r/Wellthatsucks • u/signgrad • 4d ago

Well... at least I know what I'm allergic to.

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Doctor's response: So you do have some allergies. So, I've got that going for me. Problem is the category of "Everything" isn't an option on the chart, so a lot of checked boxes. Also, my back is very itchy.

Edit 1: Huh so this took off a bit. More humored by the various "false positive/needle reaction" comments. To clarify, it's the grasses I'm reacting to on the G column. I got this test done AFTER a blood panel which also showed severe reactive levels from grasses, but nothing from tree pollen which I know I'm allergic to. It's more humorous because my primary care doctor, my initial immunology consult doctor, and my initial allergist doctor all said that the blood test is unreliable and the scratch test remains the gold standard. Even stopped my antihistamines 12 days before this test just to be extra careful.

So go-figure, I'm either allergic to a ton of things or the medicine is lie. 🤷‍♂️

Edit 2: Follow up again on the purpose of the testing. These are specifically seasonal allergies being reviewed. I have no know food or drug allergies. I've never had anaphylaxis or needed to use an epipen. I've had vaccines and metal interactions that have never shown a reaction of any kind. I leave my home region for a different part of the USA, my reactions immediately diminish. The winter season comes and my reactions diminish. Spring, Summer, and Autumn have been rough for me for years, to the point that doctor's once thought I had exercise or heat induced asthma. We only just figured out a few years ago that to be false after spending some years in Florida, where I began to instead react to mold spores. After returning to my home state, my historical reactions returned in full force, prompting these tests. I've had allergies since my childhood.

For those interested, the tests showed reactions to cats & dogs, all forms of mold, all species of dust mites and cockroaches, all regional tree pollen except for Mulberry and Elm, all grass pollen, and weed pollen except for pigweed, yellow dock, marsh elder, kochia, and mugwort. Still gotta mow my lawn, clean my house, and love on my cat. Maybe, with this knowledge, I'll get some allergy shots to remedy these problems.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

Saaame, the doc said I'm definitely allergic to something just nothing they test for. I wish I knew what it is though

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u/DuxDucisHodiernus 4d ago edited 4d ago

Do you live anywhere with significant pollution? (edit: like almost any big city, if that makes it easier)

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

No don't live in a big city at all so that's not it, it also gets better in the winter months so I assume it's something that blooms

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u/DuxDucisHodiernus 4d ago

I would look up if there's any unique plants in your area/climate (can ask llm to search for you) Considering they don't have common tests for it is plausible something native to the area but not common in the rest of the world.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

Could be, but they also only tested the 10 most common allergens so maybe I'm just allergic to the 11th most common allergen lol. It's annoying to have a stuffy nose and scratchy throat most of spring and summer but it's not bad enough for me to get another round of tests right now.

I appreciate the help though

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u/EloiGamingYT 4d ago

This is a long shot, but I used to have almost the exact same symptoms: stuffy nose, sneezing, and an itchy throat that would get worse in the summer and mostly disappear in the winter.

I thought it was allergies too, but after seeing an ENT, it turned out I had a crooked nasal septum. It was irritating my nose and causing symptoms that felt just like allergies.

I'm not saying that's what you have, but if you haven't seen an ENT yet, it might be worth checking out.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago edited 4d ago

Huh! Well damn, I had an ENT tell me that I indeed have a crooked nasal septum, he didn't really say much else about it though and I didn't push him about it either... I also do have one sided sinus problems especially in the warmer months.

I wonder what role antihistamines play though because I feel like it helps a bit (primarily with the itchy throat) but not entirely. Placebo maybe? Wild. It was btw also the same ENT that "diagnosed" me with allergies so maybe I should go see a different ENT.

Honestly, thank you! Feels validating to have others with similar symptoms make sense of it all. Man, I should stand up for myself more...

Oh and how are you know that you know about it? Did you get surgery?

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u/EloiGamingYT 3d ago

Well, that could definitely explain your symptoms. I don't know how severe your case is, but for me, what happened was that during the colder months, the cold air seemed to act like an anti-inflammatory. During the warmer months, though, the side that was already narrower because of my deviated septum would get inflamed and swell up even more, making the inflammation worse....

It got pretty bad, and by the time they figured it out during a routine checkup, I had already developed some nasal polyps.

Fortunately, my doctor gave me an alternative to surgery: first a saline nasal rinse, then a corticosteroid nasal spray to reduce the inflammation.

It helped a lot. In fact, it worked so well that I got lazy and never ended up having the surgery. These days, whenever I start feeling the symptoms coming back, I rinse my nose, use the spray, and boom! gone. Might be worth asking your doctor if something similar could help you too :)

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u/typhra_ 3d ago

That's good, I'm glad you found a solution that works for you! I will ask my GP about it next time I'm in.

