<p>Has anyone had their doctor order a blood test to identify allergies? Has it been accurate? I’m confused and am trying to convince myself that I am NOT a hypochondriac.</p>
<p>For years I have had to fight off sinus infections, ear infections, stratchy, watery eyes, runny nose, massive sinus drainage, and coughing at least twice a year…usually springtime around when the pollen covers everything, and again in the fall…(when I lived in Illinois it coincided with when the corn was nearly ready in the fields). A couple of years ago, I was out raking wet leaves out of bushes in the spring, and started a cough that by bedtime was interfering with me being able to breath. I started getting sick about 3 weeks ago, and just couldn’t seem to kick it, even being on a maintenance dose of Allegra for quite some time and kicking in some decongestants. I had days of wheezing and gasping for air (used prescription inhaler which helped), days when my entire head felt in a vice, constant runny nose, totally clogged ears with painful earache, and just felt like crap.</p>
<p>I went to my doctor’s office a week ago and was given a 7-day dose of Prednisone (which has helped in the past), and she put me on Singulair and gave me a lecture about continuing to use the Flo-nase nose spray. She suggested that I be tested for allergies via a blood test, which I did. I’d never heard of a blood test for it, but it was supposed to show what I was allergic to, so I could prepare accordingly. The meds have helped tremendously, only one ear is still clogged and most of my other symptoms are much less pronounced.</p>
<p>Well, I got the results yesterday, and she circled the “normal” box. I’m going to request the specific results, but it sounds like this is saying I’m not allergic to anything? Huh? Now I’m so confused! Am I just a major hypochondriac who makes myself sick on purpose at strategic times of the year??!! I don’t know if I should go to an allergist for further testing or a psychiatrist!</p>
<p>I vote for the allergist. Primary care physicians try to be all things to all people and in the process miss a lot. I walked around with undiagnosed thyroid disease for years - the endrocrinologist diagnosed it instantly. Specialists know exactly what to look for and can see things that generalists just don’t catch.</p>
<p>I’m going to an allergist next week. They warned me that I shouldn’t take any antihistimines for six days prior to my test. Maybe something you were taking interfered with the test.</p>
<p>I’ve developed many allergies the last few years…my son has had allergy shots for 7 years and is now done and doing wonderful.</p>
<p>I had skin prick test and showed obvious dog, shellfish, but no strawberries which I new I was allergic to. When I mentioned it what I believed happened was he was so shocked to see how severe my allergies were to the other two he just overlooked the small red circle around strawberries and trees.</p>
<p>Do go to an allergist , I finally started getting shots myself (two a week now) because it started causing me to use inhaler a couple times a week . I stay aways from dogs as much as possible (can’t be around my poodle now if she is wet which is weird) and take allergy pills if I know I’m going out hiking and around weeds.</p>
<p>Never heard of bloodtest, but do go to allergist for skin test.</p>
<p>I did the blood test many years ago and subsequently found out it wasn’t as accurate as the skin test (two different allergists, two different opinions). I would go to the allergist and get him to do the skin prick test if you are interested in seeing what sets your allergies off. OTOH, they probably aren’t going to treat it any differently than what your primary care doctor is already prescribing, so you might not want to go to the expense and pain of the skin prick test.</p>
<p>I’m allergic to pollen, ragweed, dust, etc. In fact, can’t even keep a real Christmas tree in the house because it sets off my allergies. I use Flonase year round and that seems to be the most effective thing. When it really kicks in I will take one of the over the counter allergy meds (usually Claritin). I find I can manage my allergies if I stay on top of it with the Flonase and additional meds as needed. Occasionally, it will get the better of me and I’ll end up with a major ear problem and then need to go on Prednisone.</p>
<p>Thanks for not unanimously voting that I go see a psychiatrist! I do wonder if all the drugs I was on masked the allergies in the blood test. Hmmm…Momlive, I’m agreeing with you and thinking that the allergist probably wouldn’t treat things any differently right now. I know now to keep doing the Flonase and Allegra religiously year-round. If I have any more of these “events” that I can’t seem to cut off before they become nasty, then I’ll go off to an allergist then. Hopefully this will be the last one of these bad boys until springtime. Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>The allergist will give you a skin prick test, and may inject tiny amounts of allergens just under your skin. You’ll probably find out you’re also allergic to mold, which includes leaf mold, and that will explain why you got sick after raking. There are a lot of things out there to be allergic to! If you get the allergy shots treatment, it doesn’t cure it but it sure takes the edge off.</p>
<p>Also, we inadvertently took a “pollen holiday” this spring. My D’s spring break was the week before Easter and we went far south, thereby missing the really bad week of oak tree pollen. Had a nice week in a place that had passed all the tree pollen phases, and came home and it wasn’t too bad anymore. I wish we could do that every year!</p>
<p>Vkkesu, a similar thing happened to me when I bathed my dogs. They are Maltese and don’t shed so they’re tolerable even if you have allergies but they must still have some dander. I bathed them both once and could barely breathe by the end of it. I wonder what the specific cause was. I’ve had to comb them thoroughly recently and was fine with that.</p>
<p>I suffered from horrible allergies for years and swear by the HEPA filter in our bedroom. It’s bulky and a little noisy but my allergy symptoms have decreased considerably since I started using it. I think giving my immune system a nightly break from all my allergy triggers has really helped.</p>
<p>Astrophysics Mom:
The blood test y’all are referring to checks for the presence of immune antibodies to various common allergens (the things we’ve developed allergies to) and there are many different assays available. In general, these in vitro tests (since they are performed out of the body) are not as useful as skin testing for diagnosing allergies. The results of these type of immunoassays are NOT effected by antihistamines, prednisone and other meds that have to be held for the skin tests and they can be performed on people with certain chronic skin diseases (sometimes skin testing can’t). There are many different “brands” and the quality and sensitivity varies. Sadly, I have known some practices where this type of testing was ordered as it sometimes gave answers but always generated income (which referral to an allergist for skin testing does not).
