Hey Ladies:

I am sick of taking medication for my allergies and always having post-nasal drip - so I went and got myself tested for allergies and found that I was allergic to a whole bunch of stuff - DUSTMITES, SOME COMMON TREES, FALL WEEDS AND CAT/DOG - so I have decided to take allergy shots for these - have any of you ladies taken these and did they work - and if it didn't why not - have you heard of any risks with these etc.

Thank you

Lara

Do it! Do it! Do it! I was absolutely amazed at the results. I take NO MEDS now and have NO allergy symtoms!!!

If you dont mind me asking what are all of your symptoms so I can have reassurance thats what mine is and I am not dying?

LK67:

these are my symptoms:

I am always clearing my throat - often spitting out phelgm (sorry) I have chest congestion, sometimes I sneeze for no reason - I can take a deep breath without feeling like I am going to cough - I don't know what your symtoms are - but I don't feel like I am dying - its just an uncomfortable feeling - why don't you have your allergies tested

Lara

Ladybug:

Thank you for the go ahead - I was a bit apprehensive and I did not not know many people who did it let alone get a good result - I was worried about a bad reaction - so can you please help me by telling me what allergies you had and how long it took for the initial stuff and then the maintenance - and how long has it been - I'm so happy and excited that you got a good result - did you have REALLY BAD ALLERGIES?

Best

Lara

Hey ladybug:

Where are you? I wanted to know how you fared with this - since you seem so enthusiastic about it - also - ANYONE OUT THERE WHO TOOK ALLERGY SHOTS FOR ALLERGIES AND IS VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS

THANK YOU

Sorry, don't ask me how I missed checking this post! Plan was to take shots for approx five years. Only needed them for 1 1/2 years so that's a BIG plus.

Allergies:

Biggest and baddest was grasses. The scale goes from 0-6 with six being a SEVERE allergy. I pegged at 38! So by far this was my worst.

Weeds were not as bad but there.

So that leaves:

rye
yeast
maple trees
mold
dust
beef and potatoes
soy (even though I figured this one out on my own, it never showed on the test. It causes muscle pain for me)

I was constantly sneezing, runny nose, coughing and all. I literally spent some of my summer indoors with a wet rag on my face because I couldn't stop sneezing!

So, I start shots. Started out as twice per week for a year then once per week. They were AMAZED I responded soo well. Now during the summer I can tell you EXACTLY when grasses and maple trees are blooming. I will sneeze once or twice a day during the week that they "blow", then it's done. If it is a really bad high pollen count I keep zertec with me just in case. But I think I've only needed it maybe twice last year. If you think there is something your reacting too that is not on the test ask them to make a serum for it. Most likely they can add it on!

Last but not least and I can not stress this enough...WRAP YOUR BED AND BOXSPRINGS!!! Use the mite barrier that zips. That alone cut my symptoms by almost half!!! It's not the dust mites (which are in EVERYBODIES bed, I don't care HOW clean you are) that we are allergic to. It's their POOP!

Hi LadyB:

Thanks for your helpful post - I'm so glad you had a positive result - my allergies are not as bad as yours - I do sometimes "hack up" some stuff when I get up in the morning - but not much sneezing - however I can't really take as deep a breath I would like to (I start getting tickle in my chest) and I think that has to do with allergies - so far these are my allergies:
(I don't know the scale of severity - I should ask them)

Dustmites
Trees - Ash, Elm, Maple, Willow, Oak
No grass allergy
Weeds:
Late summer fall: Lambs quarter, Mugworth Pigweed
Mold: Fisarium (mold from rotting plants)
Cat/Dog

they did not check me for food allergies (I thought they did not have a way to do that)
It seems like you had a more indepth evaluation than I did - even though I went to Mass General Hospital in Boston. I am thinking of asking them to check me for other allergies too - also I have a suspicion that I am allergic to Ragweek (which they said I tested negative) - but between you and me I don't really trust that they may gotten it right

Regarding Dustmites - they did tell me about the dustmite covers - but I am thinking of not buying them because I reasoned that if I got the shots I may not need them - It is such a pain in the butt to go and get them (I don't even know where I can get them, and they are expensive I'm sure) - also DO I HAVE TO GET A COVER FOR THE BOXSPRING AS WELL - If that is the case then maybe I will get rid of the box spring - I also have a whole bunch of clothes (in plastic bags under the bed) - and that is why I got myself a box spring with legs - so I could store stuff under - but maybe its also not good feng shui - what do you think?

Thanks a lot again - I'm glad you are feeling great - btw - are there any side effects (apart from analyphyxia which I am aware of) -

No side effects at all. Yes, you have to wrap both mattress and box spring and I would get rid of the clothes under the bed unless they are vacuum sealed. I am in Washington state on the peninsula. Any allergist in your area should be able to give them to you. If you are hacky in the morning or have more symptoms upon arising I would seriously suspect a dust mite allergy. I was the first one tested for the "new thing" here which was scotch broom. They did not think I would react but it IS all over here. I pegged at a 6!!!!

