Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Every now and then, immediately following a stressful day, my nose begins to drip water like a tap, my nose is irritated and I sneeze constantly. It happens like clockwork. It also happens if I have an alcohol bender (rarely).. or too much Crossfit (occasionally).

Pre-paleo it occurred much more frequently and was often followed by tonsillitis or strep throat and I'd be out of action for a week. These days it's just annoying for a day.

In the past I tried everything from allergy meds to all the home remedies without luck. Cold and Flu medication provided some relief and fish oil seems to help.. but the only permanent fix I've found is going to sleep. I can sleep for a few hours, wake up and it's like it never happened.

So I'm wondering, might there be anything I can take for a 'quick fix'? It seems to me high cortisol might be the cause? I've been quite strict with Paleo for over a year, supplement Natural Calm, Vit D, k2, and sometimes fish oil.

Any help is much appreciated!

flag	asked May 12 2011 at 6:34 bft 150●1●1●11

tartare · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-12 07:05:04Z UTC

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out on a limb here, but here's an idea to consider...(anyone with actual medical knowledge, feel free to critque this post).

Maybe you had a physical issue (viral infection?) or something that is being given some fuel by stress. I've had cold sores all my life, and every time my immune system would take a dive, one would pop up. This would happen during my menstrual cycle and during seasonal changes, spring ususally, most often. I figured out a few food things exacerbated it (walnuts in particular) and did a few things to improve my overall health and I've been largely free of them for some years now :::knock on wood:::. I wonder if you're not giving your immune system a kick in the pants with stress and something isn't taking advantage of the situation. Additionally, does stress cause you to eat any particular thing that you might be overlooking? I mean, I never though walnuts were a problem... i mean, they're walnuts! and I've eaten them since i was a kid, but I do believe they were an irritant now looking back on it.

answered May 12 2011 at 7:05

tartare
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Wow, I never would have though of that and I've been trying to figure this out for years. That's very interesting idea. As for food, nothing comes to mind, to me there doesn't seem to be a correlation as my diet is far different to pre-paleo, but I'll definitely keep that in mind. I too have been taking steps to improve my overall health so maybe if I just keep doing what I'm doing it will resolve itself eventually. It's gone from every few days to maybe once every 4 months so I can't complain too much. – bft May 12 2011 at 7:31

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after re reading your post (somehow i missed the strep/tonsilitis the first time) i'd put money on the fact that you have a lingering gut issue that is causing exactly what i talked about above. That's why your diet is helping you, you're slowly turning over what's in there and as everything's getting healthier your nasal issues are spaced further apart. My uneducated guess would be that drinking more water would help speed the process for you (hot tea is good too) and bone broth as well as occasional sessions of sprints to replace a session or two of Crossfit. – tartare May 12 2011 at 7:49

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i only say 'gut issues" because what helped me fully was an extended fast. I don't think i'd recommend it for you, largely because in my experience it can be very tricky, and because i think you're well on your way in a very good manner already. Make sure you're drinking enough, getting adequate fats (and nutrients) too is my last suggestion! – tartare May 12 2011 at 8:08

Thanks so much. It's nice to know I'm probably not barking up the wrong tree. I've actually suspected the gut issues as a cause of my asthma (forgot to mention that before), and have been working on resolving that also. It has improved big time but is still lingering. I'll heed your advice and see what happens, hopefully it will do the trick! – bft May 12 2011 at 9:32

Good call, tartare. If it really is a gut issue, try eating/drinking fermented things for a while to restore some diversity to your gut flora. I've been digesting things like a champ (is there a championship for that?) after adding a lot of fermented foods to my diet. – becker May 12 2011 at 12:37

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Aughra · Answer 2 · 2011-05-12 12:13:14Z UTC

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Ever tried a neilmed Nasal saline rinse/irrigator? You can get one at Most chain pharmacies. It knocks out almost anything my sinuses have cooking up. I use it on my kid too and he's never been sick. That and load up on vitamin D if you aren't already.

answered May 12 2011 at 12:13

Aughra
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I did try once, it actually seemed to irritate my nose more, but yeah I imagine it would help prevent the strep. Might give it another shot next time. – bft May 14 2011 at 8:55

Stress causing runny nose.

2 Answers