Allergies

Laurieanne · 06-10-2009, 04:53 PM

Hi Everyone,
Does anybody have different allergies since chemo?
I have an infection and everything they try to give me
I'm allergic to. I had my exchange last week and have been in the hospital for five days. I think my doctors think I'm nuts.
If this does happen does anyone know why. I'm getting really depressed here.
Thanks, Laurie

06-10-2009, 05:24 PM

I noticed increased sensitivity to certain things like codeine and primary care doctor said that could happen - but after a while of not taking, didn't seem to have as many problems with those types of drugs. I think it may have just been a case of my body becoming intolerant of so much medication - or anything really, when I had stitches/sutures, for follow up procedures, my body would overreact to them. My environmental allergies, which were always awful, abated for a time, of course, with the chemo, but now, 2 years later, are back on track.

Mary Jo · 06-10-2009, 06:27 PM

I, too, had a real sensitivity to a lot of different things the year or two following chemo. I seem to be over that now. My thinking was this....seeing how chemo killed SO much in my body...as it was restoring itself it had to get use to certain things again??? Not sure if that is why or how it happens but it's how it seemed to happen to me.

Hugs...

Mary Jo

Colleen007 · 06-15-2009, 09:02 AM

I was never allergic to anything in my life...after chemo, I found that I was allergic to IV Contrast for CT scans and 3 different antibiotics (Vancomycin, Leviquin and Cipro). Something definitely changes with chemo.

Ellie F · 06-16-2009, 01:48 AM

I never seemed to be allergic to anything before chemo but now notice that dust,perfume,household cleaners and unidentified things seem to set me off. Also my skin has become particularly sensitive so have to be careful what I put on it.
Ellie

Believe51 · 06-16-2009, 06:37 AM

Laurie, I do know that Ed has had allegies that he never had before chemo. Whether this is from the chemo, the lack of normal amounts of nose hairs or getting older, I am not sure. He has been having a tough year so far with them and we are sure this one issue is really allergies. A large part of me does know that since getting this disease, Ed's allergies have started, have become worse, and there are more of them. He was never sick before cancer and that includes allergies. I cannot speak of medication allergies since he was never even on an antibiotic before cancer.

What I am sure of for me is that the last couple of years the amount of pollen and such has been steadily increasing. My allegies get to the point of no return if I do not keep up with them. I am certain that this cannot help any of you who have had issues since diagnosis but must add to your problems. I am a person who can take very few medications because I am a super sensitive patient to prescibe medication to. Evey time I have to take a medication I cringe because I am so paranoid to be sick. That goes for medicine I have already tried. I always joke with my parents about the fact that they never had to worry about me becoming an addict, I am a lightweight to this day.

Thanks for this post because great research gets done for different reasons and sometimes it is as simple as documenting it for others to see and take to the limits.

You are not nuts Laurie and even if you are, we will keep it between us. Try to look at those allegies and see if there is any common denominator. I do not think my post will help but I felt the need to speak with you about it.>>Believe51