food sensitivities or contact sensitivities and peeling lips

Many people have linked food sensitivities or contact sensitivities to peeling lips.

It can be gluten, salicylate sensitivity, sugar, wheat, nuts, SLS, cat dander, etc.


On this page, several succes stories:

http://salicylatesensitivity.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=920







peeling lips-think its salicylates in food-advice please!



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lovebeingamom Jan 27th 2010
I really need some advice. After having this condition for 10-12 years, I really need to figure this thing out!

This all started when I was back in College. I had never in my life had any type of chapped lips one day of my life. Everyone of my friends was always using Carmex, so of course, I started using it too. I noticed my lips would get all chewy like, and irritated, and I got in the habit of sitting in class and kinda chewing on them. Then one day, I remember going to class and my lips had all of the peeling skin on them. I of course picked it off, and it would come back within a day or two. I went to several dematoligists, who just assumed since my lips were chapped and peeling, it was chapped lips, gave me some ointment, and really didn't know what it was. Nothing helped. I went to the best dermatoligists, a few allergists, even traveled to CA and KC to see a few dermatoligists there. Nobody could help me. Some even made me feel like I was doing it to myself. I went through periods of not using toothpaste, not using anything on my lips, trying dozens of different lip ointments, everything you can possibly imagine. Only 1 allergist thought it might be a food allergy , but wanted me to do an elimination diet, and I never did. One derm told me it probably wasn't food because the food was on the lips for just a few seconds.

My lips would peel like their were cornflakes on them if I would leave them alone! It has been horrible! Now I just exfoliate them and keep some plain vaseline on them a lot. Nobody even knows I still have it except my husband and Mom, but they can't tell.

Then, since I had a child, I really leave them alone quite a bit, and I have noticed over the past few years when I eat certain foods, like pop-tarts, red wine vinigarette dressing, and a few other foods, that my lips get really bad.

I have done years and years and countless hours of research online on this, and there are 100's of people that have this condition, but it is undiaginosed. All of the drs just do the same thing as they have done with me, just give an ointment. If this was on my finger, they would probably assume it was an allergy, but since it's on my lips, they think its just chapped lips.

Then I put in some of the foods I thought I was allergic to, and up comes Salicylates. Then a huge lightbulb went off in my head! Carmex has Salicylates in it, which is crazy because that is an acid! Maybe I became allergic to the Carmex, then to the Salicylates in foods?! I did some allergy patch tests and I was allergic to almost all of my shampoos, soaps, etc. Doesn't this make sense?

Now, I think I have figured out this must be a food allergy , salicylates is probably one of them, and since its in so many foods, its no wonder this never went away.

I am completely clueless as to what to do next. Allergist, Dermatoligist, Nutritionist? I have never been diagnosed with a food allergy , and I have no idea how to go about finding foods to eat. I don't know what my next step should be.

My other question is that my 2 year old daughter seems to be having this a tiny bit the past week. I have noticed 2 different times that her lips were peeling. I'm not sure if its just chapped or my condition. Is this an allergy? Could I have given her this allergy? Maybe I am allergic to something else and that passed on to her?
I need help!!!

Please give me your thoughts on all of this, honest thoughts, and also point me in the right direction. This is overwhelming how many foods you can't eat. I want to know what I CAN eat!

Thanks for listening!!!! :)



betsy Jan 27th 2010
lovebeingamom........Your story sounds exactly like mine. I have been to every doctor only to leave frustrated because they give me that "Your crazy" look. No Rx they gave me helped. But I can say I am now totally symptom free, for a month now. I saw some progress when I lowered my sals, but it would never go completely away, and then come back with a vengeance. I then investigated Candida, which I knew I had problems with and peeling lips is a symptom of. Foods that are high in Salicylates are also problems for people with Candida. So I have had a real problem figuring out which is my bigger problem. On my hunt to heal I came across an article that suggested Candex which contains digestive enzymes. The idea being, if taken on an empty stomach, the enzymes get into the blood stream and remove the outer covering of the yeast and it dies off. I had a very good digestive enzyme called Digest Gold by Enzemedica so I tried that (I am tired I spending money on things that don't work). Well, it has worked like a charm. I do suggest you do the Elimination Diet though, it is a great tool that will only help you in the long run.

Good luck!

Betsy




lovebeingamom Jan 27th 2010
Thanks so much for responding!

That is so great to hear you are doing so much better! Can you tell me what Elimination Diet you used? I am totally clueless and I have no idea what to do next.

Thanks so much for your response.





Limag Jan 27th 2010
lovebeingamom,
Welcome to the forum.
Salicylate intolerance is still seen by most doctors and nutricionists as an internet made up problem.

