"Seasonal" allergies interfering with life

[Hilltopmom]

My oldest has had allergies for a few years. This past year, they never stopped during the winter (mild winter, no snow cover here, for the first time ever).

 

His nose has been running for a year, I'm not exaggerating. He goes through a box of tissues in a few days. He is fed up & gets upset by it. I don't blame him.

 

He could certainly eat much better & exercise more to improve his overall health, but he does not & I am not able to force him. Like all of us, he's ultimately responsible for what goes in & how much movement he gets. (I provide healthy food, don't keep junk in the house, encourage & set up opportunities for exercise, etc). He takes a multivitamin, limits dairy.

 

Ped has mostly brushed us off, suggested rotating between different OTC allergy meds for a few weeks each. Hasn't helped.

Nothing has changed in our household (no new pets, etc. we heat with wood, but always have).

 

Ped wasn't overly optimistic that seeing an allergist would help.

I'd like to regardless. He can't live like this forever.

 

Suggestions? Thoughts? Btdt?

 

Eta- we live in a very rural area, no switching ped, but we can travel to see an allergist

Edited August 18, 2016 by Hilltopmom

[ktgrok]

Has he tried the steroid nose sprays? They are over the counter now and can bring real relief. You see results in about 4-7 days. 

[Hilltopmom]

Has he tried the steroid nose sprays? They are over the counter now and can bring real relief. You see results in about 4-7 days.

No, that was never suggested, just Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin, etc.

 

Seriously, I'll go to Target today to try something!

[marbel]

Why does the ped think seeing an allergist won't help? My allergic to everything that grows kid's life improved greatly when we started seeing an allergist and got appropriate medication for him. Now both my kids get allergy shots and they have very little trouble anymore.

ETA:  Can you go without a referral from ped?    Unless the ped has given a good reason why an allergist won't be able to help.   I'm no expert, but I can't think of one.

 

I'm also not sure how much healthy eating and exercise have to do with allergies, though I do know a few people who eliminated their allergies by giving up wheat, or in once case, all grain products.  But again an allergist might be able to help with that. 

Edited August 18, 2016 by marbel

[bodiesmom]

What in the world?? The ped said an allergist wouldn't be able to help?? !!!!

 

Absolutely an allergist would be able to help. Said allergist will be able to give a skin test, determine exact allergies, and focus treatment on those particular allergens. You may be prescribed some products that are stronger and not available OTC (although there are some great ones OTC). You would also be given advice on how to avoid those particular allergens and create a "cleaner" environment within the home (by cleaner I mean ridding it of as much of the particular allergens as possible). Depending on the severity of your son's allergies, immunotherapy may be recommended. Again, depending on the severity of his allergies, he could also be at risk for developing allergy-induced asthma.

 

Absolutely see an allergist. 😄

[Hilltopmom]

I think she'll give us a referral anyways.

When I asked about it, it was our first visit with this new to us ped, so maybe because we were taking about a lot of other stuff & I probably didn't make clear how bad it was. It's Gradually gotten worse too this last year.

 

We've almost met our deductible, finally, so we should try to get in this fall to an allergist. I'll call ped & ask for referral.

Healthcare is so expensive:(

 

Eta- I myself have not given this top priority, & should've followed up for him sooner, as we had some severe health crisis es the last 2 years with several of our other children. (One passed away this year). I've kinda always thought- "it's just a runny nose, he'll survive" in my "must triage health care needs" mind. But now he's asking for help, so I will follow through. Mom guilt, ug.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Hilltopmom

[Arcadia]

Is it outdoors or indoors also. My kids and I only have trouble outdoors which is why we do very little outdoor sports.

 

My DS11 was down this year from January to May and hard hit for a month due to hay fever. DS10 and I were down too but less affected. We stayed indoors spending most of the time in the libraries and it help us get school work done. Hubby also vacumm more frequently because his car gets coated with pollen at work.

 

A parent had an allergy panel done and found she has allergies to many types of trees. It was useful for her to know.

 

My kids pediatrician did not recommend an allergy panel for DS11 because he gets hives from the fumes from the dryer. Something that is not tested for. He also get hives from outdoors but no consistency there and also low frequency. The ped say he could refer us but just think it is a waste of money and time for now.

