WOW, MX7 . . . that is GREAT news.

For several of my allergies, including mold, antihistimines help a lot with the symptoms; hives, runny nose, itching, itchy eyes, sneezing, throat swelling, breathing difficulties, etc. However, with fragrances, which cause a instant headache for me, antihistimines don't seem to help at all for that symptom.

My daughter was born with a ton of allergies, and they say most times the parents have allergies as well. Of course I tried to blame that on her dad , because I was so out of touch with my body. I didn't even recognize the reactions I had to things (except fragrances and soaps ~ I always knew about those).

After developing sinus polyps, which caused constant sinus infections, I was told to test for allergies. I had lots . Now that I am aware of the symptoms, I KNOW when my allergies are acting up, even if I don't always know what the exposure was that caused the reaction.

Hope this discovery helps your headaches!

Cherie

I can't believe how much better I feel already. My headaches are almost gone, I'm not a tried and don't hurt as much.

Julie!! It's always such great news when we figure out what is wrong, and even better news when we have control over it to some degree!!

Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. I have been working my tail off whether it be work or school. I have no time for me anymore. I'll tell you I was soooo tired today at work. Guess I better get used to it. I suppose its better to feel this way than to not have the $ to pay bills.....such is life huh?

Well keep on removing the offenders in the house and try to keep things to a minimum at the places you go! I know my Neuro is a perfume free office...he gets really sick and bad headahes if someone comes in with it on....

I'm so very glad you are feeling better...I can see it in your posts too Good for you!!!!

Since I have terrible allergies I guess I probably have this too. I minimize the amount of chemicals used in the house. I am glad you found that doing this has helped you tremendously. That is great news, Julie!

EDIT: BTW - Allergies can do some strange things to our bodies as well as create anxiety. DD16 always gets an upset stomach during allergy season (which is really bad this year). The poor girls eyes swelled shut the other day. We both can get somewhat irritable, tired, lethargic, etc. Controlling the allergies and allergens is so important. I use air filters in the house and get the HEPA filters for the a/c. This helps a lot. Although I can't control anything outside the house, I do whatever I can to control the inside environment. By doing this DD16 has not had an asthma attack in years. (Keeping my fingers crossed as I stated we are having a really bad allergy season here).

That's great news, Julie. I've cut way down on the cleaning chemicals I use - but not for myself. I do it because of my pets.....if they were to get into any of that toxic stuff it could kill them.

I don't know if you have this or not but I bought a Steam Mop and that little thing is amazing. You just just pure steam to clean with and it really works - even better than those harsh chemicals that leave a residue behind.

I used mine to clean an area of my hardwood floors the other day and it does such a good job. I cannot believe I wasted all that money on cleaning supplies for so long.

I was just thinking that something like this might help you, too.

I'm the same way, I can't even light a scented candle. I have unscented soaps and such. I use scented shampoo and conditioner and have a problem with itchy scalp. It has gotten worse with age.

Me too! My gynecologist said that even the unscented ones can cause problems if you use them for drying underclothes so I don't use them at all anymore.

I have several allergies and take Claritin every day plus Nasonex spring through fall. The worst one is the shellfish allergy, because I love shrimp!

My weirdest chemical allergy is to latex paint. I like to paint our house, but if I do, the fumes make me hyper and it's hard for me to sleep. I get moody too! It's the only thing keeping me from repainting, since now I take so many meds! Who knows what would happen?

HK - I have something similar except there are attachments and I can clean anything with it - windows, countertops, microwave, refrig., etc. It is made by Shark and I absolutely love it. It is currently at DBF's as we are using it while fixing up the rental and I miss it.

I am planning on getting a new one that is on wheels as that will be easier on me then carrying around the portable one. That way when I do the floors (and it does work awesome on the floors) I don't have to hold that thing with the shoulder strap.

Can you post a link to this one? I'm sure a lot of us would love to see it.

They have them at Target. Here's the link to the one I am thinking of getting.

http://www.target.com/Shark-Ultra-St...leaners&page=1

The other one that I have been thinking about and got good reviews from Consumer Reports is this one.

http://www.target.com/McCulloch-Heav...leaners&page=1

Good points, tkrik! My daughter had really bad allergies, especially as a baby and toddler. She lived on 95% predigested formula for the first 2 yrs of her life, and could even nurse because of the allergens that came through from what I ate.

It can change our personalities too. There's a good book out there called "Is This Your Child?", that explains how much being exposed to allergens can affect our behavior, moods, etc. (The book is great resource for understanding adult allergies too though...)

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Chil.../dp/0688119077

It explains the "barrel effect", where-by exposure to various allergens will "fill the barrel", and when it overflows, this is when we get symptoms. That's the reason it's so hard to identify our allergens sometimes . . . one day we don't have a problem with something, but the next day we do because we have been exposed to other allergens that "filled the barrel".



Dilluted vinegar and bleach are great for cleaning too, although some people have a hard time with vinegar.

Good for you, MX7, for continuing to be your own best advocate!

Cherie