tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post1609923394609732515..comments2013-10-04T18:48:12.560-07:00Comments on So Much More Than Lyrics: I Know It's Been A While...Miriamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15701443638084846447noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post-87791541925758021252013-09-29T20:30:54.618-07:002013-09-29T20:30:54.618-07:00I thought I was crazy until I asked my doctor in m...I thought I was crazy until I asked my doctor in my final year of high school and he told me that people really could be allergic to cold temperatures. He just told me to take Benadryl before I went swimming and to not swim alone (which no one should do, anyway). I've since read that about 25% of people with this allergy experience anaphylaxis and that anyone who experiences rapid onset of hives with cold exposure should carry an EpiPen. But, like my food allergy, I never thought it was serious and no doctor never told me it could be. After the incident above I was terrified of cold water and refused to swim outdoors. In 2006 I tentatively tried swimming in freezing water, as I'd noticed cold hadn't seemed to bother me for the past few years, and I was fine. For me, it lasted from the time I was about eight until I was about twenty.<br /><br />I never had any kind of allergy testing until I was an adult, even though I've had allergy issues of one sort or another for my entire life. As an adult, my allergies seem to get worse every few years. I probably won't bother seeing an allergist again until I'm ready for allergy shots. I do have some weird allergies that seem to come and go. For a few months several years ago I swear I was allergic to almonds. And for about six months this past year I was having reactions to bananas. But now, both things seem to be fine. I don't get it. I hope it's not my body gearing up to develop a new allergy down the road.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13010210383038046284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post-84776319900743962612013-09-29T18:36:46.821-07:002013-09-29T18:36:46.821-07:00You know, I know someone who was allergic to cold ...You know, I know someone who was allergic to cold water for a summer. He said his family thought it was fun and put an ice cube on his arm to watch the hives grow their own hives.<br /><br />I've never had a blood test that said I was allergic to anything--only skin tests. But no one's really done an intensive look into what I'm allergic to since I was ten.<br /><br />When I see my pulmonologist on Tuesday, I want to ask her about something like Nasonex. I'd gotten used to it, but I think it's gotten worse and it's been driving me up the wall.Miriamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15701443638084846447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post-64532847274677755932013-09-29T11:40:23.439-07:002013-09-29T11:40:23.439-07:00I actually used to be allergic to cold, in the sen...I actually used to be allergic to cold, in the sense that made it dangerous. Thankfully, I outgrew this, because I think it's one of the worst allergies to have. Cold air and cold objects used to just cause hives and swelling of whatever skin was in direct contact. I couldn't eat or dink refrigerated or frozen food because my mouth and throat felt like they were swelling. The worst reactions were when I tried to swim in outdoor pools (indoor was fine, as they're warm). Taking two Benadryl beforehand I could last 30 seconds before getting out covered in full-body hives. The one time I tried without Benadryl, I waded in waist-deep and lasted a few minutes of ignoring the hives before I collapsed and nearly passed out and had to be pulled from the water. (Even more scary is that the people with me assumed I was low, anaphylaxis was not even on their radar. I was too lightheaded long after being pulled from the water to communicate that I was having an allergic reaction, and for some reason people noticed the hives but it didn't clue anyone in to what was happening. I honestly think I'm lucky I didn't die.)<br /><br />These days I still get asthma from the cold, but no actual allergic reaction. I also get (mostly asthmatic) reactions from airborne exposure to cooking/steaming potatoes, and I get hives from skin contact, but I've never had a severe reaction from either of those things. The thing I don't like about my allergist is that he does NOT believe I have a severe food allergy, maybe because it's so rare. But I just don't feel safe with him.<br /><br />I've never had the blood tests for allergies, only the skin tests, which are positive for most of the things tested for. I also have post-nasal drip, and it's one of the things Nasonex helped a lot with. (It's really bad and drives me CRAZY during the day, I just hate the feeling of it!) The sad part is that if I miss one of my medications, I can definitely tell. Even the Symbicort, which I thought was overkill on my doctor's part, has really helped my breathing. I notice a pretty big difference when I forget to take it.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13010210383038046284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post-25860589782799866022013-09-29T09:02:21.965-07:002013-09-29T09:02:21.965-07:00I also have trouble telling if I'm having a re...I also have trouble telling if I'm having a reaction. I have chronic shortness of breath--it is from walking outside when it's cold, or because there are nuts around? (Benadryl helps both, but I prefer not to fall asleep because it's cold outside, which isn't dangerous, just annoying.) I constantly get hives on my arm--allergy or my body's weirdness? Even when my throat gets tight, I have trouble telling because I have bad postnasal drip and that can make my throat feel tight, too.<br /><br />I had allergy shots for dust mites years ago. And according to my blood tests, I'm not allergic to any pollens (even though we KNOW I'm allergic because I react to pollen). Therefore, the only allergy shots there would be are for nuts, which don't exist (with good reason. If I can't touch the stuff, why are we injecting it under my skin?)<br /><br />I take Zyrtec every day, and my breathing has improved. I thought it had also improved my airborne allergies somewhat, but considering what happened last week, I'm beginning to doubt that.Miriamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15701443638084846447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5255134867630557576.post-49803470788310566002013-09-28T22:13:50.861-07:002013-09-28T22:13:50.861-07:00I think for people without food allergies, it can ...I think for people without food allergies, it can be difficult to understand that someone can be feeling allergic even with no visible reaction. Even my family who totally gets it acts frustrated sometimes when I tell them I feel allergic. If they don't see me visibly wheezing or breaking out in hives, I can understand how they might not get it. They don't know how my throat and lungs and skin are feeling, though. Sometimes, for really mild reactions (just my throat feeling weird and skin itching, for example), it's even hard for ME to tell if I'm actually having a reaction or if I'm just imagining things!<br /><br />Good luck with Xolair, if you try it. I've known some people online who have used it and had great improvement. Have you tried allergy shots? I've heard they can help with overall "reactivity" sometimes. A few years ago a doctor said that when the body gets overwhelmed with allergens, it can start reacting to absolutely everything, which I think is true. When my allergies are really bothering me, my entire face and ears itch all day and clothing against my skin causes rashes, in addition to all the other typical allergy symptoms. My allergist (who I dislike, I need to find a new one) has recommended allergy shots for me, but finding the time and money is the hard part, so I haven't tried them yet.<br /><br />I'm currently taking four medications (Zyrtec, Symbicort, Nasonex, and eye drops I can't recall the name of), and the other day I realized that for the first time in years I felt like I didn't have allergies. Which is kind of sad. The Nasonex ran out a few days ago and I've woken up incredibly stuffed up the past few mornings. I worry that by taking this stuff constantly I'm making my body dependent on it, but the alternative is feeling miserable. I also notice my body tolerates infusion sets with much less irritation when I'm taking antihistamines every day.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13010210383038046284noreply@blogger.com