I'm with Oakley - I don't think its that rare either. I think its something that isn't widely talked about because one might think its contagious. I've never been one to share drinks or lip gloss or whatever, but I do make sure that if my mouth is broken out, I keep my drinks away where my Grandson can't reach it. His parents share drinks with him so he just assumes others will. So many things pop up when you go through menopause, like the Frozen Shoulders I mentioned before. I had a total hysterectomy when I was 36 but stayed on HRT until 10 years ago - a couple years later, these strange things started happening. I know this sounds - weird - but I had to have a tooth pulled a couple years ago and this oral surgeon mentioned that he had read an article about something similiar and it was thought that the constant irritation could be brought about when a person has alot of metal in the mouth from fillings and crowns(gold). There could be a small electrical current going on which would keep the lining of the mouth sensitive, especially if the body chemistry is off - I think he said low potassium, magnesium, and perhaps zinc. I have several gold crowns, and a gold bridge, plus old fillings that contained some metal. I know at one time when I was having issues, my potassium level was low and the doctor started me on a supplement. I still take it daily. Let us know how the allergy tests go - no fun there.

For sinus sufferers, there was a bit on NPR about lactobacillus sakei and sinus infections...seems to be a strong connection to the good bacteria fighting off the sinus infections. Only thing is, it hasn't been studied yet in humans, but thought I'd mention that there has been some early signs of success with it. Also GF suffers with allergies and she has found that taking OTC antihistamine before or as her allergies begin really helps to control the situation as it keeps it from getting worse and setting up vicious cycles of misery. Though I have no first hand experience, I hope this helps.... what causes sinus infections Acutally this whole human biome business is just beginning to get hot and scientists are just beginning to understand that we shouldn't think of the body as a pristene place with viral and bacterial invaders that need to be wiped out....rather we need to think of the body as a garden where we want to grow the good bacteria so it can keep the bad stuff in check....fascinating stuff. Here is a link that might be useful: What works for chronic sinusitis

Check your diet and look for things like MSG, aspartame, High fructose corn syrup,GMOs and the list goes on. I personally have no use for drugs they cause more problems than they cure. There is a lot of different fields that deal with allergies acupuncture,NLP hypnosis. When you stop and think allergies are a mistake of the immune system it mistakes a non harmful substance and makes it public enemy #1 and the body starts to over react. It is not a lack of drugs

You can get Benedryl that is dye-free, but it is hard to find. You will be amazed at how many things have Red 40, like bar-b-que sauce, yogurt, many medicines. One brand of cake mix has it on the label for both yellow and chocolate cake. Then of course, all the red and pink things like jello, candy, some jelly, canned cherries, cherry pie filling, many toppings, ice cream, mixes with artificial berries. It's everywhere. A small percentage of people can taste red dye and it gives food a bitter taste to them. I am one of those people, so I have never been big on eating "red" things that other people think taste great. That is probably why I am not dead. I remember getting sick as a child on a desert that had red jello in it, and once ended up in the emergency room after taking a common (pink) med. In those days, I think I had to get a lot of it before I had a real problem. I always had problems after I would fly because I always took a pink motion sickness pill. I didn't know that everyone else didn't have gas, bloating, and diarrhea after flying. LOL Since I tend to get dizzy easily I had taken a lot of pink motion sickness meds before I discovered Meclizine. Also check any kind of vitamins you may take. Beware of anything red, pink or orange. I do really well most of the time, but occasionally when eating out I will get something without knowing it. If I get very much, I will have severe cramping within minutes. I practically live in the bathroom for the next two hours because my system will just try to "flush" it out. In addition, I have pains in my heart. During a very serious attack I will just be freezing and can't get warm. I sit in a hot tub of water, and keep running it hot until I finally warm up. I shake like I am having a siezure. Do you do any of these things? When it started to get so bad about 10 or 12 years ago, I thought I had some serious stomach or bowel disorder. Then I would get better and be fine for a few days, so I would think well, maybe not. If it does turn out that it is red dye, we are not alone. More and more people each year and learning that it bothers them. I am not a drinker, but I read an article about a lady being taken to the emergency after having a drink with grenadine. I hope this is not what is wrong, but at least if it is, you can control it. You will have to give up a few things, and maybe prepare more things from scratch, but you will soon learn what to avoid. Good luck. Carol