Allergy Testing Boo Hoo!

So. After years of pushing it off, I went to see an allergist last week.  We went through all my many year long symptoms and she had me come back tonight for those pin prick tests.

Seems I'm allergic to like, everything. Trees, mold, grass, dust, etc.

And. Cats. 

In fact, the cats came up as having the strongest response.

Obviously, the cats are going nowhere although, our occasional discussions about getting a 3rd kitty will have to end.  Casper and Cocoabean are family and it isn't even being given a nano second of consideration otherwise.  The doctor has cats, so she fully agreed on that!

Right now, she's putting me on a stronger allergy medication than what I've been taking, I'll be using a nasal spray also.  If that doesn't work in the next couple of months, most likely I'll head on to allergy shots which is a HUGE time commitment which is rather daunting to me.  I'm researching HEPA air filters (very expensive but necessary it seems), dust mite covers for all my bedding and also probably will have to get rid of my favorite pillow since it's way old and probably filled with icky things which I shouldn't focus on LOL.

Does anyone else here suffer from severe allergies?  How are you coping and what do you do for them?  

My friend has cats and allergies and is a home visiting hospice nurse.  She takes medications AND carries an inhaler for serious attacks.  She has two Maine Coons who live outdoors during the day and indoors at night (in Vermont) and one will not set foot outside the door if there is any snow on the ground (about 6 months out of the year there).  She keeps a clean house and tries to remember to wash her hands between touching cats and touching her own face, and she does fine.  Even if you are allergic to cats in general, often you can become LESS allergic to your OWN cats because it's like having the allergy shots when you are exposed to them all the time, so your heavy reaction to CAT on the allergy test is significant but may be less significant with your OWN cats.  I do think if you study some natural diet remedies that there are things you can eat, and avoid eating, that can help with allergies.

I guess I shouldn't be overly surprised. Some years ago, I had a very intense allergic reaction to one of my sisters cats.  I always thought maybe it was just that specific cat since I never had it happen before or after and, my other sister had cats also.  I really don't notice symptoms better or worse when around our two. I can bury my face in Cocoas long furry belly (which, she loves) and it isn't like I start sneezing or wheezing.  

I'm already using an inhaler if needed (rare) and was taking Zyrtec daily nearly all year.  I'll give the new meds a try and we are going to buy a HEPA filter for the bedroom, at the very least.  

DH is allergic to cats and we have seasonal allergies too.  He is faithful to change the air filter on our furnace and we use a good quality one.  My allergies are much less with that.  When I lived at home I don't think my mom and step-dad changed the filter often at all.  They also never ran the ac; so our windows were open letting it all in.  We also clean the filters on the vacuum regularly.  Keeping the cats out of our bedroom gives DH a allergy free place too.  We've always done this; so it's not a big deal to the girls.  He takes allergy meds and that seems to be enough.  Our cats bother him less than other peoples too.

sivyaleah said:

Does anyone else here suffer from severe allergies?  How are you coping and what do you do for them?  

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Yep, cats, mold, grass, dust, trees, ragweed...the list is enormous.

I don't even know where to start, but I guess I will start here

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/living-with-cat-allergy

I've been getting the shots for at least ten years now. They do help, but not as much as I hoped. They chose my four highest allergens and I get a shot for each when I go. I think it's cat, dust mites, ragweed and grasses.

Are you worse after cleaning the house, etc? A neti pot has made a big difference for me with that. After cleaning or doing work out in the yard, I always use a neti pot. Some people use it every day and had found it helps them tremendously. It took me a while to warm up to the idea of using one, but it is worth it.

AbbysMom said:

Yep, cats, mold, grass, dust, trees, ragweed...the list is enormous.

I don't even know where to start, but I guess I will start here

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/living-with-cat-allergy

I've been getting the shots for at least ten years now. They do help, but not as much as I hoped. They chose my four highest allergens and I get a shot for each when I go. I think it's cat, dust mites, ragweed and grasses.

