Advice needed about DD Allergy... thankyou

[kcemum]

I wonder if somebody can advise me on what to do with DD3, She is curently on a six month course of Clarityn for an allergy to (we think) cats and possibly house dust mites.

She was put on clarityn after a particulaly nasty reaction that piriton took over a day to clear up.

When she first started on the Clarityn it seemed to dampen down the reaction reasonably well but, this last week or so it does not seem to be responding as well as before. It has cleared up the itchy eyes but the running of the eyes and the puffyness have got gradually worse, she has got a very runny nose and is sneezing alot too and tonight we have noticed a hive like rash to her back (only a couple of spots which haven't gpot worse).

She seems to be fine during the day but in the mornings and the evenings you can almost pinpoint the time due to the reaction starting again.

Any ideas as to what we can do to help alleviate or prevent the symptoms would be appreciated.
(we have already change the time of her medication to see if that helps.)

Thankyou.

[Cloe2Jay]

Have you tried a humidifier? That has been suggested before as a "air cleaner". Argos page 610

[kcemum]

Thanks will look into that.

[katymac]

What time is it whne the allergy starts?

[kcemum]

Hi katy, usually in the morning when she gets up and about 6pmish in the evening.

[katymac]

Is that when your heating comes on?
Or when the cat comes in?
Or is it your partners underarm spray or aftershave?

Is it the same week days and weekends?

[kcemum]

We don't have the heating on yet.
There has been nothing sprayed at these times and the cat is usually out at these times.

Am at a complete loss as to what to do other than yet ANOTHER trip to GPs.

The only thing that we have noticed is that it has got worse since the colder weather arrived, the house doesn't get as much fresh air as in the summer but I do leave the bedroom windows open all day and the back door open as much as possible.

[misdee]

can u get rid of the cat at all? sounds heartless, but it may be the only way.

[katymac]

In our last house DH was awful.

We put in a positive pressure air system (cost us about £500) - it improved DH's breathing no end - it is mould spores in his case.

So if the house is stuffy you need to increase the ventilation or a dehumidifier (you can hire a dehumidifier for a week or so and see if it work?)

[kcemum]

Well, he is a very old cat, so I can't forsee him being around much longer and we've also had him longer than we've had DD!. I know that the way forward is to get rid of him but I can't. I know she reacts to my mums cat all the time but if she was reacting to ours then why doesn't she react if he's around during the day? (as she does with others)

[misdee]

it could be the dandewr she is reactng to. the anti histime may be wearing off as its not that great, my dd1 has a daily dose of clarityn, but during hayfever season she also has eye drops as the anti histime isnt enough.

[kcemum]

Thanks katymac, DH seems to think that his parents have a humidifer, he's on the phone this very minute! I think you may be on to something about spores, I used to react against fungus spores when I was younger and had totally forgotten.

[jellyjelly]

My sister is allegic to dustmites. My mum used to have to hoover everyday and really wet clean the bedrooms with her out of the way at the weekend.

Freeze her teddies for 24 hours and wash the ones you can on a very hotwash, hoover the beds wash the pillows, Curtains, open the windows and dont make the beds in the morning as they die as they like the heat. Fit laminate floors or strip the floors as they live in the carpets, make sure you havent got mould in the beds or bathrooms as it could be the spores setting her off.

Is she eating only something that she eats in the evenings? Milk biscuits?

Allergy to something she is using in the bath ie toothpaste, fannels which you would use in the evening and mornings?

Have you thought about taking a picture of the rash and keeping a food diary which is what the allergy specialist or doctor will want to see.

Will try to think of more but hope that this has helped, you can cat me if you want to talk have lived with my sisters allergies for about 15 years so know a fair bit and my son is allergy to stuff and we had to take him to allergy specialist so i know what they look for.

[kcemum]

Misdee ,did your DDs eyes stop itching but were just runny?

You may be right about the dander but thats leading somewhere I would rather not go!

[katymac]

Humidifier or dehumidifier?

If it's mould she needs dry air not moist

[jellyjelly]

Further on from the cat bitmy aunt who has lots of allergies was allergic to my tabby and couldnt touch her or be in the same room but could with the black one and my sister is the other way around.

[misdee]

my dd's eyes get very itchy and runny. itsterrible for her.

[kcemum]

Jellyjelly thanks for the advice, I do follow alot of that although we don't yet have laminated flooring upstairs (on the todo list).

At the time of the reactions she hasn't been anywhere near the bathroom, toothbrush etc so I don't think it's that.

I will keep a food diary although I don't think it's that.

[kcemum]

Katy, he was wrong they haven't got either!

Jules

[kcemum]

Misdee, hers haven't become itchy since she went on the clarityn but get very runny, red and puffy.

[kcemum]

Jellyjelly, can I cat you in the morning? theres a few things I want to ask about food allergies.

Thankyou
Jules

[jellyjelly]

Of Course you can.

[jellyjelly]

How are things kcemum

[kcemum]

Not so bad Jellyjelly, still having flair ups at the same times but not as bad as they were at the weekend. We have however noticed that she has started coughing during the night. I will cat you at some point but with it being half term have been busy with my DDs, their social lives (better than mine) and mindees etc

[spidermama]

I used to be allergic to house dust mites, dogs fur, pollen etc. I carried tissues wherever I went. There were loads of tissues in every bin in my house every day. My eyes were hot and itchy. This went on from the age of 13 'til about a year ago when I gave up wheat and dairy (in sympathy with my ds who'd been advised to do so by a naturopath) then the symptoms disappeared.

It seems it was the cmobination of intolerance in diet and the other allergens. My lifelong asthma also went.

This was only about a year ago and I still can't get over how fab it is to be allergy free.

It's hard cutting out wheat and dairy, but I can eat goat products and there are wheat substitutes so it's not impossible.

I keep banging on about this, feeling someone, somewhere, must be able to benefit in the same way. It has been such a revelation to me.

If only the doctors had suggested it I could've save the NHS afortune in drugs and had a much better time from age 13 to 38.

Worth a go???