li’s in 2015. (Find out more about my Healing Through Traditional Chinese Medicine here.) For patients who live in and around the New York City area, Dr. Li will provide acupuncture treatments to assist their body in healing during regularly scheduled appointments.

Since I live in Colorado, I have monthly or bi-monthly Zoom chats with Dr. Li to check in with her about my progress and to order more herbs. I needed to find a local practitioner who was willing to provide me acupuncture without over-stimulating my body. Dr. Li’s biggest concern was that my body could overreact to acupuncture, and I needed to ensure that any doctor I saw would understand the level of stimulation that I could withstand that would be helpful and not hurtful.

I’m happy to report that I have found a wonderful doctor here, Dr. Debbie Hsaio Ki Ting in Colorado Springs, who received her degree from Samra University of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles, CA and the Beijing Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Dr. Debbie was happy to communicate with Dr. Li if that was necessary, but Dr. Li said that she trusted her to understand what my body needed.

When I first met with Dr. Debbie, I went into a long explanation of my various diagnoses to ensure that she understood everything I thought she needed to know about me. I have to laugh now because her response to all of that information was similar to Dr. Li’s – Traditional Chinese Medicine isn’t concerned with “Western medicine” diagnoses. They view the body in an entirely different way: energy balance and restoring the flow of Qi (chi). Dr. Debbie’s conclusion was that I have a lot of inflammation in my body, and she would be able to mitigate that inflammation through acupuncture.

Dr. Debbie has found the perfect balance of stimulation without overdoing it. The first few sessions were a little too much for me, and I found myself with severe stomach aches a few days after the treatment. I shared this information with her, and she backed off by using fewer needles until I could tolerate more needles. And I began to feel MUCH better after having acupuncture. I noticed especially that my intestines calmed down tremendously. That was especially nice since the fall flare of pollen was beginning to ramp up, and I continued to feel better and better!

My gut is much calmer and not so reactive, and the only thing that has changed is that I’ve added acupuncture into my healing regimen. I continue to take all of the herbs and apply the creams that Dr. Li has prescribed for me in addition to having acupuncture every other week from Dr. Debbie. I continue on the road of healing, and not just symptom relief, but true healing! I’m very hopeful to soon be able to increase the number of foods that I eat from my paltry four. It has been a long road of recovery for my gut, but I was very sick when I began TCM.

If you’d like more information about Dr. Li’s research, she has published a study about Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Successful Management of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Using Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Case Report.

Many MCAS patients have difficulties with scents and odors. The Mastocytosis Society lists these items along with many other triggers on their website.

My daughter, Michaela, has been experiencing mast cell degranulation upon exposure to certain chemicals, and not just the scent or odor. Most recently it has been to chlorine in a swimming pool. It’s also been to an exposure of carbon monoxide, and to the off gassing from new floors and paint in a house.

The result of all of these exposures has been the sensation of a reaction followed by gut pain. She has taken Benadryl to mitigate the symptoms, and has never had to use an epinephrine autoinjector since the reaction hasn’t been that severe. Within a day of the exposure, she gets a terrible cold virus. Each time she has used her detective skills to determine what caused her symptoms, and came back to these chemicals.

Her recent reaction to chlorine is disappointing because she loves to swim. She swam every day during the summer when she was a child, and never had any issues. However, in the last year, both times when she went swimming, she has ended up with swollen nasal passages and a sore throat within hours after swimming, along with a painful stomach. She takes Benadryl, which helps the inflammation and then the next day she comes down with a cold virus. She is hoping to find a pool in the Denver area, where she currently lives, that uses minimal or no chlorine, but has yet to find one!

The carbon monoxide exposure was the weirdest because there is no smell. After touring a newly constructed hotel in Denver, she was feeling nauseated and having trouble breathing without coughing. She couldn’t figure out what was going on, and the symptoms quickly ceased. Two days later, she awoke and felt the familiar symptoms of a mast cell reaction along with the breathing difficulty and dizziness. She immediately went to the emergency room where the doctors said she exhibited all the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning and that the hotel that she toured was in the news after having a carbon monoxide leak. They put her on oxygen for several hours and then released her. Because her lungs had been compromised two years previously during aspiration pneumonia, she has to be very careful about exposures to breathing in chemicals.