Thanks ladyb - I really don't want to get rid of the clothes under the bed as I will have no place to put them - we have a terrible basement - very damp humid - one year I put my clothes down there and they smelt musty ever since - the clothes are not vacuum sealed but I put them in double plastic bags and tied the tops - do you think I should still get rid of them - if I have to do that then maybe I should get rid of the box spring (so I won't have to bother with the cover for it) and let my mattress rest on the wood floors - what do you think?

also - someone told me to do the Neti pot - and i tried faithfully for three weeks - but I felt even though my nostrils felt clean and open it did not help with the pnd - in fact it exacerabated it - don't know what Oprah was talking about LOL

What is scotch broom -some kind of fall weed?

Lara

Hey LadyBug:

I sent you a PM to your last reply to mine - but no response - you must be very busy - or not checking the board too often - I check once in the a.m. and then in the p.m. -

I am starting my allergy shots next month - very excited - I am going to ask them to check me again for ragweed - which I tested negative for - BTW my doctor recommended the Neti Pot - I tried it for two weeks but it made my post nasal drip worse - also I was constantly spitting up salty phelgm - Yuk - did you try it or did anyone on this board try it - maybe I should start a seperate thread LOL

anyway LadyB - wherever you are - sending you my love


Lara Falcon

I wanted to buy a Netti pot but I never got around to even looking at them; I've never seen one but I've heard from Dr. Oz on Oprah that it's good to rinse out the sinus cavities, which makes sense. One morning while showering I have a hand-held shower head so I reduced the water stream to very light, tipped my head back, and I carefully let the water run into my nose and down into my throat. As long as you don't inhale the water, it works. I can't believe how clean it makes me feel; I also tip my head to each side and run water into my ears, with the ear facing down so the water runs back out from gravity. Obviously you have to be very careful not to let the water stay in your ears, so keep your head tipped toward the ground. I have started to do this rinsing ritual every morning and I feel very cleaned out.

I was reading your post about your mattress. I wash the sheets every two weeks. I know some may do it every week, but mine seem to stay clean for two weeks. Anyhow, when I'm washing them, I take the sheets off and thoroughly vacuum the mattress pad, then remove it and thoroughly vacuum the mattress, then shake out the mattress pad as hard as I can before replacing it on the bed.

Another thought about storing clothes--my husband had some work clothes in our garage and we had an outbreak of silverfish (I HATE them). We got rid of all the clothes and the silverfish disappeared. I read that they feed on cloth (I know, it's disgusting). But my point is that if your basement is damp, perhaps it's also a bit damp under the bed in general, and it might be good to let the air get under the bed by removing the clothing. Maybe you could look into some type of storage box that is stackable somewhere out of the way so they don't take up room--just a thought.

Hi SG:

I'm glad its working for you - but the Neti pot essentially works because of the salt - which draws water out of the nasal tissues and makes it easier for you to breathe - and yes it can make you feel "clean" -be careful with the shower though - if the water goes down the wrong way you may have a problem -

I am so fed up with the stuff I have to do to keep my allergies at bay - regarding clothes under the bed - I recently got some vacuum bags that are supposed to be good for storing clothes - I still haven't gotten down to filling them - it is supposed to be easy to store clothes this way - I can't WAIT for my shots to begin so I don't have to be so anal about all this - the upside of this is that I have become even more scrupulously clean and tidy in my living space - everything happens for a reason -

How are you doing otherwise Sugargrove - I read your posts and you seem to have entered a happy, peaceful time of your life - long may it last !!!

I had a friend many years ago who had very bad allergies, and I remember thinking that it had to be really miserable--she took liquid cough medicine and said she couldn't breathe at night, etc. But she just put up with it patiently, though I guess there's nothing else one can do. My dad had horrible hay fever for years and I can remember every August it was like he had a terrible cold; sneezing, blowing his nose, eyes red, etc., for a long time; until the first hard frost and that could be November. In later years they came out with a series of shots he took in the winter, self-administered, and they must have worked because he no longer suffered. Maybe those shot are remotely related to what you are going to have, although this was 40 years ago.

I know there was something about using salt with the Netti pot--the Netti pot may be targeted to people with sinus problems. We have a water softener so there's a trace of salt in our water anyway, though not enough.

Thanks for your observations about my posts, lara...yes, I think life is getting better in post meno. I'm running four miles every day, my weight is down, I feel good, and most of all I'm staying away from a very toxic family, so that may be the major reason life is better. I hope you will feel better, too.

You are very welcome - I love to see people come out happy on the other side LOL - So see life has gotten better instead of worse - and you are experiencing things like your weight loss etc. that you never imagined - good for you - I don't have pets but I can imagine how much love you get from them - so keep up the happy life!!!