Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Allergic/Intolerant to Silica -- My Story
I love love love the beach and running my toes through the sand! So who would have thought that I would be allergic (or at least intolerant) to an ingredient in that sand -- Silica (also known as silicon dioxide and not silicone). I actually have not had an official diagnosis, though my current physician has told me there is enough evidence to support staying away from silica.
This blog is to share anything that I have found about Silica in order to help anyone else out there who may be running into the same situation. To start, let me tell you what has happened so far to get me to a place where I am trying to remove silica from my life.
A decade or so ago I went to my annual eye appointment, and my doctor prescribed some new contacts that would help with my astigmatism. It seemed like a great idea until 2-3 days later when my eyes became very red, mucus puff balls! It was painful, and I had to go back to my dreaded glasses. I called my eye doctor and went in to show the damage done to my eyes. He was quick to say that I was apparently allergic to silica and to forever stay away from contacts containing silica. It must be a fairly known fact among ophthalmologists because each new doctor I have seen since understands the allergy and knows exactly which contacts to keep away from my eyes.
In 2014, I had a total knee replacement and decided to use the available insurance to stay at a rehabilitation center. In the shower, they had a new body soap for me to use. I didn't shower everyday, so it took about a week to affect me. I started to develop HUGE circular welts all over my skin. They were so bad and so itchy that they took me to the ER. Of course, at that point I did not know what was causing my welts. The prednisone prescribed and some antihistamines helped, but I still had welts appearing (just not as often). One night at home about two weeks after this had all started, I thought about my contacts and silica. I looked at the ingredients on the bottle of soap, and sure enough it contained silica. When I threw away the bottle and started using my normal bar soap, the welts went away.
Two months ago, I woke up around 3AM with severe itching. I had itchy spots everywhere! It was awful. I still went to work and was uncomfortable most of the day. The weirdest hives would appear. They would suddenly show up, itch a lot, and then disappear within 30 minutes. I quickly started taking an antihistamine and went through a tube of hydrocortisone cream in a matter of days. That slowed down the rate of hives showing and reduced the itchiness, but the hives kept coming. It still took me over a week to think, "hey, what about silica?" I started going through the ingredients of my medicines and vitamins. I can't remember what inspired me to do that. Sure enough, I found silica in two of the vitamins I was taking. I figured the biggest culprit was the new brand of melatonin I was taking at night. I had started it about a week before the hives came. I stopped taking the melatonin, and the hives went away! That's when my doctor told me to stay away from silica.
The other vitamin that had silica in is was my CoQ10. I had not taken it with as much regularity as my doctor would have liked, so I figured the welts were only from the amount of silica in the melatonin. I have an arrhythmia that started this past December. The CoQ10 is supposed to help with that. I decided even though it had silica in the ingredients that I needed to start taking it regularly for my heart. Why do I go through symptoms for at least a week before thinking about silica?? Four weeks ago, I made sure I was getting my CoQ10 every night. Three weeks ago, I was complaining of indigestion and troubles breathing (which were getting worse and scary). I even went and found my old inhaler because the breathing was so bad. Two weeks ago, I had that AHA moment. I stopped taking the CoQ10 and have enjoyed no heartburn and no gasping for air since then! (By the way, it is not the CoQ10 that was hurting me. I really believe it was the silica this particular brand mixes with its vitamin.)
Now I am going on a crusade for my health! I am not thin. (In fact, I am humiliated when the doctors list me as morbidly obese.) I have PCOS, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, a metabolic disorder, osteoarthritis, an A1C that is starting to trouble the doctor, high blood pressure, and a fairly common arrhythmia called PVC (premature ventricular contractions). Such a great dating profile! HA. After taking me through some physical tests that hurt a lot, my friend who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia swears I have it too. However, my doctor is trying other things before diagnosing me. Finally, there is a blood test that my doctor orders for me every 6 months. It is called High Sensitivity CRP. The normal range is 0-3. I was a 6 a year and a half ago and am currently at a 5.3. My doctor tells me that this has to do with inflammation in my body. She is currently trying to get me to be gluten and dairy free (which is super hard to do for a long period of time). I was good for about 4-6 months before I started to blow it. Why do I mention this? Because of this thought -- WHAT IF it is the silica in which I have been exposed that is causing the inflammation and other symptoms instead of gluten and dairy? Who knows? But it is worth a closer look even if just out of curiosity.
Will I quit going to the Beach? No way! (The closest beach is 3 hours away, which means getting there only once or twice a year.) So far, running my bare toes through the sand has not hurt me. But I am going to start taking a look at other ways to remove silica from my life. Watch for different blogs from me to see what I have found so far. And please please please comment if you are dealing with this too. Right now I feel like an island to myself. And if any of this helps you at all, definitely comment so that I am encouraged to keep making public what I have found. Thank you!
