STORIES ABOUT
ASTHMA 1
Readers are invited to contribute to this section. Please send your
stories and opinions to sdengate@ozemail.com.au . State whether
you would like your name or email address used, or to remain anonymous. Some
names have been changed to protect privacy. My mailing address is PO Box 718
Woolgoolga NSW 2456
[528] “When we started the diet to
help our daughter, we didn't realise it would help our son’s asthma too …”
(January 2007)
After years
of friends and teachers telling me that my child needed medication (she was a
"Jekyll & Hyde" according to one teacher) and doctors who just
assumed her problems were hormonal, a girl guide leader noticed my 9-year-old
daughter’s behaviour problems (fighting, defiance, stealing etc) after eating
certain foods and suggested failsafe eating. Within weeks, apart from a few
withdrawals, everyone noticed an improvement and now, nine months later – what
a difference! When we decided to do the diet to help our daughter, we didn't
realise it would help our 6-year-old son’s asthma too but he hasn’t had an
attack or been hospitalised since we started.
Unfortunately
my doctor is not very supportive, but I have found a great paediatrician. As
she said in the last appointment, the food companies market all of these so
called good foods to our children, but she ends up dealing with the backlash
e.g. behaviour problems etc.
My son and
daughter are now at the stage where they don't ask for "bad” food any more
because they know what it does - at a friend’s workplace recently he bought
them a huge packet of lollies, to which they politely stated "No thank
you". When he persisted as to why a couple of 9 and 6 year-olds didn't
want lollies, they said "Because I choose to be healthy" which is
what they have learnt to say when teased at school about having to be on this
diet.
I know now that
what I thought was healthy, e.g bread, devon, tomato sauce etc, wasn't healthy
for them. During the challenges, my daughter reacted to amines, colours and
preservatives. My son reacted violently to the colours with his asthma mostly
but hasn’t had an attack since we started failsafe. My son couldn't care less
what the kids at school say anymore. When they open their packet coloured
foods, he says "my mum makes better anyway". When we had a fete at school in September, we
had a failsafe sweet stand and the kids loved it. My daughter's 9th birthday
went wonderfully - no hyped up kids, a few kids didn't want to come because of
the "diet" food, but they missed out. The parents commented on how
well they all behaved, even the magician I'd hired couldn't believe how well
they played, participated and listened.
My Mum and
Dad, Before and After School Care, Church and Girl Guides have been totally
supportive of my children’s diets. If they have a party/special day etc they
always phone me and either ask me to make food (which I'm more than happy to
do) or they will ask for certain recipes and all the kids cook. My mother-in-law‘s "let's not tell mummy
and daddy" attitude towards little surprises changed very quickly when she
saw how my 9 year old reacted after a "Happy Meal". Ironically, not
such a happy time was had!
We have a
wonderful restaurant round the corner from home which we used to go to once per
month as a treat for the kids – after the diet I phoned them, feeling a little
silly, but as long as I tell them what they can make, skinless chicken, sauces
etc, they are happy to do it and we haven't had a reaction yet.
At school,
even though she has come such a long way in 9 months, my daughter is still
being stereotyped by certain teachers, and sadly even the principal thinks
she's not being given a fair go. So, we are starting off at a new school in
January 2007 and are all looking forward to this change.
So many
people told me not to be stupid, not to do all of this work etc, just put her
on medication - I work full-time, plus do the normal mum and wife things in the
home, but no matter what happens, we won't go back to "normal" eating
ever again. I know it mightn't work for
everyone, but it has worked for us.
I would
like to say to all parents and caregivers, THE EXTRA HARD WORK IS WORTH
IT!!! If you slip up, these things
happen, just keep going! It has made our
lives soooo much happier. To the Schools: help us parents out - stop having so
much processed crap to sell the kids, they get used to having homecooked food
without the nasties in it and your days will go much smoother. – ‘Maitland mother’, NSW [Maitland
mother would like to get in touch with other failsafers in the Maitland area,
please email via suedengate@ozemail.com.au]
[527] Maya’s story (January 2007)
One mother reported
that her two year old daughter Maya was a “huge dried fruit eater”, consuming
two or three packets of dried apricots or similar and two or three fruit bars
per week. At three packets of dried fruit per week that’s roughly 250 mg per
day, or 20 times the Acceptable Daily Intake for an average two year old (0.7mg
per kg bodyweight or half a dried apricot for a 2 year old) set by the World
Health Organisation. Sulphites are associated with both asthma and cough.
Maya had been
diagnosed with suspected bronchiolitis at nine months. “Ever since then, she
has had bouts of coughing on a regular and frequent basis, often only two or
three weeks apart, usually with a cold but occasionally following a slight
fever,” wrote Maya’s mother. “The coughing can last all night at its worst -
but usually is about 40 minute bouts every few hours. There is no apparent
wheeze, although sometimes doctors have found a slight wheeze with a
stethoscope. Very occasionally, it will resolve gradually after a week or two
but usually becomes worse and requires antibiotics”. When Maya’s cough was
diagnosed first as asthma, then as hypersensitive cough receptors, “the
paediatrician advised that there was no link to diet and that she would
probably grow out of it”. Although her mother had never noticed any connection,
since avoiding sulphites Maya has been free of cough.
[526] Diet has been a lifesaver
(January 2007)
We have had
excellent results with diet for our five-year-old daughter who had severe
asthma attacks with daily singulair, ventholin, atrovent and also 3 lots of
prednisilone within the space of about 3 or 4 months at the beginning of 2006.
Since going failsafe in August, not even a cough. I attribute a big part
of this success to eliminating both sulphites and artificial colours in
particular.
