He guessed I had an allergic reaction and threw 5 different antihistamines
Not so much dumb luck after all! Allergic reactions often cause inflammation, and it’s the inflammation that is uncomfortable. Sure, it’s not very controlled (could have suggested one, then another, then another, until you got to Boswellia, preferably in order of prior belief for each more-specific hypothesis), and other things could cause inflammation, but it’s not completely luck either. (Though this did not detract from my enjoyment of the post!)
Helpfully, this study compared AKBA vs. NDGA, so maybe that could be a useful way to test the mechanism of action (they also differ in their specifics within that too, so that’s yet another question mark). Obviously not medical advice and just a curious wondering.
Not so much dumb luck after all! Allergic reactions often cause inflammation, and it’s the inflammation that is uncomfortable. Sure, it’s not very controlled (could have suggested one, then another, then another, until you got to Boswellia, preferably in order of prior belief for each more-specific hypothesis), and other things could cause inflammation, but it’s not completely luck either. (Though this did not detract from my enjoyment of the post!)
Some quick Googling says,
Helpfully, this study compared AKBA vs. NDGA, so maybe that could be a useful way to test the mechanism of action (they also differ in their specifics within that too, so that’s yet another question mark). Obviously not medical advice and just a curious wondering.