Suddenly at the age of 52, two years ago, all materials make me itch all over, except for cotton. I can't very well replace my entire wardrobe with cotton, what can I do? I presently take a lot of Benedryl. Every, single day. Normally it only lasts a few months, and then stops for a few months, but this has been going on everyday for 2009. Help!
5/15/09 2:10pm
Hi Lynda,
Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. You don't say if you have consulted with a dermatologist or allergist to see what's really going on with your skin. If you haven't yet, I would strongly encourage you to do so. One option for people with severe allergies is to pursue what is called immunotherapy, more commonly known as allergy shots. The idea is to expose you (via injection) to tiny amounts of what you're allergic to over and over, in the hopes that you will slowly build an immunity to that substance.
Allergy shots have been quite successful for most people; I'm not positive about how well they would work for a fabric allergy, but it would be worth discussing with an allergist.
To your health,
Kathi
5/21/09 12:16pm
I hear you Lynda. I'm sure you want more options than wearing cotton every day. Hopefully, the allergist/dermatologist will have some more palatable ideas for you.
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Thank you Kathi,
Your response was helpful, and I will plan on seeing an allergist or dermatologist, because I had not. I discussed it with my PCP and we came to the conclusion that like him, I simply can not tolerate polyesters/nylons, etc, and only feel good in cotton. But unlike him, I can't always wear a high neck cotton undershirt under my clothing to protect my skin from the other materials.
This just seems to be a poor quality of life to have to live this way with something that seems so simple. Most people just say, well, wear cotton, but it would be very difficult and expensive for me to substitute all of my clothing with cotton.
Thanks for your assistance.
Lynda