I always
felt that there was something more we could do, but just didn't know where to
start. My children had what I thought to be such a healthy diet, no cordials,
lollies and lots of fruit and dried fruit for snacks. Now I know better.
If telling
our story assists in being a catalyst for positive change for other families in
situations like ours, that will be wonderful - Monica, NSW
[525] “a second lease on life”
(January 2007)
Without
sounding corny, it is like my daughter has been given a second lease on life.
Our
youngest daughter was diagnosed with asthma at 3 years of age and we then spent
many times in and out hospital, with still no improvement. She missed so many
days of Preschool, could not run without puffing and requiring her asthma
puffer all the time, she also had permanent grey colour under her eyes. We
really did not think we would be able to send her to school.....it was that
bad.
Then a
friend of mine from work went to a Sue Dengate talk … and the light went on. I
contacted my husband immediately and told him about it, cause we had been so
worried and that night I cleaned out all my food cupboard and fridge and made
it additive-free.
Our
daughter is now 6 and is going into Year 1 and has not been in hospital since
the month we stopped the additives. We have a liitle girl who runs, jumps for
ages on the trampoline, has lost the grey under her eyes and very happy parents.
Abbey knows
that she can't have food with additives and has had to make a lot of
sacrifices, but when she said to me a few months after stopping all of that,
that she feels better then I know it is all worth it - Kathy, NSW
[524] Open neglect by medical
establishment (January 2007) COURAGE AWARD FOR JANUARY 2007 NEWSLETTER
Criminal.
It's the only word that comes to mind when I realise that, from the age of 10,
I have suffered terribly from asthma; and yet, over the next 23 years, not a
single - I repeat NOT A SINGLE - so-called "doctor" ever once asked
if my condition might be due to environmental factors", or that it might
be caused by the food that I eat... All they ever did was pop a stethoscope on
my back, and fill out a prescription for ventolin... "See ya next time,
Mark!"
I am so
angry and frustrated at the modern medical establishment for their open
neglect. For years, almost every morning I would wake with an awful wheeze and
a fit of coughing... And it only got worse as my 20's progressed!
When I
think back to those days (although I never made the precise connection myself
at the time), it got to the point where I would need my puffer after almost
every meal! Macca's.. Pizza... Pies... even good 'ole home cooked meals like
curries, stews & roasts! As you can imagine, I became very depressed.
I will also
confess that I was indeed a smoker as well (I know, I know), but I gave them up
around 3 years ago thinking that IT was the main *cause* of my asthma... Oddly
enough, I was wrong ... the daily ritual wheezing-fest continued unabated. I
was, by then, needing up to 20 puffs a day and my depression worsened. I
remember thinking: "I've given up the damn ciggies, so why aren't I any
better?! What's wrong with me?" I began to accept that I would NEVER
recover from this ailment.
Then I
discovered your website, "Fedup!" ... And oh what a life changer!
I bought
the video a few months back and have read much of the material on the website,
and with what I now know about salicylates, amines, preservatives and additives
of all kinds, it finally all makes sense!
So far, my
family and I have managed to stop the intake of preservatives and additives (That's
the EASY part!) with noticeable improvements too, I might add, especially for
my asthma! However, I have not completely recovered yet, and my eldest son -
although improved - still has temper problems; so, over the last two days we
have finally started tackling the salicylate/amine issue... It's harder I'll
admit, BUT, I can already see definite positive-changes from my first-born son,
and in my own well-being as well.
It's been
around 6 months now since we actively started amending our diet, and overall,
my asthma is now highly manageable... (I now use the ventolin only rarely, and
the morning-wheeze is completely gone!) But, it's not just that: I finally feel
"in control" for the first time ever; I feel that there is now real
hope that it could perhaps, go altogether! I really do.
Thank God
for you, Sue. Thank you for caring enough about human beings in general, to do
what you do. Alright, I'm falling to tears now... so I best go - Mark & family, Vic
[413] Relentless dry cough - I was unaware of
the food-asthma connection (May 2006)
Ever since my son - now aged
10 - was a baby he would get a persistent dry cough that would continue
relentlessly throughout the day and all through the night of only the winter
months every year - at least 6 months every year without fail. The doctors
would all say that they couldn't hear wheezing, so stopped short of diagnosing
asthma no matter how sick he was. Finally a new local doctor a few years ago
suggested asthma and asked me to try a blue puffer with ventolin. It fixed him
immediately after 5 months of relentless coughing! He is an extremely active,
sporty child, who plays and trains hard every season, but never got the asthma
in the summer months.
Ventolin continued to
control it, although he was worse after soccer training and games - in recent
years accompanied by acute chest pains during games - and often had to come
off. Last year, he participated in a school cross country held in May and got
into the next level (extremely hilly) in June. After the race he could not stop
coughing, had difficulty breathing and was very ill, missing school for some time
after, which was when we started to make the exercise connection. We then
started to observe and realised the trigger was exercise. Once winter was over
he was well again, right up until March this year.
The beginning of March
coincided with my reading your books - for other problems, I had forgotten
about the asthma as it was controlled with ventolin and seasonal - and the
gradual reduction in non failsafe foods in our house in the lead up to going
failsafe. During this time he participated in the soccer training and school
cross country practices and came first twice - no coughing, no problems. About
90 per cent failsafe, he went to a two day school camp this year we don’t know what he ate. The next day
(Saturday) at soccer he had severe chest pains throughout the game
After the game his father
bought him a sausage sandwich. He started coughing sometime that afternoon and
continued for several days. On the Monday and Tuesday at school he came last in
the cross country practices on both days, and came home extremely ill on the
Tuesday, still coughing continuously. He stayed at home on the Wednesday with
ventolin and the vaporizer and gradually recovered.
