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!

MidlifeZzzzz was it easy to get prescribed by the GP?

Would seriously suggest immunologist.

A long time ago my life was made miserable by chronic urticaria. Being a doctor, I had a corridor consultation I know this is really bad practice with a specialist and ended up on 3x dose of fexofenadine and 2x dose of cetirizine which cleared it up. No way would my GP have done this, or should they have.

Immunologist will have experience to recommend using meds in a way your GP can't.

I have similar allergies - other than antihistamines the things I find help are wearing my contact lenses not glasses (which may not be relevant for you) and sleeping with a towel over the pillow - there's something about it which calms my allergies at night. Probably just forms a barrier to the dust mites!

Robin not at all, she suggested it as I was on an annual flare up visit !! Elecon is also the stuff of the gods, but she did say it's also rocket fuel so best used for no longer than two days at a time.

My doctor prescribes sodium cromoglicate drops for morning and night, it is called Cromobak here and you can buy something similar in Boots. I use Blephagel to clean my eyes which is very soothing.
I have had eczema all my life (not a dairy allergy), but in later life have developed chronic all year allergies. Salt water nasal spray helps the nasal itch. I take tablets in the hay fever season (we live deep in the French countryside) but manage with the above plus 1% hydrocortisone for eczema the rest of the year.

Incan second fexofenadine. It changes my life
Inalso get prescribed Avamys - a nose spray.

Robinredface, my 13 yr old son also suffers year round allergies -dust mite, pollen, dog and cat. I know you are pregnant, and some of the allergy is probably worse with you being pregnant, your autoimmune system adjusts so you don't have an autoimmune reaction to the foreign body (baby), for want of a better explanation.

He has been desensitised - we are 3 years into a 3 1/2 year program and it has made a huge difference to his every day life.

He still occasionally takes antihistamines but he feels so much better every day. he is also coeliac so doesn't eat gluten (not sure if that affects allergies or not). You need to be pretty dedicated to the regime at the beginning and then its an injection every month for 3 years. (or whatever the immunologist says)

We use wool duvets - dust mites can't colonise wool, encasements for mattresses and pillows and you can get encasements for duvets as well.

it's horrible and very miserable and I hope you feel better soon

You need to see a different doctor. Demand a referral to a consultant allergist. You're not even on a powerful anti-histamine. We have terrible allergies in our family and the drugs which have controlled them best are Fexofenadine (on prescription trade name Telfast) which is a powerful anti-histamine and Montelukast which isn't quite an immunity-suppressant but calms the reaction and is very good for eczema and asthma. Two of my family have doing being gluten free hugely improved their reactions too, creates less mucous to get infected so fewer chest infections too. For skin reactions good old fashioned piriton is still useful at bedtime.

Maybe look in the health/allergies pages here on mumsnet. Lots of good info there.

At times it has ruined lives in our family too but there is usually something which can be done but first you need to find a specialist. Sympathies from me.

Well, thanks to this thread I bought some beconase nasal spray which has been brilliant so far and made GP appointment for mid Sept to ask for fexofenadine. Certirizine just not doing it for me last few days.

I'm pleased it's helped you too Hercules12 I'm building myself up to making a GP trip too

Do you use a mattress protector? They can be life changing in preventing dust mites getting at you.
I'd also get rid of any carpets and. It have pets.
Perhaps get a new mattress and switch to cotton blankets too???

I've got a mattress protector but carpets upstairs and a dog. Dog is nearly 13 and had him since puppy so bit stuck there. We obviously won't get another dog once he passes and plan to rip out carpets next year.