Michaela also experienced a strange reaction two summers ago. She began experiencing what she thought was a mast cell reaction at a house she was staying at taking care of the owner’s dogs. She felt dizzy, nauseous and began having the shakes – classic signs for her of a mast cell reaction. She took Benadryl and an extra Ketotifen, and felt only slightly better. The next day she began getting a terrible cold virus, and chalked up the entire situation to getting sick. After three days, at the end of the job, she returned home and then went to our Network Spinal Analysis chiropractor. He immediately asked her how she came into contact with chemicals. He stated that the cold she had was from an overload of chemicals running through her body. He could feel her body’s negative response the minute he began working on her. She called the home owner and found out that they had just had their floors redone and new paint applied to the interior walls! The off gassing from the renovation had created organic compounds to be trapped in the house, and she reacted violently. The good news is that she has learned to ask more questions about her environment when she is staying somewhere other than home.

Mast Cell Activation can be a serious issue, and one that she has learned to manage on a daily basis by asking questions and being very aware of her environment to mitigate exposure as much as possible.

For those of you who manage mast cell activation issues, you know how things can go great and then reverse direction within a day! Mast cells can be triggered by foods, chemicals or scents, and by environmental triggers and seemingly by 100 other items where we’re constantly playing detective. I work hard to keep my diet completely organic and to stay away from foods I’m allergic to; to not be exposed to any chemicals (such as hair dye or cleaning solvents) and to mitigate dust, pet and other pollen exposure. That has helped me to progress tremendously since my activation issues began 12 years ago. I’ve also found a few new areas that create setbacks, which I’ll share below.

Progress

My daughter, Michaela, and I have both been on Dr. Xiu-Min Li’s protocol of Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs to assist with calming down the inflammation in our bodies from mast cell activation. We both use the herbs topically only, as neither of us is able to tolerate swallowing the herbs for consecutive days or periods of time. Dr. Li has been especially helpful in assisting each of us to feel better with an herb paste that we put on the bottom of our feet overnight. These specific herbs help with acid reflux and calming the gut. I also use a special cream on my entire body that helps to calm down the mast cells throughout my body – skin, gut, nasal passages, etc.

I’ve been on this protocol for 3 years; Michaela for 1 year. Each of us would love to be able to increase the foods that we are able to eat AND to have no stomach issues. We’re moving in the right direction, which is really wonderful.

Both Michaela and I also see a chiropractor in Denver who specializes in Network Spinal Analysis (NSA). This has helped our energy levels to increase and to balance out energy in our bodies. Mast cell activation can affect sleep patterns and also can affect how energy flows through the nervous system creating pain in the back especially. It’s not unusual for me to have hot flashes and awaken in an anxious state scratching an itch that isn’t prevalent during the day! NSA helps me to get better sleep, and has also helped me to be able to exercise again without extreme pain.

Setbacks

In May of this year I fell on gravel after tripping over a 3 inch lip in a trail. Not only did I cut up my hands and knees, but I also sprained my ankle and pulled muscles in my chest. My entire body went into a nervous overdrive. Within a few hours of the fall, my mast cells began going crazy causing me to feel nauseous and dizzy. I knew a mast cell degranulation was occurring because I’ve experienced it frequently enough in the past. I choked a few bites of food down and took an antihistamine along with extra Ketotifen (a mast cell stabilizer) to begin to calm my body. While it took a good month for me to be able to walk on my ankle, it took only a few days for my mast cells to calm back down. However, for those few days, I was so tired and nauseous it was reminiscent of years ago when I felt like that every day! Now, it was a minor setback. I learned that stress to the body (or to the mind) can have big ramifications for mast cells.

I also wrote about my bee sting that occurred in the summer here, which was also a minor setback. Thankfully, I know to respond quickly to bee stings and to get on Prednisone as soon as possible!

Michaela also experienced a strange reaction during this past summer. She began experiencing what she thought was a mast cell reaction at a house she was staying at taking care of the owner’s dogs. She felt dizzy, nauseous and began having the shakes – classic signs for her of a mast cell reaction. She took Benadryl and an extra Ketotifen, and felt only slightly better. The next day she began getting a terrible cold virus, and chalked up the entire situation to getting sick. After three days, at the end of the job, she returned home and then went to our NSA chiropractor. He immediately asked her how she came into contact with chemicals. He stated that the cold she had was from an overload of chemicals running through her body. He could feel her body’s negative response the minute he began working on her. She called the home owner and found out that they had just had their floors redone! The off gassing from the renovation had created organic compounds to be trapped in the house, and she reacted violently. She has now learned to ask home owners where she will be staying overnight if they’ve had any recent renovations! The good news is that she has learned to ask more questions about her environment when she is staying somewhere other than home.

