New to Here, questions about allergies

[brettgrant99]

I posted my new member info yesterday. I am pretty familiar with forums and how they work, but sometimes searching eludes be a little bit.

Anyway, I have always had allergies and have been allergic to a lot of different stuff. I was wondering about dealing allergies and GPA. Specifically about my pets. My understanding is that allergies are a form of autoimmune reactions (perhaps I am wrong here).

I tried doing a search for pets, dogs, and allergies, but missed any specific threads. If there are, please feel free to reference them.

I've currently got two dogs, I am less allergic to dogs than cats. Not doing anything rash, but if a goal is to eliminate allergens is this a situation that has to be considered?

Thanks,
Brett

[Pete]

Hi Brett,

I'll speak from my own experience here and I'm sure others will chime in...

I have seasonal allergies and some degree of allergy to animal dander. My son has a dog and I am occasionally (and unavoidedly) around other dogs. Before GPA/WG, I took OTC allergy drugs with good results as needed. Now, I take 10 mg loratidiene daily and 10 mg Phenylephrine twice daily. I also take 20 mg/wk of mtx along with pred and bactrim. Being around dogs doesn't seem to bother me. I try to avoid touching my face after I've played with a dog until I've washed my hands. Seasonal allergies don't bother me like they used to, either.

So, to answer your question, I don't think you need to make any changes regarding your pets.

[Dirty Don]

I have dust allergies as well as others...ENT said OTC allergy remedies will work fine...I tend to dry out already damaged sinuses when I do take them, but they do work without any contraindications. Other than that, there's not much to be done or feared from allergies and GPA/WG. If there's lung damage, one would have to be careful of pneumonia at some point. I'd love to have a dog here in AZ, but we still travel some and it's so hot for them here in the summers...sighs...cup of coffee???

[DJS]

I posted my new member info yesterday. I am pretty familiar with forums and how they work, but sometimes searching eludes be a little bit.
(Snip)
I've currently got two dogs, I am less allergic to dogs than cats. Not doing anything rash, but if a goal is to eliminate allergens is this a situation that has to be considered?

Thanks,
Brett

If you get to the top, under the community tab, then choose albums, you will see the my wife's dog was allowed to see her in the hospital. The dog has been great to keep her walking, and the dog is a great napper with her. Her dog helps her immune system to get stronger.

[JenG]

This is my first forum post....
Brett, I believe that as long as you are on steroids your allergies probably shouldn't be much of an issue. Depending on how your docs treat you long term will give you an answer to how much allergy suffering you will endure. I had a kidney transplant 13 years ago and my docs never bothered allergy testing me as they figured the immunosuppressive meds I was on for the transplant would just mask the allergy readings. I tend to take a child's dose or less of allergy meds when I am suffering and that seems to work well...that and of course sinus rinsing. On another note, I have noticed that when my highly animal-allergic family members come to my house (2 cats) they don't suffer too badly unless they are petting animals and have their hands in their faces. We have hard wood floors and leather furniture so there isn't much place to collect animal dander.

Jennifer

[Alysia]

I have 3 cats at home, one near my office and one that I feed on the street. cats are great.
being on pred treats allergies as well.

[MikeG-2012]

Brett, I have a dog here at home, and I'm allergic. I do not have any ill effects from her. I believe that with the vigorous nasal rinsing I do now, I could probably have a cat in the house again.

Unless the the doc tells you, keep the pets!

MikeG-2012

[annekat]

I've been told the same thing about pred, that it is one of the most effective things for allergies. So we are sort of protected whether we like it or not. But I'd still take the same precautions about allergies that you always have, and use the same OTC meds if you need to, especially if you manage to taper the pred to a low amount. My doc, who is not a WG specialist, had me stop the allergy shots I'd been getting for a couple of years pre dx. That sort of bothers me, since I don't know that he knows enough to have a good reason for that. Now if I have big allergy problems again someday, the time and money I spent on the shots has gone to waste, since I'd have to start them over again and build up the immunity over time like I did before. I hope I don't need to go there, and can get by with OTC or prescription drugs if anything. Even on the pred, I have felt some incidence of seasonal allergies and managed it with OTC drugs although I think my doc told me not to take them. I don't always do what he says.