Allergies

[WebLady]

Who all has allergies here? How do you deal?

*poll coming

[WebLady]

So me; well I seem to have pretty much year 'round respiratory allergies, indoors and out. I assume it is mold and dust inside and pollen and such outside. The indoor thing is pretty much all year 'round, though I have good days and bad days. The outdoor thing is not usually bothersome except in the Spring then I am pretty much miserable if I go outside, and especially so if I am having a bad day indoors too :whyme:

How do I deal with this? I am still working on that; drugs only seem to help a little and I have been to Dr's that don't seem to give me much hope to bother trying other methods. So now I am trying to research natural treatments and maybe get an air cleaner, but they are expensive. So most of the time I just deal with it on my own.

Some dogs and just about all cats bother me, but my dogs don't seem to affect my allergies :D

I also have some drug allergies (sulfa/sulfur based meds and a couple of others I forget), some make me break out, some make me dizzy and/or nauseous. But so far it is just RX meds and they are in my file at the Dr, so I just don't take them.

I have sensative skin too; I have what I have been told is "mild" excema, so my skin is pretty dry and in some areas can get flakey and itchy and sometimes patchy red (really sexy :whyme:) certain dyes and purfumes will make it worse and break me out.

How do I deal with my skin issues? Lots of lotion and try to keep dyes and purfumes out of the house.

As far as I know I am not allergic to any foods.

[MrsGrady08]

I have seasonal allergies. Usually the beginning of spring and fall they get really bad. But last year I didn't have a problem with them and Im SO glad!

Claritin is my best friend. I always have some in the house just in case.
The week before the wedding I was taking it everyday, even though I had no symptoms. I was so afraid they would start up the day before and I would be sneezing and sniffling through the ceremony.:)

[mitch]

I don't have any that i know of. Although i do get the occassional sneezing fit to the point of almost passing out. :bbeek:

I've never matched two sneezing fits to one thing though. So maybe i just get the Lurgy now and then.

I'm allergic to work sometimes. Does that count :rofl:

[Katie-ryn]

I'm not allergic to anything and neither is FH. Out of me and my 4 siblings only 2 have allergies. One is allergic to nickle (contact dermatitis) and the other is allergic to fake jalapeno flavouring (she breaks out into horrible hives).

[WebLady]

DH doesn't seem to be allergic to pollen and such or dust or anything, but he is allergic to Mango apparently. He ate it once and got pretty sick, so he wasn't touched it since.

My sister has seasonal allergies as does my Mom and Dad; Mom has asthma too. Neither of my brothers are allergic to anything that I know of.

[MrsDM]

For the most part, I have seasonal allergies. More specifically, whenever the mold counts get high, I am a wreck. However, I can go into a older house that may have mold and feel the same way at any time of year.

[Measha]

I never had an issue with pollen and the like back home, but perhaps that's because nothing blooms! (Alaska girl.) Now that I'm in the "desert" the hay fever usually gets me a little in the late summer/fall. Not nearly as bad as poor Jon though :(

I have other rather random allergies. I can't have shellfish, though luckily I don't eat it anyway (not kosher). If food has even touched a shrimp before I eat it my mouth will itch like crazy. If I actually eat a shrimp I'll not only itch but get hives and my throat will swell. I have a much more minor reaction to walnuts, but it can still be bothersome.

Cats are probably the worst. Being in a cat owner's house makes my eyes itch, and my throat dry. Petting them makes me break out in hives (even in my throat), itch all over, red puffy watering eyes. It didn't happen til I was in my teens, I used to love cats. Now and then very hairy dogs will make me break out a tiny bit too, mostly on my arms. But it's not severe enough for me to worry over, and I LOVE dogs so I'll just deal with it ;)

And, cigarette smoke. Which can also extend to some overly perfumed brands of incense. Instant headaches and difficulty to breathe.

On the upside I don't have any massive food allergies to anything I really like *chuckle*, and no medicine allergies that I am aware of.

[ChibiAiChan]

When I had my allergy test it revealed I was allergic to the outdoors lol. I take claritan (meijer off brand, lot cheaper and it's exactly the same). I have had my allergy to latex FOREVER. They actually found out that I had it when I had my first dentist appointment, I came out of the room looking like the dentist punched me in the face o.o. There was suspcions though,... I had a colostomy bag for the firsy 6mo-1yr of my life and was breaking out from it. I take benedryll with me EVERYWHERE I go. I have been told eventually it will not work and will have to get an epi-pen. Otherwise, anaphylaxic shock.
sorry if I'm not very coherant. I'm getting over being sick ;.;

[TwoPeasinAPod]

I'm allergic to life! lol

I'm allergic to everything from Morphine, to grass, and to my cute dog! I suffer big time year round. I also have severe asthma symptoms when my allergies flare up. Basically, I wheez and have trouble breathing. I would LOVE to just have itchy eyes and sneezing.

Basically, I have to alter my lifestyle. I wash my dog weekly (and her toys). I dust every couple days, have no carpeting, wash my hands constantly, etc.

I take singulair and nasacort AQ to help relieve symptoms.

I'm SERIOUSLY considering allergy shots since my life is so impacted by my allergies.

[FutureKelley]

The beginning of summer is the worst for me as far as seasonal allergies go. I'm not really sure *what* I'm allergic to, but it has to be some sort of pollen because I did not have any allergies until I moved down here to Arkansas. I may also be allergic to the cats, but it doesn't really bother me unless they rub up on my face.