So clinically (despite the negative blood test), you have allergies (and do not need a psychiatrist!) and this would clearly be time for a referral for skin testing if needed but, as long as the flonase and singulair are managing your allergy symptoms, it may not be necessary. If you wanted to know specifically what you are allergic to or needed the immunotherapy shots to reduce your reactivity then evaluation by an allergist with skin testing is required.
The blood testing method is not always useless. There is growing evidence that, in kids in particular, it may be more helpful for predicting true allergies/reactivity for some specific foods.
Sorry, that was longer than planned but hopefully helpful.</p>
<p>astrophysicsmom, My advice would be to go to an allergist soon. You will be given skin prick tests using kind of a two-dimensional comb with different substances on each point (not really painful; S1 giggled when he had his first one at 15 months). It is important to find out exactly what you are allergic to so that you can take any measures that are indicated. You are almost certainly allergic to tree pollen (spring) and possibly ragweed (fall), but there could be other allergies as well. For example, you might be allergic to dust mites; if you are, then encasing your mattress in a special cover and washing all bedding in hot water can reduce your exposure. The more you can reduce your exposure to all problem substances, the better you will feel. </p>
<p>An allergist might also be able to prescribe more effective medications.</p>
<p>Skin tests are the standard. There are very sensitive blood tests, but they are not available everywhere. S1 was referred to a center that offered them. The reason that he had them was that his skin test reactions to certain foods had diminished to the point that his allergist was considering food challenges, and she wanted to get additional information.</p>
<p>S1 is one of very few people who outgrew a documented peanut allergy.</p>
<p>That’s great news about outgrowing a peanut allergy! Unfortunately, I seem to be “growing into” more allergies. My trip to the allergist was worthless. I got the skin prick tests, only to learn that I’m allergic to ragweed and birch trees. I knew about the ragweed, but was concerned with my throat swelling with almonds and some fruits and getting hives after eating shrimp. I didn’t react to any of the food items. Dr. warned me that that the skin prick test fails to detect 5% of allergies, but wrote me a perscription for an epi pen. Maybe I need the psychiatrist, too!</p>
<p>That’s frustrating, toledo. The throat swelling is worrisome. Does it happen every time you eat almonds or those fruits? Is it more likely to happen during the spring or fall, when the tree pollen or ragweed is in the air?</p>
<p>You might try having the prick tests repeated in a year.</p>
<p>Food allergies in children are often outgrown (except for peanut and nut allergies, which are very unlikely to be outgrown). But environmental allergies (pollen, dust, ragweed) tend to get worse as we get older.</p>
<p>Hmmm…I never paid attention to the time of year my throat swells. It’s only happened twice with almonds. After researching almond allergies, I believe it occurs only with raw almonds. Raw fruits only make my throat itch and shrimp occasionally give me hives. The only other possibility I can come up with is some type of pesticide or preservative, but the doctor says there is no test for that. That may account for the times I’ve eaten these foods with no reaction.</p>
<p>Note what else is going on next time you have a reaction. When we moved from NYC to the suburbs in May, S1 suddenly reacted to two foods he had never reacted to before. The allergist said that the assault on his immune system from all the pollen had raised subclinical allergies to the symptomatic level. </p>
<p>Be careful about having your Epi-pen always with you. If you do have food allergies, it is common for reactions to escalate. You will need a doctor’s note to take it on planes.</p>
<p>I’m going to take a chance, as they only cost me $17 with my insurance. If you hear of someone being arrested on a flight between Detroit and Minneapolis, you’ll know it’s me;)</p>
<p>My husband travels with multiple syringes (he has MS). In eleven years of heavy travel ( both domestically and internationally) he has only been questioned once about bringing his syringes on board (in Australia before 9/11). We use to carry a doctor’s note but now he just carries the rx label off the box (that is if he remembers). I’ve always been shocked about the laxity of carrying filled syringes on board.</p>
<p>I guess in terms of ‘weapons’ it’s pretty limited… not like you can inject everyone on board but still…</p>
<p>My S’s allergist suggested he shower each night and shampoo his hair so to reduce the allergens on his body. This may be a hassle for females to wash their hair nightly but it does make sense that whatever you are allergic to gets in your hair then you roll around on the pillow all night thus coming in close contact with all the things that cause your symptoms.</p>