Mast cells activation issues require constant vigilance and awareness of one’s environment. Injury and chemicals stress the body. Mast cells are only trying to protect, but with an activation disorder they end up hurting the body!

There are many people who suffer from a bee sting allergy, and most don’t have any food allergies. Thankfully, so far, neither of my grown children – Morgan and Michaela – have experienced any reaction to the bee stings that they have received.

It’s a different story for me. As a child and into my early 20’s, I received several bee and wasp stings without any issues other than a little discomfort. That all changed in 2006 when I was stung by a wasp on the back of my thigh. That was the beginning of my entire immune system going on “tilt”. I was later diagnosed with a mast cell disorder, which honestly could have been active for years prior to this bee sting. And the reaction to the sting brought my system over a threshold from which it hasn’t yet recovered.

The wasp sting reaction lasted for 3 weeks with hives on my thigh and itching. I didn’t realize then that I should have gone to the doctor and gotten steroids or some other treatment. Foolishly, I toughed it out.

I did tell my allergist at our next visit, and she gave me a prescription for an epinephrine autoinjector because of the severity and length of my reaction. I never experienced any breathing issues, which I’m grateful for. However, as with any type of allergic reaction, you never know what the next one could bring.

This past week, I was stung by a bee while out walking in my neighborhood. I sustained the sting on my left pointer finger right below the knuckle. I pulled out the stinger immediately and headed home to put on ice. I truly didn’t think I’d have a reaction this time since my mast cell disorder is better maintained with antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers, and I’ve never reacted to previous bee stings. Yet, the swelling began the next day.

By a day and a half after having the sting, my hand looked more like the Incredible Hulk’s than my own! It was itchy, and the swelling was so bad that I had to hold my hand above my head to keep it from throbbing. Again, I had no breathing issues thankfully, but the swelling was getting to the point that I was concerned that the skin on my pointer finger was going to burst.

I set out for my allergist’s office, ended up seeing a Nurse Practitioner since my allergist wasn’t in the office that day. She sadly had no knowledge of mast cell disorders, and thought a few extra antihistamines would do the trick. I had to beg her for a prescription of Prednisone. She acquiesced and said I should take 20mg of Prednisone each day for 5 days and then stop. I’ve never heard of this, with no titrating off of the drug. I asked her about that, and she said it wasn’t a problem. Again, not what should be done for someone with a mast cell disorder!

When I got to the pharmacy, the pharmacist had thankfully noticed that the 20mg tablets of Prednisone contain dye, which I react to, and asked if I’d prefer the 10mg tablets. I was so thankful that he noticed this! He then told me that she had prescribed two 20mg tablets a day for 5 days. So that’s 40mg of Prednisone a day with no titrating off!

I called the Nurse Practitioner and asked about this mixup and what should I be taking? She said the 40mg was fine. At this point, I knew I’d better get in to see a doctor, and went to my family practice doctor to get everything straightened out.

The doctor put me on a short course of Prednisone, starting at 20mg and titrating off over the next 4 days. The drug quickly began to lessen the itching, pain and swelling.

A few reminder lessens learned:

1. Past reactions to bee stings/wasp stings don’t indicate current reactions.
2. With any type of serious reaction, see a doctor! And if you have a mast cell disorder, it’s always better to see one who understands the nuances of reactions with mast cell patients.
3. Make sure to have any type of dye allergies listed at your pharmacy.
4. Never go off of a steroid suddenly. Always titrate down!

Through the years I’ve shared our stories of managing food allergies (in our now college age son). Rarely have I shared stories about our adult daughter with celiac disease and mast cell issues. This time, I’m going to share about her recent experience, since there are so many things we learned.

Earlier in July, Michaela got overheated while being outside in the Colorado sun enjoying a festival. She was mostly inside a tent, but since there was no electricity, the air was stale and approaching 100 degrees. She estimates she drank 8 bottles of water during 4 hours of being at the festival trying to keep herself hydrated. She knew that she needed to keep pushing the fluids, even if it activated her interstitial cystitis.  It’s a constant balancing act for her to drink enough to stay hydrated, but not end up in the bathroom every 30 minutes.

