Dust Mite Allergies!!

[Abha]

Hi Sasha,
Dust mite allergy has been one of my longterm problems.One thing you can try is putting some vaseline into your nostrils at night(before going to sleep).That helps me.

 

[Sallysblooms]

Are you going to find out what the allergen is? Then you can really know what to do.

 

[Sasha]

Are you going to find out what the allergen is? Then you can really know what to do.

Is it possible to do that? What sort of test would be involved?

I was thinking about starting off by getting a latex pillow and doing the pillowcase-freezing thing and seeing if it led to any improvement. It's very difficult for me to get to my doctor's (and not safe during the winter because of all the people with bugs in the crowded waiting room). I thought I'd maybe go and see him in the spring when it's safer.

 

[Athene]

I have the same problem with needing to avoid my doctor's waiting room in winter. I ALWAYS come out with some nasty infection :-(

They test dustmite allergy with a prick test (those little spots on your arm). The doctors I have seen about allergies always want you to give them a list of your suspects, that they then test you for. If you have no idea, they have to make a random selection because they cannot test you for everything and their guesses are not likely to be as good as yours. The biggest clue is when the allergies come up - what season? what time of day? following any particular activities? Are there times the reaction is stronger and times it is weaker? Moulds are a very tricky allergy because you usually don't know when you have been exposed to them. So I would include all the types of mould they can test for on your list, as well as dustmites.

 

[Sasha]

Thanks, Athene - with me, it's all year round and every night when I'm lying down, within about ten minutes of going to bed. I'll ask my doctor about it when I see him and try the pillow thing in the meantime.

 

[Athene]

Hi Moonisblue,

I came up negative on a few prick tests that I am really sure should have been positive. I got some negative mould results that were later positive on blood tests - so those prick tests are certainly not completely reliable.

And I also have, as you do, sometimes have reactions that don't seem to be to anything particular, but they are allergies of some kind as they calm down noticeably when I take antihistamine... I really do think they are just happening by themselves!

 

[Sasha]

The skin under my eyes had gone a bit red and puffy this morning so I've discontinued the Beconase spray, probably before it had had a chance to work.

When I went to bed tonight, I put a fleece blanket on top of my pillow (since presumably, being synthetic, it won't harbour dustmites) and found that I could breathe fine, lying on my side. I should maybe give it longer as a test (I've had to get out of bed because I couldn't sleep, so maybe hadn't had as much exposure time as usual, plus maybe the Beconase was starting to kick in) but having a synthetic fleece cover on my pillow would be a lot cheaper than getting a latex pillow and doing the pillowcase-freezing thing.

Does that sound like a good solution?

 

[Athene]

I've never thought of using a fleece as filter!!! But if it seems to works, definitely keep trying it. I'll test that out myself to see if it works for me too.

 

[Sasha]

Hi Sasha,
Dust mite allergy has been one of my longterm problems.One thing you can try is putting some vaseline into your nostrils at night(before going to sleep).That helps me.

Thanks, Abha - I'll try that!

 

[Sasha]

When I went to bed tonight, I put a fleece blanket on top of my pillow (since presumably, being synthetic, it won't harbour dustmites) and found that I could breathe fine, lying on my side. I should maybe give it longer as a test

I tried this again last night (plus some Vaseline in my nose like Abha suggested) and it worked fine! Wow! This is a big deal for me, to be able to sleep on my side again. Because my leg problem prevents me from sleeping on my back, I now actually have a position that I can sleep in.

I have a fleece blanket, folded in half, that I've been using for years to put over my duvet so that if it slides down (always does), I've got the fleece blanket at my neck to keep me warm. For the last couple of nights, I've pulled the edges of the blanket over the pillow. So I've got not only my pillow covered, but the top of the duvet. I don't know if that makes a difference, dust-mite-wise.

I'm going to order a microfibre pillowcase now!

 

[Jemal]

I used to have a pretty bad case of dust mite allergy (back when I didn't have ME/CFS), but I got rid of it or at least I don't have any symptoms anymore. I got allergen immunotherapy as it's called. Basically you get vaccinated with increasing amounts of the allergen over a period of months and the body learns to cope with it. I got the shots weekly and had to stay near a doctor for about half an hour, so he could treat me if the shot gave me problems (which it never did).

I am not so sure this therapy is a good idea if you have ME/CFS though...

Sanitising the bedroom/house like others have pointed out is good idea:

- No curtains
- No carpet
- Synthetic bags around your pillow, blanket and mattress
etc

When I suffered from the allergy I had the stuffed nose and other symptoms, but fatigue was my biggest symptom. The fatigue was comparable to the CFS fatigue I have now: crushing and you can't fight it. I used to get the fatigue only when I came into contact with the allergens back then. I was very happy the allergen immunotherapy worked. And then many years later I get hit by ME/CFS, aaargh!

I used to take medication as well, but that made me feel even more fatigued most of the time. I think nowadays allergy medication has improved somewhat.

 

[Athene]

I tried this again last night (plus some Vaseline in my nose like Abha suggested) and it worked fine! Wow! This is a big deal for me, to be able to sleep on my side again. Because my leg problem prevents me from sleeping on my back, I now actually have a position that I can sleep in.

I have a fleece blanket, folded in half, that I've been using for years to put over my duvet so that if it slides down (always does), I've got the fleece blanket at my neck to keep me warm. For the last couple of nights, I've pulled the edges of the blanket over the pillow. So I've got not only my pillow covered, but the top of the duvet. I don't know if that makes a difference, dust-mite-wise.

I'm going to order a microfibre pillowcase now!

That's great news Sasha!

