What To Do?

[Rayne]

Okay ... just asking for some ideas.

Here's the deal.

Someone I know's whole family has cats. She holds the cats and touches the cats often from what I can gather.

I am horribly allergic to cats and have been since I was young. I take Zyrtec for all my allergies, but sometimes it just seems to over power my Zyrtec. She touches my kids and gets cat dander on them and I can't go near them without sneezing ... try changing a diaper while you can't stop sneezing. Anytime I go near her I sneeze uncontrollably. I can't be in a car with her I sneeze uncontrollably. Forget trying to drive.

She was just in my son's bed. I will probably have to wash the sheets before I can go in the room without sneezing and may or may not break out if I touch his sheets. My allergy is pretty severe (hence why we don't have a cat in the house anymore).

This person is very young ... younger than my oldest daughter, who is nearly 8. So she's not going to understand if I try to explain it to her.

Anyone know anything else to try? Maybe another allergy medication? I can't take Claritin ...

Or maybe some suppliment or something I am missing?

[Velvet Tears]

Okay ... just asking for some ideas.

Here's the deal.

Someone I know's whole family has cats. She holds the cats and touches the cats often from what I can gather.

I am horribly allergic to cats and have been since I was young. I take Zyrtec for all my allergies, but sometimes it just seems to over power my Zyrtec. She touches my kids and gets cat dander on them and I can't go near them without sneezing ... try changing a diaper while you can't stop sneezing. Anytime I go near her I sneeze uncontrollably. I can't be in a car with her I sneeze uncontrollably. Forget trying to drive.

She was just in my son's bed. I will probably have to wash the sheets before I can go in the room without sneezing and may or may not break out if I touch his sheets. My allergy is pretty severe (hence why we don't have a cat in the house anymore).

This person is very young ... younger than my oldest daughter, who is nearly 8. So she's not going to understand if I try to explain it to her.

Anyone know anything else to try? Maybe another allergy medication? I can't take Claritin ...

Or maybe some suppliment or something I am missing?

Is there a way she can change her clothes as soon as she comes to your house? How long does she stay at your house? Maybe you could wash her clothes as well. I don't know what to say about the car though.

[phee]

Yes that is a good idea and that was done...

However certain things in the future will turn into an issue, such as being in a car without being able to change clothes for example...

Trying to find something a bit more..... permanent perhaps

[Msterbeau]

Yes that is a good idea and that was done...

However certain things in the future will turn into an issue, such as being in a car without being able to change clothes for example...

Trying to find something a bit more..... permanent perhaps

Ray gun in the doorway?

[BrassFusion]

i'd make sure her parents know it's a problem for you. they might be able to make sure she stays reasonably furless before she goes to visit you guys. i mean, it's not like you're the only person in the world who's allergic- the kid's eventually going to have to learn to practice, uh... non-covered-in-cat-furicity on a regular basis.

[kellygrrrrrl]

I never knew I was allergic to cats, until I got cats about 6 years ago.

Since then, I have been miserable....MISERABLE.

Nose, sneezing, itchy red eyes, and even hives.

I recently started getting the shots in January, and I feel almost 99% better....I have to get them every week until about August...and then I think once a month after that for about another 6 months.

They say MOST people have almost 100% results after about one year.

It's WONDERFUL.....after all of the symptoms I have had over the years.

Although it does not help the food alleries.

I am also allergic to everything else apparently,....it was the 1st extrensive allergy testing I had ever had.

[pomba gira]

Ask your doc if there is some supplemental med you can take when you're going to be around this person. I've known people with allergies or other conditions that were exacerbated by environmental factors, who had extra meds they took when they were going to be around the problem substance or environment .

[Velvet Tears]

I believe someone else already mentioned allergy shots, and that might really help you out. I had them when I was younger because I had severe allergies to pollen, grass, and trees. After I received the serious of shots, which lasted several weeks/months, I stopped having reactions to the allergents. If you are around this person a lot, injections may be the way to go.

