It's not uncommon for it to be a little challenging to get up to an effective dosage of Gastrocrom.  There are several things you can try, either one or all...

- Take it after eating for a while.

- Mix it with more water than usual, even a pint, if necessary, and drink it over a longer period of time, e.g., a tablespoon at a time every 20 minutes, or whatever works without stirring up symptoms.

- Revert to a dose that doesn't cause a reaction, like 1/4 or 1/2 vial and then work back up.

- Increase your H1 and H2 antihistamines to see if that eliminates the side effects.

Sometimes it's not a straight line increase.  Don't worry if you find you have to go back to a lower dose for a day or so if you're having more symptoms.  You should be able to go up again soon.  With new meds, it's not uncommon to have to slip it in "under the radar" of our over-excitable bodies!  I always have to start meds and supplements very slowly and in tiny dosages and to work up.

Let us know if that helps!  Hope so.

Joan

I take 200 mg four times a day. I didn't notice any side effects but was so sick when I started there may well have been

Keep us posted!

Hi tex,

I started on Gastrocrom 7 weeks ago.  I had a lot of trouble when I started and Joan gave me the same good advice.  

I took one TBS in 16 oz. of water every hour for many days before I could even go to every 15-20 minutes. It has been close to two months since I have started on it and I am up to two vials a day.  But there are days I back off to 1 1/2.  I also find that taking it before meals does not work for me.  I sometimes wonder if it is too much for the mast cells.... to have deal with a new med that may be aggravating them as well as digesting food (which triggers mine).

I have to eat 2 meals before I can even start to drink it.  So I have breakfast and lunch and start at around 2:00 and drink the 2 vials at intervals between afternoon and bedtime.  I still have palpitations and dizziness and tachycardia if I drink too much at once.  But I refuse to give up!  I can eat some things again and my bone pain is completely gone!

As we all know, everyone is different and I keep hearing from the experienced persons on this board (and from the docs)... each one of us has to do what is best for us!!

Hang in there...it sounds like you are doing exactly what you need to be doing!  

Hugs, from one "side effect queen" to another!  

Thanks everyone!

I am dealing with it a bit better.  Putting a vial in a water bottle and sipping on it all day "literally" at my desk.  I plan to make the solution a bit stronger each week.  

Joan-Not having a clear diagnosis is frustrating for sure...diagnoses I do have include a potpourri mix of IC, GERD, IBS, Fibro, allergies, and asthma (alphabet soup).  

My tryptase labs didn't look bad, so I guess the good news is nothing is systemic.  

Interestingly the new allergist said they try gastrocrom sometimes on people who have excercise induced "D"...don't usually have that, but have had hives and get a flu like stiffness if I exercise too much.  Plus, there is that problem of me being a human barometer haha!  So, I am hoping the gastrocrom will stabilize me enough that I don't react to every dang weather change (completely heat intolerant)! ...otherwise they are thinking about hiring me on the weather channel!  

Big hugs to all who gave me some suggestions.  I honestly am running out of meds to try that I can tolerate (singulair, allegra, claritin all give me side effects)...yes, anthihist do help (zyrtec and zantac I can tolerate) and are also a mainline treatment for IC, I pray that gastrocrom will help even more.    

I often fee like I balance helping one problem without causing more symptoms in another problem...a fine line we walk I guess!  Helps to have advise...

texan1960 wrote on 01/24/12 at 09:39:55:

All of these disorders have either been proven or suspected to involve mast cells... so I'd say you're on the right track!  It's not easy to figure out the right mix of medications (especially when you're the kind of person who's very sensitive to new medications).  Hang in there

Heather

ps - My mom has fibromylagia and thought I might have it too, but once the Gastrocrom kicked in 90% of the pain went away.  I still ache from sudden changes in weather, but nothing like before!

I have been taking Gastrocrom for about 4 months now and I have no doubt that I am reacting, both positively and negatively, to it.  On the upside, it is helping my symptoms.  But, I am feeling like it makes my mind race and I find it even more difficult to concentrate.  Sometimes my heart races, too, and I have trouble falling asleep.  (I have ruled out other possible causes pretty carefully).    

Thanks to everyone for the advice on alternative dosages!  I will try putting it in more water, etc.  I have tried as low as 200 a day, at the recommendation of my doctor, but it only helped a little and there were break-through symptoms.  

I already know that I react to Ketotifen, as well, so I am running out of options!  I need to give the Gastrocrom a shot at a much lower dose, be patient in building over time, and hopefully that will work!