Cats

Dave Appleby · Oct 28, 2021

Silly question. I'm lucky enough to have no allergies at all. Have lived in houses with both cats and dogs with no problems. The below has never happened before.
Half a bottle of eyewash helped.

Yesterday after the first part of a job I was covered in white cat fur from the floor. Within 30 minutes I wanted to scratch both my eyes out from the itching. Skin around wrists also red blotchy and some small itchy bumps. Anthistan cream worked on the itching but my eyes this morning look like something from a Wes Craven movie.

So.... Has anyone had anything similar and how did you deal with it? This time isn't a case of suck it up as I very nearly couldn't drive because of my eyesight.

I could get one of the below but it's possibly overkill?

James · Oct 28, 2021

Piriton tablets, get them from pharmacy, they make my wife human again after touching a cat.

UNG · Oct 28, 2021

As @James said Piriton is good at resolving allergy issues be it a temporary or more persistant allergy

DPG · Oct 28, 2021

Upgrade the cat to a dog.

Dave Appleby · Oct 28, 2021

It's going to be Unlucky Fried Kitten!

Dave Appleby · Oct 28, 2021

It strange as I have never had anything like it before.

I now have total sympathy for anyone who does!

UNG · Oct 28, 2021

It's difficult to know what causes an allergy appear especially when there have been no reactions previously

For many years the lidocaine injection in the gum at the dentist caused me no problems whatsoever then about 35 or so years ago I noticed it started taking longer for the effects to subside which could be upto 7 to 14 days back then, over the last 15 - 20 years despite trying to avoid it when I have unknowingly had it used on me during medical procedures it can takes 3 weeks for the effects to disappear and not the few hours that the medical professionals claim

The most annoying allergy I have is to Aspartame that is peddled as the sugar alternative this causes a very itchy red rash on my arms and chest, with the push to the less sugar lifestyle it is getting harder to avoid it as food manufacturers reformulate their products, I spend more time in the supermarket reading ingredient labels at times than actually shopping when I see "new improved recipe" or similar claims on the label

littlespark · Oct 28, 2021

Maybe it wasn’t the cat itself causing problems, but more something else living on the cat?

nicebutdim · Oct 28, 2021

UNG said:
For many years the lidocaine injection in the gum at the dentist caused me no problems whatsoever then about 35 or so years ago I noticed it started taking longer for the effects to subside which could be upto 7 to 14 days back then, over the last 15 - 20 years despite trying to avoid it when I have unknowingly had it used on me during medical procedures it can takes 3 weeks for the effects to disappear and not the few hours that the medical professionals claim

Was this definitely lidocaine itself or possibly some change to the carrier?

UNG · Oct 28, 2021

nicebutdim said:
Was this definitely lidocaine itself or possibly some change to the carrier?

It was definitely lidocaine and lignocaine has the same effect so I just avoid it although occassionally I have accidentally been affected by it with some medical procedures where gels containing it have been used

nicebutdim · Oct 28, 2021

I'm lucky enough to have no allergies - hopefully this continues!

telectrix · Oct 28, 2021

i have same problem with cats. some are OK for a few minutes close contact, but some houses with cats set my allergy off even when the cat's not in. eyes being the first casualty, followed by sneezing and itching. as advised before. carry some piriton.

nicebutdim · Oct 28, 2021

Other half always liked cats, but they caused the sort of symptoms described by @telectrix

Odd that she didn't think to mention this until after we took in a stray! Even stranger is the fact that after a couple of years the allergy stopped - heard of plenty who developed allergies out of the blue, but never anyone whose allergy went away.

mattg4321 · Oct 28, 2021

Assume you’ve tried hay fever/allergy/itchy eye drops? Available from most chemists/supermarkets?

They help my hay fever a little. Along with anti histamine tablets and beconase nasal spray

Baddegg · Oct 28, 2021

James said:
Piriton tablets, get them from pharmacy, they make my wife human again after touching a cat.

Havnt got a cat but do ya reckon they’d work on all women? ?

Baddegg · Oct 28, 2021

UNG said:
It's difficult to know what causes an allergy appear especially when there have been no reactions previously

For many years the lidocaine injection in the gum at the dentist caused me no problems whatsoever then about 35 or so years ago I noticed it started taking longer for the effects to subside which could be upto 7 to 14 days back then, over the last 15 - 20 years despite trying to avoid it when I have unknowingly had it used on me during medical procedures it can takes 3 weeks for the effects to disappear and not the few hours that the medical professionals claim

The most annoying allergy I have is to Aspartame that is peddled as the sugar alternative this causes a very itchy red rash on my arms and chest, with the push to the less sugar lifestyle it is getting harder to avoid it as food manufacturers reformulate their products, I spend more time in the supermarket reading ingredient labels at times than actually shopping when I see "new improved recipe" or similar claims on the label

I also suffered from the lidocaine after affects, it’s horrible, I’ve since learnt that if I request it without adrenaline I’m fine with it ?‍