 

Have he ever taken medication for flu? I had to double dose Claritin, Benardryl, Sudafed for flu and even higher dose for allergies. Medications can be really trial and error. I have asthma which compound the allergy reaction.

 

ETA:

Sorry for your loss :grouphug:

Edited August 18, 2016 by Arcadia

[bodiesmom]

I've experienced plenty of doctors shrugging off the need for specialists only to find out later they were wrong. I'm so sorry to come off sounding so rough! 😄

 

My daughter had her skin test a few months ago (her second one in 5 years....she added a few more allergens- gah!) and it was NOT cheap. We have now met our deductible and I'm planning on getting myself in for an updated allergy test before e end of the year. I hear you on the cost OP!

 

Oh - once you get a plan of action with meds from the allergist, you might be able to continue to see the ped for maintence. That should help cut down on cost for the new insurance year. And if you ARE encouraged to begin immunotherapy for your son, try to start it this year since your deductible is almost met. At least with my insurance, we paid for the entire therapy upfront so that was helpful since our deductible has been met.

 

And agreeing with Katie- there are some amazing OTC nasal sprays. Our allergist before we moved told us that once you take care of the nose, the eyes will take care of themselves. Your son should see some relief with any eye symptoms once he gets the poor nose under control.

 

No fun. I feel ya.... 😄

[TranquilMind]

My oldest has had allergies for a few years. This past year, they never stopped during the winter (mild winter, no snow cover here, for the first time ever).

 

His nose has been running for a year, I'm not exaggerating. He goes through a box of tissues in a few days. He is fed up & gets upset by it. I don't blame him.

 

He could certainly eat much better & exercise more to improve his overall health, but he does not & I am not able to force him. Like all of us, he's ultimately responsible for what goes in & how much movement he gets. (I provide healthy food, don't keep junk in the house, encourage & set up opportunities for exercise, etc). He takes a multivitamin, limits dairy.

 

Ped has mostly brushed us off, suggested rotating between different OTC allergy meds for a few weeks each. Hasn't helped.

Nothing has changed in our household (no new pets, etc. we heat with wood, but always have).

 

Ped wasn't overly optimistic that seeing an allergist would help.

I'd like to regardless. He can't live like this forever.

 

Suggestions? Thoughts? Btdt?

 

Eta- we live in a very rural area, no switching ped, but we can travel to see an allergist

I would try some other things first.  We got an air purifier for the room of one kid and it made a huge difference.  It was about $200, but hey, breathing is priceless.  He also radically cleaned up his diet and notices that he isn't as stuffy anymore.  Avoid grains and sugar. 

 

 

Allegra worked better than Claritan, so he switched to that. 

 

 

There are blood tests you can do to determine allergens.  We ordered those ourselves at a local lab where you can just walk in and do what tests you need.  Faster, cheaper, and less painful than the pin prick thing. 

 

I would eliminate the wood smoke for awhile too and see if it helps.  I can't be around that at all, and have some minor allergies. 

Edited August 18, 2016 by TranquilMind

[marbel]

Oh no, I am so sorry for your loss!  Understandable that you put this aside for a while.  You are right, he will survive - but life may be so much better after proper care.

 

:grouphug: :grouphug:

[bodiesmom]

No no no no no mommy guilt hilltopmom. I let my kiddos allergies go for quite some time and I didn't have the health crisis you were experiencing. You are a very good mom-

I'm so sorry for your loss and heartache. 😢

Many many hugs to you

[prairiewindmomma]

Fluticasone--the generic of Flonase--is over the counter now and inexpensive.  I'd add that.  Any of the antihistamines--zyrtec/benadryl/etc. will help with the itchies of a histamine reaction, but a nasal spray is the best thing for dealing with nasal allergies.  The full effect happens at about the two week mark, but odds are he will feel better before then.

[sbgrace]

I'm so sorry for your loss. :grouphug: 

 

The nasal spray will likely help him tremendously.

 

I would see an allergist anyway, given you've met the deductible. You can see what he's actually reacting to and discuss things like allergy shots.

