Allergies...or not

[crayonblue]

Long story short when we moved to SoCal I started having hideous allergies. Itchy eyes, runny (like a faucet) nose, sneezing hundreds of times per day, etc. I started taking Zyrtec which seemed to curb the symptoms but not totally relieve them. I also tried Flonase and Dymista nasal sprays and neither helped at all. I've also tried Claritin which did not work at all for me. I went to the doctor a few months ago due to ear issues (extreme pain while flying, eardrums bursting while sick with a cold, etc) and he suggested allergy testing, thinking the allergies and ear issues are likely related.

I stopped taking the Zyrtec a month ago because I felt like it was making me jittery and sweaty. Since then I have been an absolute allergy disaster. I put the testing off as we were switching to better insurance, as of yesterday. Today I went to breakfast with a friend and all of a sudden had a massive allergy attack with sneezing and nose pouring. Lovely. So, I called the allergist and they got me in for testing this afternoon.

Lo and behold after 2 hours of skin allergy testing, I did not test positive to one single allergen. NONE. All the while I'm sneezing all over the exam room and using up his tissue box.

Due to all of my symptoms and ear problems, etc. he thinks I may have pseudo allergy syndrome or something like that. Anyone heard of such a thing? He is ordering a CT of my nasal passages and some sort of nasal skin cell test. He also prescribed a course of Prednisone to get me to a reasonable baseline. I've used Prednisone in the past to relieve ear pressure and it works like a charm but even 1mg makes me swell. He prescribed 10mgs twice per day and said he REALLY wants me to take that much so that he can see how I respond to steroids and based on that response he'll have a better understanding of what is going on. ARgh. Ugh. I'm gonna look like the Pillsbury DoughBoy for the next week.

Oh and he did some sort of ear test and said my left eardrum is extremely flaccid which would explain the terrible pain I experience changing altitudes. And he said my nasal passages are very swollen.

Has any one else had allergy issues but not tested positive for allergies? I was REALLY hoping to get some relief with allergy shots and this is not at all what I expected.

[urquie]

That sounds miserable! I don't have a similar experience to share but want to highly suggest using a neti pot for your nasal symptoms. It took me 15+ years before I was willing to try it and it has been a life changer for me! Patanal eye drops work great for my constantly itchy eyes... there is a newish generic prescription available, that is much cheaper!

[DualvansMommy]

I just wanted to chime in offer you my sympathies! It truly does sound miserable

I was in exact same boat as you after the first summer moving here from Europe. Had a terrible spring/summer with my allergies, couldn't even sleep with the constant runny nose and wet swollen eyes. After years of not having any ear infections, I started getting them very frequently.

Turned out I was allergic to very specific tree type that's very regional only. Now my tree allergies grew to include pollen, but it took me a year of seeing various ENT, allergies t's etc to pinpoint the tree allergy.

Have you travelled anywhere overseas in the past 6 months? As often that trigger episodes like ours to the fore.

So sorry for your pain and discomfort.

[123LuckyMom]

I would ask for a referral to get a second opinion. Obviously something's going on! I'm so sorry. That sounds miserable.

[crayonblue]

That sounds miserable! I don't have a similar experience to share but want to highly suggest using a neti pot for your nasal symptoms. It took me 15+ years before I was willing to try it and it has been a life changer for me! Patanal eye drops work great for my constantly itchy eyes... there is a newish generic prescription available, that is much cheaper!

I thought we had a neti pot but apparently we don't so I just ordered one.

[crayonblue]

I just wanted to chime in offer you my sympathies! It truly does sound miserable

I was in exact same boat as you after the first summer moving here from Europe. Had a terrible spring/summer with my allergies, couldn't even sleep with the constant runny nose and wet swollen eyes. After years of not having any ear infections, I started getting them very frequently.

Turned out I was allergic to very specific tree type that's very regional only. Now my tree allergies grew to include pollen, but it took me a year of seeing various ENT, allergies t's etc to pinpoint the tree allergy.

Have you travelled anywhere overseas in the past 6 months? As often that trigger episodes like ours to the fore.

So sorry for your pain and discomfort.

No, I haven't travelled overseas recently. Just over the border but Mexico terrain is pretty much the same (minus the watered vegetation) as SoCal.

[crayonblue]

I would ask for a referral to get a second opinion. Obviously something's going on! I'm so sorry. That sounds miserable.

I'm thinking I'll go in for the scans and then I'll ask for a referral if he has no other answers. I do NOT want to be dependent upon steroids to get thru the day.

[twowhat?]

Allergy testing doesn't cover EVERYTHING. I'd place my bets on something regional (like a specific tree pollen as a PP suggested) since your symptoms started when you moved. Keep an eye on the pollen levels (local weather reports) and see if any of the categories correlates with when you get the worst attacks.

Good luck, sound like misery

eta: have you tried Singulair? Game changer for DH, who is allergic to cedar and used to have allergy attacks at night (nonstop sneezing).

etaa: Also, are you taking probiotics? If not I would start taking them. There is some evidence that they can help with allergies. And if it doesn't work, it won't hurt

[WatchingThemGrow]

Is there a possibility of mold anywhere? I didn't show up as having a mold allergy, but my body and my experiences tell me I'm highly sensitive to it (to the point you are describing.)

Also try alavert. It has been awesome for my seasonal allergies, in addition to eradicating dust and figuring out any moldy areas/items.