Are you worse after cleaning the house, etc? A neti pot has made a big difference for me with that. After cleaning or doing work out in the yard, I always use a neti pot. Some people use it every day and had found it helps them tremendously. It took me a while to warm up to the idea of using one, but it is worth it.

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Thanks Karen!

Actually, I rarely am the one to clean house - lucky me!  Tom usually does it because he's home more with his schedule and, it's become difficult for me to do many of the tasks myself.  I NEVER do the litter box, or only on rare occasions like if he's out of town visiting family.  I try to hire cleaning crews periodically to do deep cleanings but unfortunately scheduling them isn't easy. I wish I could find a company that works weekends.  

I know some people who use neti pots.  Will look into it and see if I think it will help.  I always clean up after doing any yard work, luckily I'm not allergic to the flowering bushes on my property. Those are not usually culprits it seems anyway (roses for instance, rank really low as an allergen which surprised me).

I'm going to start off changing meds and see if that help along with the other home items she suggested.

MoochNNoodles said:

 
DH is allergic to cats and we have seasonal allergies too.  He is faithful to change the air filter on our furnace and we use a good quality one.  My allergies are much less with that.  When I lived at home I don't think my mom and step-dad changed the filter often at all.  They also never ran the ac; so our windows were open letting it all in.  We also clean the filters on the vacuum regularly.  Keeping the cats out of our bedroom gives DH a allergy free place too.  We've always done this; so it's not a big deal to the girls.  He takes allergy meds and that seems to be enough.  Our cats bother him less than other peoples too.

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I do admit we don't change the filters on the a/c as much as we should.  Mainly because it's difficult to reach - it was installed in our attic (old home, retrofitting is always difficult).  

We have radiator heat so no filters on that equipment but thanks for the reminder that I need to order vacuum filters!

We run the a/c ALL summer and the way the climate has been, even into the fall now.  We even had it on the other day.  

I am also in the same boat as @sivyaleah     

I am very allergic to cats.. dust, most, ragweed, goldenrod, spring grasses, oak, maple, etc...the list goes on and on...

I have had 2 scratch tests in my lifetime.. 

Both times I was told never to have a cat.. did I listen, no way !!

First time I lived at home, cat was not allowed in my room. I rarely brushed her.. but I loved her..

this time, I had a scratch test AFTER I adopted Artie..Again, I was told to get rid of him. The allergist and me were not a good fit..

I have a HEPA air cleaner in my bedroom-use it every night. During the spring/summer, I have one in the great room also. I change the furnace air filters every 3 months. Dust and Vacuum routinely. 

I did try the steroid nasal sprays.. I do not care for steroids, so I stopped it.. Now I am using a non-steroid nasal spray and take claritin and/or zyrtec daily.. and eye drops during the summer. 

I also have asthma, but I very occasionally use the rescue inhaler. 

I run the AC almost constantly during the warmer months.. that seems to help a lot. Keep the windows closed at night and the AC on. 

I am always 'airing out' the apartment. Even in cold weather.. I like to have the windows open a bit during the day, when I have the sun on my side of the building. I avoid windy days though.

If I get a cat scratch or a scratch from a bite, I immediately wash it out, alcohol and peroxide it. I also try to use  bacitracin and a bandaid for a few days.. The scratches do itch like crazy.. the same reaction as a scratch test..but it goes away....

I find that if I spend a lot of time, as in 3 hours with the cats at the humane society, then, my allergies will start.. but I manage it all..

Yes, I do believe you can become pretty much immune to your own cat.. now Artie sleeps on my pillows.. 

Good Luck..

Artiemom said:

 
I am also in the same boat as @sivyaleah     

I am very allergic to cats.. dust, most, ragweed, goldenrod, spring grasses, oak, maple, etc...the list goes on and on...

I have had 2 scratch tests in my lifetime.. 

Both times I was told never to have a cat.. did I listen, no way !!

First time I lived at home, cat was not allowed in my room. I rarely brushed her.. but I loved her..

this time, I had a scratch test AFTER I adopted Artie..Again, I was told to get rid of him. The allergist and me were not a good fit..

