Question of The Day. Saturday the 8th of April.

[Norachan]

Good morning.

It's starting to feel like spring is here! I'm so happy that it's finally getting warmer.

A lot of people I know suffer at this time of year because the ceder trees start producing lots of pollen. From about April onward you'll see lots of people walking around wearing those surgical masks, trying to avoid breathing in too much pollen. Fortunately I'm not allergic to ceder. (Really fortunate, considering I live in the middle of a forest.) I'm allergic to penicillin and I'm allergic to shitake mushrooms, but that's all.

How about you, do you get hay fever? Any other allergies?

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

no seasonal allergies here. i'm allergic to a handful of medications though, sulfa being the worst. well, there was also the last tetanus shot that i had a nasty reaction to.

 

[jennifurr]

I am allergic to ragweed, as it clogs up my sinuses. I also do get some hay fever here and there, but I don't have any other allergies that I know of.

 

[Freedom]

Oh my yes, hay fever in both Spring and Autumn.  I know, in the Spring it technically is not hay fever as there is no 'hay' yet, lol.  I know in the Autumn that goldenrod is a big trigger for me.  In the Spring, I suspect pine trees are one of my triggers.

 

[neely]

Seasonal allergies, yes, as well as allergies to cats and dogs but don't tell anyone I live with both. 

  (Actually our dog has passed away but we shared our home with him and Neely at the same time, Ahchoo!) 

 

[artiemom]

Oh yes... Seasonal allergies, in addition to dust, grasses, trees,  cats and dogs!!!

 Pretty much year round..

I started my eye drops about 3 weeks ago.

I should have started the nasal spray then, but didn't. I began it this morning. I have been feeling sniffly, and allergy-ish the pst 24 hours.. 

Time or the second air filter in the house!! 

I swear the spring is worse for me than the late summer. 

 

[sivyaleah]

Yes plus, I finally went to see an allergist a few months ago to be tested, so now I know for sure what I'm allergic to.  Which is pretty much everything outdoors lol. And...CATS. Year round pretty much.  Thankfully not allergic to any flowers but the trees and grasses, oh boy what a problem.

Well, the cats are not going anywhere, and I can't fully avoid outdoors so I'm on a regiment of medications.  First, is a dailyprescription allergy pill which I can't seem to remember the name because it's generic for something else. I used to use Zyrtec but it started being less effective.  I also use eye drops with an anti-histamine in it.  Last, over the counter Nasacort spray to help with congestion.

We also bought an extremely good air purifier for our bedroom which has made a world of difference. If I'm really suffering in spite of all meds, as soon as I go into the bedroom I instantly feel better.  It has several filters in it plus one is targeted to pet dander.  I think we are going to buy another one for our living room which is where we spend most of our time.  The name of the air purifier is Rabbit Air.  It's very expensive but honestly, it's been a life saver.

The past week has been a struggle as everything is beginning to bloom. I think it might be the worst time of year for me.

 

[sivyaleah]

 
Oh yes... Seasonal allergies, in addition to dust, grasses, trees,  cats and dogs!!!

 Pretty much year round..

I started my eye drops about 3 weeks ago.

I should have started the nasal spray then, but didn't. I began it this morning. I have been feeling sniffly, and allergy-ish the pst 24 hours.. 

Time or the second air filter in the house!! 

I swear the spring is worse for me than the late summer. 

The cats came as a big surprise to me. Years ago I had a bad reaction to one (1!) black cat my sister had but it was a solo event.

Now that I think about it, possibly the allergies got worse when we adopted our second cat, Cocoabean.  She tipped me over the edge lol.

My allergist has cats also, so she didn't even jump to "get rid of your cats".  Which wouldn't happen anyway!

 

[Freedom]

 
The cats came as a big surprise to me. Years ago I had a bad reaction to one (1!) black cat my sister had but it was a solo event.

Now that I think about it, possibly the allergies got worse when we adopted our second cat, Cocoabean.  She tipped me over the edge lol.

My allergist has cats also, so she didn't even jump to "get rid of your cats".  Which wouldn't happen anyway!

I lived on Claritin every morning and Benadryl every evening for a few years when I had many cats!  When I have smaller numbers, they all get a bath monthly which helps keep the dander down; then I don't need quite as many pills, lol.

 

[AbbysMom]

I'm pretty much allergic to anything with fur, feathers, etc plus grasses, trees, mold, dust, etc. I am a walking pharmacy. :nod:

 

[foxxycat]

Yeah that ^^

I had an allergy test done in my early teens because I was sick all the time. Every fall and spring I used to get these wicked Sinus infections and need antibiotics. Evidently I was allergic to just about 75% of the things they tested me for. All grass. All trees. Horse. Cat. Not allergic to dogs! Dust mites etc etc. I used to live on Sudafed. I also had ok luck with Claritin but I can't sleep at all when I do take it. I asked for a 12 hour dose at the pharmacy and they looked at me like I had two heads. I said I would like to get some sleep you know! They kept saying it's non drowsy. I said yeah-that means I can't fall asleep! So I stopped taking any of the 24 hour stuff because it messes me up. Zyrtec just makes me sleepy. I can't remember if I tried the others-one of the cold meds Theraflu makes me sicker than I was-it was drying up my nose so much I couldn't breathe out of it so I can't take those multi symptom ones.

