I am not a doctor person.
I go to the doctor if I have a crazy high fever and feel like I’m seriously going to die (read: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) or if I think I’m contagious (so I can get better and go back to work and pay the bills without infecting people).
I get my yearly exam and pap and go to the dentist twice a year. Vagina health is important, and not taking care of your teeth leads to terrible things – so I suck it up and do those.
Other than that, I don’t go to the doctor. I think our bodies are pretty miraculous things and do a great job of fighting illness on their own if we just treat them well.
So, it took a LOT to get me to an allergist on Saturday.
The past two years I’ve struggled increasingly with sinus and allergy trouble, and after having had a headache for the past two weeks straight, I gave in.
It was a process. A long process with many needles and a little camera worm that went in my face.
I had a headache the whole time and there were a million other things I would have preferred to do with my Saturday morning, but the doctor is highly reputed and seemed to know what he was talking about.
Apparently I’m quite allergic to most grass and trees, and suffer from a triple dose of headache goodness – tension headaches, sinus headaches and migraines.
My right septum is also deviated, but not enough to warrant surgery, which is awesome news because there’s no way I would have gotten the surgery anyways.
He sent me off with a homework assignment to get blood work done to make sure my immune system is okay (haven’t decided if I’ll actually do this) and list of medicines that is supposed to make all my woes be gone.
I also have to go back in a month to get food allergy testing done (another possible headache contributor as well as the supposed cause behind some skin issues I’ve been having) and they’re trying to talk me into the allergy shots, which isn’t happening – not only because I hate needles but also because I think they’re bullshit.
I’m honestly torn over the experience. I don’t know if I even believe in the process.
I mean, just because my arm blew up to the size of a boa constrictor when they did the allergy testing doesn’t necessarily answer the question of how my body actually responds to those allergens, does it?
Breathing them in is different from having them pricked into my body with a needle, right?
I have been following the treatment for two days now, and can’t say I feel much better yet. I still have popping in my ears and a hatred-inducing headache as I type this, but maybe it will just take awhile for my body to respond.
I am definitely to a point where my allergies are interfering with my day-to-day life and I want to get better, so I’m going to keep trying, but I’m wondering if my efforts are futile. Perhaps this is just my lot in life?
Anyways, not much point in all that, but a lot of you had expressed concern and interest in my allergy situation (really, I’m not making that up) so I thought I’d give an update. Nothing like reading about my medical happenings on a Monday morning. You’re so very welcome.
Do you have allergies? How do you deal with them?
Are you a doctor lover or doctor avoider?
I am highly allergic to just about everything. I have to take a nasal steroid and a pill everyday. Shots would probably help, but it’s manageable enough how I’m dealing with it.
Allergies suck girl, I feel your pain.
Yeah, that’s basically what they gave me as well along with eye drops. I’ve heard the shots cause a lot of problems, and you have to go in to do it once a week. Just not happening.
Jeez, sucks you’re dealing with that crap.
I used to get headaches every day or every other day and it turns out, it was sugar causing them. I just started cutting out things like dairy, sugar, and meat to find out. Sugar was the culprit. I still eat it sometimes but I never buy anything that has sugar.
I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out but one thing I know is that you DON’T have to live with it! Think about it, a life free of headaches….amazing. I hope you start feeling better girlie.
Oh geez, if it’s sugar then I’m in BIG trouble.
Poor you! My husband went through the exact same thing last year. He’d been dealing with tension headaches/sinus pressure for years. After an appt with the allergist they chalked it up to allergies to dander, trees etc etc…
I luckily wasn’t allergic to dander or household things, so I can get many pets and stay inside all the time if I want…
I have seasonal allergies that I mostly just ignore. I used to take stuff, but it caused more annoying problems than the ones they were supposed to fix, so I stopped. For the most part, I’m in favor of improving quality of life whenever you can though, so even if it seems dumb it might be worth a shot. I don’t mind the GP, but I hate eye doctors, and I’m not much for the dentist. Better to have them than not though.
Agreed, I was glad to have a doctor to keep me from dying from that tick disease.
We won’t talk about the last time I went to the doctor. Its completely unacceptable how long I put these things off.
As for the allergy testing, stick with it. They know their shit. The food stuff was the worst for me, its what caused my insomnia and migraines. But don’t let them talk you into the shots. They tried that with my brother and my dad refused (he didn’t want his child pumped with medication – crazy man) and my brother lived. He also outgrew probably 90% of the allergies. As did I, just by cutting everything out of our diets for awhile.
I told him about the insomnia and he seemed interested, so we’ll see if the food tests help with that. He gave me a muscle relaxer I’m supposed to take every night for the tension headaches, and so far that has somewhat helped me sleep, which has been nice.
i feel very lucky on this subject – as far as I know, I’m not allergic to anything. My stomach is also pretty much made of steel. Nothing really bothers me (allergen-wise)
I feel like my stomach is pretty indestructible as well. I’m proud of it
I had to have that 400 needle allergy test when I was younger, it was awful. I think the only thing I was allergic to was dust mites? But now I have allergies so bad I can’t even put in my contacts some days (mostly from pollen) but I also can no longer eat raw almonds or fruit, (they make my throat really itchy). SO apparently your allergies can get worse as you get older, just another fun addition to wrinkles and a slowing metabolism– HOORAY!
