Possibly Allergic to Cats and Dogs

After looking at my medication allergies(there are many!) and taking into considering I was breastfeeding at the time my doctor poored through her book. In the end she gave me a prescription for Zyrtec, which thankfully you can now get over the counter, in generic now even. I have a pretty good range of allergies and allergy triggered asthma and this has worked well for me and I breastfed my son for years. I only take it when I need it which is my suggestion to you. You're not going to be there a very long time so it should be fine.
Best of luck!

When I was pregnant, and later breastfeeding my 7 year old daughter, my OB okayed Zyrtec 10mg/day for me to take for my allergies. (It was a prescription back then, but thankfully it is over-the-counter now!) I just had my son at the end of Nov and continued to take Zyrtec throughout the pregnancy, as well as now that we are breastfeeding. Good luck!

I don't know if it would help in your case, but my mom has a similar allergy to certain dogs dander. If she pets the dog, she must not touch her eyes and has to wash her hands afterwards. If she does so, her allergies don't typically spike. However, if she touches them and then touches her face/eyes, her eyes will water and swell up. Regardless of what other methods you incorporate, I'd highly suggest following such a practice as it may help you quite a bit.

All the Best!

Also suggest bringing your own bed linens and bath towels. And, you may try a nasal rinse like Neil Med. It looks and feels weird but is a safe way to rinse out your nasal passages.

I am allergic to both as well. Personally, I would just stay at a hotel. In my situation it's a must to stay at a hotel when I visit my in-laws who have a cat. The last two times we stayed with them, within 2 days I had MAJOR allergies to the point of having a fever, chills, coughing, etc. Basically allergies wear down your body's natural defenses, so in my case a few days of being around an allergen like a cat and I always catch a major cold. So we stay at a hotel. Plus my son is allergic to certain types of cats and even my hubby who grew up with cats now gets slightly allergic when we stay at his parents house.

There are some homeopathic remedies you can try. I take one for Seasonal allergies made by Hylands. They are also the same company that makes teething tablets and other remedies for kids. It says it's good for animal dander as well as pollen, ragweed, grass and mold.

I did take Benadryl a couple of times when I was pregnant and nursing since my lactation consultant okayed it. But I used it very sparingly.

Hope you have a great trip!

I had terrible allergies for years to cats, cigarettes, grass all kinds of stuff.
I found at a natural health food store and thing called a neti pot. It looks like a little teapot and you put lukewarm water in it with some NON iodized salt and hold it up to your nostril and let it drain your sinuses. It is amazing how great you feel after you have used it. I used my neti pot twice a week for three weeks almost a year ago and have had NO allergies since. You might want to give it a try before going and also take it with you in case you get miserable.
It costs less that $20.00 and you will never regret buying it.
If you decide to try it, be patient because the first few times you use it it kind of makes you gag until you get used to how you hold your head so it doesn't go down your throat!! :)

Homeopathic medicines work GREAT for me and they are safe for your breastmilk. I have used both Hyland Allergy Seasons, and Boiron Allergy. Both are great. I have given them to people who have terrible allergies and are used to taking prescription drugs and it helped them. Just look at your local health food store.

Have your parents clean the bedroom where you will be staying in and not let the animals in there. Benedryl and the homeopathic options are all great. Bring your own sheets and pillows as well or buy some there that can be left in a s safe, clean place for the next visit.

Have a back up plan of a hotel /motel close by ready.

Dear Sara,
The advice below is really great. If you have asthma (as I do ) the allergy will cause you to wheeze as well and feel like you have a quite a bad lung infection.
I felt all right visiting my mother (who had 5 dogs, two cats,carpets, and WAS NOT at all a good house keeper) by sleeping outside on the porch in almost freezing weather and taking something like benedryl or a de-congestive cold medcine in addition to having a medihaler. Drinking a lot of warm drinks might help. Some allergetic eyedrops would be good to have around too.
Try to avoid touching the animals and if you do, wash your hands before touching your face.
Christmas season is hectic for some allergy sufferers because the windows are usually shut. If the location of your Aun't house permits, having the windows open is much
easier...well, if you live in FLORIDA or HAWAII !!
Very high doses of vitamin C might also help!
Have a great holiday no matter what !!!!

Allergies can surface later in life, so it's possible that is the issue. You can absolutely take Benedryl while breastfeeding. But be warned that it can make you drowsy, like you need that right now. You can also take prescription allergy/decongestants, but doctors encourage you not to if you can avoid it. It's a class C drug--do you remember hearing about these when you first got pregnant? Basically, there's no evidence of harm but the safe bet is to only use it if you're really suffering.

