Allergies ruining my life

[Robinredface]

I'm hoping by posting here I might get some tips that I haven't tried before because my life is being made miserable by allergies. It sounds melodramatic but they're ruining my
Life.

I've had all the skin tests that pretty much showed an allergy to everything (dust, pollen, pets, mound etc...)

The worst is dust and at the moment seems particularly bad. I'm not sure if it's because I'm pregnant. I have wool bedding and wash regularly at 60deg, as well as dusting the bedroom and hoovering a lot too. Every morning I wake with a stuffy nose which lasts all day, red gungey eyes, and eczema patches around my eyes and mouth as well as the constant sneezing. There never seems to be any relief from it apart from perhaps being in the bath. Strangely my symptoms always seem better in hotels, although staying at other people's houses is a total no go for me as I really flare up.

I take cetirizine and beconase nasal spray and have elocon cream for when the eczema is awful, I'm trying to limit these as I'm pregnant but without them I'm a mess.

It's getting me down a lot and feel like there's nothing else I can do. Please help!

Oh we also have a Dyson fan in the bedroom (im not affiliated in anyway with Dyson) with air filter and it does seam to help in times of high pollen. Its fairly quiet on night mode and creates a nice bit of air movement.

RippleEffects is there a dyson vacuum specific for mattresses? How often do you do it? I currently have a wool mattress protector on our bed.

Sometimes I wish I'd have a serious attack that'd make the professionals take it more seriously, a constant itchy runny nose and sneezing and eczema on my face just seems to get brushed under the carpet.

Ive never really considered that my diet might play a part, but I'm seriously considering cutting out dairy for a few days to see if it makes a difference.

It helps to know I'm not the only one with crazy all year round allergies and I really appreciate the advice.

Dyson V6 matress you can just buy the special head/ tool if you have a V6 already.

We intended to use it daily but realistically its properly once a week when the sheet gets changed and a quick skim in the middle of the week.

I seriously think you should try ditching the wool and try man made fibres and cotton. Maybe just try the pillows first and see if you have a reduction in symptoms. You can do all the research in the world but it's about what works for your body. You seem quite hung up on the wool.

puffpaw my pillow is latex with allergy covers (so comfortable) just the duvet and mattress protector that are wool. Maybe I'll try something else for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference.

Alternativetentacle Wool is supposedly hypoallergenic, this is what sold me on it

How can wool ever be hypoallergenic?

They say that about the lanolin in E45 cream. Still doesn't stop people reacting to it!

I am allergic to everything like you and other posters. I am also better in hotels, I have worked out is because they change the sheets every day and also because of the ventilation system.

I am shuddering at the thought of wool, i know the sites go on about it being natural etc but I can't be anywhere near it in general.

I have being taking quercetin, with either bromelain or nettle (available on Amazon) and now still have eczema but don't have a constant runny nose, itchy eyes etc. It takes a while to build up. High dose vitamin c also helps (1000mg?).

This site is interesting, there's no way I could eat like she does and live a "normal" life but the histamine bucket theory resonate with me, I have no identified food allergies but sometimes my diet can make my eczema worse - but not always.

healinghistamine.com/the-inflammation-bucket/

Also try changing your shampoo - just in case there's something in that setting you off when you sleep on your hair at night. (Happened to me once)

Op if you want to try a different approach, google Bionetics, it does work and is safe and totally natural.

AlternativeTentacle I'm no expert, but I read up a lot before buying as it's expensive and the sites say this.....seems to be a lot of good solid research to back it up

There is a myth going around that wool is a common allergen. Nothing could be further from the truth! People who have a genuine allergy relating to wool are actually allergic to lanolin, the oil found in wool which is washed out of most woollen products to go into hand creams, lip balms and moisturisers. So if you have a bad allergic reaction to many cosmetics and creams, you are sensitive to lanolin. An allergy to lanolin is always a skin reaction. Wool and lanolin will never cause any type of respiratory allergy. Wool is actually naturally hypoallergenic! The lanolin found in wool is a very expensive commodity, it's true some people can be allergic to this oily substance, but for everyone else it's a fantastic natural ingredient in your favourite moisturisers, lip-balms and makeup