He was still coughing a
little but much better the following Sunday, when we were unavoidably delayed
whilst out. The kids were starving at lunchtime and begging for hot chips. At
this point I was not aware of the food-asthma connection nor of the sulphites
in hot chips. Later that afternoon he quickly began to get much worse again and
needed the puffer and vaporiser again on the Sunday and Monday night. By the
Tuesday night he didn't need the puffer or vaporiser anymore and went to soccer
training on the Wednesday night without coughing or chest pains. He has eaten
100 per cent failsafe since then (4 weeks later) with absolutely no sign of the
asthma cough despite plenty of exercise and sport. He actually won his school
cross country - no reactions at all afterwards or during, whilst plenty of kids
were, in his words, "dropping like flies with asthma attacks all around
him" - some quite seriously so! Of course, as usual, the school had a
sausage sizzle going all that day to raise money - bizarre isn't it?
I wrote a record of this for
myself to help me work out cause and effect, as I gradually started to realise
the connection after I had gone over everything else they had eaten during that
time - which was all failsafe. The camp food, sausage and hot chips were the
only things not failsafe, and his coughing reactions began within a couple of
hours of consumption. I am extremely grateful to you and your books for having
made him almost failsafe at the time, to enable me to so clearly observe cause
and effect with the food and the exercise -
reader, NSW.
[375] Sick and tired of asthma (July 2005)
I purchased your book
earlier this year as I was well and truly sick of asthma and many other health
problems like chronic sinus and hayfever, period problems, varied stomach
problems and lethargy. I found out that I am intolerant to gluten, salicylates,
amines, preservatives and some other additives. I want to thank you so much for
your book - it has changed my life. I am not fully better but I can now breathe
and have so much energy, no stomach troubles, minimal hayfever and I haven't
been sick since I started the diet. I just wish doctors would tell their
patients about trying different diets to help asthma - I could have done with
knowing years ago! - Rosemaree Skelton.
[373] No significant asthma in 10 months (July
2005)
I bought a copy of "Fed
Up With Asthma" about 10 months ago. Since then I have been avoiding the
food additives highlighted on your card and have had no significant asthma.
You argument seems to fit in
perfectly with my history. I grew up in England and developed mild asthma as an
adult. This was generally triggered by cats, house dust or overexertion. I
moved to New Zealand, where my asthma got much worse. My doctor told me that
this was due to the cold, damp Wellington climate.
I moved to Belgium in 2000.
Despite living in a colder and damper climate I had no asthma in Belgium.
During this time I drank very little wine, preferring the traditional local
beers. I also consumed far fewer food additives just by being there. For
example bread lasts less than a day as the bakers are fiercely traditional in
their methods. The same is true of most other food providers.
On returning to New Zealand
in 2004, the asthma started to return. This was despite living in sunny Nelson.
I knew that it must have been caused by something regional. Your book helped me
to identify the problem as bad food additives.
This afternoon I was shocked
to hear an expert on asthma and allergies on Radio New Zealand re-iterating the
old message about kids not eating enough dirt. I must have eaten loads as a
kid. When I called in he insisted that there was no link to food additives,
except perhaps sulphite in wine as a trigger. There is obviously still some way
to go. Please keep up the good work! - by
email from NZ
[370] Asthma and benzoates in medication (July
2005)
After hearing about sodium
benzoate in asthma medication at your presentation recently I was a bit
shocked, and sure enough it was there in my son’s medication - standard
Ventolin Sugar Free Oral Liquid used for under fives. I talked to my GP about
my son’s asthma and that the preservative that can cause asthma was in the
medication and he was extremely shocked.
My son had suddenly developed
asthma when he was two months old, just after his first immunisation shot -
although at that age they don't call it asthma. When the asthma finally went
away we got the second shot. After that he frequently stopped breathing and was
on so much medication we took turns at sitting up with him through the night.
Finally we decided that the medication wasn't working constantly enough and
took him off it without telling the doctor – and our son slowly got better. He
would still have small attacks on occasions so after my husband read your book
he decided we should try diet. We noticed there was a difference when we found
some sultanas that didn't contain sulphites.
We were doing great and had
almost six months free of any medication then last week our son developed an
ear infection and was put on Amoxil antibiotics and Panadol for pain, both
containing sodium benzoate. Within three days he had an asthma episode. After
much enquiry I have found that sodium benzoate is in almost every single baby
medication including pain medication (often along with artificial colours and
flavours. Our pharmacist said that the small amount of sodium benzoate couldn't
possibly create a reaction like asthma, it's unheard of, and as sodium benzoate
is so effective as a preservative it is the most commonly used preservative in
medication today and likely to be in the future. God help us!! – mother from Qld.
[311] Sleep and behaviour problems due to asthma medication (December
2003)
I was lucky enough to see you speak in Launceston in September. My
husband and I have been at a loss regarding our three-year-old son's frequent
nosebleeds, lack of sleep, temper outbursts and all of the other problems
associated with a 'normal' toddler's wellbeing. When reading in depth Fed Up
With Asthma we now realise this was probably caused by Singulair Tablets. When
our new doctor took him off these he sleeps!!!! and a lot of the other symptoms
have subsided. We have an appointment with a failsafe dietitian next month and
have been failsafing the pantry over the last 6 weeks. The temper tantrums have
been halved with the severity at least a quarter of what they used to be. Thank
you for being the one person to listen to a mother in need. - Toni, Tas
[310] Asthma due to salicylates (December 2003)
Since we discovered salicylates, my daughter doesn't need preventative
medication anymore although I have made a few slip ups with her diet. Every
time she has a reaction I look at what she has eaten and it is always
salicylates. For example, she had a reaction to rissoles in the early stages of
the diet before I had your books to help me. My dietitian said, 'Did you put
pepper in the rissoles?" I hadn't realised pepper was high in salicylates
and used it automatically. Last year I bought some "Kids Bananas"
from Coles because my daughter never ate more than half of the usual big
Cavendish bananas. Two days later her eczema had flared up and then she got
asthma. By this time she had eaten three of these bananas. They must have been
sugar bananas which are high in salicylates but I didn't know that at the time.
