This isn't my back, but I didn't think to subject the nurse to taking a picture of mine and thought this would give you a good idea of what the test looks like. Plus it looks like this guy may have a sweet mullet.
I have been competitively powerlifting for over 20 years. Within that time I have competed raw, single ply and multi ply. I hold the highest all time total of 1930 at 148, the third highest total of 2045 at 165 and have broken over 35 world records, over 25 of which I still hold. Through the years in this sport I have learned a great deal from various training methods, met and formed long lasting friends, as well as learned the importance of balancing life, work, and training.
Elitefts accepted me as a team member over ten years ago and I am currently the longest standing still competing powerlifter on the site. I appreciate Dave Tate and Elitefts for giving me the opportunity to learn from and teach others through the Q&A and my training log.
In 2005 I opened Orlando Barbell – a 24 hour powerlifting friendly gym. As well as running Orlando Barbell I designed and sell the Home GHR , the The OBB Power Handles and the Doorway Home Gym, wrote the 12 Weeks to a Bigger Bench EBook, and produced the 12Weeks to a Bigger Bench DVD.
My latest contribution was writing the M2 Method EBook, designed to be the quintessential Raw Powerlifting training manual for beginners to advanced lifters looking to get stronger and prevent injury while incorporating the powerlifts.
In an attempt to get to the root of my autoimmune issues (rather than just taking more and more meds to treat the symptoms) we made an appointment for me to see an allergy doctor. I have no digestive issues right now, but have a pretty big issue with peripheral arthritis (where I have random, painful joint swelling most often in my hands, the bottom of my feet, knees, and elbows on a daily basis). It can be incredibly debilitating, especially while trying to continue to lift heavy. It’s basically the Ulcerative Colitis manifesting itself in places other than my digestive tract.
The Allergist had never seen anything like it before and referred to it as angioedema, which is not what it is since that would be an allergic reaction which can be accompanied by airway obstruction and potential suffocation, but it’s what he’s more familiar with. It just adds to the frustration when I have a better understanding of what’s going on than the doctor does. Either way, he still did the allergy test and I had 37 pin pricks on my back to see if I had any reaction. I tested positive for peanuts, almonds, and peas. Since I add 2 tbsp of natural peanut butter to my shakes every morning I thought it couldn’t hurt to eliminate that. The doctor was grasping at straws but recommended I take a non-drowsy antihistamine to see if that would help minimize the issues. I changed my morning shake and incorporated Claritin, but unfortunately haven’t seen any change yet. I’ll keep it up in hopes that it will eventually help.
8 Weeks out from the APF Equipped Nationals.
5 mins treadmill
Prehab
PVC rolled on:
Lower back, shifted to right and left
Upper back, shifted to right and left scapula w/hips up
Armpits
Hamstrings
Glutes
Adductors
Shoulder dislocations w/broomstick x12x3
1 leg band hip stretch x30 secs x3/leg
Flat Bench-
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x2
w/foam/manpon-
275x1
w/Single ply Metal Bash-
3 Board-
315x1
365x1
405x1
435x1
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAJAWc-tglk]
This is what I benched in my last meet in December, so it seems that even with all of my issues, my strength is still gradually climbing, or at least getting back to where it was.
DB Floor Press-
70x10
75x10
80x10
The M2 Equipped Training Ebook
The M2 Method Raw Training Ebook
The Affordable and Effective Floor Based Home GHR
Buy your own Doorway Home Gym and never miss out on your accessory work again
12 Weeks to a Bigger Bench EBook
I know of a great one in the Pittsburgh, PA area....
Dr. Robert Cole. He is a chiropractor and a holistic nutirionist.
That seems to be more of what you need than to take meds that may or may not help you for the rest of your life.
Good luck to you...and please keep us posted!
In somewhat of defense of the Allergist, "When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Essentially, because he specializes in allergies, everything is going to look like allergies. The same way a surgeon will often see every patient as a potential surgical patient etc.
In regards to angioedema, although it most commonly appears in tissues adjacent to airways, it can occur anywhere in the body. It is simply leaking of fluid into the deeper dermis rather than with hives, which occurs more superficially. So he's not NECESSARILY wrong.
Without knowing more about your medical history, eliminating peanut butter from your diet would be a good move anyway, especially if you already have an underlying inflammatory GI disorder. Decreasing inflammation, whether allergic or otherwise will be beneficial for your overall GI health. Moreover, Loratadine (Claritin) takes a week or two to really start working so give it a bit of time before deciding if it's helpful or not (not sure how long you've been on it currently).
I'm sorry that you're experiencing such frustration with a diagnosis. It's unfortunately all too common with atypical presentations. My only advice would be to continue your search for experts in the field while experimenting with what seems to help (as long as it's not too crazy).
Best of luck to you,
Daniel
I agree that stopping eating peanut butter can't hurt. I actually used to take Claritin on a regular basis for allergies, but stopped when they seemed to subside. It also can't hurt to take it on a regular basis again.
I'll keep you all updated on my log. Thanks again for the feedback.