New diagnosis, Cat Allergies? - Allergies Message Board

KaP · 03-18-2003, 10:12 AM

I have been newly diagnosed with Cat allergies. I have had dust/dust mite allergies for years. I have 2 cats & 1 dog. Allergist said get rid of cats, I said nooooo! One cat I have raised since he was 6days old. He is my baby. Would you get rid of your baby? No. So what can I do to minimize the damage he does to my system, besides getting rid of him. He's 3 years old and the other cat is 2. I have had cats all my life with no problems before this year. Could having a bloodclot disrupt my system? I had one the end of Jan. now all of a sudden I'm allergic to cats......?
Help please!

KaP

Marie55 · 03-18-2003, 03:01 PM

Did you have a test to be sure your were allergic to cats? If not, take a scraping of cat skin, dandruff, hair or whatever and place on upper inner arm, tape it on and leave for 48 hours. Do not get wet. If your arm is red where the scraping stuff was then you are allergic to cats. If it is not red you are not allergic.

My dermatologist told me to test this way for things I want to find out if I am allergic to. I am allergic to sulfa but he was going to give me a sulfa med for face. Usually a person is allergic to sulfa internally but not topically. I had to do the above test for a week, but for sulfa had to put new on every night and morning. For cat allergy you need to do it for 48 hrs without getting wet, the continuous contact will work better for a test.

If you are truly allergic to cats for whatever reason, then you should get rid of cats. It is possible for the body to reach a tolerance level to an allergen. I doubt that a blood clot would have anything to do with it.

kiki lou · 03-20-2003, 04:55 PM

Our doctor told us to just avoid sleeping in the same room with the cat and keep the cat out of the bedroom during the day. We also use an air purifier at night. No problems at all doing those things!

KaP · 03-20-2003, 09:32 PM

I know the bloodclot didn't cause my allergy, I was just fishin'! My doctor told me to keep the cat out of the bedroom too and that's what I'll have to do.
Thanks for you quick response. Love my cats, but hate the allergies. Itchy eyes and nose is the pits!!!lol

KaP

KJ39 · 03-21-2003, 11:11 PM

I too am allergic to cats. I can pet them, but can not touch my face afterwards. If I do my eyes swell up and my face gets all red and itchy. I grew up with cats for a total of 25 years. 5 years without one. When Iwas 30, my roommate had a cat and I would pick him up, cuddle and pet him. The next day I would wake up with swollen eyes and a red itchy face. I was tested and I was the highest level you could get for them.

I can not have one live with me, but if I go to someones house, who has a cat, I have to make sure I wash my hands before touching my face or eyes, incase I touched the cat or somewhere the cat may have laid.

It is not life threating for me, just irriating.

KJ