She began to feel drained and went back home and drank more water thinking she was still dehydrated. Her first mistake, we learned, was to not drink fluids with electrolytes. With her mast cell disorder centered in her gut, she is very careful to eat only organic foods and pure water. She doesn’t drink Gatorade because of the coloring in it, but there are electrolyte alternatives, we’ve since learned!

A few hours later she began vomiting every few minutes and having diarrhea, and felt thoroughly awful. At that point, I felt she probably needed an IV of saline to help her body get regulated. On a Sunday evening, there wasn’t any choice but to go to the Emergency Room. At the ER, we told them about her mast cell disorder and wondered if she could be triggered by the heat of the day and having a mast cell reaction. The nurse on duty was somewhat aware of mast cell issues, which was nice. They put in an IV, gave her saline, and Zofran (to ease the nausea), and gave her oxygen since her pulseox was low. She still wasn’t feeling great, so they gave her 25 mg of Benadryl with some extra saline so it wouldn’t burn on the way in.

Shortly thereafter, she began saying “I feel so disconnected” over and over again. Then, within a few minutes, she had a grand mal seizure right in front of my husband and me!

We’ve been through a lot of medical issues with our children through the years, but nothing compares to the horror of observing a seizure of this magnitude. It lasted for about 20 seconds, which seemed like 20 years. She was frothing at the mouth, with a horrible guttural sound emanating. Her arms were drawn up to her chin, wrists bent, while her face and chest turned beet red. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she became unconscious. We screamed for help and the medical staff came running and gave her 2 mg of Ativan.

Once the seizure stopped, they took her in for a CT scan of her brain to see if there was something occurring there, and she had another seizure, from what we were told, during the scan and received another 2 mg of Ativan.

Since we were at an Urgent Care Facility that transforms to an ER in the after hours, they needed to get her to a hospital for observation overnight. She was transported by ambulance to St. Francis Hospital, and my husband joined her for the ride while I drove behind in the car. She was completely unable to respond to any commands during the ride to the hospital. My husband said that the EMTs kept talking to her trying to get her to squeeze a hand or say something. There was no sign of any cognition or awareness at that point.

I called our son, Morgan, during my drive to let him know what was occurring. He is in Denver working this summer, and by this point it was 10 pm. He jumped into his car to make the hour drive to the hospital.

By the time I arrived, she was processed into a room. We were told there was nothing on the CT scan that would indicate it was a brain disorder causing the seizure. The hospital doctor thought that it was too much water, and not enough electrolytes since her sodium count was at 126. (Her normal sodium count is 140 from previous blood tests).

Morgan arrived by 11:30 pm and walked into the room, got really close to Michaela’s face and called out her name. It was the first sign of any recognition or response when she mumbled “back hurts” and then a tear rolled down her cheek when he was talking with her.

She slowly was able to respond to commands, but was completely confused as to where she was and why. We would go through the entire story, and 15 minutes later, she would ask again, “Where am I?” It was frightening, and we worked on not jumping to conclusions.

My husband remained in the hospital overnight with her, while Morgan and I went home to catch a few hours of sleep. All night she was writhing in back pain as the doctor and nurses tried to figure out why. They took an x-ray, which showed nothing broken in her back, and they summarized it as muscle spasms from the seizures.

The next day Michaela was sent home with instructions to do a follow up with a neurologist and her primary care doctor. The chest x-ray showed no issues of aspiration, so we felt she’d do better at home getting some sleep. She had virtually no short term memory though. We were frightened that there was a serious cognitive issue occurring, and spent a lot of time Googling seizure side effects and the aftermath.

Within 24 hours of her release, she was running a 103 temperature, and back to the emergency room we went – this time to the ER attached to St. Francis hospital. The ER doctor was concerned about meningitis, so a spinal tap was ordered in the ER. It thankfully showed negative. Then the chest x-ray came back and showed that she had aspiration pneumonia. She was hooked up to an IV for saline, and put back on oxygen because her oxygen percentage was plummeting into the low 80’s.

