Uh-Oh, I'm Allergic. :( Grooming Tips?

I always thought I was the rare lucky human being who is totally allergy-free. How secretly superior I felt when my coworkers and friends started to fall victim to the inevitable spring and fall allergy seasons!

Well, I have a cat now. And I am allergic.

I had a mild reaction when I first brought Sophie home...itchy eyes and a mild headache for about a week...but it passed, and I figured I had built up an immunity/adjusted.

Now, of course, Sophie is mostly full-grown, with an adult coat of fur, and she is shedding wildly. And once again my eyes are itching, my head is pounding, and now let's add sniffles and chain-sneezing to the mix!

I am already experimenting with different allergy medicines - Zyrtec is the first one on the list, and so far, not seeing much relief (although it doesn't make me drowsy, which is good)...but then, I have a naturally high tolerance to most over-the-counter and prescription drugs, so I'll probably have to test-drive several before I find one that works.

Are there any equally-crazy kitty-allergic people here who deal with these symptoms for the sake of their furbabies? And if so, any hints on grooming the cat herself to minimize the dander would be excellent! I have a brush for her, which she enjoys, but even now that she's actively shedding, it doesn't seem to take much fur away. Does bathing them help at all?

Thanks so much everyone! Definitely a lot of good suggestions here, which I've already start to put into practice!

Keeping the place extra-clean is not a problem - I've already gotten into the habit of being a picky housekeeper since Soph is extra-sensitive to dust. So, regular dusting and vacuuming (parents have a Dyson Animal already - a must-have when you've got 2 Arctic breed dogs in the house that blow coat several times a year!). And most importantly, changing sheets as often as absolutely possible. [Long story short, I don't currently have the option of keeping her out of the bedroom at night - I'm living with the parents while unemployed, and we don't let Sophie mingle with the dogs unsupervised.] I'm also encouraging her [read: bribing with treats] to sleep in her own kitty bed, or anywhere other than her current favorite spot, which is on my pillow with her feet wrapped around my head.

I've also already tried giving her a wipe-down with a damp cloth - she was not overly fond of it, but far more cooperative than I would have expected! Impossible to tell on sight how much dander it removed, but it was definitely effective at removing some of the dead hair that she's shedding, so that's a good sign! I hate to submit her to a dreaded bath on my account, but I would like to accustom her to the process a little, since I'm sure at some point in her life, she'll probably need one! So I'll probably be picking out an anti-allergen shampoo as soon as I have the cash!

It's just so odd that I haven't had so much as a twinge in so long (and she literally does sleep an inch from my face - I have awakened with paws in my eye sockets and ears a few times), and all of the sudden this came up. I actually wondered if it was just a cold at first, but the symptoms are definitely more in line with allergies, and they get noticeably worse when we're in really close quarters. I've been making a big assumption that she will be like the dogs and have seasonal heavy shedding periods, and if that's the case, then hopefully it won't be a big issue all the time.

Thanks again to everyone for all the great suggestions! I have this whole thread bookmarked at this point, and will continue trying different things (starting with the "DIY" stuff first, since money's tight, but already considering things like an air purifier). In the meantime, cross your fingers for me that I build up an immunity!! This little girl deserves all the hugs, cuddles and kisses I can possibly give her - and she will get them! - but it WOULD be nice to not have to self-medicate in order to give them to her.