I've tried pretty much every allergy medication out there without any luck. I've also used Nasonex, but that didn't work either. I just have to deal with it.

I'm also allergic to beef and pork. I'm still learning to deal with that one. It's pretty hard to go out and eat without any sort of cross contamination. I've made plenty of trips to the ER over the past couple of years from it.

[RosieAngel]

I'm allergic to bananas, and I love bananas! :bawling: I hope my hypothetical child doesn't have banana allergies.

[gwenshack]

I am allergic to pet hair - I don't do the whole sneezing thing but I end up with swollen and watery eyes. I spent the night on a friend's couch, who has a cat, and I woke up with my eyes totally crusted over. GROSS! So no pets for me. I can actually be around them for a little while, so long as I wash my hands and don't touch my face, but FH can't be in a room with a cat for more than like ten minutes before he starts sneezing.

I also have REALLY sensitive skin. I have bad bad bad eczema and have all these blotches all over that itch like madness. I also tend to get heat rashes, a prickly annoyance, if I sweat a lot - which sucks, seeing as working out is my job. I have these huge red blotches in the middle of my back where my sports bra bands are. Very unattractive. Fortunately it'll be covered by my dress. I was worried with such a low back...phew. The dermatologist loves me - I'm a frequent guest!

[Nekochanpurr]

I'm just allergic to outside and dust and stuff like that.. Though, its year round. Oh! I'm really allergic to Dandelions.. Once i sniffed one and mom freaked and took me to the emergency room.. Cuz it made me have a bubble in my eye. o.o;
Allergy shots are AMAZING.. Specially since i have developed asthma from my allergies. I also take off brand claretin (woohoo dollar tree!) and it works most the time...

[Whitewater]

I am allergic to just about anything that grows outside -- weeds, grass, trees, pollen, straw, etc, also dust and mold (indoors and out) and cats, dogs, horses, ferrets, guinea pigs and most mammals -- but NOT goats, mice, rodents including gerbils or sheep, except for cashmere. I am also allergic to real fur, coyote, mink, fox, etc. I don't think I'm allergic to birds.

I have asthma too. I haven't got many asthma triggers save for tobacco in ANY way, shape or form (even clove cigs!) and one very specific cat, nobody knows why he messes me up so bad, but it's true. My asthma is also cold and exercise induced.

Before I saw a REAL allergy doc, my allergies used to set off my asthma also in some kind of wierd chain reaction, so I was pretty miserable for a while there. And that one cat prevented me from spending more than 5 minutes at my friend's house!

I am on Advair, Singulair (the wonder drug -- Singulair gave me back my life!), Allegra and I take allergy shots, though I only have to do it every other week now, and didn't have to take them at all over the winter.

Allergy shots, though annoying, have literally saved my life. And my drug combo allows me to do things like run, jog, climb stairs, swim, walk the dogs and exercise -- none of which I could do before. And now I can be at my friend's house for a whole hour before being forced to leave, which I figure is a distinct improvement.

I have a rescue inhaler but since going on the Singulair (which was the only new drug my new doc prescribed) and doing the shots, I have only used it a handful of times, as opposed to using it multiple times daily before I got on the right regime.

I am not allergic to any foods, though peppers make my stomach act up. I also get a rash from the perfumes/dyes they put in detergent, so I have to use the hypoallergenic stuff. It's not hives or an allergy, just a rash.

I am allergic to morphine that's given in an IV. I hallucinate and I throw up. Pills are fine. I suspect it's the immediacy of the IV treatment that makes the reaction happen.

Without my drugs I don't know what I would do. They're lifesavers!


Whitewater

[ChibiAiChan]

I'm allergic to bananas, and I love bananas! :bawling: I hope my hypothetical child doesn't have banana allergies.

I feel your pain! I'm not suppose to have bananas because they have the same proteins as latex =/

[TwoPeasinAPod]

Well, it looks like I am going to give my allergist a call! Thanks everyone. :)

[WebLady]

For those of you that have taken the shot therapy; did you have to do the scratch and prick test or did you just get a blood test to figure out what you are allergic to?

[Nekochanpurr]

My sis and i had to do the scratch test. Its annoying, but it doesn't really hurt. Once you break out enough, they stop though. For me, it was worth it not to have the chronic sinus infections anymore...

[ikkin510]

I started the shot theropy for my allergies a few weeks ago. I had to get the pricks and all that to findout what i was allergic to first. I'm have a strong allergy to dust, and then cats. I also have a skin allergy to certain perfumes, bug sprays and latex.
And I can't eat shellfish.

I also have asthma and my triggers are smoke and real christmas trees (I guess something about them being contained inside that bothers me.)

[WebLady]

I started the shot theropy for my allergies a few weeks ago. I had to get the pricks and all that to findout what i was allergic to first. I'm have a strong allergy to dust, and then cats. I also have a skin allergy to certain perfumes, bug sprays and latex.
And I can't eat shellfish.

I also have asthma and my triggers are smoke and real christmas trees (I guess something about them being contained inside that bothers me.)
Have you noticed any improvement yet?

About the scratch and prick test; I was told once that you can't do this test if you have tattoos on your arms and back (which I do); anyone know how true this is?

[candars]

The funny thing is I never had allergies when I was younger. I lived in Kansas, then Arizona, and now Oklahoma. I never had allergies until moving here but now they seem to get worse as I get older.