Yeah, I think mine have definitely worsened with age (and geography) but my mom and I were discussing recently that I probably had a lot of undiagnosed allergies back then because I was sick so often. She just never got me tested because I sucked at needles and she didn’t want to deal with my tantrum. I assume, anyways.
If it will help, it may be worth the annoyance to get all the tests done. Feel better chic!
My advice is to try a chiropractor. Do research to find a good one in your area. They can do a lot in terms of migraines, and they can work on your sinuses too. It’s a LOT less invasive and may lead to treating other things you didn’t even know were bugging you! (ex; I’ve had heart palpitations for 10 years and even though my doc was working on my gut issues, my heart has been calm ever since!)
Yeah, finding a good one is the thing I’m scared about, after hearing so many chiropractic horror stories. I know my alignment is crazy off though, so it would probably be fruitful to try. And I love having my back cracked…
Boo for doctors. I hate going to. I haven’t been since I gave birth – eek, I should probably get on that. Hope they figure out something that makes you feel 100% – happy Monday!
I tend to not visit the doctor unless something’s about to fall off. Me going to get a lump I felt a few months ago checked out was a big accomplishment on my part. My fam is cancer-prone, so it seems I should probably start questioning such things. Other than that, a yearly visit to the gyno and my dentist are a must.
Yeah, my family has heart disease on both sides so I try to pay attention to that stuff.
Ugh, no fun. I’m with you on not getting the shots- there are other ways to feel better. I’d look into natural remedies if you like that kind of thing- sometimes it’s cheaper and at least you feel like you doing something to fix the cause, not just the symptoms. I hope you start feeling better soon!
I didn’t have allergies until a few years ago, but come spring time, I’m a mess. I think you should let the doctor help you out. You don’t have anything to lose.
Anyone I have ever known who has gone for allergy testing has been told that they are allergic to a loooooooong list of things … pretty much everything. That sucks girl! I don’t mind going to the doctor, but I never go.
I’m in the same boat as you and I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never suffered from any sort of allergies – at least I’ve never had any symptoms – but I’ve been getting headaches that last for days on end and a few people have suggested I go to an allergist. I’m not sure if I want to start taking a bunch of drugs though and am not sure if I’ll feel any better. Plus my insurance blows and I really don’t want to have to pay for a bunch of tests that may not really help me. Hopefully your meds start to help though. If they do, I might just have to pony up the cash to get myself checked out as well.
I’ll let you know! I will say it’s been a bit better today, so maybe there’s hope.
I think all of the “allergy” testing that people have done these days are a ton of bull. I had allergy testing done and they said I was allergic to like everything. I took all of the medications and it did nothing to improve my symptoms. I eventually stopped taking them and I have never felt better. The allergy meds actually made me feel worse!
That’s my biggest fear in all this. It’s hard to decide what to believe.
I have the worst allergies ever! You already know I’m lactose intolerant for the last 1 1/2 years. I’m also allergic to melons, banans and certain other fruits because of my severe allergy to ragweed. When I was young, I was allergic to corn and all related products for about 4 years. My parents took me to an allergists because I was wheazing in my sleep (no, that’s not where my name came from.) I had to take allergy shots for about 4 years too. I still have horrible allergies. They usually get really bad in the fall and then eventually turn into a bad case of bronchitis. I HATE ALLERGIES!!! :-/
That sounds terrible
Sorry friend!
did you not know any of this until now?? LOL
Haha, no I knew, but in that description it made me sad all over again!
Oh I’m sorry, sweets! I was hoping you’d be better after moving out of OK. Seems like everyone in OK has allergies. I do have terrible allergies (shocking) so I take a daily prescribed pill as well as a nasal spray.
You should pursue it so you can feel better. Migraines are the devil.
I go to the doctor when I need to b/c my doctor is hot and we flirt a lot.
Dude, I’d stay as far away from the shots as possible. After they put me on level 2 within 15-30 minutes my arm was numb/tingly/getting hives and my lips and tongue did the same thing and I had to take a BOTTLE of liquid Benedryl and they were standing next to me with the EPI-pen and AED…luckily it didn’t progress and I had to stop the shot treatment b/c it was just too much for my body to handle b/c I had SO MANY allergies. Pills and nasal steroids…that’s my vote.
Also- it took a full 2 weeks before the allergy meds my doc gave me post nasal/tonsil surgery started to work. Give it time.
Yeah you’re experience with the shots is the main reason I don’t want to do it. Well that and having to get a shot once a week 20 minutes from work. No thanks.
I’m the oppposite haha, I go to the doctor more often than not if I’m not feeling well. I think it stems from my long history with strep throat/tonsilitis though which always required antibiotics so “waiting it out” really wasn’t the best option unless I wanted to feel like I was dying haha. Thank God for gettin’ these tonsils out 2 years ago… sheesh