New to talkallergy...seeking answers

[yahhoo4you]

Hello Everyone,
I am a 30 yr female.I am new here and seeking answers or help with my allergies which seem to keep getting worse. I had never had allergies until I got pregnant 10 years ago and then I developed a cat allergy. That was the only one until about 1 1/2 years ago. Since then I have been struggling. They did blood test, skind tests, more blood tests and more skin test. The tests say that I am allergic to every (plants, trees, grass, food, dust, mold etc...) except dairy, and meats. It said I had a high allergy to nuts but I never had a reaction (other than intestinal upsets) until about 2 months ago when my skin got a rash and my tongue started tingling. That was only the 3 time I had eaten nuts since they told me I should stop. I still eat the other foods on the list, in very small portions, but I am worried that they will all get worse in time. Over the past 1.5 yrs everything seems to keep getting worse. I can't touch certain blankets or sheets to my skin or I break out in a pimply rash in that area. If I carry a cardboard box, wood, certain foods (cantelopes), use any type of detergent (even free and clear products), wear perfume or anything in my hair, and many other things, I break out in the pimply bumps or a rash (red, sometimes bumpy, some more severe then others). I have changed everything in my home and no longer have chemicals , soaps, perfumes, cleaners or anything that is not made by myself or DR. Bronners. I bought an IQair purifier as well as several others and a dehumidifier in the last few months as well as naturally being a clean freak. My house is clean!!! The thing is I keep getting worse. I am scared to try new medicines because I have had so many reactions to them. I can't use anti'itch creams, or use a lot of steroids. I don't know what to do and the Dr's here can't seem to help me. I can't continue on like this. I have had to quit my job, stop going outside, and basically sit in front of the purifier and I am still miserable. I am on xyzal, singulair (asthma), and I take two allergy shots every week (I have been on them for over a year). If anyone has any advice or suggestions I would appreciate any help.
Thank You,
yahhoo4you

[williamsmummy]

ok. I suspect you need to take your questions back to your doctor.
what are your food allergies?
if they are fruit and veg, did the doc explain oral allergy syndrome? perhaps yr doctor needs to reconsider the eating small amounts advice, and send you to a dietition and give you more support in this area.

and are you reacting to your allergy shots? and perhaps this will pass , as you become more immune.
are you on daily antihistamine, taken at night?

its worth remembering that skin, once senzitised, (sorry, cant spell) can take 6 months to settle down again. I for instance use a plastic bag to pick up tomatos, and handle raw meat, and peel potatos under running water to stop the irritation on my hands.

what is your eczema routine? how many times are you moisturising? 2x day thin layer of steriods ok you shouldnt need too much long term, diff % at diff flare ups.

if i wear perfume, i wear in on my outer jumper or spray my coat, or hem of dress etc.

you seem to be on top of your house, we have leather sofas, wooden flooring, and we boil wash bedding , etc.

I have come from a skin sensitive family so we are used to hiving up at odd times, then getting ezcema, so for us its a bit of a norm...
for instance, if my mother tries a new brand of make up, me and my sister try it first, and then my mum. but often me and my mum react , or not. we all go together make up shopping and dab tester pots on each others skin, wait for bit and see what comes up!

medicines often do contain food in some form, and if you are reacting it many be worth investingating other chemical allergens so that you can avoid. Do you have epi pens? are you comfortable with when you need to use one? and how to use one?
you are not alone , many are walking down this path, my son has all the enviros and food allergies.

[crochetisfun]

I have a bad allergy to lilies - anyone else have the same problem?

[williamsmummy]

its flower with strong perfume , so if you are sensitive to any enviromental allergy, such as pollen, you will react quite badly to such flowers.
so,if you are given bunch of lillys, say thank you , then give the to your neighbours!

[MiNaturals]

Have you tried taking good quality probiotics ?

It might sound like a weird suggestion but even Hippocrates is stated as saying that all disease begins in the gut. Some people take the view that many illnesses could be triggered by an imbalance of bacterial flora in our digestive tracts.

Healthy bacteria act like natural antibiotics and ensure our bodies absorb as much of the nutrients from our food as possible. On the other hand if the "baddies" outnumber the "goodies" in our guts, absorption of nutrients is limited. Also, these unhealthy bacteria produce toxins that our bodies have to fight to eliminate. Our immune system has to work overtime to deal with these toxins and over time our auto-immune system's start being affected. This is why some people take the view that many allergies could be the result of an imbalance in our digestive tracts.

Unfortunately, if you do already suffer from allergies and other health conditions, knocking back a probiotic yoghurt drink every day probably won't be enough to help restore balance. Good nutrition and top quality probiotics are probably needed over a few months to get you back on track.

Have you had any experience of taking good quality probiotics and/or dealing with any digestive issues ? Have these had a positive effect on your allergies ? If so, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks, Rob