I have an air purifier and want to get another but for now I spend most my time in my livingroom and it's running next to where I sleep. I find it really helps. I vacuum that filter out every other week or month. But I do suffer for a few days. This morning I am all plugged up again so I just take a hot shower this morning...it's worse in the morning than the afternoon. Sudafed will probably get started back up soon again.

I am allergic to cats but not my own. If I go to someone's home with cats-I get really yucky nose/face for the first month around that animal then it gets less and less. I can NOT be around horse. That one makes my throat itchy and swells up my face. My sister used to laugh because I tried to brush her horse and broke out...I wore a mask and gloves. I just wanted to know what it was like to care for the horse. I found I was pretty miserable then take Benadryl and sack on her couch for 2 hours.

  Needless to say I stay AWAY from horse now.

When I got my Angel Floey=she was long hair fluffy and you know I don't remember being that ill. Once Pumps came along-short hair-I was plugged up for quite awhile. Even now I can't lay my face on her fur otherwise the faucet turns on and face itches...Honeybee=nope so side effects. I think it's the long hair hiding the dander. So I thought about bathing pumps but with her major arthritis I couldn't do that to her now. But Honeybee tolerates baths. She sits in the rain too. Comes in soaked, crawls up on us and shakes like a dog..! but nope I don't get too much reaction to long hair kitties..only short hair cats...and Sudafed, Benadryl Is my buddy during this time.

 

[artiemom]

I read somewhere that if you are allergic to cats, a short haired older, neutered male is better...who knows.. that is the criteria I had when I was looking for one.. Artie just happened to fit the criteria, and he was orange to boot!! just like my last cat--long haired female, who I was allergic to. 

I just put the eye drops in, because I could feel the eyes getting itchy. 

 

[foxxycat]

Oh and I forgot to mention I used to get allergy shots in my teens. got to the point I gave them to myself and they really help. It takes FOREVER to build up resistance but I owe my clear head in adulthood to those shots. They started off I think 2 times a week for a long time..by the time I did the shots it was every other week then once a month. Can't remember how old I stopped but I was around 16/17 when I did the shots.

 

[betsygee]

Ugh!  Don't get me started.  

   My allergies are going crazy right now, mostly tree pollens, I think.  And we just had some very old carpet pulled up in one room of our house and replaced with new.  That stirred up a bunch of dust everywhere.  I'm going around with a surgical mask in my own house

 until I can get the dust cleaned up.  

 

[jcat]

I'm pretty much allergic to anything with fur, feathers, etc plus grasses, trees, mold, dust, etc. :nod:

Same here, and Mogli is suffering, too. His eyes get all watery and swollen this time of year, so I have to wipe them several times a day and keep the HEPA filter running all day and night.

I was always allergic to cats, but a couple of months after I started working at a shelter the asthma attacks miraculously stopped - except when there's a Persian around.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Originally Posted by Norachan  
 

I'm allergic to penicillin and I'm allergic to shitake mushrooms, but that's all.

I'm fortunate not to have any allergies other than to wasp / hornet venom.  @Norachan Lots of people who think they're allergic to Shitake mushrooms are actually experiencing shiitake flagellate dermatitis - a mild to moderate toxic reaction to Lentinan, which is now used as an anti-cancer drug in patients with or at high risk for stomach cancer.  Unless you're allergic to other fungi or have mold sensitivity, shiitake dermatitis can usually be avoided by cooking the mushrooms well, as heat modifies the natural Lentinan - it's actually a thermolabile polysaccharide - rendering it safe for consumption in all but very high-sensitivity cases:

https://www.dermnetnz.org/topics/shiitake-flagellate-dermatitis

.

 

[di and bob]

No allergies at all!!!!!! 

    But my husband and his family make up for it, they are always sneezing, complaining of headaches, and blowing their noses this time of the year. They look miserable! Hey, since I've got all you allergic people on here, what works the best for seasonal allergies? Maybe I can make my husband feel better. 

 

[artiemom]

I have tried them all.. all the OTC drugs... nothing really helps me. 

The best PRESCRIBED antihistamine I have found is a nasal spray: Astelin.. or generic: Azelastine HCL nasal spray. Not a steroid. I do not want any steroids. 

I even have the eye drops of the same medication.. They were prescribed by a different physician..eye doctor. 

It seems to really help the itchiness.  The only thing is, you have to be consistent with the dose. Do not miss any, and do not try to use it sporadically. 

In addition to this, I also have tried taking zyrtec and claritin.. I swear I am immune to both of them. 

There is a new OTC drug out. It is a derivative of Zyrtec.. more pure.. I may try that when my allergies get really bad. I am not sure of the name. I think it begins with an 'X"... the advertisement on TV has a talking cartoon owl....

 

[Boris Diamond]

I used to be allergic to just about everything.  Spring and fall were miserable - it was hard to get anything done!.  I got over them about eight years ago, and things have been getting better ever since.  The day may come when I can ingest alcohol and not get a three day migraine headache!

 

[margd]

I am not allergic to anything.  

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• margd
• Apr 8, 2017