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General health

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Original poster

Allergies driving me crazy

20 replies

crashdoll · 02/03/2013 20:27

I moved house 6 months ago and since then, I've developed an allergy to something. My eyes itch and swell up. I sneeze and my nose runs like there's no tomorrow. I'm using eye drops and taking loratadine. It's not helping and I'm fed up. Is there anything else I can take?

OP posts:

RandomMess · 02/03/2013 20:28

sounds like you need to try different anti histamines to find one that works. Also try and work out what you're allergic to and eliminate it? Is it full of carpets and soft furnishings - could be dust mite allergy?

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 20:35

Maybe try a different non drowsy antihistamine, like ceterizine, if that doesn't work, try piriton (buy generic chlorphenamine from chemist it's cheaper). Thing is, it can make you feel very drowsy, in fact it knocks me out completely. So I take it at night, which is good as my itching gets worse at night and I get a good night's sleep! Then I take loratidine in the day(or other non-drowsy one), and I have it on good authority from a gp that this is fine to do.

Otherwise, I find dust really gets to me and damp, so have a really good Hoover, and wash any soft furnishing if you can - I find fabrics that have not been washed in a while, like clothes that have been in the back of a wardrobe etc, set me off.

Also any time I have a clear out or pack/unpack stuff I get bad! Sometimes I think I might be allergic to cardboard boxes and binbags! But in all seriousness I think utis moving furniture and throwing up dust, so perhaps once everything settles in you'll be fine?! Even the act if hoovering sets me off - my excuse to get dp to do it!

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 20:37

Oh and try and get rid if any damp and mould the best you can. Did the last residents have pets? I am insanely allergic to cats and their dander can hang around for a very long time.

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 20:39

Oh and get a steroid nasal spray from docs. When I was pg I got hay fever with my only symptom being itchy eyes. Coukdn't take antihistamines so gp prescribed beconase. Surprisingly enough it really did help my itchy eyes!

ggirl · 02/03/2013 20:40

If I moved to a house that had had cats I would be like this, have you ruled that out?

Original poster

crashdoll · 02/03/2013 20:45

I've tried to work out what's causing it. No damp. No mould. They did have cats but we've redecorated everything and I mean everything. I'm worse downstairs and we have no carpets. I'm wondering if it's something from the garden that the dog's bringing in.

OP posts:

Original poster

crashdoll · 02/03/2013 20:45

Thank you for the replies btw.

OP posts:

ggirl · 02/03/2013 20:46

or a tree pollen allergy maybe...dunno if it's that time of yr though

RandomMess · 02/03/2013 20:48

Silver Birch trees in garden or very near by? They're a huge culprit.

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 20:59

Apparently cat dander can hang around for months/years. It will get into the cracks in the floor boards and everything. I remember a dr telling me that often famies of children with asthma will get rid of cats as they may be the problem, but then find things don't get better, so say that it mustn't have been the cat causing it. But this dr tells me it is a red herring because the allergens hang around for ages despite cleaning/hoovering.

I don't really consider myself asthmatic any more since I moved out of my parents house, who had cats, as I never need my inhalers. But the second I walk into a house with cats now, I start wheezing.

It's a shame as I love cats.

MousyMouse · 02/03/2013 21:04

yep to the cats.
the dander hangs around for ages.
also if you have new furniture/flooring there is a lot of unpleasant fumes that can make allergies worse.
so you need to clean and air a lot if that is the case.
birch has started a couple of weeks ago, if one is close it might be pollen sticking to dogs fur...
I second steroid nasal spray, you can just buy it (beconase and the like)

Original poster

crashdoll · 02/03/2013 21:07

It seems strange that it may be the cats as we've had floors replaced - literally everything. I was bad before things being replaced and I'm bad now. So frustrating. I am very allergic to cats.

OP posts:

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 21:13

I second funny fumes/chemicals. I work in a hospital and I seem to be allergic to them! I will be fine, but as soon as I am on a ward it is though I have a bad cold, sneezing and runny nose! I guess it is all the cleaning chemicals...

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 21:15

But I think in your case it is almost certainly the cats. Cats used to live in our rented house. I made our landlord change the carpet as it unfortunately smelt of cats piss despite being professionally cleaned, but I was still allergic to our house for a while after the new carpet was fitted! It is fine now though now we have allowed out own dust and dirt to colonise the place!

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 21:17

Do you have feather pillows/duvets? They set me off too...

DrRanj · 02/03/2013 21:19

I also used to be allergic to my exe's chest hair. Seriously.

Original poster

crashdoll · 02/03/2013 21:56

I don't have feather, I'm very allergic to them!

Thanks for replies.

OP posts:

Jolsen · 25/04/2013 15:12

A neighbour tried a Swiss pillow which she says has made a huge difference. I think this is the link. www.myduvetandpillow.co.uk/products/sanitized-microfibre-pillow

Jolsen · 25/04/2013 15:14

oops, forgot to convert link.
www.myduvetandpillow.co.uk/products/sanitized-microfibre-pillow

MistyB · 25/04/2013 15:19

In addition to your antihistamine you could try Blue Tansy essential oil, rubbed on the back if your hand. You could also try it in an oil burner downstairs. It might also be worth going grain and dairy free for a few weeks plus increasing vitamin c, zinc, fatty acids and probiotics to see if boosting your immune system, which is obviously under attack from something, helps.

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