During that attack she had to go back on her preventer medication as well as
Ventolin but she hasn't needed it since. - failsafer, Qld
[309] Adult with asthma (December 2003)
I am an adult with asthma. I went off milk and sulphite preservatives
about 6 months ago, I have not had asthma since (unless I am 'naughty' and have
some sulphite). - Elizabeth Grimley, ACT
[308] Asthma bouts improving (December 2003)
Just reporting in on our 3-year-old - we seem to have got through an
attack of asthma without prednisolone. What a break-through! We had another
good night's sleep - so rare during asthma bouts in the past, and there is a
definite improvement on yesterday. Normally his escalating asthma never turns
around without corticosteroids. I guess it is early days yet but I am really
getting faith in the possibility of sulphite preservatives aggravating the
sensitive airways and adding to the other irritations (virus, allergens,
irritating particles) to create asthma. It is great to think that we can have
some control over one of the components and lessen the health aggravation. -
member of the failsafe3 email group
[307] Asthma in elite athletes (2) (December 2003)
I read the story on your website about the soccer player who was eating
lots of muesli bars and developed exercise asthma. The same thing happened to
my daughter. We thought she had outgrown her asthma but it came back when she
started eating muesli bars recommended by her swimming coach. Her asthma got so
bad she had to give up swimming with the squad. - Reader, by email
[306] Instant answer to my boys' asthma and eczema (December 2003)
I just want to thank you for doing what you do. When a friend of mine
heard you speak in Launceston and brought me back info, I felt that, at last,
someone was speaking my language.
Where none of the health professionals had been of much help, I
instantly found answers to my boys' asthma and eczema. I got the cookbook and
your asthma book a few weeks ago and am so pleased to have found solid, real,
useful guidelines to help our family. We haven't done the full elimination diet
yet but with the knowledge I gained from your books I was able to retrace which
foods did what. The cause of my 3 year old's asthma became obvious (sulphites)
when he would eat something out of the ordinary such as 2 apricot fruit bars
(which he had not eaten in ages), come home, run around outside and have an
asthma attack, which he has not had in ages. My 9-month-old son obviously
reacts to salicylates. He's had eczema from birth and when I introduced solids,
pumpkin, carrots and prunes gave him asthma soon after he ate them.
I only wish every hospital, health care clinic and GP had your books! -
[305] Asthma - a dietitian's progress (December 2003)
Just updating you on my progress - before starting the elimination diet
for my asthma, I was on 500mg of Seretide accuhaler morning and night, I
dropped to 250 and was fine so I tried to go off it completely. After a day and
a half I was wheezy and tight in my chest so I tried the 100mg dose and have
maintained that - which means that I have dropped my asthma medication by 80%
on the elimination diet. So far I have passed both the milk and salicylate
challenges.
By the way, this has been a great professional development activity that
I think will really benefit my future clients. - Dietitian, SA
[275] Asthma (June 2003)
I am writing to thank you for all the help your book 'Fed up with
Asthma' has given my family. My daughter is two and a half years old, and was
diagnosed with asthma when she was 10 months old. She was hospitalized with
croup and later we were told she has asthma. She was put on a steroid puffer
and I was told she would need this for most of her childhood.
I knew that food additives were not safe and I tried not to buy anything
with 'numbers' on the back of the packs, which proved to be difficult. Still
this didn't seem to help, I also put her on goats milk and took her off all
other dairy products.
I took her to an asthma pediatrician, three months ago. He gave her an
allergy prick test which came back totally negative. She was allergic to
nothing! The doctor assumed that food was not a cause of her asthma. I was told
that the cold winter nights were triggering her asthma, to go home and put her
back on her steroid puffer.
This winter she seemed to get worse. As the cold nights set in, her
coughing increased to the point that I was up every 20 minutes comforting her.
At one stage her coughing was so bad I thought her airways were collapsing. I
was desperately trying to keep her off the steroid puffer and I was about to
give in, when I saw your book.
My daughter has now been on the failsafe diet for three weeks with
amazing results. By the end of the first day she coughed only once, same the
second day and the next two days nothing.
I've only made one mistake, when I gave her crackers which probably
contained BHA (320) as a preservative in oil. At the time I thought they were
failsafe so my daughter had quite a lot as a snack. That night she was back to
coughing every two minutes and using her ventolin puffer. After 24 hours she
was okay again and back on the failsafe diet.
I realise that we still need to discover other sensitivities but for now
she can breath easy with no barking cough and we can both have a good nights
sleep. If it hadn't been for your dedication to this cause I don't where we
would be today. Thank you. - Joanne Mueller,
[251] Unlisted sulphites (April 2003)
I am the mother of an eleven year old asthmatic whose asthma is very
well-controlled by avoiding certain food products. I have been caught unawares
twice this month with flours containing sulphur dioxide. Both times the sulphur
dioxide was not listed on the packet as it was under the necessary dosage to be
listed, but within 12 hours of ingesting the product, my very well controlled
asthmatic daughter started to wheeze and needed medication. Both times I rang
the company who assured me the product did not contain sulphites, but when I
pushed the company for more information it was revealed that in the processing,
sulphites are added at the flour processing stage. Both times the products were
labelled as 100% pure products.