I have a HEPA air cleaner in my bedroom-use it every night. During the spring/summer, I have one in the great room also. I change the furnace air filters every 3 months. Dust and Vacuum routinely. 

I did try the steroid nasal sprays.. I do not care for steroids, so I stopped it.. Now I am using a non-steroid nasal spray and take claritin and/or zyrtec daily.. and eye drops during the summer. 

I also have asthma, but I very occasionally use the rescue inhaler. 

I run the AC almost constantly during the warmer months.. that seems to help a lot. Keep the windows closed at night and the AC on. 

I am always 'airing out' the apartment. Even in cold weather.. I like to have the windows open a bit during the day, when I have the sun on my side of the building. I avoid windy days though.

If I get a cat scratch or a scratch from a bite, I immediately wash it out, alcohol and peroxide it. I also try to use  bacitracin and a bandaid for a few days.. The scratches do itch like crazy.. the same reaction as a scratch test..but it goes away....

I find that if I spend a lot of time, as in 3 hours with the cats at the humane society, then, my allergies will start.. but I manage it all..

Yes, I do believe you can become pretty much immune to your own cat.. now Artie sleeps on my pillows.. 

Good Luck..

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This all sounds very similar to me.

I also have an inhaler - both a rescue and maintenance. I'm terrible about using it daily - I always forget.  The rescue one really does help when things get out of control!

I had been taking Zyrtec for years pretty much daily but I think it's effectiveness has worn off some.  I can't remember offhand the name of the new one she prescribed - I'm picking it up tonight.  She gave me a sample of a heavy duty nasal spray but I won't be using it -  it tasted SO disgusting, I kept retching from it plus insurance won't cover it anyway.  So she said just pick up Rhinocort or Nasacort - both should be of some help.

We also open windows during cooler weather.  I find this helps. A/C does help a lot too but can lead into a few arguments here and there with my partner LOL.  

BTW, my understanding is the HEPA needs to run 24/7. I'll have to do some more research on that.

sivyaleah said:

 
This all sounds very similar to me.

I also have an inhaler - both a rescue and maintenance. I'm terrible about using it daily - I always forget.  The rescue one really does help when things get out of control!

I had been taking Zyrtec for years pretty much daily but I think it's effectiveness has worn off some.  I can't remember offhand the name of the new one she prescribed - I'm picking it up tonight.  She gave me a sample of a heavy duty nasal spray but I won't be using it -  it tasted SO disgusting, I kept retching from it plus insurance won't cover it anyway.  So she said just pick up Rhinocort or Nasacort - both should be of some help.

We also open windows during cooler weather.  I find this helps. A/C does help a lot too but can lead into a few arguments here and there with my partner LOL.  

BTW, my understanding is the HEPA needs to run 24/7. I'll have to do some more research on that.

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I understand about the zyrtec losing it's effectiveness.. I get it.. I kind of overdose of the stuff. I take a claritin in the morning and a zyrtec in the afternoon. The nasal spray antihistamine is Astelin.. it is not covered by a lot of insurance companies. It really does help. it is a good drug.. I finally found one where it is covered.. 

I had to start using Pataday eye drops because the eyes were getting so itchy this summer. It helps with the itchiness, but not with the tearing. That is not routinely covered by insurance, but I was able to get a pre-authorization for it. 

I also have a script for the Astatine eye drops also.. I may try them.. 

I used to use the steroid nasal sprays, before they went OTC. They were ok, but after a while, I started seeing a bit of blood when I blew my nose.. no I stopped using all steroids...

I have used the HEPA air cleaner just at night. When my allergies are really bad, I use a larger one in the living area... Artie is so afraid of it!n It does help.. I use it sparingly in the great room. 

Wishing you the best of luck with this..

I am not allergic, which is very auspicious, since I will always live with the cats I love.  It is good that there are so many choices of drugs and other ways to deal with that issue.  I am fortunate to know people who have opted to live with the cats they love and prioritize that love above their other issues.  I pray there would be far more like them.

