| As many as 50 million Americans have allergies. Seasonal allergic rhinitis, known as Hay Fever affects approximately 36 million people in the U.S., while food allergies affect about fourteen million. Most Americans reach for a prescription drug or OTC anti-histamine to treat their allergies, however, new research indicates that allergies are due to a deficiency of specific bioflavonoids found in certain fruits and vegetables. This is good news for allergy sufferers because it means that if you correct the deficiency in your diet you may be able to cure your allergies completely with foods.
Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.”
Allergy Drug Side-effects
Most drugs work by blocking some body function rather than correcting the problem and they all have side effects. The top selling allergy drugs are no exception. They work by blocking histamine, which temporarily relieves some of the symptoms but often cause headaches, dry mouth, fatigue and drowsiness as well. Some side-effects can be life-threatening. Seldane (terfenadine) was taken off of the market because it was found to cause fatal heart irregularities. It was replaced by Allegra (fexofenadine) which is a metabolite of Seldane. The question is will Allegra later be found to cause the same fatal side-effect.
All anti-histamines have side-effects that are not reported in the patient information or in the physician’s drug manual because the clinical trials used by the drug companies to establish the effectiveness of the drugs are often too short and conducted on too few patients. The average clinical trial for the current anti-histamin drugs lasted only 2-4 weeks and included only 2500-5000 patients. Only when these drugs are used for longer periods of time on millions of people do we discover the true and complete list of side-effects. Here is a representative sample of side-effects for Zyrtec registered by hundreds of patients. The full list of these reports can be found at www.AskaPatient.com.
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Zyrtec Side-Effects
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Comments
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M/F
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Age
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Facial and body tics
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My 10 year old son had been taking Zyrtec for the better part of 5 years. He developed intermittent facial and body tics. If we were ever late on picking up his refill for Zyrtec, his tics would stop. Upon restarting the medication the tics would reappear. Although this medication worked wonderfully for his allergies, I don’t think it’s worth any risks.
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M
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10
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My 5-year-old developed an extremely volatile mood tending toward tearfulness, depression, erratic sleep patterns. This occurred on the day I started giving him Children’s Zyrtec and ended the day after he ceased to take it.
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M
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5
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My 7 year old daughter took this for 1 1/2 weeks. I am sorry that I ever put her on it. She is a sweet, loving child who behaves very well. She turned into a demon child. She lost her appetite and would not eat anything at all. She complained about stomach aches and dry throat. She was afraid to eat or drink because she said her throat felt as if it would close up.
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This product should be taken off of the market immediately. I spoke to several moms tonight at a PTA meeting and they had the same complaints about their children. My daughter would scream at me and tell me that I don’t understand her. She would wake up and just start yelling at me. My daughter usually wakes up sooo happy every day. She was not herself in anyway. I took her off of the Zyrtec and within 4 days her appetite came back and my sweet, loving, caring child came back. It breaks my heart that I put her through that grief. Never again.
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F
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7
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It was prescribed years ago by my ENT Doctor and I said I’d never take it again because it made me very drowsy… I did. I really made a bad mistake. In December 2008, it made me act worse than having had several drinks. My friends stayed away from me. Eventually, I passed out. It made sense if years before it made me drowsy, passing out seems like a logical step.
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I dumped the pills. My perspective: DON’T TAKE IT. We’re inundated with side-effects from drugs so we think, what the heck, they all have side-effects. BUT THIS IS WORSE THAN MANY. You can also forget what the FDA approves or doesn’t and you know how effective governmental oversight has been for years. People taking the drug know best.
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F
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54
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Deep depression and muscle and joint pain. Could not walk without pain. Sleep disorder as well. Could not fall asleep and then waking up all through the night.
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It helps with the allergies but the side effects are not worth it.
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F
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53
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Lethargic
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F
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50
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My daughter was put onto Zyrtec for allergies and she has uncontrollable crying and anxiety.
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F
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9
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Bouts of uncontrollable crying and depression after 3 days of taking Zyrtec.
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F
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38
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Natural Allergy Treatment
Unlike the drugs that only block histamine or histamine receptors but never cure the problem, nature makes some great tasting foods that actually stop the symptoms by correcting the cause of the allergic hypersensitivity without causing any side-effects. Fruits and vegetables that contain proanthocyanidin bioflavanoids strengthen the Mast Cells of the immune system and stop them from releasing histamine and other allergic chemicals that cause the symptoms of a runny nose, sneezing, tearing, itchy eyes, itchy throat and swelling of the mucous membranes, etc. These unique bioflavonoids, found in apples, grape seeds, tomato skins, green tea and onions stabilize hypersensitive Mast Cells and thereby prevent histamine from being released too easily. When you have enough proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids in your cell membranes you don’t need a drug to block the histamine.