There wasn’t one doctor or nurse who was aware of mast cell activation disorders, so we were explaining over and over again what medicine to give her and what not to give her. Thankfully, each person was receptive enough to listen and to learn.

She was put into the hospital overnight again. She began receiving IV antibiotics immediately. She cannot tolerate Tylenol or any NSAIDS (NSAIDS are a mast cell degranulator and not recommended for those with mast cell issues). Therefore, the nurses brought cool cloths and ice packs to bring her temperature down.

Her back pain was still horrific, so she was started on an IV pump of Fentanyl, the only pain medication suggested for mast cell patients, other than Tramadol. That began to help the pain subside, and to allow her to rest.

The neurological tests were ordered while she was in the hospital. She had an MRI and an EEG of the brain. Nothing appeared to be abnormal, which was an incredible gift. The short term memory loss, we were told, was a normal by product of the seizures and should get better over time.

An MRI of her lumbar spine showed two bulging disks, which were the source of all her back pain. It was postulated that the seizure caused these, which is amazing that the body can hurt itself so badly!

Since Michaela owns a pet sitting and dog walking business, she was trying to keep up with everything while in the hospital. The short term memory loss made for some interesting issues as I tried to work her phone and to ensure all the dogs, cats, and pet sitters were taken care of! At one point, I had to ban her from being on the phone unless I was there to ensure she didn’t schedule something and then forget!

While she was in the hospital, my husband and I were running home to cook her safe foods to eat and then transporting them to her room. There was nothing on the hospital menu that was organic. And the hospital had no refrigeration that we could use, so we were bringing coolers from home or getting ice from the nurse’s station and adding it to mini tubs in the room to keep her food refrigerated.

It was a very long week. By Friday, we were both so exhausted from tag teaming. I slept in the hospital for 3 nights (if you’d call 3 hours of interrupted sleep really sleeping!) and then went home for a short nap. After that I monitored her pet sitters and her business during the day. My husband slept at home and then cooked safe food for her. He worked from her bedside during the day, and continued to train doctors, nurses and CNA’s about mast cell issues and celiac disease.

The infectious disease doctor wanted to release her with oral antibiotics since she’d had 3 days of IV antibiotics by the time she was being discharged. We nixed that idea since she has had so many gut issues with antibiotics, and were thrilled that she was tolerating the medication as well as she was. The doctor agreed to have a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) inserted into her arm to her heart, and to have her Dad and I taught by a home healthcare nurse how to administer the antibiotic every 6 hours around the clock for another 5 days.

In the almost 4 days she was in the hospital on the second round, we ran into only one CNA who had heard of mast cell activation. She had just taken a biochemistry class in school where it had been discussed. There were so many conversations where we had to explain what could occur if she was triggered by, for example, contrast dye in an MRI. There is so much need for the medical community to be trained on Mast Cell Activation!

Once home, we began the around the clock antibiotic administration. It was almost like a feeding schedule of a newborn baby.

After being on antibiotics for a few days at home, she began to experience burning mouth – a sign of oral thrush. We then added Fluconazole to her list of drugs administered through her PICC line.

When she visited her primary care doctor, as a follow up to the hospital visit, he thought that the heat had triggered a mast cell “event” creating the massive purge of vomiting and diarrhea that she experienced. On top of that, her not drinking electrolyte water created a sodium imbalance. The two issues combined to drop her sodium suddenly, creating the seizure. That was his best guess as to the cause of the seizures. We may never know for sure. However, we’re very grateful that it doesn’t appear to be anything related to her brain function.

She visited a wonderful chiropractor that has helped to re-align her back so that the 2 bulging disks are slowly dissipating.

With mast cell issues, and the various autoimmune diagnoses that she has, keeping her body in balance is a daily struggle. She has learned that she’s going to have to be FAR more careful about being in high temperatures and getting overheated. She’s also discovering many electrolyte drinks to enjoy.

It’s amazing what the body can go through, and that it can heal! We so appreciate all the love and prayers you have provided to her and to our family through this harrowing episode.

I have been a patient in Dr. Xiu-Min Li’s private practice for about a year now, and it was time for me to meet her in person. We have been having once a month telephone appointments. Meeting Dr. Li in person was like meeting a rock star! She and I hugged each other like long lost friends, having spoken on the phone for a year.

I have written about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) before, and you can read that blog post here.