When I found out I had extrinsic asthma and allergies we already had a dog and cat, both were big time shedders.  Since I learned I was also allergic to environmental triggers, e.g. trees, pollen, ragweed, dust, etc. I would have to take medication regardless so I told the allergist what difference would it make if I had pets.  He knew I meant business, therefore, told me all the things others mentioned about keeping the bedroom allergy free.  In addition, he suggested putting a separate sheet across the bed to keep fur off the sheets/blanket and throw it in the washer on a regular basis. I did purchase allergen pillow cases but never got a hepa air purifier which the doc suggested.  I meant to do it but just never did.  

There was no way I could keep our dog out of the bedroom, he slept on the floor next to my side of the bed from day one.  At the time we had Neely, our cat in my avatar, and she would rather investigate the house at night than stay in bed.   After she passed away we adopted our persian cat, Carleton, who is glued to us and our bed.  We have central air and use it in summer but living in northern IL our longest season is winter.  I used to take Clarinex and a nasal spray but stopped.  The only med. I take now is Singular and occasionally have to go on Advair.  Our dog has since passed and I honestly feel my allergies are not as bad as they used to be or maybe as others said I have become more immune.  

Ok so, here's the new meds I'm on:

Xyzal - new pill to replace Zyrtec. Similar but stronger.

Nasacort - nasel spray to use as an adjunct.

My understanding is it can take up to a week for effectiveness to totally kick in.  So far, I see some improvement.  Not sneezing as much and the wheezing had decreased a lot.

Still researching air purifiers.  I want to be sure I buy the right one.  

Cats are still going to sleep with us, of course. I like @Neely  suggestion about throwing a separate cover over the bed during the daytime and removing it at night.  I bet that would help to some degree in reducing the amount of dander that is in the bed.

I have always had dogs in he past.  3 years ago when I first started caring for ferals, and eventually one of them would come into my house, I developed a slight allergy.  Never had one with dogs.  Then last December when I adopted Katy from a shelter, again, slight allergies for about 2 months, then they went away.  No more allergies after a few weeks and Katy even sleeps with me, so go figure.

sivyaleah said:

 
Ok so, here's the new meds I'm on:

Xyzal - new pill to replace Zyrtec. Similar but stronger.

Nasacort - nasel spray to use as an adjunct.

My understanding is it can take up to a week for effectiveness to totally kick in.  So far, I see some improvement.  Not sneezing as much and the wheezing had decreased a lot.

Still researching air purifiers.  I want to be sure I buy the right one.  

Cats are still going to sleep with us, of course. I like @Neely  suggestion about throwing a separate cover over the bed during the daytime and removing it at night.  I bet that would help to some degree in reducing the amount of dander that is in the bed.

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A new drug! Xyzal ~~~ let me know if it helps you, or you get sleepy from it. Zyrtec can cause some tiredness..

I tried Rhinocort, a long time ago; Now, it is over the counter. It is a steroid. I want to stay away from steroids. 

Good luck, hope this regimen helps..

Artiemom said:

 
A new drug! Xyzal ~~~ let me know if it helps you, or you get sleepy from it. Zyrtec can cause some tiredness..

I tried Rhinocort, a long time ago; Now, it is over the counter. It is a steroid. I want to stay away from steroids. 

Good luck, hope this regimen helps..

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Yes, it makes me quite tired, similar to Zyrtec, but the instructions say to take it at night which is what I did with Zyrtec too. That way, by the time I wake up (theoretically of course), it's worn off that side effect.  Of course they probably don't mean people who get up at 5:30 am LOL.  It is making me more drowsy than the other one which is good, and bad.  Just wish I had the luxury of an extra hour of sleep.