This blog is to share anything that I have found about Silica in order to help anyone else out there who may be running into the same situation. To start, let me tell you what has happened so far to get me to a place where I am trying to remove silica from my life.
A decade or so ago I went to my annual eye appointment, and my doctor prescribed some new contacts that would help with my astigmatism. It seemed like a great idea until 2-3 days later when my eyes became very red, mucus puff balls! It was painful, and I had to go back to my dreaded glasses. I called my eye doctor and went in to show the damage done to my eyes. He was quick to say that I was apparently allergic to silica and to forever stay away from contacts containing silica. It must be a fairly known fact among ophthalmologists because each new doctor I have seen since understands the allergy and knows exactly which contacts to keep away from my eyes.
In 2014, I had a total knee replacement and decided to use the available insurance to stay at a rehabilitation center. In the shower, they had a new body soap for me to use. I didn't shower everyday, so it took about a week to affect me. I started to develop HUGE circular welts all over my skin. They were so bad and so itchy that they took me to the ER. Of course, at that point I did not know what was causing my welts. The prednisone prescribed and some antihistamines helped, but I still had welts appearing (just not as often). One night at home about two weeks after this had all started, I thought about my contacts and silica. I looked at the ingredients on the bottle of soap, and sure enough it contained silica. When I threw away the bottle and started using my normal bar soap, the welts went away.
Two months ago, I woke up around 3AM with severe itching. I had itchy spots everywhere! It was awful. I still went to work and was uncomfortable most of the day. The weirdest hives would appear. They would suddenly show up, itch a lot, and then disappear within 30 minutes. I quickly started taking an antihistamine and went through a tube of hydrocortisone cream in a matter of days. That slowed down the rate of hives showing and reduced the itchiness, but the hives kept coming. It still took me over a week to think, "hey, what about silica?" I started going through the ingredients of my medicines and vitamins. I can't remember what inspired me to do that. Sure enough, I found silica in two of the vitamins I was taking. I figured the biggest culprit was the new brand of melatonin I was taking at night. I had started it about a week before the hives came. I stopped taking the melatonin, and the hives went away! That's when my doctor told me to stay away from silica.
The other vitamin that had silica in is was my CoQ10. I had not taken it with as much regularity as my doctor would have liked, so I figured the welts were only from the amount of silica in the melatonin. I have an arrhythmia that started this past December. The CoQ10 is supposed to help with that. I decided even though it had silica in the ingredients that I needed to start taking it regularly for my heart. Why do I go through symptoms for at least a week before thinking about silica?? Four weeks ago, I made sure I was getting my CoQ10 every night. Three weeks ago, I was complaining of indigestion and troubles breathing (which were getting worse and scary). I even went and found my old inhaler because the breathing was so bad. Two weeks ago, I had that AHA moment. I stopped taking the CoQ10 and have enjoyed no heartburn and no gasping for air since then! (By the way, it is not the CoQ10 that was hurting me. I really believe it was the silica this particular brand mixes with its vitamin.)
Now I am going on a crusade for my health! I am not thin. (In fact, I am humiliated when the doctors list me as morbidly obese.) I have PCOS, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, a metabolic disorder, osteoarthritis, an A1C that is starting to trouble the doctor, high blood pressure, and a fairly common arrhythmia called PVC (premature ventricular contractions). Such a great dating profile! HA. After taking me through some physical tests that hurt a lot, my friend who has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia swears I have it too. However, my doctor is trying other things before diagnosing me. Finally, there is a blood test that my doctor orders for me every 6 months. It is called High Sensitivity CRP. The normal range is 0-3. I was a 6 a year and a half ago and am currently at a 5.3. My doctor tells me that this has to do with inflammation in my body. She is currently trying to get me to be gluten and dairy free (which is super hard to do for a long period of time). I was good for about 4-6 months before I started to blow it. Why do I mention this? Because of this thought -- WHAT IF it is the silica in which I have been exposed that is causing the inflammation and other symptoms instead of gluten and dairy? Who knows? But it is worth a closer look even if just out of curiosity.
Will I quit going to the Beach? No way! (The closest beach is 3 hours away, which means getting there only once or twice a year.) So far, running my bare toes through the sand has not hurt me. But I am going to start taking a look at other ways to remove silica from my life. Watch for different blogs from me to see what I have found so far. And please please please comment if you are dealing with this too. Right now I feel like an island to myself. And if any of this helps you at all, definitely comment so that I am encouraged to keep making public what I have found. Thank you!
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