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LCHF and Hay fever

Rustytypin

Rustytypin

Well-Known Member
Messages
398
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
For most of my 69 years I have had hay fever every summer, but since going lchf last year, (just before my usual start) I have been free of the runny nose, itchy eyes etc. Has anybody else experienced this, or is it just a happy coincidence?
 
Rustytypin said:
For most of my 69 years I have had hay fever every summer, but since going lchf last year, (just before my usual start) I have been free of the runny nose, itchy eyes etc. Has anybody else experienced this, or is it just a happy coincidence?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have experienced this too @Rustytypin! I used to suffer dreadfully from tree pollens for 3 weeks every May if I didn't use a daily inhaled steroid. For the past 2 years on approx. 30gms Carbohydrate/day I have not had any problems with seasonal allergies and have not needed to use the nasal spray.
 
Rustytypin said:
Has anybody else experienced this, or is it just a happy coincidence?
Click to expand...

That's fascinating, as usual when it's not something I've heard of before I turn to Google, I'd be lost without it.

If you just google "LCHF allergies" there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to show that many others have had the same experience which I think is brilliant. There's some very interesting stories just from the first page of results from the google search. Even examples of people ending up in A&E because of serious allergic reactions and now being able to lead a more "normal" life just by going low carb. I know several people with allergies of one form or another, can't wait to tell them.
 
I've had rhinitis (grass pollen allergy) for over 30 years. It used to be really bad, but has got better after I did a medical trial of a new treatment, which is now available, called Grazax. It's a grass pollen tablet which I took for 3 months before the grass pollen season started and which desensitises you. It did work for me. I didn't have any hayfever symptoms that summer, and since then my symptoms have been a lot less severe and can be controlled with over the counter remedied - I use loratadine.
Grazax is supposed to eliminate the allergy completely if taken continuously for 3 years. But unfortunately it is not available from the NHS due to cost - it would cost the NHS £2 a day. It can be prescribed from some private clinics but is quite expensive, around £100 for initial consultation, then £200 a month for private prescriptions.

But to go back to the OP, I haven't noticed any major reduction in my symptoms last summer or this summer, and have needed to take the loratadine and nasal spray.
 
Loratadine was my saviour for many years, I used to take it from June to mid September, otherwise going outside was fairly miserable. I thought last year was maybe a one off, but two years in a row, progress! Oddly, Mrs Typin who also suffered with Hay fever and has reduced her carb intake (but not as much) along with me, has also not had the Hay fever symptoms for two years!
 
No I have not really noticed any difference since cutting the carbs. I have allergic rhinitis which means I have it mostly all year round a really runny nose and lots of sneezing and it is always worse in the hay fever season. This year it was far worse than usual as soon as the tree pollen started and during the rest of the hay fever season. I now get antihistamine tablets and a steroid nasal spray on repeat prescription and they help a lot when it is bad
 
For many people , an LCHF diet works .One other thing to think about is that you migth notice a sudden increase in sense of smell - it seems to happen with the afternoon dip in glucose levels, so best to be n a field as opposed to nar a grbage truck at the time.
Another item for my blog about all the benefits that happen when levels of insulin go down / glucose - who knows which in this case!
 
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