Talking Allergies

This is really just a rant, about how much I hate Spring!

Being unfamiliar with our new weather patterns here in Winnipeg, we were taken unawares by Spring this year. One day it was -30C and the next +10C! And as usual, as soon as the snow melted my sons got sick, sick, SICK!

We have them on Nasonex, Flovent and as much Reactine as they can tolerate without getting too drowsy to function (with Panatol eye drops soon to be added to the mix), but my son who is most allergic still missed 2 days of school last week, and has only made it for 1/2 of one afternoon so far this week. He really wanted to go to school this morning, but as he dragged himself around trying to get ready, sneezing once a minute and pale as a sheet, except for the deep purple pouches under his eyes, it quickly became apparent that he just needs to go back to bed.

The poor kid! His SPT and RASTs show that he is allergic to pretty well everything outside, with his reactions to mould being so strong I think he might have an anaphylactic reaction given a large or long enough exposure. He is not a good candidate for allergy shots. Singulair didn't work for him, and the side effects were awful, and he only tolerates so much antihistamines without getting too groggy to function (the non-drowsy kind). We've tried several natural remedies (i.e. quercetin) and dietary changes. We follow all the recommendations regarding furnace filters, dust mite proof covers on his bedding etc. Carefully choose non-irritating cleaning and laundry supplies and toiletries. And he feels well in the winter (excluding cold induced asthma and physical urticaria ), but when spring rolls around all hell breaks loose!

We limit his exposure to the outside as much as we can without turning him into a bubble boy. Still, it is tough on him. The kids at school think all his sneezing and snuffling is pretty gross, and he gets behind in his school work and gets left behind by his friends when he is absent so much. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I just needed to vent. I know things will settle down after these first rough couple of weeks, and his little body will start to adjust to the barrage...but man, this just sucks!

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

I can understand your grief. My daughter also has bad environmental allergies. She has been suffering this spring. Last spring was actually pretty good for her. We started Nasonex, reactine and patinol and it was very effective. This year with all of the snow and the delayed melt, the mold and tree pollens are hitting all at the same time. She was so incredibly irritable from not sleeping well. It was so hard to deal with her. I also worry about her falling behind at school. I am fortunate that she made it to school most days and that I work at her school so I can keep her with me at recess. But it is still hard to do homework and reading at home at night when she is so worn out and uncooperative.

Things are a little better in the last few days. I think she might have a cold in addition to the allergies. It is hard to tell where allergies stop and a cold begins. Many of the kids in her class are coughing and sick too.

It is hard to keep her inside so much. She tends to put on weight in the spring and late winter from being less active. We will have to get her into a gym program. She also misses time with her friends at recess so she suffers physically and socially.

The first year she was really developing an understanding of allergies it was hard to tell her that not only was she allergic to most foods but now to the outdoors. The other thing that is difficult is getting her to understand that being allergic to food and trees is different. She can't touch milk, peanuts or eggs or eat even a trace but it is okay to touch trees. It must be confusing. I want her to understand how serious her food allergies are but I don't want her terrified of the outdoors (she isn't).

Anyways hang in there.
Kate

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13 year old daughter -- lives with life-threatening allergies to milk, tree nuts and peanuts; seasonal allergies (birch, maple, ragweed); pet allergies; asthma; and eczema
10 year old son - no allergies

Thanks Kate. I just needed to growl!

He has made it to school for the past two days, and is starting to feel a little better. He had a cold as well, and like you said, so hard to tell where one stops and the other begins.

It's funny, but last spring was a much better one for him too. But Fall was tough, and it looks like this Spring will be too.

Oh well, he's a real trooper about it all...I'm the one who is whining that it's no fair! He just gets on with things as best he can.

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

Itchy eyes so far...and so it begins.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

Yesterday morning I noticed my neighbour had grass seed on her lawn, so I knew ds would be crying soon. (First sign of allergies with him is itchy, watery eyes.) On the way home from school, he suddenly starts -- I'm itchy. Eyes red, swollen. Spring has sprung. <sigh>

It's not actually the grass with him, it's the mold -- but it's always active when people are planting grass seed.

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A few years ago the teacher gave an assignment -- draw a picture and right a poem about what you like about spring. He grumbles "what if I don't like spring" and she heard him....told him to draw and write why he doesn't like spring.

So all the kids pictures and poems are up on the wall -- bright colours, flowers, butterflies, birds.....and there is my son's. Mostly colourless, all about bees and itchy eyes. At least he got a good mark and got to express his true feelings.

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self: allergy to sesame seeds and peanuts
3 sons each with at least one of the following allergies: peniciilin, sulfa-based antibiotic, latex, insect bites/stings

You can sign up for a daily pollen report to be emailed to you from the Weather Network. It's starting up in my area again because I just got my first report today.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/health ... nt/heindex

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees