Advice, please: allergies/asthma causing sleep disorder?
Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hoping someone on this NG can impart some advice. This is long, so bear with > me. > I believe I have a form of sleep-disordered breathing brought on by exposure to > specific airborne allergens. The problem began in 1997, shortly after I was > getting over a bout with mono (something which I’m sure weakened or altered my > immune system in a negative way). I began seeing a woman romantically and found > that evenings spent at her house would result in me feeling very run down the > following day. I chalked it up to mono "residue" at first, until I realized > that when I would sleep at home, I would awaken with plenty of energy and > cognitive functioning. > The difference in locations? She owns two good-sized dogs. This continued for > some time until I was simply too devalued physically to continue. I stopped > spending nights at her house. > The allergies worsened, however. It got to the point where I could not see her > in a social situation without going home and "reacting" to the dander on her > clothes and sleeping poorly. So we broke it off entirely. > Not long after, I began having trouble sleeping yet again. The only difference > this time was an open bedroom window. When the window was shut, sleep would > resume normally. Pollens in the air? The dog next door? I can only speculate. > Later still, I began "reacting" to a co-worker who owned/trained dogs. This was > the proverbial straw. I’m currently on a leave of absence from work until this > is sorted out. > I had two sleep studies done and was diagnosed with "mild sleep-disordered > breathing." The treatment, forced-air CPAP, seems to have little to no effect > on my fatigue levels, which isn’t too surprising. The second route was seeing > an allergist, and I tested VERY strongly to the aforementioned irritants. I am > currently on Clarinex, Advair, Proventil, NasaCort, and Astelin. I also went > through several bursts of Prednisone, which had me feeling better, but has > since lost much of its effect and also threatens long-term complications. > Thinking things through, I understand that these allergens are causing > disruptions in my breathing at night, most likely via swelling of ther airway. > (And during the day, too, if I’m directly exposed to them.) The resulting > airway problems fragment my sleep to the point where I am unable to gain > restorative rest. I sleep through the night, but it appears to be quite > shallow. > What other medications could be used to combat this? I’ve heard of Tilade being > one. I have done my best to "allergy-proof" a bedroom in a new house, where I > again seem to be experiencing sleep interruptions. I’ve installed two purifiers > and ripped up some musty carpeting. I feel a bit better on the meds, but not to > the point where I experience any energy during the day. > Is this phenomenon familiar to anyone?
Your situation sounds similar in some regards to mine. I have been diagnosed with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. I’m also a big allergy sufferer. After seeing several ENT’s over the last year on what I thought were unrelated matters, I’ve come to think that my narrow breathing passages in my nose may be, at least in part, to blame for my sleep apnea, so I’m going back to the sleep doctor to see if they agree with the ENT’s that having my turbinoids (sp?) made smaller and my deviated septum fixed (I had an untreated broken nose as a teenager and my septum has at least one 90 degree bend), things might improve. In my case, a CAT scan of my sinuses revealed clear but very narrow breathing passages caused by the swelling over the years of the turbinoids and the circuitous path air must make through my nasal passage. In the meantime, I have had good results with Allegra for allergies and Nasonex as well. In particular, I have found that taking Allegra 60mg 2x/day works better for me than Allegra 180mg 1x/day, and taking my Nasonex right before bedtime seems also to help immensely. Claritin worked for me, Zyrtec worked better still, and Allegra seems to work the best of all in terms of allergy pills. Hope that’s of some help to you. -S-
Response:
Hoping someone on this NG can impart some advice. This is long, so bear with me. I believe I have a form of sleep-disordered breathing brought on by exposure to specific airborne allergens. The problem began in 1997, shortly after I was getting over a bout with mono (something which I’m sure weakened or altered my immune system in a negative way). I began seeing a woman romantically and found that evenings spent at her house would result in me feeling very run down the following day. I chalked it up to mono "residue" at first, until I realized that when I would sleep at home, I would awaken with plenty of energy and cognitive functioning. The difference in locations? She owns two good-sized dogs. This continued for some time until I was simply too devalued physically to continue. I