Magic cure for possible allergy/sensitivity

[Clipclop100]

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

This never used to be a problem for me but I seem to have become sensitive to horses or possibly the equine environment (dry, dusty, straw, hay and so on). I wouldn’t call it an allergy but it’s more like severe hay-fever symptoms. My eyes go bright red within minutes of being there and itch and water badly and my nose gets completely blocked. The longer I’m in that environment I get a heavy tight feeling in my chest and I use a ventolin inhaler which takes it away thankfully. But I want to try and nip the symptoms in the bud before they start. I’ve tried Piriton, another antihistamine starting with a c, prescriptions like fexofenadine etc… but nothing seems to be helping!

My ventolin inhaler helps the chest symptoms but nothing helps my eyes and nose. I asked at the pharmacy but their only advice was to avoid equine environments but im a show jumper so that’s impossible!

Other than this and hayfever, I don’t have any allergies or sensitivities. I never used to get these symptoms around horses and it’s only started and worsened in the last few years.

Has anyone had similar and found a miracle for these kind of symptoms?

@Clipclop100

Advice would be greatly appreciated!

This never used to be a problem for me but I seem to have become sensitive to horses or possibly the equine environment (dry, dusty, straw, hay and so on). I wouldn’t call it an allergy but it’s more like severe hay-fever symptoms. My eyes go bright red within minutes of being there and itch and water badly and my nose gets completely blocked. The longer I’m in that environment I get a heavy tight feeling in my chest and I use a ventolin inhaler which takes it away thankfully. But I want to try and nip the symptoms in the bud before they start. I’ve tried Piriton, another antihistamine starting with a c, prescriptions like fexofenadine etc… but nothing seems to be helping!

My ventolin inhaler helps the chest symptoms but nothing helps my eyes and nose. I asked at the pharmacy but their only advice was to avoid equine environments but im a show jumper so that’s impossible!

Other than this and hayfever, I don’t have any allergies or sensitivities. I never used to get these symptoms around horses and it’s only started and worsened in the last few years.

Has anyone had similar and found a miracle for these kind of symptoms?

Can you put some Vaseline around your nose to stop dust etc going up there? I suffer bad with hay fever and sometimes that helps catch the pollen from going up your nose. Also a nasal spray maybe?? X

I wouldn’t call it an allergy but it’s more like severe hay-fever symptoms

What you are describing is an allergic reaction, same as hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen.

Allergies can start at any age, even though you've been fine with horses before you can still suddenly become allergic.

Could you go back to the doctor and see if they have any other suggestions re antihistamine doses/different types? Have you tried a nasal spray or eye drops?

Sounds awful given your job.

What strength fexofenadine did they give you? Lower strength did nothing for me, they kept trying to palm me off with it. Pushed for a higher dose and it works well for me. Doesn't cut allergies out completely but improves my symptoms hugely.

Immunotherapy? My kids are on clinical trials for their allergies with astonishing results.

Thanks. I tried the Vaseline and it helped last year actually, this year seems to be worse though and it hasn’t helped unfortunately. It was bad over the winter but gets worse in between spring and autumn. I was on a stronger course of fexofenadine because like a previous poster, the first dose wasn’t strong enough. Is it possible to get stronger antihistamines than that? I will try and get a GP appointment but it’s really busy and won’t be for a few weeks at least.

I went to see my horse this morning and within 10 minutes of being there, my eyes were red raw, watery, my nose was blocked, and I’d needed my ventolin inhaler several times!

Obviously I can’t just avoid an equine environment like the pharmacy said but equally these symptoms are really getting me down if anyone has any antihistamine recommendations it would be much appreciated.

Hopeful bump x

Bump x

I think Fexofenadine is the strongest type of antihistamine. I have an unidentified allergy which severely affects my eyes and upper respiratory tract and 120mg of Fexofenadine deals with it.

It sounds like you're having a very bad reaction and you're risking an acute asthma attack by going into that environment. I think you need to speak to a doctor.

Montelukast

I would agree that montelukast is your best bet. I'd ask your GP about it x

You could also try a regular nasal spray. I use Dymista which is a combination of steroid and antihistamine.