Table 1. Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods (Units = mg per 100 grams)
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| Food |
Proanthocyanidins |
| Grape seeds, raw |
373 mg |
| Chocolate, dark |
198 mg |
| Plums, red with peel, raw |
72 mg |
| Cranberries, raw |
52 mg |
| Plums, black, with peel, raw |
47 mg |
| Apple, Red Delicious, with peel, raw |
33 mg |
| Raspberries, raw |
17 mg |
| Apple, Golden, with peel, raw |
17 mg |
| Strawberries, raw |
14 mg |
| Blueberries, raw |
13 mg |
| Tea, brewed |
13 mg |
| Cherries, raw |
10 mg |
| Blackberries, raw |
10 mg |
| Wine, sherry |
9 mg |
| Grape juice, purple, bottled, unsweetened |
7 mg |
| Cranberry juice, bottled |
6 mg |
| Grapes, green or red, raw |
5 mg |
| Pomegranates, raw |
1 mg |
| Grape juice, white, canned |
0.41 mg |
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Source: USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin (Monomers – Trimers) Content of Slected Foods 2004
Why You Need Procyanidin Bioflavonoids
When you eat foods rich in proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids they actually get incorporated directly into cell membranes throughout the body, including Mast Cells. When the Mast Cells are healthy they have a thick membrane around them like a thick peel on an orange. However, when the Mast Cells are deficient in bioflavonoids their membranes are very thin. And just like a thin peeled orange that breaks open too easily and squirts its juice all over, a Mast Cell that is deficient in bioflavonoids is so thin that it breaks open much too easily and releases its histamine and other allergic chemicals far too easily.
How to Stop Hay Fever Allergies Fast
To stabilize your Mast Cells and stop them from releasing too much histamine and other allergic and inflammatory chemicals you need to build up your Mast Cell membranes by eating proanthocyanidin rich foods every day. It will take several months to correct a proanthocyanidin deficiency by diet alone. However, if you want to stop allergic symptoms fast you can take the formula that I prescribe to my patients. It is called FlavinoxTM and it contains a combination of Leucoselect® grape seed extract, green tea extract, quercitin from onion skins and vitamin C. Leucoselect® grape seed extract is sold as a prescription drug in France and Germany, but is available without a prescription in FlavinoxTM.
I have seen many patients who come to my office in the Spring carrying a box of Kleenex and their Claritin or Zyrtec who are still sneezing incessantly, and unable to see out of their watery red eyes and unable to think due to Hay Fever congestion. Some are skeptical to learn that their allergies are due to a deficiency of bioflavonoids, but they are quickly convinced when their Hay Fever symptoms clear up within 30 minutes after taking their first dose of Flavinox.
Patient Success Stories: Stoping Hay Fever Allergies with Natural Medicines
Deborah, Phoenix, AZ
I had recently purchased your product Flavinox for my 12 year old son who has always suffered from allergies. For years I have been giving him allergy medicine – Claritin, Tylenol, Zyrtec – all types of medicines that didn’t really work and made him very tired and drugged out. I saw Dr Hansen on our morning news show here in Arizona as he was talking about Flavinox and explaining how it works and it really made sense to me. I drove over to the Scottsdale office that morning to get a bottle and went directly to my sons school to start him on these capsules.
When he came home from school about 3 hours later he was like a different person than when he left that morning. I could see it in his face and eyes. He was feeling 100% better and he told me about an hour after he took the capsule he could feel the difference and he kept feeling better as the day went on. Since then I have been giving him about 3 capsules a day and he’s a baseball player so sometimes before a game I give him an extra one and I am truly amazed at how Flavinox has really made a difference in his allergies. No more drowsy, drugged out state. No more sneezing 20 times in a row or constant watery eyes and runny nose. I have recommended this to everyone I talk to and know this product has been the answer for my son.