My ex was severly allergic to cats when he was a child. His mom got a cat when he was about 12 yrs old and didn't want to get rid of the cat, so she took him to get weekly allergy shots when he was 13 or 13 for severl weeks, and he hasn't had a problem since.

[Rayne]

i'd make sure her parents know it's a problem for you. they might be able to make sure she stays reasonably furless before she goes to visit you guys. i mean, it's not like you're the only person in the world who's allergic- the kid's eventually going to have to learn to practice, uh... non-covered-in-cat-furicity on a regular basis.

That would be my first choice but I have a feeling that her mother just won't understand.

I agree with you 100% though. We had MULTIPLE dogs growing up and I came across the same thing. I eventually had to learn that I couldn't walk out of my house covered in dog hair. No matter how much I love dogs, not everyone else does.

I believe someone else already mentioned allergy shots, and that might really help you out. I had them when I was younger because I had severe allergies to pollen, grass, and trees. After I received the serious of shots, which lasted several weeks/months, I stopped having reactions to the allergents. If you are around this person a lot, injections may be the way to go.

My ex was severly allergic to cats when he was a child. His mom got a cat when he was about 12 yrs old and didn't want to get rid of the cat, so she took him to get weekly allergy shots when he was 13 or 13 for severl weeks, and he hasn't had a problem since.

Allergy shots worked for me when I was a kid, but I have a horrid needle issue and will put it off and put it off ... but if that is the only thing that may work, that may be what I have to do.

[Rayne]

Ask your doc if there is some supplemental med you can take when you're going to be around this person. I've known people with allergies or other conditions that were exacerbated by environmental factors, who had extra meds they took when they were going to be around the problem substance or environment .

Thanks for the idea Pomba. I will ask my doctor.

... We had her change her clothes today, it helped. Then I threw my son's bedsheets downstairs to wash because she had been playing under his sheets (something I don't allow my kids to do anyway) then I started sneezing around my daughter Ashley, so I had her change her clothes ... it all helped and I didn't sneeze too much after that.

But there are times we pick her up and head straight out somewhere ... cat dander will linger in my car for days ... and there are days I can't go into the same room she is in she's so covered in cat that I can't breathe.

It also agrivates my asthma ... so it's quite imperative I figure something out that works at least decently.

[glc]

My ex girlfriend was allergic to cats, and I convinced her to go see a chinese herbalist. He can fix any problem I have, and he also fixed her problem with the cat allergy. Sounds random I know, but my chinese doctor is awesome!!

[pomba gira]

But there are times we pick her up and head straight out somewhere ... cat dander will linger in my car for days ... and there are days I can't go into the same room she is in she's so covered in cat that I can't breathe.

It also agrivates my asthma ... so it's quite imperative I figure something out that works at least decently.

Maybe you could go over her clothing with one of those little cordless hand vacuums before she gets in your car? Might offend her parents but... hey we're talking about something that has a serious negative effect on your health.

[Rayne]

My 2 year old son's father and I are pretty sure he's got my cat allergies too.

Off and on in the beginning Elijah would go back to his dad's with a runny nose and slight cough. I noticed he'd start it here. After a couple days at his dad's he would be fine. We kept the cat in the basement (where we only go to do laundry) until we could find another home for him, because of my allergies.

Fast forward and the ex takes the cat. The entire time the ex has the cat Elijah is sick. Runny nose, stuffy nose, coughing ... asthma acting up.

Until the ex buys a really good allergen filtered vaccuum after the cat is gone does Elijah start clearing up. And this is taking his allergy medicine (Allegra - 2 x a day).

By the time we come back from vacation Elijah is completely well. I went to drop him off at his dad's yesterday ... he was coughing a little. His dad calls me this morning, it looks like somone punched him in the eyes and he's sneezing and coughing again. Runny nose .... Ex says that he MUST be allergic to something here at my house.