Abha & Sasha - Do you put up tons of vaseline to block your nostrils, or just a little? I seem to get my main problems right up inside my nose, so I don't know if it would work if I don't completely block them!

I've been really interested in getting allergy shots for dustmites, but I think you are right that they may not work with CFS. Many illness vaccinations have just not worked for me. And I'm too short of money now anyway! :-(

 

[Sasha]

Urgh, my solution didn't work last night, unfortunately! I don't know why not. I didn't shove a whole ton of vaseline up my nose on any night - it's actually quite hard to get any up there! I probably had a thin and incomplete coating not very far inside the rim.

I'll keep trying with the vaseline and blanket thing - I'm a week into some sort of bug, I think, so I might have a problem on top of the dustmite thing. My viral symptoms are never very clear or consistent so it's hard to tell.

 

[Abha]

Athene...I put a good blob of vaseline in each nostril.Then I squeeze it in.If it is annoying me I gently blow my nose and remove that part.I used to have small nodules(calcium?) in there and over time they disappeared too.

 

[Sasha]

Interesting - I'm going to shove a good blob up my nose tonight! Thanks, Abha!

 

[Athene]

Athene...I put a good blob of vaseline in each nostril.Then I squeeze it in.If it is annoying me I gently blow my nose and remove that part.I used to have small nodules(calcium?) in there and over time they disappeared too.

Thanks Abha! Blobs tonight!

 

[Sasha]

I bought a couple of polyester microfibre pillowcases (very cheap on Ebay) and my nose has much improved! I haven't needed to shove any Vaseline up my nose. Result! I've had a couple of colds but betweentimes my nose has stayed clear while lying down, even on my side which has given me problems for twenty years or more.

I'm very grateful for this thread - wouldn't have thought of this otherwise!

 

[Bob]

Does anyone have any natural (or medications suggestions) tips that could help dust mite allergies?

Even changing my bedding very frequently, sheets, pillowcases blankets and all, washing them in HOT water and drying on HIGH temperature, I still get itchy and congested every night! It's not so bad the night after I freshly wash everything, but geeze I can't wash my entire bedding every single day! My bed is only 1.5 years old, and it is a quality bed and is made for people with allergies, I use a dust mite cover also, no down pillows at all, definitely no bedspread. NO pets allowed anywhere near my bedroom ever. Wash my hair before bed.

The only things that seems to help nasal wise is steroid sprays, which I HATE, because they make me feel awful with continued use, aggrevate insomnia, and seem to make me moody....

Seems to be affecting my skin as well my face gets itchy, and my skin.

Antihistamines only help so much and are so drying....

Anyone have anything they found that helps?

Ugh, I need a dust mite free zone to sleep in.

P.S. Thought I'd combine two post: re: ECZEMA

I have had huge patches of ECZEMA lately on my LEGS ONLY, and I think it may be related to these allergies, but I don't know. I am using Cerave lotion, but one huge patch just won't go away- even when it is not itchy, it still is a large slightly red/pink rash on the pack of my thigh.

Does this mean a trip to an allergist? I saw one years ago with those wonderful "skin prick" tests, nothing showed up, and dermatologist just prescribed steroid lotions for Eczema. However, I've never had a rash last this long and be so large.

It's quite a coincidence... I started getting very similar problems over the past six months or so.
I wake up with itchy throat, ears and eyes, and have a bunged up nose.
I've never had anything like it before.
I'm getting really bad asthma as well, whereas i've always had only really mild asthma.

The only change that I've made in my life, that I can think of, is that I changed my vacuum cleaner from a full-sized upright Dyson with a HEPA filter, to a hand-held Dyson.
I purposely bought the upright HEPA Dyson years ago, because of the life-long asthma, and it seems very helpful.

The hand-held is ultra convenient, which is why I bought it, but I think I'm going to have to use the full size Dyson again, with the proper HEPA filter.
Luckily I've still got the old one in storage. I just have to get it out and use it again.

If it's not the change in vacuum cleaner that made the difference, then I think it's just my stupid endocrine system playing up, because of the ME, and my histamine levels are sky-high.

 

[SOC]

We've had good luck using these two products:

Anti-Allergen Solution by The Ecology Works as both a spray and in the laundry http://www.natlallergy.com/prod/165...on-denaturing-spray-by-the-ecology-works.html

The Ecology Works Dustmite and Flea Control for the bedroom carpet http://www.natlallergy.com/prod/1153/dustmitex-dustmite-and-flea-control-by-ecology-works.html

We do not have problems with these products themselves, but we are not exceptionally chemical sensitive, either.

 

[Athene]

Hi Bob!
Could you let me know if the problem improves when you go back to the upright Dyson with HEPA filter?
I need to replace my Dyson upright and I was looking at the little ones...but I'll get another upright if that seems to make a difference.
My purchasing decision depends on YOU!!!!

It's quite a coincidence... I started getting very similar problems over the past six months or so.
I wake up with itchy throat, ears and eyes, and have a bunged up nose.
I've never had anything like it before.
I'm getting really bad asthma as well, whereas i've always had only really mild asthma.

The only change that I've made in my life, that I can think of, is that I changed my vacuum cleaner from a full-sized upright Dyson with a HEPA filter, to a hand-held Dyson.
I purposely bought the upright HEPA Dyson years ago, because of the life-long asthma, and it seems very helpful.

The hand-held is ultra convenient, which is why I bought it, but I think I'm going to have to use the full size Dyson again, with the proper HEPA filter.
Luckily I've still got the old one in storage. I just have to get it out and use it again.

If it's not the change in vacuum cleaner that made the difference, then I think it's just my stupid endocrine system playing up, because of the ME, and my histamine levels are sky-high.