Intolerance to Benzoates

Pills:
  I've been burned before when I've said this but it does appear now that my formula is all set.  The Glycine dosage will remain high until further notice.  Forget what I said about the pantothenic acid.  It's a loser.  The diet is less clear and that's what is currently holding me back.

Diet:
I can avoid an adrenal spike by simply abstaining from high dose caffeine every 3rd day.  I thought I could avoid a PABA flare by simply avoiding benzoates every 3rd day.  Not so fast.  What is a PABA flare?  Normally, PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) is poison for me and a full 500 mg dose taken just once will trigger the usual flu-like malaise, which slowly fades over 3-5 days.  HOWEVER, on my 3rd or 4th day drinking water only, my body suddenly demands PABA at a precise dose.  I figure it's probably withdrawal.  Then, the next day, I go back to complete intolerance.  NOT VERY NICE!

Therefore, the only way to avoid a flare is to stick to drinking water only, which is very difficult to do over the long haul.   Almost every major brand soft drink, beer or sports drink contains benzoates, which are used as preservatives to protect against mold growth and increase shelf life.  The BIG question is how much of that stuff can I tolerate?  Surely, a few cups of Powerade on a weekend long run once a week should not hurt me.  I hope that I can handle an occasional beer as well. 

I intend to test this theory in the next week or two but here's how I think it will play out.  I'll be able to tolerate benzoates for 1-2 days THEN I must abstain for AT LEAST 3 days after that.  1-2 days on/1-2 days off will work with caffeine but NOT benzoates.  If I did go with the off and on strategy, I bet that I will always be mildly sluggish and have to face the flare whenever I go 3 days off.  Can this be done?  Figure, I can do what I want on the weekends but must be disciplined during the week.  I can live with that and really should not be consuming that crap on a regular basis anyway. 

Exceptions:
If the label says "Organic" or "No Preservatives,"  it is probably a safe choice.  Gold Peak Green Tea for example contains minimal caffeine, real sugar and no preservatives.  It's probably not as good as water because it does contain lots of sugar but it seems unlikely to do significant damage even if consumed regularly (which it won't be).  Organic beers are becoming more popular and are available at Whole Foods but I'd probably be hard pressed to find them in a bar.  Even still, that stuff will not be consumed regularly.  One rather bizarre episode occurred last week.  I had no major problem with a highly caffeinated organic energy drink BUT felt much worse after drinking a can of regular Coke later on that day.  The organic energy drink contains about 150 mg caffeine while the Coke has about 30 mg.  That proves that caffeine is not the problem.  Benzoates are.

Future:
It may be possible that in time, this issue will fade with continued use of Glycine and B-5 but even still, this stuff is not good for me.  It will not be consumed on a regular basis and I will go organic if I have that choice.  Even organic beers and energy drinks will be limited to weekend usage.