I think back at all the times he's been sick and see the cat corrolation.

I think he's got it worse than me.

I'm still stuffy and sneezing today but it's to be expected because she was all over my house yesterday... but it's tapered off.

[Fierce Critter]

Rayne

I know I've done my Zyrtec spiel at you before.

But some other ideas based simply on personal experience.

Zyrtec stopped working for me when I tried switching to Claritin for about 6 months. Could be coincidence, but in trying to save money, I went from being almost 100% allergy-free on Zyrtec to barely dealing when I realized the Claritin wasn't helping. When I switched back to Zyrtec, it didn't work well enough anymore.

For the past year and a half or so, I've been on Singulair, together with Claritin. Singulair works on something called leukotrienes (sp?) and Claritin works on histamines. I admit, I've yet to look up what in hell leukotrienes are, and will do so after I finished on DGN tonight.

Together, these do fairly well. Not as "perfect" as Zyrtec once was for me, I still wake up some mornings snuffly, and it takes about a half hour of blowing my nose and sitting upright for it to calm back down so I can go back to sleep. My eyes get itchy more often now than they did when Zyrtec worked for me, so I keep a bottle of antihistamine eyedrops on hand, they work well (they burn the first few times you use them, eventually that stops and they work fine).

I'm of the experience that those injections don't work at all. This is based on me, my father, and one sister having been on those injections for everything from months to decades. None of us were cured by them. I believe it was the early to mid 90's when a doctor finally told me the pills work better than those, and I got on Seldane, which worked but is off the market now.

Oh, another thing. You might require the decongestant version of whatever medication you are on. I never had congestion before the Zyrtec stopped working for me. But now I do. I really should be on a decongestant of some kind, but they all make you sleepy and I can't deal with that. So I deal with the occasional stuffiness.

I'm sorry your allergy is so strong. Poor girl. I feel your pain, more than you know. I'm lucky that medications actually do work for me. I hope you find something that works for you.

[pomba gira]

That would be my first choice but I have a feeling that her mother just won't understand.

I agree with you 100% though. We had MULTIPLE dogs growing up and I came across the same thing. I eventually had to learn that I couldn't walk out of my house covered in dog hair. No matter how much I love dogs, not everyone else does.

Of course I wouldn't rely on the current problem being addressed from their end, but this family is going to have to deal with the issue sooner or later... there will be a school classmate with severe allergies or something like that. So just to kind of plant the seed for the responsible pet owner idea, maybe you could suggest they use those dander wipes on the cats... I use them on my kitties before Eternal comes over (in addition to vacuuming everything and brushing Lynx who has the worst dander issues). They are cheap, easy to find, and recommended by the Humane Society & ASPCA... in many cases they've enabled families to keep pets they were faced with getting rid of due to allergies.

[hellequin]

i took allergy shots when i was a kid, but they never helped me. I just try and stay away from anything cute and furry.

have you tried getting the febreeze for allergies??? it has worked for me, esp. on areas where there wasn't all that much fur to begin with.. I'm thinking for your car? and maybe spraying the sheets before touching them?

[Rayne]

Rayne

I know I've done my Zyrtec spiel at you before.

But some other ideas based simply on personal experience.

Zyrtec stopped working for me when I tried switching to Claritin for about 6 months. Could be coincidence, but in trying to save money, I went from being almost 100% allergy-free on Zyrtec to barely dealing when I realized the Claritin wasn't helping. When I switched back to Zyrtec, it didn't work well enough anymore.

For the past year and a half or so, I've been on Singulair, together with Claritin. Singulair works on something called leukotrienes (sp?) and Claritin works on histamines. I admit, I've yet to look up what in hell leukotrienes are, and will do so after I finished on DGN tonight.

Together, these do fairly well. Not as "perfect" as Zyrtec once was for me, I still wake up some mornings snuffly, and it takes about a half hour of blowing my nose and sitting upright for it to calm back down so I can go back to sleep. My eyes get itchy more often now than they did when Zyrtec worked for me, so I keep a bottle of antihistamine eyedrops on hand, they work well (they burn the first few times you use them, eventually that stops and they work fine).