The best thing to do, before you get "crazier" with all this :D is to read the sticky message from Rita at "Salicylate Sensitivity; READ ME FIRST! Step by Step Suggestions to Help You on Your Road to Health" on the initial page of our forum.

She gives a step by step way to eliminate salicylates from your diet and get to the bottom of your problem. It may take a long time on the diet to get rid of your symptoms, so be prepared to eat boring plain foods and drink only water for the next couple of weeks until your symptoms go away and you can then add a few things, SLOWLY to your menu.

Our experience in the forum is that you should do it right once, following the diet correctly to avoid problems like me... who eliminated only the high and medium sals and then had a massive horrible angioedema that didn't let me walk for a weekend due to eating too much sals for my system.

Hugs G





betsy Jan 28th 2010
lovebeingamom ......

Do you have any other symptoms? Or is it just peeling lips? I found this site by googeling "peeling lips" After doing the Elimination Diet from this website I found I was indeed sensitive to sals, also amines but eliminating them didn't help my lips. I also had the most problems when I had vinegar(high in sals, amines and feeds candida). When I addressed my Candida problems my lip issues went away, by addressing my salicylate problem my chronic back and joint pain went away, lowering amines I haven't had the foggy head, breathing problems or migraines. Often there is more then one issue. The elimination diet will tell you the culprits.


Betsy





lovebeingamom Jan 29th 2010
Betsy, that's interesting. I am totally new to all of these names and issues, so I am clueless to what candida is as well. I will do some research on this too. I have no idea what it is, but I do believe it is something that I am eating.
I don't have any other symptoms except sometimes when I eat something, usually out, I get a really bad flemy cough right after. That may just be acid reflux or something, I'm not sure, but I am not concerned at all with that. I just want my old lips back! :)
Thanks for your response.





lovebeingamom Jan 29th 2010
What elimination diet did you follow Betsy, and where do I find it?
Thanks!
betsy Jan 29th 2010
The elimination diet is found on the 1st forum page, second post called Sal Sensitivity "Read me first etc.... It has a lot you should read. FYI I get a cough when I eat things high in amines.....vinegar, very ripe bananas etc. Happy reading!

Good luck,
Betsy





cjeanbrown Jan 29th 2010
I am only sensitive to salicylates but coughing is one of my main symptoms when I eat the wrong thing.I know all of this seems weird at first but what a relief to know someone else understands and relates to what is going on,JB








lovebeingamom Jan 31st 2010
Betsy-

Were you having the exact same symptoms with your lips that I was?

After the diet, how did you know what foods to introduce? And then how did you know like that is was candida allergy as well? Were you seeing a dr to guide you through this? I think I really just need some help with all of this, but not sure who to see. Do you recommend an allergist, dermatologist, or nutritionist? I'm assuming all of these are going to think I'm crazy if I go in claiming to have this issue, huh?
betsy Jan 31st 2010
Love.....don't panic....stress can't help. If it is indeed salicylate sensitivity or candida you will figure it out with the elimination diet, tailor your diet to what works for you and live with it.....you CAN live with it....it's just a pain in the butt, but don't panic.

My lips were so bad I couldn't go out! They would peel off in sheets. It even extended over my upper lip under my nose. I didn't know what was going on. Finally I figured out it was related to vinegar. I was doing well....I went to a Chinese restaurant and had hot and sour soup and within minutes my lips blew up. Vinegar is high in salicylates and amines, but yeast(candida) also thrives on it. I happen to have a problem with all three, that's probably why my reaction was so severe

I have been to all you mentioned except a nutritionist and none of them helped me, they all looked at me as if I was crazy....some even laughed and said I was confused.

I started with just chicken and rice. You are supposed eat only that and nothing else for two weeks. I did add butter to my rice and only lasted 1 week before I started adding things back. After that one week I noticed my muscle pain and back pain were gone. My lips got a lot better but not gone, I suspect because I was eating rice and rice is a no no if you have candida. You even have to be careful of vitamin supplements, herbs and spices and personal care products, lotions, shampoo etc....look for salicylates in the ingredients. There are threads on this site that will help, use the search section and read through the posts. Read the food lists, print them up and highlight the food in the low sal column that you like and stick with that after you have done the elimination. Your body will tell you how it feels. After you have been on the chicken and rice for several days see how you feel, if you notice a difference then your body doesn't like something you were eating before. You SLOWLY add one food at a time back from the low sals list and see how you feel for a few days. Just go slowly!!! Read the second post again on doing the elimination diet.

I know that I have candida, as I have had several yeast infections after taking Antibiotics .

Google candida and read everything you can find about it, it might make you feel better. Knowledge is power

Read everything you can on this site.....Read the food guide, products and resources sections, read the symptoms, read as many posts as you can, it will help.

