I posted in a.s.asthma and sinusitis and maybe food-allergies during
the previous two winters about my problems with asthma, sinusitis, and
recurring winter colds that would become sinus infections.  I posted
using the accounts bullwinkle@earthlink.net, and
nedflanders@earthlink.net, if anyone wants to google up my posts to
see if my conditions were similar to theirs.  I have included the text
of my most comprehensive post here at the bottom.

I have been meaning to post this follow up for several weeks.  I FOUND
THE PROBLEM!  I am fixed!  I stopped drinking milk. Period. That's
all.

I know there are physicians and internet know-it-alls who will quote
studies and say that milk has not been shown blah blah blah.  Well, no
study is 100%.  In my sample of one, dropping milk has worked.

I suffered with almost non-stop sinus infections for the previous 4 or
5 or more winters.  Asthma was a bonus part of the package. At one
point I believe I carried a low grade infection for over a year.  I
was always run down. That episode was finally cleared up after a
strong long course of antibiotics.

I had an early winter cold this past November.  Required antibiotics
to clear up the resulting sinus infection.  I pulled my copy of The
Sinusitis Help Book (M. Lee Williams) off the shelf and started
reading it again.  On pages 242-3 there is a section titled MILK
PRODUCTS, and it described my symptoms exactly.  I can't retype it all
here, but it talked about increased production of a very thick clear
mucus.  Mine went down my throat, not so much out the nose.

I had been drinking a large glass of skim milk at lunch and at supper.
I quit and the mucus went away within days.  And it never came back.
The mucus was providing a fertile home for any cold germs that came my
way, and for the resulting sinus infections.

I went through the entire winter without another cold, despite being
exposed to family members with colds, despite spending many hours and
days outdoors again enjoying winter sports.

I still eat normal amounts of cheese and butter, which do not seem to
cause any problems.  Ice cream does cause mucus.  In the summer I
think I'll be able to have some anyway.  I have learned to like soy
milk.  It's really not bad if you give it a chance.  Rice milk, otoh,
yuck.  Your mileage may vary.  Oh, my throat was very harsh for a
couple of weeks after I quit.  I think it missed having all the extra
fluids.

In summary, I can't believe how well this turned out.  I waited till
the end of winter to post this, just to make sure.  If you are having
problems and are drinking milk, try going without it.  It doesn't cost
anything.  It sure worked for me.  I am curious to see how bad my
"typical" summer allergies are going to be.  Maybe there will be
improvement there too.

There is not much more to the story.  However, if anyone want to
contact me, a valid email address is temp11 (at) tande (dot) com.

Here is my post from 2002-01-05 in the asthma group:
When I get a cold **in the winter**, it always ends up settling into
my lungs or upper tracts. Then I get a bacterial infection with
non-productive cough, and I feel tired and listless. Then I have to go
to the doctor for antibiotics. I think it is due to me having mild
asthma. I am searching for a way to prevent this from happening. Or at
least to understand what is happening. Details: I live in the midwest
US. Middle aged male. Not overweight. I have seasonal allergies to
pollen and mold. In the last few years I have had certain allergy
seasons, which seem to have been mold-based, where I had a wheezing
feeling and non-productive cough. I went to my allergy doctor. He said
I was on the border of asthma, although he did not want to classify me
as asthmatic, just to avoid having me labeled as such in the eyes of
an insurance company, for instance. (We buy our own insurance.) He
prescribed an inhaler to use when needed, Proventil I think, and
something else too. It may have been a different kind of inhaler. That
was a couple of years ago so I have forgotten exactly what it was. It
became a non-issue because we found that Claritin worked very well for
me and I no longer got the asthmatic episodes from pollens or molds. I
do find that I have the same asthmatic feeling if I am exposed to
fumes. Spray paint would be an example. I use a fumes mask if I have
to do anything involving paint or solvents and that seems to solve
that. I avoid having the exposure in the first place, mostly. I was
getting allergy shots, but after about 3 years they were not helping.
The Claritin worked well, so that's what we went with. But the allergy
doctor didn't seem to want to do anything for this cold problem. I
can't explain it. He seems to put everyone in the same treatment
regimen, and any questions just bounce right off him. So I stopped
going there and my family doctor prescribed my Claritin. Well and
good. Now my family doctor has moved away. I have to find a new
doctor. I have a cold right now that has settled into my lungs, and a
non-productive cough, as usual. And lack of energy, as usual. I have
to make an appointment with some doctor, get the Zithromax, and
problem will be solved. Until the next winter cold. I want to break
this cycle, or failing that, I want to know more about what is
happening to see if I can do something better, prevention-wise. I
probably should start an exercise plan, for instance. Well, that's my
story. Does anyone have any advice regarding what specialty of doctor
or clinic to go to? How about exercise, will it help build lung
capacity and resistance to this? Or should I just go get the
antibiotics each time this happens?