Honey update

[tracyc]

I'm disappointed to report that my honey experiment with Fanny was a bust.

Last fall she had a fairly severe seasonal allergy to something airborn (some pollen or mold) that we treated traditionally with Benadryl, and even a short course of Prednisone when things got ugly. All symptoms subsided completely with the first frost here.

So...I devised a plan to try raw local honey this year, and she's been getting a daily dose of it since last Christmas, in an attempt to build up some natural immunotherapy to whatever pollen (?) was causing her seasonal troubles.

No such luck.

Last week, the allergy outbreak started up again, exactly the same as last year--it's the exact same week that it began last year too. I still have last year's prescription bottle with the date that we started it then. So, the poor itchy girl is back on Benadryl to give her some relief.

Drat.

Well, the honey's good on my oatmeal...

[BowWowMeow]

Hi Tracy,

I tried this also with Basu, who had terrible seasonal allergies. Shortly after he died I heard a story on NPR (or maybe read it somewhere???) that several studies had shown that local honey did not help with seasonal allergies.

Oh well...at least you supported your local honey bee farmer!

[LisaT]

I never had any luck with honey either. Bioflavanoids, vit C, and a good multi often help.

[mspiker03]

I'm sorry the honey experiment didn't work for you. We are still using it. For us, Levi has his itchy period in late fall/winter/spring (well, do we really have seasons here in San Diego?). Anyway, he was itching really bad for some time when that one honey thread popped up (earlier this year) - hair loss around the ears and every time he sat, he itched. I started with 2 weeks of ACV and then did one week of honey - and the itching stopped...hair grew back! So, I am not sure if it is a coincidence or not. We'll have to see how he does this winter.

But, either way, he absolutely LOVES the honey, so I will continue with it. I say the word honey, and he comes running to the kitchen. Heck, I don't even have to say it - he sees me making lunch, and he comes a runnin' (my lunch time is when he gets his honey)! He certainly won't let me forget what time it is!

[LJsMom]

I'm still doing the raw local honey and remain hopeful. My honey guy said to use wildflower honey for allergies. Is this what others are using?

[tracyc]

I was using both wildflower and clover honey, alternating between the two.

[Maedchen]

Poor Fanny! I'd try high quality Spirulina. Google spirulina for relief of allergies and you should come up with some info.
I'm using honey myself right now for my cold (and my kids)- works really great for cough!

[tracyc]

Thanks for the tip! Spirulina is one of several green-food powders that I mix with their daily kefir snack--they also get chlorella, kelp, wheatgrass and barleygrass powder. Maybe upping the spirulina would help. Right now, benadryl is working, so anything that gives her some relief.

[3K9Mom]

Really? Gosh. That's too bad. I ran out of honey, and we didn't have a chance to get to the honey stand (in the mountains), and Camper became Mr. Scabby Guy within about a week. Two or so weeks later, we went to the mountains, I bought a huge container of honey, and within a week, his scabs were falling off, and he has beautiful smooth skin again.

I mean, it was that clear. No honey = itching and scabs. Reintroduce honey = no itching, no scabs.

Is your honey super local? When I buy honey from one honey stand (in the mountains to the south of us), it works ok. When I buy it from another honey stand (in the mountains to the north of us), it works a lot better. It's all about lining up the bees' ecosystem with yours. And yeah, ours is all wildflower/weed/shrub/flowering trees, etc honey from small stands. Wildflower honey, I guess is what they'd call it (sounds nicer) because that's what we're allergic to... Hmmmm....

Dang. I thought it would work for all our beloved dogs..

[3K9Mom]

I just saw your last post. My alternative medicine/holistic vet says she isn't a huge fan of kelp, spirulina, algae, etc for dogs. She says that they're plant-based, so how much they're absorbed isn't clear. But mostly, they are often the CAUSE of sensitivities/allergies exactly because they're plant-based as well as not a usual part of canid environments (in other words, our dogs haven't evolved to establish tolerances).

Sure, many dogs may have, but not all...

So...perhaps you pull Fanny off of all these and see what happens?

I dunno. Just a thought...