My Allergist Appointment

My appointment ended up being a traditional allergy appointment.  I started off with the nurse who took my vitals and gave me a breathing test that is for asthmatics.  I did have to use my inhaler three times yesterday after not using it for over eighteen months but woke up fine today.  I scored very well at 111% which is normal for me.  Allergists always comment on how great my lung capacity is for an asthmatic. 

Since I had antihistamines recently and had also take Quercetin, they then checked to see if I would react to a histamine control skin test.  The nurse applied it, turned to put the spent test away, turned back and said that I was for sure reacting.  So, within about 5 seconds it was positive.

The doctor came in and we talked about what had been going on.  I got one of my least favorite doctor questions after I had already answered it: “Why are you here?”

Really?

We just talked about how I got hives from walking into a store, which progressed to mouth and tongue issues and then a resurgence of my asthma yesterday.  That this has happened to me before and I was entering a “Body Freak Out Mode.”  That for the past two months things have gotten crazy.  So I essentially say that I don’t want to get really sick again.

The doctor is not interested in my low histamine diet experience.  She says that food is never the cause of chronic hives.  She isn't super interested that the last time ended after I stopped sharing laundry machines because chronic hives isn't caused by laundry detergent.

In fact chronic hives have no known cause…

So, at this point she doesn't want to add any medications.  If I were to worsen, Claritin and Zyrtec are both ok for nursing.  I’d first do Claritin once a day.  Breakthrough hives on that means Claritin twice a day.  Break through hives on that add a Zantac (it was hard to get a word in else I would have asked why Zantac would be good for hives, did she mean Zyrtec?).  She said that there would be options to layer the various antihistamines.  Xolair was also mentioned as good for chronic hives.

When I am not nursing and am done having children I should pursue aspirin desensitization.

I managed to get a word in and asked if she had heard of Mast Cell Activation Disorders.  She said that she had but you just treat the symptoms.  She did admit that it was likely that I had MCAD.

The doctor also scratched both of my arms and said that I am slightly dermatographic right now.  Next she asked if I wanted to do any skin testing.  I agreed and we decided to do the environmental ones here because they are different than the ones in Chicago and also wheat since I mentioned that I had lately had problems with it.  Wouldn't it be lovely to chock this up to traditional allergies?

So, we did that testing and they had to do the positive control again (ugh).  Today was a negative test day (I had a slight positive on maple and a very positive histamine control).  If my symptoms do progress she did mention that we would do blood tests of some sort.  For right now, I should come back if I get worse.  That is my absolute least favorite doctor line.

My take aways from this appointment: a severe headache and hives.