Keep a diary of what you eat and how your lips feel. If it's only your lips that are bothering you it might only be something that comes in contact with your lips. You will be able to figure it out with the elimination diet.

Betsy :o)









lovebeingamom Feb 6th 2010
Betsy-
How were you able to tell that your lips were getting better? I am assuming that they kept peeling for a time, so I'm just wondering how I know when it's my "diet" is working. Were you able to see instantly that they were better? I feel like my skin is already thinner that is peeling, but its hard to tell.
Anything you can tell me I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!
betsy Feb 6th 2010
I saw some improvement everyday, after only a three or four days my lips were almost 100% better. I didn't put anything on them at all, no vaseline or chap stick because I wasn't ever really sure if that was contributing to my issues

Betsy







lovebeingamom Mar 19th 2010
Ok I really need some advice!!!

My poor little 2.5 year old has inherited my poor lip peeling problem! Hers isn't as severe right now since she just got it, but I do realize that our lips get bad when we eat the same foods! OMG! I started a food diary about 3-4 weeks ago and have an appointment with a derm and allergist in a few weeks, the soonest I could get her in. Any advice would be great!

Her worst "flare ups" have been when she eats pasta with red sauce, pasta with butter with 1 or 2 bites with kraft parm cheese (in green can), cheese filled pasta with red sauce, and pizza. I made her the same pizza she had with her first flare up, but without red sauce and used olive oil. Guess what, peeling lips today. Just roma frozen pizza crust, olive oil, and mozzerella cheese. So I'm not so sure it's the red sauce. But I'm very confused because it sounds like wheat, but she eats bagels and bread with no problem. And mac and cheese and grilled cheese no problem. Could it be sulfites ? Wheat allergy? Gluten? Sals? I'm new to the food allergy thing, obviously!!!

Betsy, how did you know it was actually Candida and not just a sensitivity or allergy to wheat?

Anyone have any ideas? Please help us if you do.

Thanks!!!









cjeanbrown Mar 19th 2010
I believe the olive oil is also high in sals,so if that is the problem it could also be causing it,I have a terrible time with tomatoe sauces and pastes and can;t do olive oil either,Jean




lovebeingamom Mar 20th 2010
Hmmm...but the other night she also just had plain pasta with unsalted butter, and just 1 or 2 bites of it with kraft parm cheese in green can. She did have corn and apple sauce with it, but she eats apple sauce usually with no problems.

Ugghhh...I'm sooo confused. My head is spinning.

It just has to be something related to pasta and pizza. I think.






cjeanbrown Mar 20th 2010
I know its really complicated because sometimes I react after a build up of eating alot of sals and one little thing will set me off,the cup over filling kind of thing,then I back off all of them and I am fine until the cup (build up of sals)refills so with me its a how much can I have control thing ,I know its discouraging to figure out,a food diary can be very helpful,Jean




mk Mar 20th 2010
Sounds like there's a few things going on here. Definitely olive oil is high in sals and could be an issue along with tomatoes. But it sounds like preservatives - the cheese in the can, mozzerella, the frozen pizza crust - could be bothering her too. I would throw out the cheese in the can ASAP. I would skip any prepared foods and see how she does. mk




betsy Mar 21st 2010
I knew it was candida because of the other foods i had problems with, mainly sugar, and because i improved with the candida treatments. Pizza and pasta would be on your "NO" list for candida. The good news is you surely can live with out pizza and pasta. If she isn't reacting to fruits and veggies then I wouldn't get so worked up about it. She can still have a balanced diet without wheat and red sauce.

Betsy






lovebeingamom Mar 24th 2010
What do you mean by prepared foods MK? Do you mean like only eat fruit and veggies? That sounds weird but I have always just eaten anything so this is all so new. Is there any good cookbooks out there for allergies? I just want no preservatives . It's so hard to cook for a 2 year old with these restrictions.

Thanks!






mk Mar 24th 2010
Lovebeingamom: Stick with foods that are home made. No frozen foods; nothing prepared by the market. This way you know exactly what is in everything your child eats. There's no preservatives , flavoring, colorings, thickeners, etc. If you want her to have pizza, get fresh dough from your local pizzeria (our Costco even sells it) and grate the cheese yourself. Control all the ingredients and you'll be able to figure out exactly what the problem is. If she still has a problem with pizza, then the yeast may indeed be the culprit. You can introduce foods one at a time and really get to the bottom of this. mk







lovebeingamom Mar 30th 2010
Besty-

I am thinking more and more that we both may have Candida. I have no idea anything about this subject. I have done a lot of research online and it seems like most people that have a lip problem end up curing it by discovering it is Candida.

My daughter who is 2.5 also had cradle cap as an infant, and thrush (white coated tongue) for about 6 months when she was just born. Hmmm.