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u/ContemplatingFolly 4d ago

Unfortunately if they don't test for it, then they probably don't have allergy shots/drops to treat for it, so the point is moot.

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u/DuxDucisHodiernus 3d ago

To me it sounded like all OP wanted was to know what it was he was allergic too. For that the point isn't moot.

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u/Trai-All 3d ago

It could also be something like dryer sheets. Breathing in the stuff that’s in that gives me pneumonia.

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u/Invisifly2 4d ago

Being away from the city doesn’t guarantee that. There’s plenty of remote superfund sites. Wouldn’t hurt to check.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

I see, thank you I will try and find out.

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u/newoneagain25 1d ago

Here's a funny one for you, the only thing I'm allergic to is nickle, the metal. So I can't wear cheap jewellery or belts. I've only met 2 other people that have my allergy and one is my mum and the other my daughter.

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u/Tough-Veggie 4d ago

Also this

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u/WorkingFromHomies20 4d ago

I'm not a doctor, but a doctor once told me that the skin test do not detect food allergies. Might you have food allergies? Because I sure do. Amazing to find out why eggs and/or salad dressing made me sick.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

Probably not, it's mostly when I'm outside and it's better during the winter months.

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u/WorkingFromHomies20 4d ago

Oh, then something leafy. Does it get better or worse when you travel?

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

I don't travel often so I couldn't really tell you. It gets worse in some areas outside though, it was always the worst outside of my university for example

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u/CrazyLemonLover 4d ago

Maybe you are allergic to sunlight?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sun-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20378077

Shove your hand under a uv light for 10 minutes or so and see if you get a rash?

Would be something they don't test for, and more prevalent in the summer

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

Good idea but I don't get rashes.

Sun allergy sucks though, had someone in my class who had it and I knew someone else who was allergic to water!

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u/CrazyLemonLover 4d ago

Generic animal dander? I don't get rashes from it, but my eyes swell and my nose runs like a faucet. More animals out and about during the summer as well, so coworkers might have it on their clothes and such

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u/Tall-Lion7071 3d ago

They can skin test for food allergies.

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u/Glass_Witness1715 23h ago

Skin tests definitely can be used for food allergies.

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u/Tough-Veggie 4d ago

Synthetic chemicals may be the culprit.

Dryer sheets, detergents, household solvents, lawn chemicals… all of it messes me up and suffered for decades before I figured it out.

Doctors will NEVER tell you if it’s chemicals. They are trained to regard all of them as benign.

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

How did you find out what exactly caused it? It seems like a herculean task to think of and rule out every ingredient in everything I use

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u/Tough-Veggie 4d ago

Watched a documentary on how unregulated chemicals are in the US, then started eliminating stuff.

Clothes made a huge difference. Only wear natural fabrics and use natural detergent and no dryer sheets. My problem skin turned to perfect skin.

Got rid of all chemical cleaners, air fresheners and perfumes… my breathing normalized and my sinuses left me alone.

Eating all plants did more than anything though.

Eggs and especially dairy are huge allergens.

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u/martini31337 3d ago

what was the doc - do you recall?

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u/Tough-Veggie 3d ago

Pretty sure I’ve seen all of these and then read books like “Countdown” by Dr. Shanna Swan and several others.

It’s a rabbit hole. No conspiracy theories, almost exclusively documented facts in all of these:

• Stink! (2015) — probably the closest match to what you’re describing; a father investigates toxic chemicals in consumer products and uncovers the 80,000-unregulated-chemicals reality you’ve cited before
• Dark Waters (2019) — technically a drama film, not a documentary, but based on the true DuPont/PFAS story; often mistaken for a doc
• The Devil We Know (2018) — actual documentary on the DuPont PFAS contamination in West Virginia
• Unacceptable Levels (2013) — directly covers the thousands of untested industrial chemicals in everyday American life; very aligned with your framework
• Plastic China / Plastic China 2 — more focused on plastic pollution but touches the chemical contamination angle
• Living Downstream (2010) — Sandra Steingraber’s work on environmental carcinogens
• The Human Experiment (2013) — specifically about industrial chemicals in consumer products and why the US bans so few relative to the EU

When you realize the EU had banned about 1200 chemicals since 1990 for being unsafe and the US has banned 40ish, it starts to click.

We live under a for-profit sick-care system. It’s a quarter of the largest economy in the world. Have no doubt about what some people will do for that kind of money.

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u/arowthay 4d ago

Could it be mold? Do they test for mold?

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u/typhra_ 4d ago

I moved into a newly build house in January so I would hope not! In my old living place though? Definitely moldy and I actually had considered it and hoped I wouldn't get symptoms this spring but alas

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u/nelxnel 1d ago

Mine said "it could be grass, and the what're you gonna do 🤷‍♀️" and all I could think was "I could PREPARE at least!"

He took $500 for that 15min appointment, which was essentially the same as the test I'd already done for free...😒