Allergy thread: what are you allergic to and how do you deal?

[Mermaid02]

I was inspired by The Dr. Laura dog thread.....

I have LOTS of allergies and I know others do too. I'm curious how we deal with our allergies, what our allergies are and what has worked for you. And have you passed them on to your kids.

My allergies are year round. I laugh when folks say, "Oh, you have a cold" because no, I don't. I'm stuffy pretty much 24/7.

I'm allergic to:
Animals. Any animal with fur. Rabbits are probably my worst allergy- horses are a big one too. I wheeze and my eyes swell up like I've gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. I swear, my eye practically turns itself inside out. It's not pretty.

Mold. We have a "damp" basement (as does the whole neighborhood) and I do NOT go down there unless I absolutely HAVE to!

Dust and the dreaded Dust Mite. But really, who isn't?

Plants. Trees. Grass. Flowers. In the spring pollen and blooming plants bother me, in the Fall the dying plants bother me.

Walnuts. A new allergy and the only food on my list. Makes my mouth "tingle" and the allergist believes it's a precursor for anaphylaxis. I now carry an epi pen.

The Flu shot. They don't know what it is about it, but it makes me break out in a rash from my knees to my shoulders. This only started a couple of years ago. I had already had MANY flu shots with no reaction in the prior years.


I had allergy shots as a child but they didn't help. Tried them again recently and they didn't help. I take Allegra and that does well by me. They keep trying me on nasal sprays but I've yet to find one that doesn't make "sores" in my nose- I'd rather be stuffy.

My daughter has some mild seasonal allergies. My son however seemed to inherit the mother load from his mother.

What works for you?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have yr round allergies as well. Mold is my big one. I can get a searing headache immediately just being around it.

I am mildly allergic to most everything, except cockroaches which are on the high side.

I did do allergy shots for 6 yrs and they helped me immensely. It did not "cure me" however I am now about to get out of bed.

Before my shots I was literally so sick that my face would be swollen and my eyes would be swollen shut. I also would feel like I was dying.

Now I might have some swelling however I do not have that I am going to die feeling.

Anyway with the onset of menopause I can no longer take allergy meds. I am DRY to the point of pain. I have to drink a lot of water in order to feel well. Allergy meds have a drying component to them and I only take if it was absolutely necessary.

Oh I forgot to add, I am also allergic to pain meds. That was new when I had my gallbladder out 8ishyrs ago.

 

[GoofyforDisney3]

You seem to be a lot like me. I am allergic to a ton of things like grass, trees, ragweed, mold, etc. I also have developed a problem with walnuts. But that is the only nut so far. I'm technically allergic to milk, but I can have small amounts without a problem. Large amounts just make me have more mucus and bathroom issues.

I take a claritan and a sudifed every night. It helps for the most part. Zyrtec works better, but it zonks me pretty bad and I have to get at least 9 or 10 hours of sleep with it and that rarely happens. I did try allergy shots and really all they did was cause more problems.

 

[hercamore]

I use Nasonex and Zyrtec daily along with allergy drops for my eyes called Pataday.

herc.

 

[kimblebee]

I am allergic to dust and birch tree bark ( of all things) but the big one for me is nuts. If I eat even a sliver of walnut or almond my mouth goes tingly then my throat swells up and I can't breathe. It's only happened a few times but it's super scary. I don't carry an epi pen but I probably should. Before I eat something new I always ask if it has nuts in it. If they don't know, I don't eat it. I don't even eat foods that have come in contact with nuts. Thank goodness peanuts aren't nuts so I can still chow down on my PB sandwiches.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I am allergic to housework. Anytime I do any I am overcome by exhaustion and have to lay in bed for hours just to recover.

 

[Christine]

I'm allergic to:

Cats - I can't have any good friends that have cats (well, I just can't go to their homes so it can cramp my social life). I totally avoid cats at all costs.

Some sort of additive in most OTC pills - I think it is called "povidone." If I take something with it, I get a big itchy welt on my chest. It goes away in an hour or so. So, I constantly search for tablets that don't have it. Therefore, I cannot take most ibuprofen and can only take regular strength Tylenol (extra strength has it). I have to be careful on my iron supplements because of the additive. I'm not sure if this is the culprit but I'm getting to the point that it is. I do think I've had the reaction, though, on a non-povidone pill.

Ragweed, pollens, etc - I do nothing, just suffer through. I hate medication.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Ugh, I feel your pain! I'm allergic to pretty much all of nature (every type of tree imaginable, dust, pollen, flowers, mold, etc...). I also have asthma and eczema. My DH is the same way, only he doesn't have eczema.

I'm taking Allergra, Singulair, Flonase and Proventil. He also takes Advair to control his asthma and Pataday for his eyes. We both started taking allergy shots, and so far it's really helped. I used to get horrible migraine/sinus headaches and since taking the shots I don't get them! I still have some sinus congestion and wind up taking Sudifed to help combat that at times.

I always joke w/ my pharmacist about all the meds I have to refill. But man, do they help!

 

[Judy from Boise]

Scents are what get me, I get horrible sinus headaches from things like scented laundry detergents, soaps, and perfumes. I get contact dermatitis from many laundry detergents. I try and use as many unscented products as I can.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

Scents are what get me, I get horrible sinus headaches from things like scented laundry detergents, soaps, and perfumes. I get contact dermatitis from many laundry detergents. I try and use as many unscented products as I can.

Which unscented detergent do you like the best? We've been using All Free Clear, but I've always wondered if there was something out there that might work better.