 

[fdrinca]

It's really easy to push aside seasonal allergies as an inconvenience, but they can be so debilitating. My sister and I have very different childhood experiences because I was the one who was miserable 7 months of the year and she was building dandelion chains in the backyard.

 

100 % see an allergist. 

 

Big hugs for all of the suffering for children. 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

 

Swapping the OTC med every three to four months.

OTC steroid nasal spray

Zatidor allergy eyedrops

Shower before bed every night.

Saline nasal spray can help rinse pollen out too.

Wash bedding weekly, or as much as daily if needed.

Allergy covers on everything.

Air filter next to bed.

 

H2 blockers can help if there are chronic hives too.

 

And hopefully you can get the referral and an allergist can help you further.

[Grover]

FOr us when the environmental allergens are out of control it means the food ones aren't being kept away... the one feeds off the other.  I am so sorry for you son, it is a miserable way to be.

[happypamama]

I didn't find the allergist to be super helpful, because the only thing I'm actually allergic to is dust mites, but I suppose it good to know for sure. I take a Zyrtec year round daily, and I add a steroid inhaler in warm weather to keep my asthma under control. My son has taken the nasal steroid, and it helps some too, so you might see if you can get that for the runny nose.

[skimomma]

Look into histamine intolerance.  It is far more common than people know.  After 35 years of zero allergy issues, I developed what seemed to be "seasonal allergies."  I tried every OTC med out there with very little difference.  It got worse and worse until it was year-round and there was zero pattern that I could find.  Someone told me to check out histamine intolerance, so I did.  Your body makes histamine and it is in a lot of foods.  People with histamine intolerance make too much histamine and lack the proper enzymes to break it down normally.  For me, it turned out that a couple of big-hitter histamine foods happened to be staples of my diet.  I also learned that there are enzyme supplements that break down histamine when your body is not doing it fast enough.  Histablock is the main brand.  I now manage my "allergies" simply by avoiding those foods.  If I want to consume something that I know to be a problem, I take an enzyme pill.  I am now 95% allergy-free.  Because so many foods contain histamine and I have no interest in avoiding them all, there are days when I accidentally consume too much from a combo of foods and then will have what I am now calling a "reaction."  But because I no longer have a continual build-up of histamine, the reaction is very mild and usually clears up within a couple of hours without meds.  

[redsquirrel]

This was my life when I was a teenager.  I am so sorry. It was a miserable, miserable time. Good for you for taking it seriously.  I am not kidding that my parents treated it as a moral failing. If I were just 'tougher' and ignored it I would be able to function...what was my problem? I probably just wanted attention. Meanwhile I was bruising ribs from sneezing so much in a day. 

 

 

So, first of all, he can't exercise and get out more if he feels like crap. I am STILL an indoors girl because my childhood/teenage years were spend hiding indoors. I get welts if I sit on the grass, doesn't really make me want to go on a hike, kwim? Getting hot and sweaty makes me itch, and panting sets off my nose to running and sometimes a coughing fit.  And when you feel lousy and aren't sleeping well it's really difficult to make excellent food decision. Lack of sleep makes you crave carbs, being 100% congested dulls your sense of taste and can lead to over eating...you feel like you need more 'bang for the buck' to get satisfaction from your food.  I now go through times when I randomly lose my sense of taste. Everything sort of tastes like...what I think it should taste like, sort of...and then it goes away entirely.  I think almost all the time I can't taste food like everyone else. I don't swoooon over things like other people do and I think I can't taste it as well.

 

And rotating through the OTC meds can help...but so can using one for several weeks and allowing it to build up in your system.  Try using them DAILY for a month, then if you see no change try another one.  It should be at approx the same time every day, so maybe at bedtime or with dinner?

 

Shower before bed.  It removes pollen from his skin and hair and can help with sleep.  If you don't have a/c get a wall unit for his bedroom.  He shouldn't be sleeping with an open window.  Don't hang his clothes out to dry on a line...they just come in carrying loads of pollen.  Close all windows when grass is being mowed. And obviously, don't have him to yard work.