If someone thinks they have this, do they need this medicine or need to do a diet, or both? Is the medicine safe? How should I go about this with her since she is so young? I have a few dr's appointments for her, but I am guessing they will have no idea. Should I ask them for something specific if that is the case? Can they just swab her lips, or is it inside the body? Sorry, so confused.

Are there any good forums or health boards you go to for this? I would like to get as much information as possible. Did you do a specific diet? I am pregnant right now, so I can't, and since she is so young I am not sure what my next step should be.








lovebeingamom Mar 30th 2010
By the way, pizza makes her lips the worst ever. I haven't been eating pizza for about 2 months because I know she loves it, and mine are better, but still horrible. Could eating pizza or just cutting out pizza and it's better help show that it is Candidia? She seems to do ok with bagels, but noodles, pasta, and pizza are the worst ones. By far pizza. I have kept a food diary but it just isn't showing me anything.







betsy Apr 1st 2010 edited
Love,

I would talk to your pediatrician. Personally I would rather stay away from the med's, so I can't tell you much about them.....this is something you should talk to your doc about. It certainly sounds like she might have candida....but I would think pasta would make her react also.....as far as tests I have never had one...I was able to figure it out on my own. I would start by eliminating anything with added Sugar ( that's healthy advice for everyone) and keep away from wheat products, and anything that has vinegar in it (vinegar is my worst culprit) You will have to learn to read all labels, there are many names for what actually is Sugar and you would be surprised what has vinegar in it.

You might find that after about 6 weeks of eating clean she can have small amounts of these things without causing a reaction, but don't over do it as I did or it will come flooding back....even worse.

Your daughter is young and in a sense much "cleaner" than an adult, so she may respond very well. If I had it to do over my children wouldn't see Sugar and would have a very limited amount of wheat

A diet to eliminate candida can be very healthy and balanced....it's when all the other sensitivities appear that it can get complicated.

I think Nanciswell knows a lot about candida and Lindy has a background in nutrition.....they may be able to answer your questions.

Take care,

Betsy








lovebeingamom Apr 13th 2010
Betsy-

She does react to pasta and pizza, but does eat a lot of bagels and may or may not react.

My worry is that it is just a lip candida, not a whole body candida if that makes sense. I don't see how she could already have candida and she is only 2.5.

If I put her on the diet, I know milk is on there and I can't take her off milk being so young, so I am confused and worried about my next step.

I took her to a derm last week, and of course her lips looked good that day, and the derm barely even looked at her and told me I was being paranoid! I was so pissed I was shaking. This is so stressful.

My nutristionist thinks she needs a probiotic, but never mentioned the diet.

Any thoughts?






kelza Apr 13th 2010 edited
Maybe your first move should be removing sugar and wheat like Betsy suggested. This can only be good for your daughter.. she can still have a healthy Diet and see improvement in her lips. A probiotic could be a good place to start as it helps balance the good and bad bacteria and there are other nutrients (someone please correct me if im wrong) that can help slow down/inhibit candida. There are people on here with plenty of knowledge in this area that are better able to explain, I am just learning also.
Did you mention candida to the nutritionist? everyone has candida its a matter of it "övergrowing" that causes problems. Hopefully Lindy or someone will be able to give you some answers tomorrow

Worst thing you can do for both of you is stress out :) I hope you get to the bottom of this... the most annoying thing about intolerances and things like candida overgrowth is that there arent any real tests, its a matter of being patient and to keep eliminating things

Good luck & hugs!







betsy Apr 13th 2010
Start with sugar and wheat....probiotic is a good idea. You don't have to dive in and restrict her from everything, just do the big offenders. I really think you will find she gets better with those small changes. Don't worry about milk right now. Start with sugar, vinegar and wheat and anything made with those ingredients. She can maintain a very balanced (and much healthier diet) just by removing sugar from her diet. My lips are where I see it most, they are my biggest problem. Sometimes they don't flair until the day after I have eaten the offending food, so it might not be the sauce, but the bagel or the crust of the pizza.

