Freedom tastes like fermented milk

So. I'm like... cured. Almost. Close enough. 

I was sort of aiming to use this blog as a symptom/treatment diary, or some other self indulgent bullshit, but... um... apparently no need for that now. 

I know, right? How the fuck did that happen?

I'm no fan of summer at the best of times but May, June and July were not my friends. There were some good times, but essentially, that part of summer sucked. Heat sucked. Sun sucked. Summer clothes sucked. Summer sweaty nights sucked. You've heard all of this before.

I joined some Facebook communities of people with CSU. All were basically the same - a group of miserable people living with the same inexplicable condition, sharing information and tips and generally a safe space to moan where everyone really does understand what you're going through. 

Lots of people in these groups have had CSU for years. They've had every test under the sun. They've tried every antihistamine or immunosuppressant going, and all the different combinations thereof. Many have gone into remission only for the condition to return later down the line. Lots of people are understandably fed up with conventional medicine's inability to come up with an answer to 'WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?'. 

Lots of people, in their desperation, have come to the conclusion that the answer is in the gut (see leaky gut). Their belief that their gut is damaged has lead them to live on a very restricted diet in an attempt to help it heal. 

I quickly rejected this idea largely because I'm lazy and like food, but I'm also incredibly dubious about the science - leaky gut isn't recognised by the NHS and to me it seems like a way for unqualified 'nutritionists' to get money out of desperate people.

There were also a couple of people saying they'd been drinking kefir milk and had seen some improvement since. Again, I was skeptical and filed it under 'meh, not for me'.

Until, that is, I read this article in the Guardian. The crucial bit says:

'However much we may like junk food and chemical additives, our gut bacteria does not – and our increasingly narrow diet has led to a similar lack of diversity in our gut. Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and the author of The Diet Myth, explains that if we “wipe out our gut microbes, then our immune system goes into autodrive and starts attacking us with autoimmune diseases and allergies”.'

Essentially, we're talking about probiotics - introducing that healthy bacteria that we're missing. We've all seen the adverts for yakult and 'good bacteria'. Same thing. Fermented products are a source of these bacteria.

Conclusive proof, this is not. I'm aware of this. But, it was a real doctor saying these things and I now have three conditions with strong links to autoimmunity (CSU, vitiligo and a borderline underactive thyroid). Giving up 101 different things is hard and unpleasant, but trying a couple of new ones can't be so bad. So, I figured I'd give it a go - what's the worst that can happen?

I started drinking kefir on Friday 28th July, and I've been having it daily ever since. 

Kefir is fermented milk. Sounds gross, but it's basically just a more potent yoghurt. I've been drinking it straight, putting it in smoothies or making overnight oats with it - because I'm a hipster, obviously. Stick some cocoa nibs there for full wanker effect.

The hives had almost entirely cleared by Monday 31st July.

Yes, I still get the odd few spots and I have had a couple of minor relapses - but crucially they have actually been minor. 

I've been able to rejoin the gym and take up classes again. I've had lots of drinks. I'm eating whatever the hell I want. I'm able to stand and walk around with no limitations (hello, shopping...). My wardrobe is finally able to ease away from horrific floral trousers and unflattering sacks. I'm going to start weaning off my 4 x daily antihistamines.

It's still early days and I'm trying to manage my expectations, but christ. It's been 6 weeks and I'm still walking around with a grin plastered onto my face.

The worrying thing is that lots of people with CSU are avoiding fermented products because they're high in histamine. I certainly was. So, if a lack of those bacteria is what's causing their hives (though I suspect there are a variety of causes), all they're doing is making it worse. 

Anyway, hopefully this is the last you'll hear from me on this. I'm bored of it, even if you're not.