My daughter had allergies to many foods. Also to wool. Her eczema improved over night when we got rid of our wool rug. As her food allergies were so severe I hadn't considered that wool could be contributing. She has flare ups when ever we go to anyone who has wool carpets. Have you kept a detailed diary? what you eat, what you do, any chemicals you are in contact with eg freshly washed clothes etc and your symptoms? You may find a pattern. Do you dust with a damp cloth?

latex pillow abd wool bedding - both highly allergenic I'm afraid.

I would go for washable synthetic hollow fibre for both.
at least give it a try for a couple of weeks.

that wool blurb reads like it's written by a sales pusher...

Just to say pregnancy is probably exacerbating your symptoms. I had terrible rhinitis during pregnancy and it's a pretty common thing. Piriton is safe in pregnancy although not recommended in third trimester as can cause irritability in newborns.

Mine improved greatly after my son was born. (Normally I have severe hay fever and various skin allergies etc but pregnancy was one relentless period of sneezy misery).

And wool makes me super itchy :)

It's been approved by Allergy U.K. Which made me believe it'd be ok.

I'm going to try some other bedding for a few weeks and see if it helps. Trouble is, ant brand new bedding is always ok until it gets colonised (eek) by dust mites after a few weeks or months.

I'm open to lots of complementary healthcare, but Bionetics really is a step too far: www.quackometer.net/blog/2007/09/bionetics-untruthful-quacks-but-still.html

Cakescakescakes I really hope that's the case. I can't remember how bad things were when I was pregnant the first time. Fingers firmly crossed.

Beconase is a bit outdated according to my allergist - switched to Avamys which is much better. if you have carpet in the bedroom it needs to be vacuumed every day, blinds need damp dusting and bedding should be folded back to expose to the light. Vaseline in and around nostrils can help.

I was much worse in pregnancy too!

Fexafenadine 180mg and elecon seem to be working for me so far, I've had a dreadful hayfever season two years in a row, my eyes have been a mess, resulting in flare ups of bad eczema. But touch wood, all seems to be more controlled at the moment.

OP, if it is particularly bad just recently, could it be a particular pollen that is peaking just now? Mine has been bad in the last week or so. Apparently mugwort (?) peaks in late July/first half of August. Even though yours appears to be bed-related, perhaps a specific pollen could be just pushing you over the edge? Good thing about this is that it will end quite soon.
www.worcester.ac.uk/discover/pollen-calendar.html

My husband had exactly the same symptoms to you. Tried everything including prescribed creams, dyson ridiculously expensive fan, montelukast (think it is a prescription only antihistamine). Immunology showed he was allergic to our dogs, house dust mites etc

I know a lot of people won't want to do this, but he overhauled his diet. Cut out all sugar/dairy/gluten/caffeine basically anything nice! It was made easier for him as I was already doing this diet

Within a week he was waking up without his eyes having sealed shut overnight and being bright red all day. Now they don't even itch and his eczema has gone and he isn't taking any drugs

If you really are miserable and willing to try anything then it's worth a go. Drugs are only treating the symptoms after all

Thanks AuntyElle you're probably right, my allergies are a mixture of everything!

ridingthegravytrain that's so interesting. My next step is cutting out dairy, I'd absolutely love to cut out the antihistamines!

AlternativeTentacle I'm no expert, but I read up a lot before buying as it's expensive and the sites say this.....seems to be a lot of good solid research to back it up

An allergy to lanolin is always a skin reaction. Wool and lanolin will never cause any type of respiratory allergy.

Unfortunately this is complete bollocks. I once had a supplier of wool and bracken compost come and give a presentation to a few of us. We were in the car park. He opened the bag, dug his hand in and held a handful around 2 feet from me. Within around 30 seconds I was wheezing and my eyes were streaming.