allergic to what? Hives and any links with anosmia - Allergies Message Board

Doogie Howser · 12-07-2006, 09:11 AM

can u please help. I have been suffering from hives for the past four years. Dr says nothing can b done. keep taking the antihistamines that give me the poos. I have tried many, Loratidine mainly, but now on cetirizine which is ok. I hav always had red eyes as a kid, which I have learnt to live with. I hav anosmia (no sense of smell) I also cannot produce tears. by tears I mean full running tears, never. I thought my eyes were related to that. But now I'm thinking it might be part of my allergies, which has resulted in hives on my face and sometimes upper body. I sneeze a lot now. every 15 min with running nose and red eyes.

The hives appear whenever they want. when I wake up, get out of the shower, walking outside, inside, hot and cold weather and when I exercise. I don't think it's food related cuz I never get them after eating anything. never was a fussy eater. It could be stress related, but I'm stressed cuz I get itchy hives! (which was first egg or chicken!). one moment I can be stress free going about my day, and then it arrives. I was recently diagnosed with asthma.

How can I pin point the cause of a non food related allergy?
Is there any relation to anosmia?

cheers
doogie

Sannah · 12-07-2006, 09:42 AM

You sound like you have bad allergies (anosmia and asthma, etc.). (Like you really needed to be told this!) You might want to look into LDA (low dose allergen) therapy on this web site (do an advanced search) and on the whole web. Are you sure that your diarrhea is from the antihistamines and not from food allergies? You cannot produce tears, is this a symptom of sjogrens syndrome? (This is an autoimmune disease and these diseases occur with food allergies). Have you ever been allergy tested?

sneezydiva · 12-07-2006, 12:55 PM

Is this a family doctor you are talking about? There is plenty that can be done, with allergy testing by an allergist being the first and foremost. Demand a referral.

Don't assume it isn't food related. Many food allergies are delayed reactions meaning they happen so much later after eating that you may never make the connection between your symptoms and food. My ENT tested me for food allergies after his allergy shots for pollen alllergies weren't helping as much as expected. I was shocked to find I had 3 really bad food allergies and a few minor ones.

Doogie Howser · 12-09-2006, 05:32 AM

thanks for the responses guys.
sannah, sjorgrens syndrome seems quite close to my symptoms. except for the throat issues (chewing swallowing etc). I was born with anosmia, or as far as I can tell. I went to see my family doctor about my anosmia a few years back. was told he couldn't give me something I never had. so it wasn't a change is taste and smell, I never had smell, as with sjorgrens. although sometimes things taste strange to me. I put that down to the food. LDA might be the way to go for me, especially for my hives, asthma and sneezing.
I think i will try some diet changes, not ruling out food allergies just because of the delayed reaction.
time to get a referral to an allergist, which knowing my GP will be difficult.

cheers
doogie

Doogie Howser · 12-09-2006, 05:48 AM

I accuse the antihistamines of giving me diarrhea cuz when i stop taking them the diarrhea stops 1-2 days later. I hav always had digestive issues (discomfort) that apparently my father has all his life. I eat probiotic yoghurts now which seem to help a little. two of my siblings hav hives, not as frequent as me, but my DR said that it can run in the family? one of my sisters has allergies really bad, scary sometimes. her breathing becomes dangerous. all was put down to hayfever by our family DR. which fits, cuz it gets worst in summer.
cheers (even as a write this my eyes are warming up)
Doogie