Relapse from Bad Allergies?

[bchenaille]

My daughter's remission has been stable since she was treated at Hopkins in 2008 and her counts have steadily been increasing. However this year's allergies seem to be so incredibly bad and her last CBC showed a decrease in her WBC from 5.7 to 4.8 and her ANC from 2.7 to 1.8.

Here Hgb and Platelets have stayed the same which were the 2 lines that first came down when she was diagnosed. Has anyone experienced a drop in their WBC or ANC during allergy season?

We are also wondering if we should put her on Singulair. Seems she is really suffering now and we want to help her. Her doc feels she is slightly asthmatic. But at the same time, I can not stand the thought of putting another man-made chemical into her 9 year old body.

Any suggestions?

[Lbrown]

My WBCs would be in the 3's, but by Sept they would be around 1.8. I have hayfever. Because of my WBC crisis of 19 yrs ago, we always kept an eye on them. Usually by Nov they'd be back up around 3.4, when allergy season was over. I don't know if it was the allergies that caused it though. This is probably going to be a bad allergy year with our early spring.

[Laura]

Hi Bill,

Sorry I am not sure on this. If it would ease your mind I would get her counts in 4-6 weeks again instead of waiting 3 months. Then you can keep a better eye just incase.

I would give her something. There is no reason why she should feel lousy in the day and age of medicine. But I am big time pro medicine so maybe my opinion on this doesn't really count.

Laura

[Neil Cuadra]

Bill,

You might want to approach it from two sides, asking the hematologist about the safety of taking or not taking an allergy medicine but also taking Kathryn to an allergist for a consultation. You'd have to explain her unique circumstances, since allergists aren't likely to know much about aplastic anemia, but then again hematologists aren't likely to be experts on allergy treatments.

It's the same thing with other symptoms. For skin problems after AA or MDS treatment should you see the hematologist or a dermatologist? For gum problems should you see the hematologist or your dentist? I think it's best if you do both, and ask them to consult with each other, combine what they know, and give a joint recommendation. If they do, it'll give you a lot more confidence that you're getting the best answers.

[Marlene]

Hi Bill,

So sorry to hear Kathryn is having such severe allergies. This is a very bad year. Even people who have never reacted before are having problems this season from all the pollen.

You know my first question is, did you speak with Rob yet? I would be concerned that maybe Kathryn may have an infection lurking as a result of the allergies which can impact her counts.

John and I both prefer to use natural methods versus drug but that is not always possible. He had to use Zyrtec for quite a while for hives that were induced by cold, exercise or friction for quite a long time after treatment. We found Zyrtec (5mg) worked better than Claritin. It's best if he takes it at night and it's good for 24+ hours. We always try to find the lowest possible, effective dose instead. So we start low and work up.

Regarding natural treatments, there are some things that can lessen allergic reactions. A couple of things that come to mind are: 1) eliminate all dairy for two week and see if there's a reduction in symptoms. Wheat is also huge culprit in contributing to seasonal allergies. For some reason, stopping these two food groups can positively effect seasonal allergies. 2) There's an OTC product called "allergen block". It traps the allergens from entering the nasal passages. I make up my own version and use it throughout the day. Mine also contain essential oils for sinuses and allergies. 3) Quercitin is an anti-oxidant which reduces histamines which then reduce allergic reactions. 4) This year, I have been helped greatly with homeopathic remedies. Finding the right remedy is key though and can be challenging. Kid respond really well to homeopathy. If you could find a good homeopathic doc that would be great.

You can do both....medicine and natural....especially if Kathryn is having trouble breathing. But I would rule out secondary infections also.

Please keep us posted. IMO, it doesn't sound like a relapse but it does sound like her BM is being taxed.

Marlene

[bchenaille]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I definitely want to stay away from pharma as much as possible, but also know we may have to use it as a last resort. Never heard about the dairy/gluten effects on allergies so we will be giving that a try.

[Robi1Knobi]

for your daughter's allergies, you can have her try a neti pot everyday. My 9 year old (and the rest of us!) use one whenever our allergies are bad, and it only rinses your nasal passages with saline (salt water), so its not medication. I also stopped dairy in January and try to be vegan monday-friday, which has really helped my shortness of breathing and allergies. Good luck!!