Don't worry about the milk.....remove the bagels, bread, sugar.....those are really just empty calories anyway. She will thank you when she is older :o)

Take care....Betsy





lovebeingamom Apr 20th 2010
She has a really bad reaction when she eats Annie Annes pretzels too. It seems like anything with yeast. How do I know if this is gluten or candida? It seems like gluten might be hitting on something, since celiac is heriditary. Its just so weird how its mainly just AA pretzels, pizza, and some pasta. Otherwise, they really aren't that bad.
The Drs all say that it wouldn't be a food allergy because that is not how an allergy shows up. I am just wondering if this is just a symptom of a bigger problem.
I have had 4 miscarriages in the past few years. 1 about 3 years ago, and 3 in the past year. I know that is a sign of celiac disease since the drs can't find the problem.
Any ideas?





lindyd Apr 20th 2010
It is possible to have a reliable blood test to check for gluten intolerance. It looks for a kind of antibody in the blood. This should be done by a reputable medical professional. I had it done and mine came up negative (but could have been a false negative because I had already eliminated wheat/gluten for over 6 weeks ) For the test to be accurate you need to have been eating wheat & other gluten foods for the 6 weeks (preferably longer)prior to the test in order for the substance to build up in the bloodstream.
This can be followed up by an intestinal biopsy (not sure I would want that) for further confirmation.
For Systemic Candida it is also possible to have a blood test for antibodies to the candida yeast. However in the UK most GPs do not recognise Systemic Candida as a genuine condition so here it would have to be done privately by an alternative practioner. I am not sure what the situation is in other countries.
I would ask your Doctor for a blood test for celiac so that you can at least confirm or eliminate it.
As it has been suggested a number of times on this thread.. cutting bagels/pizza/pretzels/pasta/sugar vinegar out of her diet will not harm her at all.. there are plenty of alternative and healthier foods she can eat instead..
Love Lindy xx







lovebeingamom Apr 20th 2010
Thanks!
It's just her very favorites foods I would be eliminating, and it's a very restrictive diet. I also don't know for sure which diet, yeast, candida, or gluten!
I would like to know by some testing first then just to guess.
Thanks for your help.
Anyone else please chime in if you have any thoughts.
Thanks! :)








betsy Apr 21st 2010 edited
Again.... You don't have to put her on the restrictive diet, just eliminate the offending foods and see if there is improvement.

I think you will be hard pressed to find a doc that will acknowledge Candida, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

As Lindy said there is a test for Celiac (Gluten). You have to have been consuming gluten in order to get an accurate result, and even then it can be difficult to diagnose. So if your doc will test her it's best to do that before you restrict her. I have had this test....mine can back negative because I had been restricting gluten. I still avoid gluten and feel much better. People with Celiac and Candida follow similar diets.

Bagels/pizza/pretzels/pasta/sugar and vinegar may be her favorite foods but they really are void of real nutrition. You would be doing her a big favor by eliminating them, if not, then limiting them to once in a great while. She's only 2 1/2....(am I right?)....you still have control over what she eats, not her, so it's really up to you. It may be difficult at first but doing it while she is young is the way to go. When she gets to be an "almost teen" is when you won't have the control.

If you really want to know if her favorite foods are the problem then eliminate them. You seem to have narrowed the problem foods down on your own. It makes no sense to me that you don't just eliminate them when you know she has issues with them. They have no real nutritional value, so there is no danger in it. Read the labels of these foods you will find there is basically no nutrition in them. She will be healthier if you eliminate them even if they aren't the problem.

People on the site can only tell you what has worked for them in an effort to inform, it's up to you to decide if you want to use that info or ignore it.




lizzbethsue May 1st 2010
My lips peeled all the time until I took gluten out of my diet because I am celiac. I got mouth sores all the time too. I had to stop both eating gluten and using it in any personal care products ie. toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, makeup.... my husband uses carmex and I can't use it at all (I think it's the camphor or menthol or both in it) I know there isn't any gluten in carmex.
One of the first signs that I realize I've accidentally eaten gluten is that my lips will start peeling.





sylviaann May 8th 2010
This thread really caught my attention because my lips and corners of my mouth have been cracking and peeling for the past two weeks. I subsequently discovered that my tongue and inside of my mouth was white coated and realized my problem is candida after googling candida symptoms (I had taken steriods for three months last Fall). I really believe that I have had a candida problem for years (previous OBGYN issues) and it is never truly been eradicated. The steriods just made it worse.

MY UC/GI symptoms flared up two days ago (I was extremely ill this mornng) and now I seriously wonder if candida is the culprit for this flare-up (and maybe most of my flare-ups). I was recently written a prescription for Diflucan (pills 100mg daily-to be taken for seven days!) but have not filled it yet because I am leery of the ingredients (see link below). I have candidase and Virastop enzymes (Enzymedica brand) to eradicate candida and was wondering if anyone has taken these before with success?

Any thoughts on Diflucan pills/ingredients? I am intolerant to sulfites , preservatives and sals.

I took Diflucan a few years ago (one dose) and it caused me to have severe GI upset and headache. Many thanks for any personal experience with this as I am very concerned about taking this but I need to attack this candida asap!

