One man's meat is another man's poison

Irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, eczema, asthma, sinusitis, how many days have you had off work suffering from any of these? Or indeed struggled on and just suffered. Maybe you have been told, "you'll just have to live with it." But do you really have to? Is there an alternative? Have you considered that some, if not all of your symptoms could be due to an intolerance, or sensitivity to a certain substance, or substances?

Take Mr A for example, who was having a great deal of time off work with sinusitis, muzzy heads, itching, runny eyes, plus a series of itchy blotches on his arms. Testing him revealed a sensitivity to Formaldehyde, a substance that is found in many areas of our polluted society, including new carpets and curtains, photocopy machines, tobacco smoke, cavity wall insulation and is even found in milk and cheese.

His office has recently been refurbished and he sat near a photocopier. He was treated with an homeopathic remedy prepared from Formaldehyde to desensitise him and within a few days he had stopped itching and his eyes were no longer running.

Many people develop coughs, or sinusitis after having new carpets, Formaldehyde is often the culprit, although there are around 200 different chemical substances in carpets, especially if they are stain resistant.

Bryonia,wild hops

Formaldehyde is also found in exhaust fumes and can be one of the causes of travel sickness.

Many people suffer from a sensitivity to electrical equipment, developing headaches and tiredness when working on a computer (VDU light)or under fluorescent light. This electromagnetic stress can be treated in a similar way, using homeopathic desensitisation. This involves taking a remedy for one to two months as a one off treatment, using increasing potencies of the offending substance.

Mr B suffered from IBS which caused uncomfortable bloating, flatulence and borborygmi (rumbling tummy!) almost as soon as he began to eat. Business lunches became painful and embarrassing. I discovered he had an intolerance to yeast. Bread and beer were his worst enemies, as was the marmite toast he loved! After a month of treatment he was able to tolerate yeast again and his digestive system no longer caused him problems.

Mrs C had symptoms of arthritis, her fingers becoming stiff and painful as she worked on the computer. She was beginning to think she would have to change her job. Tests suggested an intolerance to potatoes and so was treated with a desensitising remedy and requested to avoid potatoes for a month. In her follow up visit she was thrilled to announce that she could now type without pain and threw her arms up in the air above her head, something she had not been able to do for several months. (There are substances known as solinines in potatoes that can affect the joints )

The house dust mite is responsible for many symptoms of both asthma and eczema but I also find wheat, dairy products, mould spores and pollens to be equal culprits. Speaking of mould spores, many people develop a kind of hayfever in June /July, with sneezing, runny nose and very itchy eyes. There is a particular mould called Cladosporium that peaks around June 22nd and affects sufferers badly for three to four weeks either side.

Miss D was diagnosed with asthma after starting a new job. She was working on printed circuit boards. I well remember going to fetch my soldering iron and solder from the shed. We heated the solder, caught the fumes in a jar, tested her and then prepared a remedy from the fumes. Within three days she was symptom free.

I have treated a brick layer for a sensitivity to brick dust and plaster which caused facial eczema after plastering a ceiling, a lady from the dry cleaners with eczema and runny eyes for a sensitivity to dry cleaning fluid and a sneezing postman for a sensitivity to pine trees.

Similarly Mrs E developed an almost permanent cold after moving offices to a beautiful old building. She was treated for a sensitivity to the microscopic mould spores which flourish in old beams and plaster.

Many IBS symptoms and general indigestion can be attributed to food intolerance but some can be caused by mercury fillings in the teeth. Mrs F often had her business lunches ruined due to dreadful nausea. Using the homeopathic law of "like cures like" she was desensitised using the homeopathic remedy of Mercurius. One patient came for desensitisation to mercury as his fillings were affecting him so much. He had been tested by the NHS who found traces of mercury in all his organs and so were willing to pay a great deal of money for the dentist to remove all his offending fillings. After Homeopathic treatment he was again tested and found to be free of mercury which was wonderful for me to hear but not for him as they then refused to pay for his dental treatment!

It is said that 20% of the population can eat and drink what they like which leaves 80% who can't!

Do also bear in mind that not every symptom can be explained by an allergy, or intolerance. Baked beans for example can produce wind, cucumber can make you burp, some foods can aggravate you, or some fabrics make you itch. These are irritants rather than intolerance or some other chemical reaction. Please read my article “Is it an allergy”