 

The nasal spray can help, there is also a sort of expensive eye drop for pollen if that is an issue. I bought it in the super market and now I can't remember what it is. It was and OTC version of a prescription.

 

And I don't know if this will help at all, but my allergies at that age were much, much worse than they were in my 20s.  I suspect it is teenage hormones that made a difference. 

 

An allergist will probably want him to come in for shots. you say you have to travel to see an allergist...like can you go weekly?  If not be very up front with the allergist about that. I am sure you are not the first and there is prob a solution...maybe the ped office can give the shots?  I knew someone who gave his wife her allergy shots, but I don't know why he had to do it and not the allergy doctor. They lived in town. But it was def allergy shots, they kept them in the fridge and he did it for her once a week. Allergy shots just go in the upper arm and it's super quick.

 

I did have shots as a teenager but then decided to stop. I personally didn't find them helpful, but I know people who do.

 

Do you have an idea of what his allergies are?  It sound like dust and plants, but the mild winter with no snow cover could also be molds... I hate molds.  Does he have a carpet in his room?  Do you have an old house with a moldy basement?  If it smells then it is moldy or mildewy..both make me very , very ill.

 

 

And I know this is prob not an option, but the most help I got was from acupuncture.  That is how desperate I got. I was not functioning, I was missing work due to sinus headaches that were migrane-like, the pain was constant in my head. Finally, I was like 'Ok, stick needles in me. I don't care any more'.  The headaches went away very quickly and things got much better.  I still go on occasion. I always wonder if it would have helped when I was 16 and 17.

 

 

[abacus2]

Absolutely go to an allergist. My oldest suffered headaches throughout the spring and struggled to exercise. She had an allergy check up the other day and now, with her immunotherapy, daily Zytrec and Singular (generics), she was showing zero allergy symptoms.

[Seasider]

Has he tried the steroid nose sprays? They are over the counter now and can bring real relief. You see results in about 4-7 days.

This is the only thing that really works for me. There are a number of them available OTC now.

[kbutton]

I started with conventional allergies that came on suddenly after the birth of my first child. I had some mild issues prior to that around flowering trees, but that had been it. I couldn't walk to my car at one point without fearing I'd have an asthma attack (the asthma came shortly after the allergies).

 

An allergist can help a lot.

 

I have now moved on to general histamine intolerance as mentioned below. I have found my allergist to be less helpful with that (it's not a "true" allergy to any one thing), but it's a new to me allergist (my old one retired--she was AWESOME), and I was taking enough antihistamines that I wasn't getting all my symptoms right, which doesn't help when I talk to him, lol!

 

You might want to ask what they can test for chemically as well. My dad had brand new allergy onset at retirement age (!), and besides the normal stuff, he's allergic to formaldehyde, which goes hand-in-hand with burning wood and lots of indoor stuff. Some plants actually take formaldehyde out of the air--you can google houseplants that clean the air. If you can keep mold from the soil under control, most people don't have a lot of reactions to houseplants because they don't pollinate much (many flower very rarely or basically not at all). 

 

Anyway, it helps to know what all is going on and then get targeted treatment.

 

 

Look into histamine intolerance.  It is far more common than people know.  After 35 years of zero allergy issues, I developed what seemed to be "seasonal allergies."  I tried every OTC med out there with very little difference.  It got worse and worse until it was year-round and there was zero pattern that I could find.  Someone told me to check out histamine intolerance, so I did.  Your body makes histamine and it is in a lot of foods.  People with histamine intolerance make too much histamine and lack the proper enzymes to break it down normally.  For me, it turned out that a couple of big-hitter histamine foods happened to be staples of my diet.  I also learned that there are enzyme supplements that break down histamine when your body is not doing it fast enough.  Histablock is the main brand.  I now manage my "allergies" simply by avoiding those foods.  If I want to consume something that I know to be a problem, I take an enzyme pill.  I am now 95% allergy-free.  Because so many foods contain histamine and I have no interest in avoiding them all, there are days when I accidentally consume too much from a combo of foods and then will have what I am now calling a "reaction."  But because I no longer have a continual build-up of histamine, the reaction is very mild and usually clears up within a couple of hours without meds.