 

[momof1princess]

i am allergic to dogs and cats, timothy grass, deciduous trees, dust mites, dairy products and cigarette smoke. cigarette smoke is my worst-if you passed by someone smoking a cigarette on the street while wearing your favorite jacket last week, i could pass you on the street today and still smell it on you. i can't even visit my dad and stepmom (who both smoke in their home-i didn't grow up w/ my dad) because of it. i have asthma too, so i have to be very careful to avoid triggers. i never took allergy shots, but i did the drops years ago, which didn't help at all. i use flonase or zyrtec in spring and fall, which is when things seem the worst for me.

 

[sharlon]

Another one here allergic to just about everything. And unfortunately, at least one of my kids "inherited" them.

Grasses are all 4++
Most trees 4+
Weeds, dustmites, mold
Cats 4+
dogs 3+
Most scents bother me, unless it's something like cookie scent or vanilla or cinnamon. Those are okay. Went to Target for the first time in a couple of weeks yesterday and they had rearranged. Obviously something was open on the air freshener aisle and it was bad! DD and I had to run away.

These are all adult onset allergies and I also have adult onset asthma. I have tried shots, but they didn't help any better than the meds. I'm currently on Symbicort with a script for Astelin and Allegra as needed (spring and fall when it's worse). I also use Zatidor for horrible eye allergies. Used to use Patanol, but it didn't really work and I couldn't use it with my contact lenses.

 

[momx2]

Dust: I am off the charts allergic to dust. I can't even be in the house when it is being cleaned or I get very sick.
Animal dander: I know cats and dogs for sure. Almost as bad a dust, but not quiet. I'm also allergic to pollen and mold, etc. I have mild asthma. It only flairs up if I'm having an allergic reaction or if I'm sick. I also have eczema, but it only flairs up in the winter. I'm also allergic to most detergents, but have gotten better. I can at least sleep in a hotel now without my body breaking out in hives.

I tried shots twice, but had horrible reactions both times. I just use Zyrtec and extra benedryl at night if I need it. I stay away from as many of my allergens as possible.

 

[720L]

I am allergic to dust and birch tree bark ( of all things) but the big one for me is nuts. If I eat even a sliver of walnut or almond my mouth goes tingly then my throat swells up and I can't breathe. It's only happened a few times but it's super scary. I don't carry an epi pen but I probably should. Before I eat something new I always ask if it has nuts in it. If they don't know, I don't eat it. I don't even eat foods that have come in contact with nuts. Thank goodness peanuts aren't nuts so I can still chow down on my PB sandwiches.

What do you do when your throat swells up? I'm assuming you go to ER? My daughter is going to the allergist today actually for a possible tree nut allergy. When she eats walnuts and cherries off a tree she gets a wierd feeling in her mouth, I give her Benedryl and it goes away. She can eat peanut butter, but peanuts are not a "tree nut".

 

[Mermaid02]

How could I forget smoke and perfumes?? When Obsession was the "hot" fragrance (way back when) It about killed me! Not literally, but it was bad.

 

[minniebeth]

I feel bad for people with severe allergies because I know how miserable it is to cope with them, even with medication and it seems to be something people who don't suffer from them can truly understand. My DD has a life-threatening peanut and tree nut allergy, but that's a different story. I am really allergic to horses, can manage that easily, but highly allergic to dogs, I get severely asthmatic. Many times medication can't control it well enough and I really suffer when I'm in someone's home who has a dog for more than a few hours. It makes it hard to visit with people since mostly everyone we know has dogs. Even harder to stay overnight or for a prolonged time.

to everyone who deals with allergies~!

 

[OK!]

The most dangerous thing I'm allergic to is sulfa. I almost died in 9th grade when I was prescribed it for an infection. I just make sure that every doctor I visit knows about the allergy and, if possible, writes it under "allergies" in capital letters and with multiple exclamation points, if necessary.

Other allergies are grass, trees, weeds, mold, and ragweed. I don't sit down on bare grass unless I'm wearing jeans and (though this is a bit of a blessing) I never helped with cutting hay or loading the bales into the barn back when my dad used to cut all the grass hay needed for the horses. I also stay inside when people are mowing their lawns--that's the one that aggravates the allergy even more than touching grass.

I have to avoid places that are prone to mold...there was one high school that had a pool deck that was made of the old astroturf-y substance that was riddled with mold. I always had to skip meets there because I'd get a splitting sinus headache within 5 minutes of setting foot in the place.

Allegra is my best friend.

 

[Hoodie]

Seasonal allergies but also:

Sulpha drugs AND anything with sulfur (including sulfites/sulfates) I thought it was just an annoyance until I mentioned to my doctor that taking a mulitvitamin with a sulfate compound was making me throw up every morning. She then told me I had to be highly sensitive because most people with sulfa/sulfur allergies have little to no problems with small amounts of compounds. The only way to deal with it is to read labels and avoid it as much as possible. (and it's in LOTS of things, including Dasani water)

Bananas. I have been since the day I was born. break out in a horrible rash, get headaches and sick. Easy to avoid.

latex-free adhesive (in bandages). I don't know why but it reacts to my skin worse than regular adhesive. The area around my boo-boo always looks worse than the boo-boo itself!

I'm pretty lucky that most of my allergies, outside of seasonal, are easy to avoid.

 

[minkydog]

I am allergic to 13 medications, ranging from narcotics to migraine meds to antibiotics to Advil. I have had 3 anaphylactic reactions and I have an epipen. I'm also allergic to cats.In addition to those allergies, I am allergic to cranberries and pineapple. I have had serious reactions to both of those.

How do I deal with those allergies? Well, obviously I don't take meds that i've had reactions to. We don't have cats(I have a poodle, non-allergenic.) I am a label-reader--I don't eat anything that even *looks* like it might have pineapple or cranberry in it, which is kinda hard during the holidays. Now days they put cranberry in everything. And it would not be pretty.

 

[SaraJayne]

I'm allergic to penicillin and so is my son.