I'm of the experience that those injections don't work at all. This is based on me, my father, and one sister having been on those injections for everything from months to decades. None of us were cured by them. I believe it was the early to mid 90's when a doctor finally told me the pills work better than those, and I got on Seldane, which worked but is off the market now.

Oh, another thing. You might require the decongestant version of whatever medication you are on. I never had congestion before the Zyrtec stopped working for me. But now I do. I really should be on a decongestant of some kind, but they all make you sleepy and I can't deal with that. So I deal with the occasional stuffiness.

I'm sorry your allergy is so strong. Poor girl. I feel your pain, more than you know. I'm lucky that medications actually do work for me. I hope you find something that works for you.

Thanks Camille. I'm going to talk to my doctor and see what she suggests. I'm already on Zyrtec daily ... perscription Pseudophedrine for when I get stuffy, albutrol for my asthma and Flovent (inhaled steriod) for my asthma and allergies.

I think it's more of a combination of my allergy and asthma together. Which would make sense because my oldest daughter has allergies alone and it's not so bad on her, but my youngest son has both the asthma and allergies so he's got it worse.

[Rayne]

Of course I wouldn't rely on the current problem being addressed from their end, but this family is going to have to deal with the issue sooner or later... there will be a school classmate with severe allergies or something like that. So just to kind of plant the seed for the responsible pet owner idea, maybe you could suggest they use those dander wipes on the cats... I use them on my kitties before Eternal comes over (in addition to vacuuming everything and brushing Lynx who has the worst dander issues). They are cheap, easy to find, and recommended by the Humane Society & ASPCA... in many cases they've enabled families to keep pets they were faced with getting rid of due to allergies.

I agree 100% and I think the family would agree initially but just not think it was important or forget about it quickly and not do it.

My daughter had a friend who was allergic to dogs before we moved here. Her allergy was so strong she couldn't ever come to our house, except to play outside ... so my daughter frequently went to her house to play with her since she only lived a couple houses away. I would have to shower my daughter, washed her clothes right before and put them on her straight from the dryer and take her out of the house the back way through the basement so she didn't come in contact with our pitbull at all.

This little girl was frequently in the hospital for other medical problems and surgeries at the time so she had a very weakened immune system to begin with that made her allergy even worse. Her mom told me on normal terms when she was doing well, she could be around clothes that had come in vicinity contact with the dog .. just not directly around the dog.

have you tried getting the febreeze for allergies??? it has worked for me, esp. on areas where there wasn't all that much fur to begin with.. I'm thinking for your car? and maybe spraying the sheets before touching them?

Yep I use that in the house and car a lot already because I'm also allergic to dust, mold, pollen and pretty much anything else that flies through the air.

[Fierce Critter]

Thanks Camille. I'm going to talk to my doctor and see what she suggests. I'm already on Zyrtec daily ... perscription Pseudophedrine for when I get stuffy, albutrol for my asthma and Flovent (inhaled steriod) for my asthma and allergies.

I think it's more of a combination of my allergy and asthma together. Which would make sense because my oldest daughter has allergies alone and it's not so bad on her, but my youngest son has both the asthma and allergies so he's got it worse.

Singulair is meant for both asthma and allergies. It's working well for me, but I still have to have the additional Claritin to cover the histamines running rampant through my system.

I use Advair on the rare occasion my borderline asthma crops up. That usually only happens when I've been in excessive contact with something that is a particularly bad trigger, such as rodents, rodent droppings, horses, bad mold or the like.

I have to keep a proventil inhaler around for particularly bad bouts, which again, are extremely rare for me. Never been diagnosed full-blown with asthma, but certain situations bring on chest ratcheting and wheezing spells.

Gads, allergies. hate 'em.