Are you just taking Fexofenadine once a day? I take 180mg AM & PN all year, and increase the dose in July / August.

Definitely explore some more options with the GP xx

Do you have a preventer inhaler?

The symptoms you describe are typical for airborne allergens - typically things like pollen/animals/house dust mites etc.

I have in the past year gone from mild hayfever to severe, so need inhalers, AHs, eye drops and nose spray. It's a complete PITA, so huge sympathies

Well-fitting FFP3 masks to wear while you're in the stable might help.

Thanks for the advice. I’ll try and get a GP appointment tomorrow. I wasn’t able to get one today.

I had to take 14 puffs of salbutamol just to get through today! After 10 minutes of being at the stables I feel like my chest is really tight and heavy and I can hear myself breath and I have to sit forward to actually get a good breath (not the best description but hopefully it makes sense!) antihistamines aren’t touching it but the salbutamol does help so it’s not awful but not ideal either.

Does montelukast help with hayfever on top of antihistamines or do you take it alongside it? Thanks

After trying (not very effectively) to handle my hay fever with antihistamines I finally started using an otc steroid spray and never looked back.
I start using it in March-ish (as soon as my eyes start to look a little glassy, before the full whammy) and it sorts out every symptom: itchy eyes and nose, sneezing, wheezing etc. Could that be an option?

Quercetin helps me with my allergies (it's over the counter, more of an alternative to traditional antihistamines).

I would look into immunotherapy- allergy shots. They’ll test you to see specifically what you are reacting to, whether horses or hay or both or other allergens. Then they create a shot to desensitise your immune system so your reaction is much less and you won’t need such strong antihistamines and will have much milder symptoms.

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll look into them all. I’ve actually got a steroid nasal spray at the moment which helps with the stuffy nose but not so much with the breathing unfortunately x

I cured the worst of my allergies with a course of kinesiology. It all sounds a bit woo, and I was massively skeptical- but it really worked. That was over 20 years ago and I just use antihistamine in high pollen season or in very dusty areas, I used to drip and cough and itch constantly.

I would try and figure out what is your trigger. Is it the horses or the hay or something else? I think once you’ve pinpointed what you’re reacting to then that can help. For example if it’s the hay - could you swap to a different type/supplier to see if that helps?

Unfortunately, you can't wish an allergy away, and it sounds as if you've already tried the strongest prescription meds available.

You could get allergy tested through the NHS (don't use a quack), to prove what it is you're allergic to? But if the answer is horses, you know what you have to do...

I'm afraid people do become allergic to things they love all the time and have to change their careers/hobbies. Sorry for the tough love, but as someone who is allergic to many things, if there was a miracle cure, I'd have taken it already!

You can combine antihistamines if it helps
I take 2 x fexofenadine daily and then 4 x Zyrtec daily too

Sorry just realised I missed a previous question- no I don’t have a preventing inhaler, I just have the blue one for as required- which is usually not at all at home but 10+ times when I go to the stables. I don’t have asthma just hayfever which causes wheezing although it’s getting worse.

I hadn’t thought about wearing a face mask but that’s a good idea thanks! I’ll wear one before I get to the breathless stage and hopefully it nips it in the bud.

I’ve never had an asthma attack and my wheezyness has always been corrected with the inhaler, but it feels like a lot of puffs to be going through in a couple of hours and it’s definitely getting worse x

If you're using a reliever inhaler like that then you almost certainly have asthma. Whoever prescribed your inhaler should have prescribed a preventer too.

what actually is a preventer, is that the inhalers that are different colours? I only have the blue one but I take that after I get wheezy, I don’t use it to prevent it.

I’m going to try to get an appointment with the gp or nurse. Yesterday was awful, my chest felt so tight and it was so hard to get a good breath. I took 5 puffs which helped a bit then it started again so I took 5 more which helped a lot more and I was ok for an hour or so, then it started again so I took 4 more puffs which got me through until I went home. I actually felt like my body was exhausted after trying so hard to breath for so long.

No one ever mentioned asthma and I didn’t have to do any tests for it like breathing into anything, I just got prescribed the inhaler as I was wheezy with the hayfever and they said take it when I need to. At this rate I’ll be finished it in 2 weeks!