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Liz
Owl Lady



Registered: 11/16/04
Posts: 6,962
Loc: Massachusetts
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Pet Allergies??
#5487737 - 04/06/06 08:20 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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Little bit of background info -
I have an 8 month old yellow lab named Lucy. We got Lucy in October of last year, and initially had no issues with allergies. Starting about mid January I got a terrible cough. I have mild asthma which sometimes turns colds into awful coughs, and in rare cases even bronchitis and pneumonia. So I figured this cough would play itself out, and I'd eventually be rid of it. I pretty much felt fine other than this hacking cough. I've had this cough now for over 3 months. I don't think it's as bad as it was, but it's definitely still there. I have no health insurance, but my mom is a nurse, and she got me a zithromax prescription to ward off infection. I took the entire thing, it did nothing for my cough, which means it's not an infection. I've used inhalers, cough medicine, mucinex, everything to get rid of it. My mom is actually getting a TB test from her work to make sure that I haven't somehow contracted tuberculosis 
The only thing that has helped me stop coughing for the last 3 months is pain killers. Excessive amounts of pain killers. I've been taking ultram and vicodin almost every day. I haven't taken either for the past 2 days, and I can feel the effects of withdrawal - I'm irritable, antsy, my muscles feel all weird, and I have no motivation to do anything. I'm hot and cold at the same time and just in general want to sleep until this is over.
So today I started noticing that in addition to my cough (which is pretty infrequent now) I am sneezing almost non stop, and my eyes are semi itchy and my nose is runny. In a conversation with my mom on the phone today she said "Maybe you're allergic to Lucy?".
I can't even begin to describe how awful it would be if I were allergic to her. I love her so much. I don't know if it's possible that I am, given that we had her for a good 2 months before symptoms even arose? If I am allergic to her however, I hear that there are options, like shots or medicine?
Bottom line - I'm not getting rid of my dog, even if I am allergic to her. Absolutely not. But I would prefer any advice, similar experiences, or words of wisdom any of you may have.
Thanks
-------------------- Remember, remember the fifth of November The gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.
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RandalFlagg
Stranger
Registered: 06/15/02
Posts: 15,608
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Re: Pet Allergies?? [Re: Liz]
#5487777 - 04/06/06 08:29 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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That would SUCK if you were allergic to Lucy. She needs her mom! 
You need to ease up on those pain killers. That shit is not good for you in large amounts.
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Liz
Owl Lady



Registered: 11/16/04
Posts: 6,962
Loc: Massachusetts
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I know, I really do. I'm trying really hard. I've been prescribed to this stuff for so long that I think I just let down my guard and didn't think I could possibly get addicted to them at this point, Smart move Liz. Anyways, I'm hoping this clears up, or I'm going to need to get health insurance and find a place to get allergy shots. Or maybe not let Lucy sleep in the bed
-------------------- Remember, remember the fifth of November The gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.
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boO


Registered: 06/25/99
Posts: 5,364
Last seen: 2 years, 6 months
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Re: Pet Allergies?? [Re: Liz]
#5488986 - 04/07/06 05:10 AM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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if you are indeed allergic to lucy..which i'm hoping you're not...
maybe it's a good idea to invest in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter, dust and clean your house regularly, have suffer comb her quite often (get rid of the dander) and keep a pet free room like your bedroom...which sucks cause it's nice when pets sleep with you
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trendal
J♠


Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Pet Allergies?? [Re: Liz]
#5489840 - 04/07/06 12:07 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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That definitely sounds like an animal allergy, my dad is exactly the same around dogs and cats. I have rather bad allergies too, but not to any animals (plants are my bane).
If I am allergic to her however, I hear that there are options, like shots or medicine?
Medication might work for you, but probably not forever and will never truly eliminate the symptoms. I've heard that only 50% of people with allergies get any meaningful relief from antihistamines.
I've been taking antihistamines for 20 years now, and for most of that time I took them almost every day of the year. I found I had to switch types of antihistamine at least every few years to continue getting any effect. I've also heard that in the US the non-drowsy AH's are prescription only? You probably wouldn't want to take the older drowsy ones, though they do work quite well for me. I've settled on Reactine lately, or one of the generic brands of cetirizine hydrochloride. They cost almost a dollar a pill here, but you only need one a day.
For the last few years I've been on injections for my allergies, and I think if you have this option and can afford it you should do so. Injections are the only thing I've found that completely eliminates my allergy symptoms. It means getting an injection - must be at a clinic or doctor's office - every week or two for at least a few years. I'll be on them for the next 4-5 years. The goal is complete and long-lasting reduction in allergies - hopefully when I stop getting the shots in a few years I won't have allergies anymore, or at least not nearly as bad as now.
They call it by a few different names, AIT (allergy injection therapy), immunotherapy, or hyposensitization. Just say allergy shots and I'm sure a doc would know what you mean, though you'll most likely have to be refered to an allergy specialist. You'll have to get a scratch-test to determine what exactly you are allergic to and how badly. The shots themselves consist of a mix of the major proteins that you have allergic reactions to. So you will get an allergic reaction to each and every shot, which can get annoying. Your arm can swell up from the injection. There's also a small chance of anaphylaxis from each shot, so you have to wait in the doctors office for 20-30 minutes after the injection as a precaution.
Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyposensitization for more info.
I say go get some anti-histamines and take them on schedule for a week or so. They'll be marked by how long they last - 12 or 24 hour - so take one or two a day. The 24 hour ones are best. After a week you should have noticed at least some drop in symptoms, if it is an allergy that you have.
If you find that the meds work, go get an allergy test done sometime if you can. It still might not be Lucy. Did this start during the fall or early winter? If you are allergic to house dust or any of the house molds you could get pretty sick during the winter time (I have to be careful of lung infections). An actual allergy test is the only way to find out exactly what you are alergic to, most people who have one allergy have one or more others (I have 4-5, my dad has almost 50).
It would suck thinking you are allergic to your dog, when really it's something else like dust
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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TheDude
is waiting forthe peak

Registered: 04/15/03
Posts: 2,876
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Re: Pet Allergies?? [Re: Liz]
#5490124 - 04/07/06 01:45 PM (17 years, 9 months ago) |
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I would definitely recommend allergy shots as trendal mentioned. I got them for over 10 years and they helped immensely. I'm very allergic to a number of things including dogs and cats yet I have a cat at home. There was no way we were getting rid of the cat so I got shots to help the situation.
After getting them the only time my allergies bothered me was when I'd pet the cat for a period of time, sending cat dander into the air around me. Otherwise I was fine, no problems with day to day business around the house. The shots probably saved my life because after getting them I never had another asthma attack that required hospitalization. Knock on wood. I haven't had the shots in a number of years and my allergies are very much under control though the odd windy day can send me into a runny nose sneezing fit (curse you dust and pollen).
Just be ready for the scratch test. I was only a kid when I had it done but getting stuck with over 40 needles running up both arms was no picnic. I must have been allergic to everything they tested for because my arms were covered with puffy marks.
-------------------- "this lebowski he called himself 'the dude'. now, 'dude', that's a name no one would self-apply where i come from but there was a lot about the dude that didn't make sense to me...."--the Stranger
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