Most of Dr Li’s patients travel to New York City to meet with her before they start treatment. However, it is VERY difficult for me to travel, and being an adult, she was willing to consult with me after receiving a battery of blood tests and endoscopy results for my eosinophilic esophagitis and mast cell disorder diagnoses. I also have IgE allergies to several foods – peanuts, onions and corn.

Because of these diagnoses, and gut issues every time I try a new food, I am currently eating just 4 foods: organic chicken breast, organic turkey breast, organic broccoli and Cascadian Farms organic hash browns. (For some reason, those potatoes, having been parboiled to perfection, work for me while homemade hash browns parboiled do not.) Mast cells and eosinophils are crazy!

When I travel I must either bring these foods or be able to purchase them. And because all of these foods are low in calories, I eat 6 times a day, about 2 hours apart. I have to cook all the foods for my stomach to tolerate them – not that I would be eating raw chicken! But even raw broccoli doesn’t work for me currently.

My recent trip to meet Dr. Li felt like a big accomplishment. I was able to stay with a fellow food allergy Mom, and to use her kitchen to cook all my meals. I ordered my food from FreshDirect and had it delivered to her apartment prior to my arrival. What a wonderful service that is in New York City! And what a wonderful friend I have to put up with me cooking non-stop!!

As far as the Traditional Chinese Medicine that I’ve been taking – I’ve been on a cream IIIvb, which looks like avocado dip, and I apply it once a day, every day. I’ve recently begun an herbal foot bath, which is all that I can tolerate currently. Most of Dr. Li’s patients use herbs in a “real” bathtub, however I am currently too sensitive for that. The combination of these two treatments, which permeate the largest organ – the skin – have begun to decrease my body’s sensitivities. I have yet to begin to swallow any TCM treatments. Again, most patients are able to start with this, but my system is still in need of healing more before I will be able to swallow any teas or pills. Dr. Li’s protocol is not something that I could manage myself, and I couldn’t go to a local store to purchase the herbs. I feel very grateful that I have a doctor, with such knowledge, managing my care.

I realized how much better I’m doing when I was asked by Dr. Li to rate my improvement. I’m far less reactive to smells and contact with the environment. I have much more energy. (That’s the real issue with mast cell degranulation for me – it zaps my energy). And I’m far less anxious. I really want to eat different foods, and Dr. Li thinks that’s in my not-too-distant future. She wants to try some Chinese vegetables because it’s something I haven’t ever eaten, so hopefully my mast cells won’t recognize the food as an invader!

For me, TCM is more about how I feel than any blood test result. We aren’t trying to cure any food allergy. I’m willing to not eat a few foods that I’m allergic to…I’d like to be able to eat all those other foods that currently I can’t tolerate because of the mast cell/EoE issues!

Dr. Li suggested that I purchase a pressure cooker to cook the meats that I eat to make them more easily digested. Upon returning home, I immediately purchased an “Instant Pot”. What a wonderful little device! I can cook my chicken in 15 minutes, while my potatoes are cooking on the stove. This allows me to always eat fresh, and to cease microwaving foods to reheat them, which Dr. Li wants me to quit doing – “as much as possible in our busy lives”. She’s always so patient and kind!

I’m continuing to increase the amount of cream that I apply, and to increase the amount of herbs in my daily foot bath. It’s so exciting to feel healing occur in my body.

The various medications that I’ve been on – Ursodiol, Zyrtec, Zantac and Ketotifen – only mitigate symptoms. They do nothing toward a true cure or healing. I’m grateful to have them, and I’ve been able to decrease the amount of medication that I take daily since starting on the TCM protocol.

The future looks very bright!

Most of you reading this blog are probably familiar with asthma – the ‘regular’ asthma that is in the lungs, causing mucous production, coughing and wheezing. Asthma is a serious illness causing NINE deaths per day in the USA. For some people, it’s very hard to get it managed properly. For others, a cocktail of inhalers, bronchodilators and nebulizers are needed.

Now, imagine if you had asthma in your gut!

“Asthma of the Gut” is the best description I’ve heard yet to explain Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). Gastrointestinal doctors are now using this term regularly to explain this debilitating condition.

What is EoE? According to APFED (American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders) it is: “an allergic inflammatory disease characterized by elevated eosinophils in the esophagus. EoE is a newly recognized disease that over the past decade has been increasingly diagnosed in children and adults.” APFED has more detailed information about EoE which you can read here.  There may be a genetic link in some families, and environmental allergies may also be a component.