This ingredient SHOULD BE LISTED, no matter how much is contained in the
product. My daughter is obviously very sensitive. Traces of peanuts, eggs and
dairy are now listed on food packages due to anaphylactic reactions of some
children, why not for sulphur dioxide when it can also cause life threatening
reactions? - Susan Bragg, NSW
[250] "Best information regarding asthma" (April 2003)
My second daughter (aged 7½), has always been the most 'difficult' one
of my three children. Over the years we have had to put up with regular
tantrums, defiance, rudeness and out of proportion reactions when things didn't
go her own way. She also often complained of tummy aches and had little energy.
In early 2002 I read Sue Dengate's book 'Fed Up'. What I read described
my daughter exactly. I discovered there is a name for her behaviour -
oppositional defiance - and that it can be caused by intolerance to artificial
or natural food chemicals. Our family decided to do an elimination diet using
'The Failsafe Cookbook' for guidance. We discovered that our daughter reacts
severely to certain food colours and preservatives found in some breads and
other food products. She also has an intolerance to natural food chemicals
called salicylates.
The change in our diet has been enough to make a huge difference in our
daughter's behaviour. She is now a happy, co-operative member of our family.
She has a lot more energy and no longer overreacts when things don't go her
way.
Asthma has also been a problem in our family. "Fed Up with
Asthma" has given me the best information regarding asthma triggers and
medications that I have ever read. Amazingly, in the six months since that we have
been eating failsafe foods, no one in our family has suffered an asthma attack.
-
[249] From an asthmatic failsafer (April 2003)
Great News!! I have just finished week two of the elimination part of
the diet and have found that I have gone from using my Ventolin at least once a
day to not at all. I am still taking my preventative medicine tho and I still
carry my Ventolin with me wherever I go. I have dined out a couple of times
with friends but I have researched and am equipped for any situation! I love
natural oysters so that is what I eat when I dine out with friends!! (with
G&Ts). I am really looking forward to finding out which foods affect my
asthma. - reader NT (so far, the salicylate and amine challenges have not
affected her asthma, we'll keep you posted)
[248] Mature onset asthma (April 2003)
My mother has "mature onset" asthma. We know she is super
sensitive to sulphur in medications etc. but she remains in denial about
changing her diet. - by email
[229] Sulphites in gluten free flour (January 2003)
I recently purchased F.G. Roberts Gluten Free Plain flour from my
supermarket and used it to make some bread. The ingredients are listed as soy flour,
maize flour, tapioca starch. My daughter started wheezing ten hours later and
when I checked the packet under the nutrient list is a very small note saying
that sulphites have been added in the maize and tapioca starch processing.
Thought you may like to warn other parents as it comes across as a natural
product with no artificial ingredients! - by email,
[228] Severe Aspirin Induced Asthma (January 2003)
'I have Samter's Triad syndrome, also known as Aspirin Induced Asthma
(AIA). About 10 per cent of people with Samter’s syndrome also get urticaria
(hives) and/or angioedema (swelling of the lips, tongue, neck etc). Angioedema
can be so severe as to cause death by suffocation, so it is considered a
medical emergency.
'Samter’s syndrome may be acquired at any time of life although it
mainly affects women who are in their 40s and starting menopause. When I was
15, I was given hormones for some female problems and within a week was deathly
ill with constant coughing, wheeze, whole body swelling and hives. As my lungs
were always filled with liquid they called it 'wet asthma'. It took years to
figure out what was wrong with me but when they did, they concluded that the
hormones threw me into this by changing my body chemistry.
'I found out that I was allergic to aspirin from an anaphylactic
reaction when I was 16. I did not require hospitalization but I was very ill
for over a week. My mouth, face and eyes and lips all swelled inside out and I
had asthma and hives. For the next 3 years, it was a constant life and death
situation, being transported to the hospital too many times to count,
unconscious and in respiratory failure. No one, not even the doctors knew what
causing the problems as the asthma was so very different from common asthma.
During that time, I was put on prednisone on an every other day schedule and
had to quit school as the illness was completely out of control.
'When I was 18, I went into anaphylactic shock when I was given the
wrong pain medicine (Darvon - containing aspirin) by accident. I took one pill
and within 15 minutes was unconscious. I was in intensive care for a week, then
in the respiratory wing for another week. During that time, I was given a
gingerale soda and went into another anaphylactic reaction. That is when they
figured out I was sensitive to salicylates in foods and yellow #5 dye and was
diagnosed with what they called Triad Asthma back then.
'Since that time I have tried just about every low salicylate diet that
the doctors or I could find. I know now they were not complete nor correct. I
was ingesting many foods like broccoli, cauliflower and onions on a daily
basis, under the impression that they were safe. I had what they called
mini-anaphylactic reactions nearly every day and was put on prednisone, asthma
medication and an antihistamine on a daily schedule to control reactions.
Salicylates kept building up in my system until the daily prednisone wasn't
stopping the reactions and I would end up in the hospital again.
'Looking back to when I first was diagnosed with this and after the
anaphylactic shock, I was eating a little rice, very few vegetables, no fruits
and mostly meat and drinking only water. I was too scared to eat much. That was
the first time I was able to come off prednisone for any length of time at all.
Then the dietitian said I was anemic and wanted me to vary my diet. So I
started eating more fruit and vegetables. It wasn't very long till I was back
on all the medications. I didn't connect that the foods I had added back in
were the problem because they were listed as low salicylate on the list that I
was given.
'For the last 29 years, it has been up and down, just trying to figure
it all out, taking medications and trying to stay alive. I would rack my brains
trying to figure out where I was going wrong but couldn't get a handle on it.
And was having to take more and more prednisone and antihistamines.