stopped spending nights at her house. The allergies worsened, however. It got to the point where I could not see her in a social situation without going home and "reacting" to the dander on her clothes and sleeping poorly. So we broke it off entirely. Not long after, I began having trouble sleeping yet again. The only difference this time was an open bedroom window. When the window was shut, sleep would resume normally. Pollens in the air? The dog next door? I can only speculate. Later still, I began "reacting" to a co-worker who owned/trained dogs. This was the proverbial straw. I’m currently on a leave of absence from work until this is sorted out. I had two sleep studies done and was diagnosed with "mild sleep-disordered breathing." The treatment, forced-air CPAP, seems to have little to no effect on my fatigue levels, which isn’t too surprising. The second route was seeing an allergist, and I tested VERY strongly to the aforementioned irritants. I am currently on Clarinex, Advair, Proventil, NasaCort, and Astelin. I also went through several bursts of Prednisone, which had me feeling better, but has since lost much of its effect and also threatens long-term complications. Thinking things through, I understand that these allergens are causing disruptions in my breathing at night, most likely via swelling of ther airway. (And during the day, too, if I’m directly exposed to them.) The resulting airway problems fragment my sleep to the point where I am unable to gain restorative rest. I sleep through the night, but it appears to be quite shallow. What other medications could be used to combat this? I’ve heard of Tilade being one. I have done my best to "allergy-proof" a bedroom in a new house, where I again seem to be experiencing sleep interruptions. I’ve installed two purifiers and ripped up some musty carpeting. I feel a bit better on the meds, but not to the point where I experience any energy during the day. Is this phenomenon familiar to anyone?
Response:
Is there some reason the allergist can’t give you shots to desensitize you to the dog dander? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hoping someone on this NG can impart some advice. This is long, so bear >with >me. >I believe I have a form of sleep-disordered breathing brought on by exposure >to >specific airborne allergens. The problem began in 1997, shortly after I >was >getting over a bout with mono (something which I’m sure weakened or altered >my >immune system in a negative way). I began seeing a woman romantically and >found >that evenings spent at her house would result in me feeling very run down >the >following day. I chalked it up to mono "residue" at first, until I realized >that when I would sleep at home, I would awaken with plenty of energy and >cognitive functioning. >The difference in locations? She owns two good-sized dogs. This continued >for >some time until I was simply too devalued physically to continue. I stopped >spending nights at her house. >The allergies worsened, however. It got to the point where I could not see >her >in a social situation without going home and "reacting" to the dander on >her >clothes and sleeping poorly. So we broke it off entirely. >Not long after, I began having trouble sleeping yet again. The only difference >this time was an open bedroom window. When the window was shut, sleep would >resume normally. Pollens in the air? The dog next door? I can only speculate. >Later still, I began "reacting" to a co-worker who owned/trained dogs. This >was >the proverbial straw. I’m currently on a leave of absence from work until >this >is sorted out. >I had two sleep studies done and was diagnosed with "mild sleep-disordered >breathing." The treatment, forced-air CPAP, seems to have little to no effect >on my fatigue levels, which isn’t too surprising. The second route was seeing >an allergist, and I tested VERY strongly to the aforementioned irritants. >I am >currently on Clarinex, Advair, Proventil, NasaCort, and Astelin. I also >went >through several bursts of Prednisone, which had me feeling better, but has >since lost much of its effect and also threatens long-term complications. >Thinking things through, I understand that these allergens are causing >disruptions in my breathing at night, most likely via swelling of ther airway. >(And during the day, too, if I’m directly exposed to them.) The resulting >airway problems fragment my sleep to the point where I am unable to gain >restorative rest. I sleep through the night, but it appears to be quite >shallow. >What other medications could be used to combat this? I’ve heard of Tilade >being >one. I have done my best to "allergy-proof" a bedroom in a new house, where >I >again seem to be experiencing sleep interruptions. I’ve installed two purifiers >and ripped up some musty carpeting. I feel a bit better on the meds, but >not to >the point where I experience any energy during the day. >Is this phenomenon familiar to anyone?
Sue M.
Response:
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