Legomom Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Here is the background to my question: I had asthma as a child which was serious enough to require hospitalizations. When I reached age 12 or so the asthma decreased and I no longer needed to go to the doctor or be hospitalized for it. As an adult I have used an inhaler when I have colds but not much other than that unless I encounter specific allergen. For example if I am raking moldy leaves, I immediately smell the mold and have symptoms. Last fall, after remodeling our house, my asthma has bothered me so much that I have generally been using my inhaler around the clock. I have tried taking Claritin and also Zyrtec which both helped initially, enough that I only had to use the inhaler once or twice a day. The allergy meds no longer seem to be working and I am back to using my inhaler around the clock -- including waking up during the night to use it. I have scheduled an appointment with my doctor for next week. I have delayed it this long because I felt that it must be something related to our house remodel, since the start up of my symptoms coincided so closely with it; however, I can't think of anything that it could be. During the remodel, we had a gas fireplace removed, removed old carpeting and installed tile and hardwood floors, and added a new furnace, appliances and countertop. We have also changed the furnace filter and my husband vacuumed the vents. My husband thinks that I may have become allergic to our chocolate lab that we have had for 4 years, but I don't think so. And I don't want it to be. Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing my symptoms? I am guessing that my doctor is going to put me on steroids, but I would really like to try and solve this and eliminate the cause if possible. Thanks for reading this! I would appreciate any ideas or experiences that you have had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 :grouphug: Allergies & asthma can be miserable. My husband has asthma. When he was in college, he probably came close to death on coming back home from being away. He ended up in the hospital for a couple days after having a team of doctors converge on him in the ER. :glare: Thankfully he's avoided hospitalizations due to asthma since then, but he'd been in a good bit before when he lived with his parents. Animals are a trigger for him. He's allergic to cats and dogs. When our cat died and we didn't get a new cat, his breathing improved tremendously. He's gone years just on maintenance meds and I don't think he even carries around his albuterol anymore where he used to need to take it multiple times a day. I think the only way you're going to figure out what's going on is to get some allergy testing done. That should indicate whether you are allergic to your dog or if it's something from the house. I'd think the house would be what started the allergic reaction and that there's something that continues to trigger your asthma. I'm sure that when you redid the house, a lot of stuff got thrown in the air and you're breathing that... but you'd think that after this long that should have settled back down. Do your symptoms improve if you're away from the house for a while? Could you go stay with friends for a weekend and see if that helps? It wouldn't tell you what the issue is, but it'd let you know if it's something with the house or if it's something with you (pneumonia? something similar?) Hope you get some answers and some relief! And if your regular doctor doesn't help, I have a friend who swears by her pulminologist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 It could be an allergy to some building material. I am allergic to the glue used in chip board, and I spent mo ths itching and a lot of my hair fell out before we figured what was causing it. Good luck on your search, it is hard to narrow it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 During the remodel, we had a gas fireplace removed, removed old carpeting and installed tile and hardwood floors, and added a new furnace, appliances and countertop. We have also changed the furnace filter and my husband vacuumed the vents. . You've got a lot of new materials in your home that could be a problem for you: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html Did you replace the gas fireplace with something else? Do you have a wood burning fireplace in your house? Wood-burning fireplaces aren't good if you have asthma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Allergies and asthma are related, as you know. The way allergies was explained to me is like a glass a water. As long as the water doesn't get full, you're okay. But, once you are exposed to so many allergens, the cup overflows and you have a reaction. It's really tough to empty that glass again. Go to the doctor and get a referral to a specialist. We have a pediatric allergist/asthma specialist and my dh sees a different one. Keep in mind that you can develop allergies at any time. So, it is possible (but not probable) to develop allergies to a dog you've had 4 years. My ds9 had tree nuts tons of times after the age of 2 and before full-blown anaphelaxis at age 6. His reaction happened on maybe his 100th exposure? It's just crazy. I hope you get relief soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 (edited) :grouphug: For my son sometimes he gets in an asthma cycle that is so bad he has to have steroids to get it back to manageable. In other words, you may have triggered over something and you just can't get control with rescue inhaler and allergy meds at this point. I do think you need the steroids given that lack of control you're experiencing. I would recommend trying a HEPA filter if you can. It's made a world of difference for my son and, if there is something in the air from the remodel, it will go a long way toward clearing it. We have this one in our family room because it handles large areas at a reasonable price. He has a smaller one in his bedroom. It's done more for him than any other change we've made. My son did develop an allergy to our cats. I can't see you suddenly developing a problem with the dog coincidentally as you do all the remodel. I would be more inclined to think it's something about the remodel materials or stir up in the process. It is possible something irritated your asthma so much in that process that you need the steroids just to get back to square. Health vitamin D levels can improve asthma control (and lower allergic reaction to some mold). Do you know your levels? You want 50 or above on the 25(OH) D level. You could, instead, safely take up to 10,000 IU of D3 (D3 form only) per day. Edited April 2, 2012 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 (edited) DS has asthma, and remodeling causes a huge flare. Long-term flare. And makes his other allergies more pronounced (our allergist uses the cup analogy above, too). We finally narrowed it down to VOCs outgassing from our remodeling. Getting the asthma back under control has taken a long time. He takes all of his Rx'd asthma meds, plus Thorne Detox Nutrients and a load of additional supplements to support moving toxins out of his body. The biggest help has been a HEPA filter - the kind with charcoal as well to remove VOCs. Edited April 2, 2012 by Spryte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Inflammation from your initial exposure may not have totally settled down, even if you haven't had ongoing exposures to allergens, or has created a situation where small amounts of allergens that wouldn't have previously triggered asthma have become a problem. I found out the hard way when I avoided taking asthma drugs during one of my pregnancies (and for a few months after due to nursing). It took several years--and far more meds on the other side--than if I'd use them when the symptoms first started. When it comes to asthma, my motto became "Drug early, drug often." Once it settled down, I was back to needing meds during colds only. When I added chiropractic on top of that, I rarely have to medicated even during colds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legomom Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 Thanks everyone for all of the good ideas and support. I really appreciate it a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My older dd was recently diagnosed with asthma and allergies. Her new allergies are dogs (we've had one for four years) and dust mites. I've noticed if I do any cleaning when she's home she needs her inhaler. I'm hoping she outgrows the allergies and asthma, but for now I don't allow her to dust or vacuum and do those when she's out of the house. ETA: It was worse right after her diagnosis when we started remodeling the house (pulling up carpets, taking down blinds, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My DH is allergic to the varnish on hardwood floors. Could that be it? :iagree:with the suggestion to get a HEPA filter since the cleaning of vents probably stirred up dust and mold. Also, make sure you clean the upholstery and drapes that were around during the vent cleaning. Did you add any drywall? Chinese drywall has been a big problem in several states. It does sound like you'll need some inhaled steroids for awhile. I pray you get your asthma under control soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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