'When I found the Australian salicylate lists I was so excited. I could
finally understand what was happening. I was inadvertently eating salicylates
every day.' - from the USA
[227] "His asthma is non allergic " (January 2003)
My son (now nearly 4) was born early. He had lung problems which have
led to recurring respiratory problems. We tried every kind of baby formula and
ended up on soy formula. At nine months he had grommets in and adenoids out
because of chronic glue ear. At eighteen months he had his tonsils out, at the
time he was on three different types of antibiotics to keep him well enough to
have the operation. His asthma is non allergic. This year he has done very well.
Up until last week he had a clear run with only one lot of antibiotics up to
date, and no asthma. I think that my problems started three weeks ago when I
took my son off soy milk, because I heard that the oestrogens might have an
effect on my boy.
To actually get him to drink cows milk I had to buy skimmed and put
malted milk powder in it. It has taken three weeks for my son to turn into a
monster and he has just had a dreadful week with his asthma - the first bout
this year. Everybody else keeps telling me now he is a 'normal' boy. Two of my
friends tell me that my son's behaviour is equal to that of their children and
that is what they put up with all the time, and worse. I know they do. But I
don't want to, and I have seen my son as a before and after. I want my old son
back. Can you please tell me if there is any evidence that soy milk is so very
damning, and detrimental to the health? Or perhaps point me in the right
direction to find out more. Or suggest another alternative.
[For a scientific look at the effects of soymilk, see the link on my
website to the Harvard Women's Health Centre. You will have to make up your own
mind. Ricemilk is an alternative to cows milk and soymilk. It is best to buy
calcium fortified if you can find it, or take a calcium supplement - you can
ask your dietitian about nutrition.]
[226] "6 yo son who is very challenging (to say the least!)"
(January 2003)
Q. I have a 6 yo son who is very challenging (to say the
least!). He is constantly moody and defiant. He has rages that are increasing
in their intensity. He interrupts all the time, doesn't listen, can't recall
requests soon after they have been issued and it's to the point that I can't
stand being around this child. The word NO doesn't even seem to register with
him. He has mild asthma and eczema and has had an operation for his nose which
seems to be constantly blocked. He has steroid cream for the eczema, Ventolin
for the asthma, spray for his nose and still no relief. He has even had
skinprick tests done which came back allergic to house mould, dust mites and
house dust. The doctor told me your research was " a load of hogwash"
when I asked her about food intolerances ... I read your book "Fed
Up" and instantly identified with practically everything. So, this is why
I'm writing to you. Where do I go from here? Could you tell me who I can
contact ...The doctors I go to don't seem to understand what I want to do. The
trouble is, I think I need someone to say "Step 1 do this, step 2 don't do
that" etc... Please help me.
A. There are dietitians who will supervise the
elimination diet from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (we call it the failsafe
diet) in most cities. Ask your local failsafe phone contact (see website), or
ask me. Don't forget to say where you live.
[126] Joe was "broken" from the time he was born (September
2001)
Julie Gilfoyle is a police prosecutor and a mother of nearly 4 children.
When she saw what food did to her three year old son, she became an
enthusiastic supporter of failsafe and a co-founder of the new Brisbane food
intolerance support group.
Joseph Gilfoyle gets up from his afternoon tea and goes and whispers to
his father Steve. He wants to know if it's okay to eat the marshmallows in his
bowl. He's four and he probably can't pronounce food intolerance but he knows
how had it makes him feel if he eats things he shouldn't. His mother Julie says
if they hadn't found out what was wrong with Joseph when they did he would
probably be in jail for murder now.
She says Joe was "broken" from the time he was born and it wasn't
until he was diagnosed with food intolerance at three and a half that a
solution seemed possible for the little boy. As well as being a mother of three
and pregnant with number four, Julie is also a part-time Police Sergeant
working as police prosecutor in Court 1 in Brisbane.
She's so concerned about the link between behaviour and food intolerance
that she's undertaking independent study on the food effects on juvenile
criminality as part of her Masters Degree in Justice/Law at QUT. Steve Gilfoyle
isn't sure that food turns kids into criminals but he does know what food can
do to his son.
"He was like a bear with a sore head - that's how he was. He was
aggressive to other kids and defiant to adults. Now he's responsive, his speech
has improved, and his concentration span has improved.
"He can sit down and watch something on TV. He can sit down and do
a puzzle or colour in."
Joseph's problem lies primarily with food colours and flavouring and
reactions range from aggression to asthma. With careful shopping and label
reading Joseph can enjoy and happy and normal life without too much imposition
on the rest of the family.
There have been slip ups on the way. The family dyed eggs for Easter not
realising that Joseph's sensitivity would extend to touch. Joseph blames his
mum for that asthma attack. The solution for Joseph came when a paediatrician
suggested that Julie might like to read a book called "Fed Up" by Sue
Dengate. She consulted a dietitian and put Joseph on an elimination diet. His
life changed.
Julie is urging people who suspect food might affecting their children's
behaviour to attend a presentation by Sue Dengate … - Julie's story (above)
appeared on page 3 of the September edition of "Kids in Brisbane",
resulting in a capacity crowd of nearly 200 for my presentation at Zillmere
PCYC.
[114] Paresthesia (numbness) (August 2001)
I am sensitive to salicylates as the result of overuse of Ibuprofen
(chemically very similar to aspirin). I developed asthma-like respiratory
symptoms when eating certain foods but couldn't figure out which foods were
responsible. Then I developed paresthesia in my left thigh when I took a
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which was prescribed for back pain.