Here are the ingredients (page one) of the Diflucan Tablets. Should I be concerned that it contains magnesium sterate or the other chemicals?

http://media.pfizer.com/files/products/uspi_diflucan.pdf

Thanks again,
Sylvia ann :)




lizzbethsue May 8th 2010
Sylvia ann, just wanted to comment that chronic vag yeast infections have been a huge problem for most of my adult life. As a child I had (and am finally NOT getting) bladder irritation for the first time in my life @ 38.
The most amount of time I have taken diflucan for is 1 day...sorry can't be more help there.
The only thing that comes to my mind is what I saw mentioned about bile/yeast infection. I had gall bladder removed because it was being slow but in retrospect I think processed/chemicals/junk etc was probably messing with everything. I probably didn't need it removed at all because heartburn I had (which was reason for removal) went away after I stopped eating gluten.




betsy May 10th 2010
Sylvia ann, I have just recently finished the Enzymedica protocol for candida and have had tremendous success with it. I have also noticed my ss is a lot better along with my issues with scents. I feel like a new person. I also limit my wheat and sugar (not completely eliminated) It's been a long haul but well worth it so far I feel wonderful!

Good luck!

Betsy









sylviaann May 10th 2010
Hi Betsy!
I am so thrilled that you have seen a positive reponse to the Candidase enyzymes. I am crossing my fingers that my sals problems will improve when I finish the candidase treatment. It is unbelievable how candida can affect our GI system! I started taking them two days ago (along with the virastop enzyme) and am crossing my fingers that I see an improvement within two weeks. How many weeks did you take them?? Did you take them three times per day?? I have taken them two times per day but would like to try to increase to 3x( as the directions indicate).

Did you have..or notice any reactions to the enzymes? What were your die-off symptoms like? I tossed and turned last night but it is hard to know if I reacted to them or possibly something else...or is this a "die-off" symptom?
I don't eat wheat (possibly gluten intolerant) but have been eating golden del. apples, sweet potatoes and some banana. I stopped juice and processed sugar for now.
Since your elimination of candida, what sals can you now able to eat?

Hugs,
Sylvia :)






betsy May 10th 2010
Sylvia,

I tried to get the three doses in but usually only got two in, since it has to be on an empty stomach. I'm finishing up my second round, I also took the virastop. I didn't notice any reactions, but I usually have difficulty sleeping and my stool has always been on the loose side. I suppose anything could be a "die off" symptom, we are all so different.

I seem to be able to tolerate small amounts of any medium sal (that's all I have tried). I totally avoid anything with vinegar, I avoid anything high in amines (big problem for me)and processed sugar also processed food in general (though I do have a cheat now and then)

Take care,

Betsy









sylviaann May 10th 2010
Thanks Betsy!

I am facing the same issue with trying to get three doses in everyday. Sugar is also a big GI trigger for me
I'm crossing my fingers..and toes too!

Sylvia :)







Jtoz54 Dec 6th 2010 edited
Hi, Lovebeingamom, the quickest way to get rid of Candida is to avoid sugar and carbs. Basically go on the Atkins diet for a few weeks. Now back to Salicylate Intolerance and chapped lips. I had burning chapped lips my whole life along with headaches, dizziness, vomiting , bloodshot eyes and nosebleeds as a kid. As I got older I experienced neck problems, Arthritis and asthma. It came to a head 3 yrs ago. I had asthma so bad that prednisone didn't help. I thought I was gonna die and my Drs. were useless. I knew that I was allergic to aspirin which is a salicylate so I looked up Foods containing Salicylates on the internet. To my horror it was in all fruit except bananas and peeled pears. Most vegetables except peas, stringbeans, celery, lettuce, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and beans. It is very high in Tomato sauce, broccoli, olive oil, almonds, mints, pepprika, oregano, cinnamon, coffee ,tea, wine vinegar etc. I immediately gave up everything and 2 days later I was all better. My breathing improved 100%, my headaches were gone, my Arthritis was better, my bloodshot eyes cleared up and I have more energy. The complete list of symptoms and Foods you can eat are in a book called, "Salicylate Intolerance and The Healthier I Ate the Sicker I Got". The Olive oil is a real problem and its in the pizza you gave your daughter. The red tomato sauce is extremely high in salicylates. Did the Annie's pretzel have cinnamon on it? and the mac n cheese probably had yellow dye #5 in it which we all react to. You should also know that wintergreen is toxic to someone who is salicylate intolerant. Now what can you have? You can use Canola oil, rice vinegar, meat, cheese ( white not yellow) bread, beans, rice, barley, Quinoa, pecans, eggs, fish, pasta with butter and parmigiana cheese. You have to be careful of anything with menthol in it and sunscreen with octysalate or homosalate. I now use Toms of Maine silly strawberry toothepaste with a sprinkle of baking soda on brush and I dont get mouthsores anymore. Theres a complete list of toiletries to use on a site called Guai Support. Good luck, Joan





pippa Dec 7th 2010
So happy this thread was brought to the top as I thought I was the only one in the whole wide world with peeling lips. It only happens though on the bottom lip and at the corners .

