Hi, this is a weird question but I wanted to ask if anyone has had a flare up or increase in their PN due to some of the Christmas foods infused with extracts, and alcohol?

I had a PN flare (autoimmune PN) for 10 hours after eating icecream infused with a Grand Marnier extract swirl (0.7%) alcohol.

My sister in law has fibromyalgia and MS and she had a flare of her fibro and her feet started burning eating Christmas pudding from the supermarket with Paul's Brandy flavoured sauce. The sauce has no alcohol but has brandy flavouring. I believe the Xmas pudding had raisins and alcohol extract in it. (Small amount)

Anyways we were discussing this and wondered how common this might be? I just find this kind of odd because children can eat this stuff so the strong stuff in it would be negligible.

Thank you.
Aussie

As I had just bought rum aroma for some recipe, I had a quick look at the ingredients. It contains, according to the package (wait for it!):

• water
• aroma

Not very helpful. I suppose it's some kind of secret.

Anyway, I doubt it's alcohol related. It may be that we tend to eat a lot, and a lot of sugar these days. Not saying that explains all, but I know that for many people there is a relation between pain and large (larger than normal?) amounts of sugar (and flour).

Edit: some digging showed that it contains beeswax, shellac, carmine, yeast, beef gelatine, and "a lot of other components". They do claim it's approved for ovo-lacto-vegetarians though.

In short: who knows what's in it...

When alcohol is used in cooking, most of the alcohol is evaporated off. But the remaining flavors still give the impression of it. Alcoholic drinks of color have many chemicals in them. These are called congeners. They are partly responsible for the hangovers from whiskey, rums, bourbon, liqueurs, etc. So people who drink alcohol and have PN should only use filtered vodka, unflavored, very lightly because of this.

People vary in response to spices however. I get tingling/burning now from curry. Also on my "to avoid list" for myself, are
paprika, anything from peppers and cayenne, black pepper, excessive nutmeg and pumpkin spice. Any of these will cause burning for me depending on amount and other triggers present which might be additive. Sometimes I get GI reactions too.

However, ice cream itself is loaded with sugar and fat. The fat itself will thicken the blood (increase triglycerides) and in people with circulation issues (elevated bone marrow peptides) this thickened blood will cause the hands and feet to have slow circulation and perhaps elevated PN symptoms.
There was a study on normal people (without health problems) showing very slow blood flow (thickened blood) for several hours after consuming a high fat meal. We have had others here over the years who had symptoms of PN increase after ice cream.

Holiday times usually involve over eating, over stimulation of all kinds, and plenty of fat and sugar (or else what is over eating for!??...oh, chocolate and nuts of course!).

I long-ago learned that most of my flares were the result of an accumulation of stressors that finally tipped my immune system into overload and a flare.

And almost all of the liquor flavors in things we eat are truly not alcoholic in nature.

But staying up late, dealing with lots of people and some of them family!, traveling, and wanting to control outcomes, those are my stressors, for sure!

So I'm trying to stay as calm as possible, this Holiday.

And doing my best to minimize my immune response to my recent IVIG treatment.

I forgot to take my Medrol on Monday morning, and by late that night, I was in an autoimmune flare from the IVIG last Thursday.

We are always alert to what is going on, aren't we?

Happy New Year.

Hugs, Elaine

Thanks Wide-O
Your reply gave me a good giggle. The ingredients water and aroma are sure a big help aren't they?

I know what you mean about the sugar but I truly don't have an issue with sugar. I eat chocolate like it's going out of style.

Hi Mrs D,

Yes maybe it is a spice thing to some extent. Considering this Xmas food has a lot of the same spices. Thank you very much for reply.

Thank you Elaine for your reply. Yes the immune system does go into overdrive during the holidays I agree. I was fine however all day and it happened within 10 minutes of eating the icecream. I think it was the ingredients in the ice-cream. I just won't eat it again no matter how goodie tasted. :0(

Hint....Hagendaz vanilla does not set me off....but then I only have a very small amount at a time.

And @ Wide-O.... yes recovering alcoholics do eat alot of chocolate. My hubby is one.... he usually goes for Special Dark, or Dark with almonds. Even now, 10 years later.

if you like chocolate and cant eat it because of the sugar, hersheys makes a really really good sugar free dark chocolate. i just put a piece in my mouth and let it melt.

...and if dark chocolate gives one migraines?

Unfortunately, the "sugar-free" chocolates made with sugar alcohols aren't a solution for me; my body still thinks/reacts as if it's sugar, and causes PN flares.

Doc