Ironically, all of the muscle pains etc. disappeared once I removed everything
from my diet that I was sensitive to. - USA [Commonly called 'pins and needles'
paraesthesia is a sensation of numbness, prickling and tingling that is
normally felt in a limb or extremity.] -
[113] Rash, asthma from colour 122(August 2001)
I have a 4 year old granddaughter who has a number of food intolerances
and a 6 year old granddaughter who is just starting to show the cumulative
effects of 122 [artificial red colour] with rash around mouth, also some asthma
symptoms that she has never had before. I would like to receive your newsletter
not only to assist me when I have them in my care, but also because I think we
could all do without the "garbage" that is added to much of our
processed food. - by email
[100] Ginny's story 26 years on, the full story (August 2001)
Ginny was my second child. Her older sister had been a model baby,
always smiling, rarely cried but she developed chronic asthma at age 8 months
and required frequent hospitalisation. She was 2 ½ when Ginny was born.
From day one Ginny was a very unsettled baby, didn't sleep much and
cried a lot. At 2 months of age I had to physically keep her awake between 6pm
and 10pm so that I could feed her, put her to bed and (hopefully) get 3 hours
straight sleep. By 4 months of age she had developed chronic eczema on her
face, scalp, neck and creases of arms and legs.
By 12 months of age she had major ulceration on her bottom and an
allergy specialist suggest we try soy milk as it could be a cows milk problem.
At that time I had to get the soy milk through the chemist on prescription and
it didn't really make a huge amount of difference. We tried the soy milk for 6
months and then went back to cows milk. She was getting more and more restless
and would sleep for 1 hour and then wake up screaming. When Ginny was 14 months
old I had child number 3. Gareth was the most placid, easy going little boy you
could ever imagine. Sardi (the oldest) was still having major asthma attacks
and hospitalisation. Ginny was still waking every hour on the hour - this went
on day after day, night after night, month after month. Gareth developed croup
and would have really bad nights where I would be up with him for hours with
the steam running in the bathroom.
By the time Ginny was 2 years old, when she wasn't screaming through the
night she was getting into mischief through the day or throwing dreadful
tantrums because she couldn't get her own way. Climbing in dangerous places,
falling up, through, on or off anything there was in sight to climb on.
A sixth sense woke me early one morning and I went into the kitchen to
find her sitting on top of the oven. It was one of those stoves which had the
oven and hotplates side by side with the controls for the electric hotplates at
the back. She had climbed on to the hotplates and then up on the oven and had
reached over and turned on all the hotplates. When I got there she was sitting
looking at them glowing red and just laughed at me and said "look at the
pretty colours, mummy".
She still woke every hour throughout the night and the only thing I
could do to get her back to sleep was to give her a bottle which was usually
filled with cordial, as the doctors told me not to give her too much milk and
if I used too much fruit juice I had the nappies to contend with!
During our frequent trips to the doctor Ginny was always an angel. When
I asked if it could be something she was eating, they just laughed at me and
the doctor told me that I was overanxious. I came close to having a breakdown.
When I wanted to get another opinion I was sent to the hospital. They wanted to
put me in hospital to calm down. When I said "no", they asked me
would I like them to put her in hospital to give me a break.
They said that she was just a naughty girl and to just let her scream as
"she would stop sooner or later" and that she only screamed because I
went into see her. Not very easy to do when she screams for 3 hours in the
middle of the night and dad has to go to work the next day and the other two
are awake and crying.. The doctors then decided to try Ginny on Vallergan to
"quieten her down" because they believed she was just boisterous and
I just was not coping with motherhood.
At age 2 ½ I was at the end of my tether and one day I picked her up and
held her against the wall and started to shake her and bang her against the
wall. I had tears running down my face and thank god something inside me said
to me to put her down or I was going to do some dreadful damage.
About 2 months after this I read an article in a magazine which was
talking about Dr Ben Feingold's book "Why your child is Hyperactive".
It talked about the relationship of food colours and preservatives and
children's behaviour. The article gave a list of about 14 symptoms and said
that if you could answer 'yes' to any 6 of them, there was a darn good chance
that food colours were playing a major part in the child's behaviour. We
answered "yes" to 12 of the 14. The book was unavailable in Australia
at that time and I had one of the City bookstores order a copy for me.
I read the book and then went to discuss it with my doctor and was told
it was a lot of "maybe" and that nothing was proven. I discussed it with
my brother (also a doctor) who told me that kids were being unnecessarily
labelled hyperactive and it was predominantly a discipline problem. I tried to
discuss it with others who just didn't want to know.
We still had Sardi going in and out of hospital with asthma and Gareth
up through the night with bouts of croup. Their father was working late into
the evenings (I think so that he didn't have to come home to the chaos) and by
this stage our marriage was starting to collapse.
My husband and I discussed the diet recommended in the book and decided
that it couldn't do any harm as things couldn't be much worse. The only problem
was that the book was written in the USA and the diet was designed for the
American market, so many of the products were not available here. I took the
book one day and started to go through the pantry cupboard. I checked every
label on everything in the pantry and filled 2 garbage bags with food. I went
to the supermarket and read the labels on everything I bought. What I wasn't sure
about I telephoned the manufacturers and asked them what the products
contained. We started from scratch. I made everything we ate from scratch,
bread, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, icy poles etc. etc. We all ate the same
food.
After 1 week, Ginny had started sleeping for 2-3 hour stretches.
After 2 weeks, she had stopped throwing tantrums
After 3 weeks, she was sleeping right through the night
After 4 weeks I had, for the first time, a normal child in the house.
After 3 months, her eczema had just about totally cleared.
"Coincidentally" (or not) her older sister's asthma had, by
this stage, lessened to the stage where she no longer required frequent trips
to hospital and was manageable to home and her brothers bouts of croup had
stopped.
What really annoyed me was that about 4-5 years later the Royal
Children's Hospital in Melbourne had adapted the diet and were using it as
breakthrough treatment for behavioural problems.
As Ginny was able to communicate better and someone (usually a well
meaning grandma!) would give her something nice like a red icy pole (and then
send her home to me!) she would tell me that she had a "big head". As
she got older, she later explained that when she had something off limits, her
head felt as though it was going to explode.
