Posted by not exactly on January 26, 2003, at 13:20:30
In reply to Re: Not so sure it was the strattera, posted by jodie on January 26, 2003, at 9:27:30
Jodie,
Here's a theory: maybe the cats were the cause, but the Strattera was the trigger. Your body may have just barely adapted to the chronic cat exposure, enough to keep your alergy asymptomatic, but the change in body chemistry resulting from the Strattera weakened your immune system just enough for the allergic symptoms to manifest. The first outbreak might have left you sensitized, so the current relapse could have been triggered by something else that was too subtle for you to notice.
You mentioned snow & cold. Do you live in the northeast? I live in Boston - we've had tons of snow & bitter cold. I've been staying indoors a lot, and the air is extremely dry. I've been having more skin problems than usual - chapping, detergent hands. These conditions could make you more susceptible to cat alergy. And there's probably a higher percentage of cat dander in the stale indoor air.
I've heard that keeping cats clean helps a lot. You don't need to toss them in the tub :-) just wiping them with a moistened paper towel daily can make a big difference. A good air filter can help too.
Instead of a dermatologist, your pcp might refer you to an allergist, who can run a series of tests to see what kinds of allergens you react to. Treating an allergy is easier when you know the cause.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
- Bob
poster:not exactly
thread:137572
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030125/msgs/137620.html