According to AAAAI (American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology) : “In EoE, large numbers of white blood cells called eosinophils are found in the tissue of the esophagus. Normally there are no eosinophils in the esophagus. EoE can occur at any age and most commonly occurs in Caucasian males. The symptoms of EoE vary with age. In infants and toddlers, you may notice that they refuse their food or are not growing properly. School-age children often have recurring abdominal pain, trouble swallowing or vomiting. Teenagers and adults most often have difficulty swallowing. The esophagus can narrow to the point that food gets stuck. This is called food impaction and is a medical emergency.”

Diagnosis of EoE

The diagnosis of EoE can be tricky since it can mimic other illnesses, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), celiac disease, parasitic infection, Crohn’s or colitis. In general, if you have the symptoms discussed above, an endoscopy is going to be performed, where esophageal biopsies will be obtained. If you (or your child) have at least 15 eosinophils in at least 1 high-power microscopy field, then you are likely to receive the diagnosis of EoE.

Mast Cell Involvement/Treatments

I haven’t heard of specific research on this; however, I want to mention some anecdotal evidence that I have. Almost every parent of a food allergic child that tells me that their child is inhalant allergic to a food has later been found to have EoE. I’ve had two GI doctors tell me that if eosinophils are elevated in a person, then mast cells are also elevated. When mast cells are elevated, a person is much more sensitive to their environment, and more likely to react to even the smallest exposure of an allergen.

It takes a special lab staining technique to check for mast cells in the gut, and most GI doctors in the USA aren’t using this stain. Therefore, if the doctor checks for mast cell involvement, too many times they erroneously think there isn’t a mast cell increase. Yet, both my daughter and I have later had the Alcian Blue 3 staining completed on our biopsies and found that our mast cells were extremely high!

In adults, GI doctors are regularly prescribing mast cell stabilizers (such as Ketotifen or Gastrocrom) for their patients with eosinophilic disorders. Yet children with EoE are commonly not receiving these medications. According to AAAAI, “Glucocorticosteroids, which control inflammation, are the most helpful medications for treating EoE. Swallowing small doses of corticosteroids is the most common treatment. Different forms of swallowed corticosteroids are available. At first, higher doses may be needed to control the inflammation but they are linked with a greater risk of side effects.

Proton pump inhibitors, which control the amount of acid produced, have also been used to help diagnose and treat EoE. Some patients respond well to proton pump inhibitors and have a large decrease in the number of eosinophils and inflammation when a follow up endoscopy and biopsy is done. However, proton pump inhibitors can also improve EoE symptoms without making the inflammation any better.”

Elimination diets and/or elemental diets (amino acid formula) are other treatments for EoE. Yet even those don’t work well for some people.

You may have read about a family who chose a wildly different treatment for their son when none of the standard treatments worked. You can read what Gerson Therapy did for this little boy here.

Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGID)

According to APFED, “Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is far more common than the eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders that affect the rest of the GI tract. ”

I am that rare bird! I have a diagnosis of  eosinophilic involvement throughout my gut – stomach and intestines in addition to esophagus – my diagnosis is Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, which my doctor said is equivalent to the evil twin: Mastocytic Enterocolitis.

All of these terms just sound so much easier as “Asthma of the Gut”.

In the case of the gut, where 75% of the immune system resides, there is certainly a need for some mast cells to fight off parasite or bacterial infections. However, eosinophilic disorders create a gut with an abnormally high amount of eosinophils (and mast cells) in the esophagus,  stomach, duodenum, intestines and colon. Inflammation occurs, and the lining of the gut is damaged creating malabsorption. It is a dangerous cycle to get into.

What are the symptoms of EGIDs?

Healing EGID

Because there is virtually no research on EGIDs – there are so few people to study – I’ve taken on my own recovery. I do eat a very limited, organic diet currently to help my gut heal. I take several medications to manage my mast cells and eosinophils (Budesonide, Zyrtec, Zantac, Ursodiol and Ketotifen). My gut is healing enough now to slowly decrease my Budesonide!

The biggest healing force I’ve found is meditation. If I envision my gut healing, on a daily basis, I’ve found that my intention is stronger than any illness!