Also my lips sometimes sting and sometimes get bright red , does anyone have this red problem?
I often get cold sores even from being out in the sun and have thought the reddening / stinging was caused by the cold-sore virus but I will say that since being on the low sals diet that both the stinging/redness plus the cold sores have improved a lot.





Jtoz54 Dec 7th 2010
Hi, pippa, my whole life I had burning chapped lips and got cold sores from the sun, from the cold and from stress. I now know that the burning was from the Salicylates but once they were irritated it made them more suseptible to the herpes virus just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Since cutting out Salicylates 3 yrs ago I never get cold sores but I still get burning lips cause I still eat salicylates in the low and moderate column. I changed my lip gloss to one without salicylates. Theres a whole list of toiletries, makeup, hairgel on Guai Support. I use Loreal Lip Juice and my lips feel better than when I used to use Blistex or chap stick with menthol. I also use to get a lot of canker sores which I dont anymore as I explained above. You know its impossible to avoid salicylates completely especially when eating out so I still get that real dry mouth and burning lips from time to time. C"est la Vie. Joan








marieling Dec 7th 2010
Hi Pippa
I had seven years of getting at least one coldsore everymonth (so more than 12 per year), and I still have almost constant mouth ulcers. However, since I have done the elimination diet I only get coldsores if I eat alot of what I am intolerant too (particularly if I combine it with getting really busy). One of the first things I notice with salicylates is dry skin, and often particularly dry lips - as does my daughter. I don't get burning lips but I do get a burning tongue and a dry mouth.
Kind Regards
Marie




pippa Dec 7th 2010
Jtoz54 ...sorry about the fact that you also get burning lips but am glad to know I am not the only one this happens to.
Im going to look for the book you mentioned in one of your above post , thanks for mentioning it.


Marie ... a burning tongue must be worse than burning lips. I had been wondering if my dry skin was sals related and it seems it is from your and Jtoz54"s posts.







marieling Dec 8th 2010

Hi Pippa
From comments by various sals sensitive people on forums it would seem that dry skin is a common problem for people with sals intolerance. A burning tongue is not pleasant - but it is preferable to headaches that can last for weeks or hives !
Kind Regards
Marie







MoralAnimal Dec 9th 2010
I was just reading an old thread on this site and they mention that biotin makes a big difference when dealing with peeling lips (among other things).

http://salicylatesensitivity.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=1213




pippa Dec 9th 2010
Moral ... thanks so much for the thread link , I shall certainly try the biotin, as I said earlier the peeling lips are a bit better since trying to eat a sals free diet but there is still a problem with it. I know I am probably lacking in all sorts of nutrients with my limited diet.






MoralAnimal Dec 9th 2010
yeah, i know the feeling. I'm afraid of malnourishment. I've been down that road before, and it took a long time to recover.




djkvan Feb 20th 2012 edited
Hi. I'm going to address several things here, so please bear with me.

Peeling/cracked lips can indicate a number of things, but the three most likely are contact allergy, vitamin deficiency and stomach/intestinal irritation. If you research reflexology/TCM you will discover that various regions of the body have a direct connection to the organ systems via the nerves. Examining the appearance of the hands (especially the fingernails/cuticles), face and feet can be great a diagnostic aid. If you are experiencing cracking/peeling with your upper lip and contact allergy/nutritional deficiency has been ruled out you are likely having stomach irritation; with the lower lip, it would indicate irritation in the small intestine and would likely present concurrently with symptoms of IBS, especially excessive mucous in the stool. Knowing what foods I am sensitive to via repeated elimination/reintroduction over the past two years has helped me to control IBS/ food sensitivity symptoms and hence lip/hand/foot issues. When my cuticles become ragged I am able to determine which organ systems are being affected. By making the appropriate adjustments to my diet my cuticles return to their proper appearance (no cracking of the skin or separation from the nail) within about 48 hours. Here's an introduction to the finger/organ/emotion connection:

thumb: stomach; spleen/pancreas (worry, anxiety)
index finger: liver; gallbladder (anger, frustration)
middle finger: heart/pericardium; small intestine/abdominal cavity (SanJiao) (over-excitation)
ring finger: large intestine; lung (grief, sadness)
little finger: kidney; urinary bladder (fear, lack of will)

There are specific emotions attached to the various organ systems. Emotions can impact an organ, conversely a struggling organ can lead to a corresponding emotional flare. An example of a complimentary response between emotions and organ systems is the tendency of one who is sad/depressed to sigh. The inhalation of larger amounts of oxygen resulting from a sigh helps to more fully oxygenate the body while blowing off excess CO2, thereby reduce acidity in the body generated by physiological responses to intense emotions such as grief - pH, as it pertains to homeostasis and the give and take dance between atoms and subatomic particles (give a proton; take a proton) in the body, being the key principle here.

