The doctor within
click on Allergies -
You might want to look at this, I just happen to come across it.
click on Allergies -
You might want to look at this, I just happen to come across it.
Doc thinks i have asthma and allergies
For the past 6 months (yeah I waited way to long to see a doc!) I have had some bad hives, dizzy spells, and trouble catching my breath after walking up stairs or reading the kids a story.
Since we moved out of our old apartment and into a brand new housing development on base (we also switched states) the hives are definitly better, almost non existant except once in awhile. But the dizzy spells and breathing troubles are still here. Well doc thinks I maybe allergic to mold and since we had a really old base apartment and were in georgia where mold is a big problem he thinks that was what was causing the hives and possibly brought asthma to the forfront (i think I may have always had it will explain further down) Anyway he wants me to start taking Zyrtec and Tagamet for the hives, he said it's an ulcer med that has antihistamine in it and it might help. I'm allergic to benadryl so I guess it's my only choice. I did take the zyrtec but I don't want to take the tagamet so I haven't started it yet..
He wants me to do some blood tests next week and keep a food diary and write down what happens when I eat stuff- hives, breathing troubles, heart racing or nothing and maybe we can pinpoint what the problems are. Sadly it seems caffine-coffee especially affects my heart a bit and my breathing
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. But if I"m taking 2 allergy meds won't that mask any symptoms????
As for why I think I may have always had mild asthma is because as a kid I totally sucked in gym class, couldn't breath after running, never did good in sports. Dh used to tease me because even blowing up a balloon takes a lot out of me. I used to think I just wasn't athletic but now I wonder kwim? My mom and grandma smoke, sometimes both of them smoked in front of me so I'm guessing I got it from secondhand smoke my whole childhood, I've never smoked and there is no family history. I thank goodness very rarely get sick so I never had a bad attack or anything and we lived up north for my whole childhood where mold isn't as much of a problem and the cold air helps sometimes. Now that I have lived in the heat and mold of the south for almost 3 years it's starting to cause me problems
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.
Any advice or ideas on the meds or what maybe going on with me? This week he wants to do a fasting blood sugar level and he is going to check my thyroid too because my cycles are off and I keep having hot and then cold flashes.
Since we moved out of our old apartment and into a brand new housing development on base (we also switched states) the hives are definitly better, almost non existant except once in awhile. But the dizzy spells and breathing troubles are still here. Well doc thinks I maybe allergic to mold and since we had a really old base apartment and were in georgia where mold is a big problem he thinks that was what was causing the hives and possibly brought asthma to the forfront (i think I may have always had it will explain further down) Anyway he wants me to start taking Zyrtec and Tagamet for the hives, he said it's an ulcer med that has antihistamine in it and it might help. I'm allergic to benadryl so I guess it's my only choice. I did take the zyrtec but I don't want to take the tagamet so I haven't started it yet..
He wants me to do some blood tests next week and keep a food diary and write down what happens when I eat stuff- hives, breathing troubles, heart racing or nothing and maybe we can pinpoint what the problems are. Sadly it seems caffine-coffee especially affects my heart a bit and my breathing
As for why I think I may have always had mild asthma is because as a kid I totally sucked in gym class, couldn't breath after running, never did good in sports. Dh used to tease me because even blowing up a balloon takes a lot out of me. I used to think I just wasn't athletic but now I wonder kwim? My mom and grandma smoke, sometimes both of them smoked in front of me so I'm guessing I got it from secondhand smoke my whole childhood, I've never smoked and there is no family history. I thank goodness very rarely get sick so I never had a bad attack or anything and we lived up north for my whole childhood where mold isn't as much of a problem and the cold air helps sometimes. Now that I have lived in the heat and mold of the south for almost 3 years it's starting to cause me problems
Any advice or ideas on the meds or what maybe going on with me? This week he wants to do a fasting blood sugar level and he is going to check my thyroid too because my cycles are off and I keep having hot and then cold flashes.
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Food diary and other observations are a good way to start getting a clue as to what triggers your symptoms. Allergy tests are the next, and most comprehensive, step in figuring this out. Avoidance of the triggers is the best way to avoid symptoms, but if that's not possible, meds short-circuit or prevent the reaction process once you've been exposed to an allergen.
It's good IMO that he's checking into other aspects too. Our body systems do not function in isolation from each other.
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I hope if you do have allergies that they're mild enough that you don't need daily meds, that avoidance and a back-up/"emergency" med is enough.
It's good IMO that he's checking into other aspects too. Our body systems do not function in isolation from each other.
Thanks everyone for the support and suggestions!
siddie,
This week the doc will do a pulmonary function test, I just have to get an appointment
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. I tried the zyrtec, the past few days and it's actually making me feel worse. I don't have any nasal allergies or problems with my sinus' but since zyrtec is that kind of med it's drying out my nose so much it's unbelievable I feel cruddy. It's also making me very tired. So I don't know what to think, for now I will keep taking it but I will mention that to the doctor. The tagament I'm not taking until I figure out what is causing the hives, but I think it was mold since the move I rarely get them anymore and I was getting them badly every day before.
My symptoms are always worse after I drink coffee so I think I need to cut that out. I'm also worse after doing too much chasing the kids and whatnot. I don't seem to have any pollen allergies, it's more mold and possibly food/environment related like paint dust etc.
We only have carpet upstairs and that doesn't seem to bother me, downstairs we have hardwoods and linolium. We don't have any pets either
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. Thanks for all the suggestions they help!
Another thing I forgot to mention in my first post, doc tested me with a peak flow meter and even taking very deep and forced breaths after 3 tries my best was only 375, he said as a neverr smoker and being young (I just turned 22) I should be better than that, he would like to see 500. He said I'm ok, not in the danger zone but not as good as I should be so that's what made him want to test pulmonary function and the suggestion of asthma. He did a quick ekg in the office and said my heart is ok so it's a lung thing.
siddie,
This week the doc will do a pulmonary function test, I just have to get an appointment
My symptoms are always worse after I drink coffee so I think I need to cut that out. I'm also worse after doing too much chasing the kids and whatnot. I don't seem to have any pollen allergies, it's more mold and possibly food/environment related like paint dust etc.
We only have carpet upstairs and that doesn't seem to bother me, downstairs we have hardwoods and linolium. We don't have any pets either
Another thing I forgot to mention in my first post, doc tested me with a peak flow meter and even taking very deep and forced breaths after 3 tries my best was only 375, he said as a neverr smoker and being young (I just turned 22) I should be better than that, he would like to see 500. He said I'm ok, not in the danger zone but not as good as I should be so that's what made him want to test pulmonary function and the suggestion of asthma. He did a quick ekg in the office and said my heart is ok so it's a lung thing.
2
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