I don't mind the spray being a steroid. It's pretty much a lightweight one, and hopefully I won't have to depend on it too much. If I make enough changes at home, perhaps the pill alone will do the job. If not, I will be considering the allergy immunotherapy for sure.

sivyaleah said:

 
Yes, it makes me quite tired, similar to Zyrtec, but the instructions say to take it at night which is what I did with Zyrtec too. That way, by the time I wake up (theoretically of course), it's worn off that side effect.  Of course they probably don't mean people who get up at 5:30 am LOL.  It is making me more drowsy than the other one which is good, and bad.  Just wish I had the luxury of an extra hour of sleep.

I don't mind the spray being a steroid. It's pretty much a lightweight one, and hopefully I won't have to depend on it too much. If I make enough changes at home, perhaps the pill alone will do the job. If not, I will be considering the allergy immunotherapy for sure.

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thanks for the info.. I am not sure it is for me, as I am sleepy enough!!

Welcome to the "club"! What's worked for me is to keep home textiles to a minimum - no carpets, drapes or upholstered furniture (we have leather, and pillows or throws are washed frequently). I vacuum constantly (HEPA filter) and steamclean the floors at least once weekly. The biggest help has been having an industrial HEPA air filtration system installed in the house and having it run once an hour. It was very expensive, but has been worth every penny.

I used to use an asthma inhaler for my cat hair allergy, but several weeks after I started working at an animal shelter I was able to ditch it - somehow the "overkill" of 50 to 70 cats stopped the asthma attacks, except for when I have to deal with Persians.

WELCOME to the club. I have had cat allergies since I was little . Had the shots; didn't work. Told by my allergist I need to get rid of my cats ( yes plural I have 3) I got rid of the allergist. I take Zyrtec every day. Wash my hands frequently. Yes I sleep with my cats and play with them. I did a lifestyle change but my cats stay

Red Top Rescue said:

 
". . . I do think if you study some natural diet remedies that there are things you can eat, and avoid eating, that can help with allergies."

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I heartily agree with this!  Two of my sisters have had allergies, some serious, so I have done some research about them. One food that my family regularly uses is Virgin Coconut Oil, for its many health benefits . . . one of which is it's natural anti-inflammatory properties. It's also truly the best oil for cooking, but I often just add it to already hot or warm foods.  I've also applied it externally to my 'tennis elbow', which gave almost immediate relief of the pain, each time . . . combining that with holding my arm straight when I slept & as much as possible at other times, but didn't have to in order to avoid pain. . . . My husband & another friend have occasional eye discomfort/ infections, so they've put it on their eyelids at night (it melts & gets right into his eyes, soothing them immediately,, but temporarily blurring vision).  I've used it for food poisoning, bee stings, tooth pain, extra energy & being able to go longer between meals without feeling hungry, etc. . . .

"VCO: Natural Antihistamine"

- Virgin Coconut Oil 

http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/articleitem.php?articleid=291

My only allergy is from bee / wasp stings, but I've learned to ward off the problems by immediately either taking a dose of MSM, or, squirting the area with white grain-based vinegar.  (I usually don't want to put oil on my skin & get it on my clothes.)  I've never gone into anaphylactic shock from being stung, but, have had my arm swell up big & red, & been in such pain it was quite unbearable . . . way before I knew about MSM or white vinegar. . . .  Now, I just apply or ingest whichever I have, immediately, and only the faintest redness & residual pain occurs thereafter. . . .

". . . The two scientists primarily responsible for discovering and investigating MSM were chemist Robert Herschler and Stanley W. Jacob, MD, a professor at Oregon Health Sciences University Medical School. Both had suffered from respiratory allergies and were delighted to find that when they took MSM their allergies cleared up. Being scientists with an investigative nature, they stopped taking MSM just to see what would happen and sure enough, the allergies came back again. . . .  Scientists don’t know why MSM reduces allergy symptoms, but MSM is known to be a potent anti-inflammatory, while the sulfur in MSM aids in both detoxification and in the creation of the body’s primary antioxidant, glutathione. . . ."

"MSM the Definitive Guide":

 - The Nutritional Breakthrough for Arthritis, Allergies and More