The circadian organ cycles of the body are an important concept to understand in terms of food sensitivity and reactions. As the body is entering its cleansing cycle by 3pm (beginning with the bladder) I try to avoid consumption of concentrated protein foods after that point. The key point of this practice being that disequilibrium can play a role in food sensitivities as well. As the body's available protein digesting enzymes are in lesser supply later in the day, eating proteins too late can result in them being poorly digested, which can lead to toxicity in the intestinal tract, as poorly digested food feeds pathogens instead of feeding me. I find it helpful to also follow proper food combining principles. If you are not familiar with the concept, it hinges on the two practices: consuming fruit on an empty stomach and the avoidance of combining concentrated starch foods with concentrated protein foods.

As far as food choice goes, technically I follow my own variation of the paleolithic diet, while avoiding almost everything that is high or very high in sals and limiting my consumption of sal moderate foods. In doing so I try to follow two basic rules: 1.) if it can't safely be eaten raw on a "regular basis" without health risks or stomach upset (I do cook most of my food, incidentally), I generally try to avoid it; 2.) if it defends itself against consumption (i.e. it's a form of seed) I generally try to avoid it. I say "try" because the specific chemical properties of certain foods (e.g. casomorphins/gluteomorphins (opioid peptides)) are sufficiently addictive that I keep coming back for more at some point.

Any form of seed (i.e. grains (including corn)/seeds/nuts/legumes/tubers) contains numerous proteins that can interfere with our physiology. These proteins (classified as lectins) aid in the macro/micronutrient fixing and specific structural expression that occurs as a seed becomes a viable plant. Lectins are generally resistant to heat and survive even in sprouts. Furthermore, almost all forms of seed contain inappropriately high levels of polyunsaturated fats and poor omega 6:3 ratios, which lead to inflammation a cellular hyo/hyper-permeability. Our ancestors soaked, sprouted or fermented their seeds prior to consumption because over thousands of years they discovered that if they didn't bad things happened to their bodies. Such practices are largely ignored nowadays. Unfortunately, even these practices failed to disable the most problematic of proteins in seeds - the lectins.

Science is slowly putting the pieces of the food puzzle together, but there is a constant struggle between pure Science and nutritional science, the latter which can often be funded by agribusinesses that choose to highlight the positives in their commodities and gloss over the negatives in the name of profit.

Shifting topics, proper elimination is quite important, so I - along with roughly 2/3's of the planet who don't have the sitting toilet which was introduced in the mid 19th century - squat to defecate. When in the squatting position the thighs support the cecum, appendix, ascending, descending and sigmoid colon. Squatting also releases the continence reflex thus eliminating the straining and downward/outward pressure which can over time lead to diverticulitis/appendicitis and malfunction of the pudendal nerve (due to stretching), which transmit signals to the bladder, prostate and reproductive organs. This malfunction can originate urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and prostate issues in men, and uterine, vaginal and bladder issues in women. Furthermore squatting results in easy and complete evacuation, which helps to ease the toxic burden on the body. As auto-intoxication can arise from an incompletely evacuated colon (esp. if there are diverticuli where feces can become trapped and their toxic contents continuously reabsorbed into the blood stream) it becomes easy to see how a simple biomechanical adjustment can be beneficial.

Kind of all over the map, eh?

Food and the body is my life, particularly the research end of it. To quote a pretty smart guy - Michael Pollan - who wrote a book called "In defense of Food"...

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.


djkvan









djkvan Feb 20th 2012 edited
Almost forgot...

I have a sneaking suspicion that pesticides affect the salicylate levels in fruits and vegetables causing even those with negligible/low amounts to have elevated levels of sals. As plants elevate their sal levels in response to injury/invasion I cannot believe that pesticides wouldn't provoke this response in them as well. Consequently, I think that organics should be favored. Unfortunately organics can be more susceptible to fungal/bacterial invasion which triggers elevated sal levels in plants, so it's a bit of a catch 22. Eating local, indigenous varieties of food in season can likely resolve this conundrum, as local flora are better adapted to surrounding pathogens, hence more resistant and less in need of pesticides. Any educated grower will know about complimentary growing techniques and crop rotation to get the maximum nutritional yield from both soil and crop.








Possum Feb 20th 2012
I thought there was belief that organics are worse? No doubt the pesticides themselves are a big issue on their own though?
Re crop rotation - is so important but how many educated growers are there? (just asking, as I am really interested) Tweet