Bummer, I noticed others started having a rough time when the leaves started changing and falling.
Iām still on my shot regimen. I only go weekly, which is quite enough for me. Doc says in a few more months I may start noticing a difference. Shots are definitely something for those committed to the process.
I tried shots years ago, and it helped, but not as much as I wanted. What seems to have helped me was either time, or that I lost weight. Not sure which, but I suspect some of both.
My allergies vary widely season to season and year to year. Some years I have no allergies. Shots take several years to work, so I treat the symptoms. At the moment, my drug of choice is Zyrtec.
If you lost weight, you probably paid closer attention to the types of foods you were eating. Iām guessing that was a big help. When I reduce sugars (soda, alcohol, grains & yeasts, dairy) my allergies are much better.
My goals were to reduce sodium, but also sugars, and carbs. So more of breads, alcohol, cheese, and many processed foods. I havenāt had soda for years, and few fast foods. I guess avoiding breads and cheese is a reduction of yeast, but the one cheese I have not avoided is swiss, as it low in sodium.
So may have been a mixed bag.
Iām heading for allergy shots again. The allergist wants me to see an ENT doc to get polyps removed from my sinuses and start immunoglobulin therapy. All of those will help, in his opinion.
And, it seems I am knocking on the door of T2D, if I donāt get my blood glucose under better control. Bummer. I am not overweight and my BMI is on the lower end of the spectrum. So really bummed.
My docs think stress is a big part of my problems. They put me on a CGM, continuous glucose monitor, for 2 weeks, which revealed a lot. Looks like my pancreas still works but my cells are insulin resistant. That seems to be the precursor to T2D. I watched my BG increase about 20 points one morning due to stress.
Argh!!!
Sounds familiar. My PA has been trying to catch my blood glucose at a high level so she can prescribe something for years at my annual physicals, but I always came in under the limit. Iām pre-diabetic. Then she gave me a Dexcom G7, and she got enough excursions/data above the limit to prescribe Metformin. It was not easy getting used to Metformin (stomach aches), but eventually I did. Iāve lost weight, my blood sugar is down and stable, and I feel better. Plus, she says Metformin will extend my life!
Latexman, sorry youāre struggling with BG, too. It really stinks. One of my docās recommended Master Your Diabetes by Mona Morstein to learn more about it and follow her guidelines as well as some of her own. Theyāre both NDs. My ND works with an MD so I have to see both of them and they work together on my care. I also have an internal medicine doctor I use, too.
So far, I think the recommendations are helping. I did a walkabout with friends yesterday going up Chapman Drive and my leg muscles didnāt feel as energyless as they have been feeling.
My MD put me on the Freestyle Libre 3 from Abbott. I suspect theyāll do that again in a couple of months and run more blood tests, etc. Theyāve also mentioned doing a GTT. If I have to do that, I want to do a GITT.
My ND and MD think more people need to do a 2-week trial with a CGM to determine what is up with their health. Their perception is that most people want to live in denial so they donāt face the music.
I do not want to have to take Metformin. So I am diligently working to avoid that. Fingers crossed I can.
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Sodium seems to have lots of interaction, but few people want to go on a low sodium diet. It will make you eat less, which most of us need, and watching your sodium will make you see foods differently.
Since doing a low sodium diet, and other drugs, I have lost weight, lowered my blood pressure, and I canāt stand food that is not properly spiced. So many foods donāt use spices, they just add salt, making there victims into salt junkies.
That said, many low sodium foods, are not low sodium, just watered down. Donāt be fooled.
Too much salt is also a recipe for, pain of all pains, kidney stones.
Too much salt sets off arthritis in me, mainly my hands.
Thank goodness for Voltaren gel!
Salt can flare arthritis? Thatās scary because we need salt. Of course, not too much. How much salt can you eat daily?
Iām not on a restricted Na diet, but if I overdo it, like eating a double country ham and egg biscuit from Bojangles, I definitely feel it.
I was told to keep my Na below 1500mg per day. Very hard to do when one pizza may have twice that.
Also hard when one slice of bread is greater than 100mg.
One pot pie, or soup is more than 1000mg.
I think the normal is for people to try to keep the Na below 2700mg (donāt quote me though).
Big salad with vinegar and oil dressing, followed by home made soup, and something else.
Air popped pop corn makes a good snack, just no salt.
Oh, I seldom have anything processed so any salt I get is mostly what I use in cooking. Keeps my Na level lower, Iām sure.
Bread and cheese are some of the worst sources of Na. While you can make bread at home, cheese is more difficult.
Why does everything that is bad for you, taste so good? 
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How come everything that taste so good, makes you want more?
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Are you folks eating lots of processed foods?
The allergy shots are going OK so it will be interesting to see how bad they are this season.