Anne Marie, Scottsdale, AZ
Thank you for your advice and wonderful supplements. The Flavinox is especially helpful. All three of my sons have been suffering from sinus allergies for years. After two weeks on Flavinox the boys no longer have any sniffling, sneezing or congestion. The Flavinox has stopped the sinus allergy reactions in all three of my sons-a special blessing to my 6-year-old because I was afraid that I was going to have to give away our cats to stop his allergies. The kids are most grateful. They now call you the doctor who saved our cats! Thank you!
I have battled skin allergies for year. After two weeks on Flavinox my skin cleared up completely and has stayed clear. As soon as I feel any food allergy symptoms I now take the Flavinox and it stops the itching without the side-effects that allergy medicines cause. Thanks so much!
Missy Gilliland, Phoenix, AZ
I am a horse trainer and I run a Dressage HorseTraining Stable. I spend most of my time outdoors every day riding horses and giving lessons. Every spring, my hayfever allergies flare up. They are horrific when the dust, the wind and the pollen combine. I have tried all of the anti-allergy drugs, including Allegra, Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec, etc. and they just don’t stop my eyes from itching, burning and watering. At times my allergies get so bad that I can barely see or think. But within 15 minutes of taking my first dose of Flavinox my hayfever symptoms completely stopped and I could see and think clearly again. Flavinox is simply fantastic.
John, Phoenix, AZ
I work in the home inspection business and spend a lot of time outside. Every year I suffer with seasonal hayfever allergies. I have tried almost every medicine on the market. None of them seem to work very well and they make me feel drowsy and irritable, so I usually just suffer through the springtime with a drippy nose and tearing eyes that itch and sting. Fortunately, last spring, a very nice lady saw me suffering while I was working at her home. She offered to share her Flavinox herbal allergy formula with me. She said here take this and you’ll clear up in a few minutes. I was skeptical, but she was so nice and assuring that I said okay. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, before I had finished my inspection, my drippy nose and watery, itchy eyes had all cleared up. I had been suffering with allergies for so long that I had forgotten how good it felt to be clear headed. I will be forever grateful for the kind lady who cured my allergies by telling me about the Flavinox natural allergy formula.
Food Allergies
Unlike airborne allergies and a few food allergies that are associated with IgE antibodies and cause immediate hypersensitivty reactions, most food allergies are associated with IgG antibodies and cause delayed hypersensitivity reactions that typically take 8 to 72 hours to manifest. Food allergies can be the cause of your fatigue, moodiness, eczema, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and even weight gain, as well as your child’s temper tantrums or ADHD and auto immune disorders including multiple sclerosis. You can reduce your food allergy symptoms by getting more proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids but to eliminate them completely you need to avoid them for 120 days.
More Patient Stories
Delaney was only 2 1/2 years old when her mom first brought her to see me. She had severe mood swings and temper tantrums. At times she would screech non-stop every 30 seconds for hours, or slap hands in the air repeatedly for hours. She would fly into a rage within 45 minutes of eating wheat and became a little devil. Once we determined her allergy foods and eliminated them she turned into an angel. She is a different person now, sweet and patient and helpful. The transformation was truly amazing.
Donna was a 45 year old woman who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. She was always fatigued and had been plagued by weakness and numbness for years before her diagnosis. Once we tested and eliminated her food allergies all of her symptoms went into remission. She felt so great and had so much energy that she asked if she could stay on the allergy elimination diet forever.
Katherine came to see me because she was stressed out. She was anxious, depressed and overweight. A 34 year old hair dresser, she had tried to lose weight but couldn’t. She was working out and eating next to nothing but still couldn’t lose weight until we discovered the foods that she was allergic to. Once she eliminated those foods, the pounds just seemed to melt away and she went from size 12 to size 4 in four months on the allergy elimination diet. She looks sensational and feels great.
Heather is a 35 year old mom of 3 who was 70 lbs over weight and could not lose the weight even though she ate very few calories and exercised daily. After testing and finding out that she was allergic to she lost 70 lbs in 5 months. She couldn’t believe how easy it was once she eliminated the trigger foods that were causing her body to hold onto the extra weight.
Allergy Testing
If you or your family members have any of these conditions you should get tested. At the Hansen Clinic we perform an advanced allergy test that requires only one tube of blood to test both IgE and IgG allergies in 100 foods. The old-fashioned scratch test is inferior because it only measures IgE allergies. It is also barbaric because it requires 100 different injections of the suspected allergens under the skin to test 100 items.
For more information about our advanced allergy testing, or FlavinoxTM, the fast acting natural alternative to Claritin and Zyrtec®, go to www.drhansen.com. |