Ginny is now 27 and has a 9 month old daughter. She still checks labels
and she does all her own baking and cooking and rarely uses pre-packaged goods
(although I noticed that the ones she tends to use are the same products I used
when I changed our diet all those years ago) I have every confidence that her
little girl will not have to go through the hell her mother went through. Even
now, as her poor partner found out the hard way, she still reacts badly to
Cherry Ripes! He would bring them home and she would occasionally eat them.
Until one day when she had too many. He's now banned them from the house.
My message to everyone out there : I wish I'd had the benefit of Sue's
book 25 years ago. Diet really does work. Hang in there - it gets better and
better.
- Rosemary Hanger (Silly Yaks Bakery Café, Melbourne) www.melba.vu.edu.au/~rhh
[037] Minutes away from death: anaphylactic swelling of mouth and throat
from 635 (April 2000)
I have a story regarding flavour enhancer 635 from the eight-year old
boy next door.
Last year he ate a pie bought from a bakery shop near his mother's
workplace. Not only did he get the skin reaction he also suffered a
life-threatening anaphylactic-type reaction with swelling of mouth, tongue and
throat. The doctor (fortunately a doctor's surgery was just around the corner)
who treated him said that he was probably a matter of minutes away from death.
He remained on antihistamines for weeks and missed a lot of school. For days
his lips protruded four inches or so! The family was unable to find out what
was in the pie and so the cause of the reaction remained a mystery.
A little over a month ago this child was given two or three CC's by a
friend at school. Within a short time his arms were itching and his chest was
covered in red and white wheals. This reaction was not as severe as the pie
incident (the dose was no doubt much lower). I think that reaction took a week
to subside.
His mother has commented that this boy has had no problems of this kind
until last year, although he does have a history of mild asthma.
It wasn't until I was looking through your web site that I found the more-than-likely
culprit. The family is very grateful. Once again THANK YOU! Surely 635 cannot
go on being legal - if it was a drug it would be taken off the market or used,
if deemed necessary, with extreme caution under hospital conditions, I'm sure!
- Alison Cliff, Qld
[See our report of 635-associated skin rashes in Failsafe #10.
Anaphylactic shock has previously been considered an IgE mediated allergic
response. RPAH researchers now suggest that anaphylactoid reactions may be
associated with various food chemicals including additives, see Clarke and
others, The dietary management of food allergy and food intolerance in children
and adults. Aust J Nutr Diet 1996; 53(3):89-94. Note also that, unlike the
National Registration Authority's Adverse Experience Reporting Program for
agricultural and veterinary chemicals, there is no mechanism for reporting
adverse reactions to food additives. There should be! Our attempts to do this
have all been met with reassurances that additives are safe, yet they are not tested
for their effects on children.]
[020] Asthma, eczema, sinus, mood (October 1999)
I am writing to thank you very much for your book 'Fed Up', and to say
that our family has been on this diet since August 98. By eating 'failsafe' we
have experienced great improvements in our family life. During this time my son
has ceased using asthma medications, and his eczema, mood swings, behaviour,
tiredness, and sinus problems have disappeared. He is now a happy, healthy and
settled child.
- mother of six year old,
[012] Can a vegetable garden really be so bad? Read the two-part story
from this family of five (May 1999)
Part 1
We are finding it difficult to start on the diet properly. Our vegetable
garden at the moment is rewarding us for months of hard work by producing large
amounts of tomatoes, sweet corn, strawberries and silver beet, it is very hard
to pass all these up.
However, when we eliminated all additives - which wasn't many as we have
always tried to avoid these anyway - our three-year-old started sleeping
through the night every night for the first time - after only two days without
two glasses of cordial each day. People said he is just growing up, but when he
had commercial bread two days in a row for lunch (we usually bake our own) he
woke up in the night on those two days only.
My own experience has been really great. I have suffered from migraines
which last for two days every week for years. After five weeks of no additives
and no foods high in amines I had not had a single migraine and felt wonderful.
Then last week a friend gave us some home cured and dried beef, I couldn't
resist. Guess what, a migraine the next day. I am going back on the diet
straightaway.
Our 13 year old daughter suffers from asthma and headaches and was
becoming what we thought must be normal at her age (withdrawn and sullen). Now
she is hooked on the diet. No asthma, no headaches - she feels great and her
general attitude to life in general has improved.
My husband thought that sitting in front of a computer all day was
giving him headaches every afternoon but has now made a connection between his
headaches and chilli sauce on his sandwiches and the orange he was eating for
lunch.
Our 11 year old son was actually the one we decided to do the diet for.
He was extremely disruptive at school, could not concentrate or complete tasks
and found it difficult to maintain friendships because he had a very volatile
temper in the playground to the extent of injuring other children by throwing
bricks, rocks and sticks. If he considered something was unfair he would
destroy any cubby houses that the others had constructed. At other times he was
a complete angel and couldn't do enough to help others. He is also the hardest
one in the family to keep on the diet. He doesn't see his behaviour as his
problem, it is always someone else's fault. He was going really well for a week
or so then suddenly had an outburst one afternoon at school that his teacher,
who is very understanding, could not account for. Later that night when he
calmed down it came out that he had swapped sandwiches with a boy who had
anchovies on his lunch.
Part 2 (two weeks later)
I've decided that I don't care how much our garden is producing after
having two migraines following tomatoes for dinner one night and silver beet
another. Both these left me feeling unwell and nauseous for 4 days.
This was also time for a breakthrough with our 11 year old son who also
suffered from similar symptoms - as well as behavioural - for a few days after
eating the silver beet. He is now aware that there is a connection with the
food he eats.
