Cat allergy

When I was visiting my girlfriend, I noticed allergy reaction cause of her cat. I starter to sneeze and my eyes became watery. It's strange because I didn't have problems with cat eariler. It is possible to be allergic so suddently? I'm 23 yo.

[geminigirl1963]

Yes, it is possible to "become" allergic to something you've never had a problem with in the past - and yes, it's possible for it to happen suddenly like it did with the cat.

Another thing to consider, though, is whether there may be something ON the cat that you are allergic to rather than the cat itself.  Did your girlfriend recently start using a different shampoo for the cat?  Different flea/tick medication or collar?  Did the cat recently go on any medication for anything?  (it's not likely, but if the cat recently started taking a medication and you're allergic to that medication, perhaps being around or petting the cat cause some of that med to get into YOUR system causing your allergic reaction).

Are you 100% it's teh cat you are reacting to?  Has there been any other changes at your girlfriend's house, such as perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, etc., that maybe is causing the allergy instead of teh cat?

If you can definitely relate it to the cat, see if your girlfriend could/would vacuum right before you come over, clean up as much of the cat hair and dander before you come over, possibly keep the cat in a different room of thehouse than you're going to be in and stay away from the cat as much as possible.  This may help reduce your symptoms while you are there.  You may also want to consider taking one of the over the counter allergy meds such as Zyrtec or Benadryl.  HOWEVER, do not take ANYTHING without checking with your doctor first, especially if you are already on other medication or under a doctor's care for anything.  You sure don't want to end up with an interaction between meds.

Best of luck - I know how it is with cat allergies - mine are HORRIBLE!  I can only manage to be in a house that has a cat for about 5-10 minutes before I start itching and having an asthma attack - even if I'm not anywhere near the cat itself!

[rabiosa66]

Do you have any other allergy?

[geminigirl1963]

Yes, it is possible to "become" allergic to something you've never had a problem with in the past - and yes, it's possible for it to happen suddenly like it did with the cat.

Another thing to consider, though, is whether there may be something ON the cat that you are allergic to rather than the cat itself.  Did your girlfriend recently start using a different shampoo for the cat?  Different flea/tick medication or collar?  Did the cat recently go on any medication for anything?  (it's not likely, but if the cat recently started taking a medication and you're allergic to that medication, perhaps being around or petting the cat cause some of that med to get into YOUR system causing your allergic reaction).

Are you 100% it's teh cat you are reacting to?  Has there been any other changes at your girlfriend's house, such as perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, etc., that maybe is causing the allergy instead of teh cat?

If you can definitely relate it to the cat, see if your girlfriend could/would vacuum right before you come over, clean up as much of the cat hair and dander before you come over, possibly keep the cat in a different room of thehouse than you're going to be in and stay away from the cat as much as possible.  This may help reduce your symptoms while you are there.  You may also want to consider taking one of the over the counter allergy meds such as Zyrtec or Benadryl.  HOWEVER, do not take ANYTHING without checking with your doctor first, especially if you are already on other medication or under a doctor's care for anything.  You sure don't want to end up with an interaction between meds.

Best of luck - I know how it is with cat allergies - mine are HORRIBLE!  I can only manage to be in a house that has a cat for about 5-10 minutes before I start itching and having an asthma attack - even if I'm not anywhere near the cat itself!

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? Even if you do not have previous allergic reaction to the cat, the cat can still indirectly cause your allergies to flare up. Aside from possible reaction to the shampoo used by the animal, other allergen such as pollen, mold, and other allergens may be responsible and these can stick to the cat's  fur.Antihistamine medication may help provide relief. If it persists, you may need to have this checked by your doctor for proper evaluation. Take care and do keep us posted.

[rokko76]

Hello!
Thanks for your answer!
It turned out that my girlfriend changed shampoo for the cat ...
I think it must be cause of cat... Everything was alright until her cat entered to her room...
I tried Zyrtec and helped a little bit:) but still, sometimes eyes start to be watery...
Thanks for words of encouragement!  

[rokko76]

Greetings!,
I'm fine thanks:)
Probably it's shampoo fault... Zyrtec helped little bit but sometimes symptoms still appear...
Thanks for your answer!  

[geminigirl1963]

You're welcome!  I'm glad the information I provided was of some help and that you've been able to determine what it was that was causing your allergy.

I'm sorry the Zyrtec hasn't completely eliminated your symptoms.  Do they return only when it's about time for anotehr dose of teh meds?  Or do they just not completely go away even with teh Zyrtec?  There are other over the counter allergy meds, so if you find that the Zyrtec isn't being as helpful as you'd like, maybe try one of the  other ones and see if it helps more.

Best of luck!

[rokko76]

It's strange because symptoms return just after taking a pill... I think I have to try some diff allergy med :)

Thanks for help once more ! : )