I wonder at the comments from others below who recommend homeopathic remedies. The suggestion seems to be that they are safer than traditional medical offerings? Remember that traditional offerings undergo rigorous testing and are backed by years of research. That is not the case with homeopathic offerings. Caution should probably be exercised when using both.

Hi S.,
Double check with your doctor, but I think Benadryl is okay while you're breastfeeding. I'm pretty sure it was on the list of things my ob provided that was okay even while pregnant. I've also found that avoiding touching my face helps. Best of luck; I know your pain.

S., I am with Jan below. Stay at a hotel/motel. You will have to ask your doctor about what antihistamines you can take while nursing. Another of the mothers is also correct that allergies change through time. I was allergic to practically everything as a teenager and took allergy shots for five years. I improved with through my twenties until one day I couldn't stop sneezing and my eyes were red at work. Later i was retested and found to have have only two allergies, but I was really allergic t one tree and cats. I took allergy shots again for 10 years and it helped. Modern antihistamines are a big improvement over the sleep inducing ones of the 1960-1980 era. Your aunt's house is going to be a hairball timebomb for you. Don't put yourself through it. It takes three months to get the hair out of a house. The products applied to the pets might help a little bit and air purifiers might a little, but it would be a waste of time and money for your aunt. You need a neutral meeting ground. Is there another nearby family house to meet at? I don't know what else to offer you. One piece of advice, though, when your son is older try exposing him to cats and dogs. Children that live in households with these animals are less likely have allergies. I don't know why. In my day an allergy free house was supposed to be the way to go (no pets, no kapok furniture, no drapes, no carpets, hard blinds only, wood floors, etc etc) but research has shown that this might not be the best way to raise children. My brother is taking the other approach and so far his kids seem okay. I raised mine the other way and have one with asthma, and one with major allergies, and one who has chemical sensitivies. Anyway, don't take anything without your doctor's okay. and sleep somewhere else and let us know how it goes.

Hi, S.,

I am a nursing mother who is, unfortunately, allergic to cats and dogs. I use Nasonex and other nasal sprays, turn on an air purifier if available and try not to rub my eyes after petting cats and dogs.

Lynne E

I'm not sure if this affects your ability to breastfeed or not, but my husband takes Claritin (the 24 hour kind) for his allergies. He is also allergic to cats. He can tell a huge difference if he forgets to take it.

I would stay at a hotel and tell your aunt that you did not want to inconvenience her with a young baby. If you are allergic, try to avoid going into her house and go somewhere where there is not possibility of animal contact.

Here's a safe, natural energy medicine solution for you: ALL is charged with counter-frequencies of over 400 allergens, including such a common one as cat dander. ALL-EX neutralizes over 2000 allergens.

It works rapidly, so you could take it just prior to exposure for best effect, or if you want to observe it for yourself, take it as soon as you start to feel the allergic reaction. You can't overdose on it, because once your back in balance, your body will ignore any extra. So you could use it every 5 minutes if needed at first, or you may not need a second dose for hours. You could let your symptoms be your guide.

For more info, see www.DNRsite.com

I've been using DNR's products for 12 years or so and they're the best I've ever come across. When there's something that works so well and quickly and it's safe, why would anyone ever use toxic medications instead?

T. Holter
102-285

My parents have a cat, and my husband is allergic. He makes a point of NOT touching the cat, washing his hands often, and NOT touching his face. When you get the cat hair/dander/whatever on your hands (either directly or indirectly from furniture, etc) and then touch your face, that's when the problems start! It usually does the trick. Good luck!

How receptive will your aunt be if you suggest that she use something on her pets to help you curb the allergies. Use the breastfeeding and not wanting to take medication as the reason. There is this stuff called Allerpet and you can get it for cat and dog allergies. If you are in the Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa area you can get it at Pet Supply on Brookhurst and Ellis or the one at Yorktown and Main. It works really well! It's a liquid that you put on a towel and rub the pet down with while they are still wet from a bath (that's how I have always used it) I was a groomer for a few years and if she takes them to get groomed before company comes she can ask the groomer to apply the Allerpet there (she would likely have to supply it) Good luck and Happy Holidays!

The homeopathic Histaminum in a 30c or 200c works really well. There are also "dander" specific ones at your health food store. If you want to read about Homeopathy and how it works,www.bluedominoes.com has a good article that you can link to from the bottom left corner of the page.
D.