Due to my allergy shots I feel like my environmental allergies have been greatly reduced though I haven't been retested. I just feel great when I'm outside, I feel comfortable at parks, on trails and in the garden. I don't get sneezy, congested or itchy. The only time I need to be careful is to not expose skin that currently has steroid cream to the sun and if I'm covered in lotion try not to be where dirt is blowing around or else it will stick on me and get itchy. Even sweaty activity feels ok, as long as there is a breeze so I don't stay sweaty. I think outdoor exposure helps me stay calm too. Well environment feels great but I still have some contact dermatitis, like I could never wear wool and some upholstery is too itchy to sit on.
So, right now the biggest problem is food. I get an itchy face after most meals, though it was worse before the shots. Unfortunately, there are no shots for food allergies. I don't know why or how the mechanics behind it would be different?
Showing posts with label allergy shots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergy shots. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
corticocycloxyspiekenshpelzoid
What meds do I take? Allergy shots have really helped me. I dutifully went once a week for shots in each arm for a year with NO improvement. Then at just a year it's like they kicked in and my environmental allergies were reduced to the point of a normal person. In fact I realized the shots were working this past January when I could breathe without problems and family and friends around were having bad allergies. I probably took a Claritin-D 24 and one or two benadryls after a meal (for the all food allergy) daily for about 6 or 7 years. I still take both but try to skip as many days as possible since the shots have helped so much.
Right now the topical creams I'm using are Fluocinonide on my body and Hydrocortisone Valerate for my face. In the past I've tried protopic, elidel, mometasone, clobetasol, triamcinalone acetonoid and more whose names I forget. Elidel made me extremely sensitive to heat, not a complaint but odd. New ointments always work for a couple of weeks and then they stop working. My favorite non-steroidal moisturizers are Aquaphor by Eucerin and Aurstat Hydrogel because they don't sting when I apply them. My dermatologist loves Cerave which I can use sometimes but if my skin is raw it hurts to apply so I always have Aquaphor around. Most other oils, creams and lotions will either hurt to apply or start itching within minutes. Even plain mineral oil becomes itchy.
One of the most helpful recommendations my dermatologist has ever made is the use of wet pajamas. I can't believe it was only until this year that I've discovered this technique. The first night is a pain but the results were worth it. For a week soak a plain basic cotton pair of pajamas (long sleeved crew neck and long pants) in water and wring them out to so they aren't dripping. Put on the wet pj's and then put on a looser pair of dry pj's over the wet ones. Go to sleep and wake up with softer skin!
I rarely get asthma this year. It was mostly a problem before the allergy shots kicked in but it can come back. In April I stayed at a new house for a weekend and the oil based paint fumes from the baseboards and closet shelves were still in the air. I sounded like an accordion trying to breath and felt so desperate for air. After a few days back in my own home and many puffs of the Ventolin inhaler I was back to normal. I personally use VOC free (not low-VOC which is still way too high for me, low VOC, what a joke) since years ago I ended up in an ER needing immediate treatment to breath after painting with...low VOC. So my beautifully painted rooms are done with Freshaire from the Home Despot.
Right now the topical creams I'm using are Fluocinonide on my body and Hydrocortisone Valerate for my face. In the past I've tried protopic, elidel, mometasone, clobetasol, triamcinalone acetonoid and more whose names I forget. Elidel made me extremely sensitive to heat, not a complaint but odd. New ointments always work for a couple of weeks and then they stop working. My favorite non-steroidal moisturizers are Aquaphor by Eucerin and Aurstat Hydrogel because they don't sting when I apply them. My dermatologist loves Cerave which I can use sometimes but if my skin is raw it hurts to apply so I always have Aquaphor around. Most other oils, creams and lotions will either hurt to apply or start itching within minutes. Even plain mineral oil becomes itchy.
One of the most helpful recommendations my dermatologist has ever made is the use of wet pajamas. I can't believe it was only until this year that I've discovered this technique. The first night is a pain but the results were worth it. For a week soak a plain basic cotton pair of pajamas (long sleeved crew neck and long pants) in water and wring them out to so they aren't dripping. Put on the wet pj's and then put on a looser pair of dry pj's over the wet ones. Go to sleep and wake up with softer skin!
I rarely get asthma this year. It was mostly a problem before the allergy shots kicked in but it can come back. In April I stayed at a new house for a weekend and the oil based paint fumes from the baseboards and closet shelves were still in the air. I sounded like an accordion trying to breath and felt so desperate for air. After a few days back in my own home and many puffs of the Ventolin inhaler I was back to normal. I personally use VOC free (not low-VOC which is still way too high for me, low VOC, what a joke) since years ago I ended up in an ER needing immediate treatment to breath after painting with...low VOC. So my beautifully painted rooms are done with Freshaire from the Home Despot.
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