Does anyone have advice for dealing with intense sudden-onset allergies from dander and dust?
We’ve arrived at a weeklong sit with two large dogs and an indoor-outdoor cat, and I think some combination of cat dander and construction dust has triggered my system. Its only been a few hours and I feel miserable with sore throat and congestion like I’m coming down with a head cold, but I recognize this as a much more intense form of the rare few cat allergy reactions I’ve had in the past. (This is our 10th housesit with cats, and the first time I’m having a problem.) My boyfriend is suggesting we can’t stay here but I feel mortified at the thought, we can’t do that to the homeowners or the animals.
How can I cope with this and complete the housesit? Buy Zyrtec and pray? Try to deep clean the whole house tomorrow? There’s not even that many fabric surfaces, it’s mostly hard wood and leather couches, but I can’t get any airflow through the windows because it’s too hot to survive with no AC.
I’m allergic, but since taking a nasal spray with a steroid in it, and I don’t have any problems at all now.
You probably wrote your post to get ‘approval’ from others to leave so that it made you feel a little easier, but personally I’d try going to a pharmacy, or preferably see a doctor so you can get something stronger. You only need to last a week, so the quicker you get a doctors prescription the quicker you’ll feel better.
If it’s only for a week I’d definitely try some anti-histamine medication first. I had a similar unexpected reaction to cats on a sit too and I found it became manageable with medication, and actually by the end of the sit my body had adjusted and I didn’t need to take it.
I had terrible asthma at one of our sits. It was a mixture of allergies and new medication that didn’t work with my body. It was so bad, especially at night, that my husband stayed at the sit, and I had to book a nearby guesthouse to just sleep away at night. If I stayed I might have ended up in the ER with a full blown attack.
@SierraNevada try wearing a mask indoors to keep the environmental irritants in the home from entering your nose. If that doesn’t help definitely see a doctor to ensure you are ok.
I would suggest trying over the counter antihistamines, no pets in the bedroom that you are using, change the bedlinens if the pets have been in the bedroom already and shower/shampoo before bedtime to remove dander. Good luck.
@Hallt64 believe it or not, not all cats aggravate my allergies! Some don’t cause allergies, others are very manageable with anti-histamines. And some are just over the top. And you can’t ever tell beforehand. So we don’t want to forgo all catsits - because sometimes we need an easier sit inbetween!
Are there any oil diffuser sticks or other air fresheners at this sit? Those really trigger my allergies and it’s the first thing I do is to unplug them/put them away. Astepro (non-steroid spray) and generic Zyrtec will take care of your allergies, you can find those at Walmart.
@botvot
I’m sorry but if there was any indication of that may happen, then i would not put myself in that position.
Not only does it affect your health, it jeopardises the whole sit.
People should think long and hard before applying for sits, especially where any allergies may occur.
Let’s hope its nothing more than a head cold starting.
I’m sorry that you are dealing with this and agree that you should try meds and the other remedies suggested here. It would be irresponsible for both of you to leave a sit that you took knowing that there was a chance of an allergic reaction. Even if the risk is low, why risk sitting when the HO could probably have found a sitter without allergies?
At a minimum, your boyfriend should stay to finish the sit if you have to leave.
@SierraNevada I have experience allergies on two sits so I empathise and neither time was it a reaction to the pets . I required medical help to relieve the symptoms and it was miserable-
My advice is
First Seek medical advice for proper diagnosis and prescription.
You mention construction dust - is that construction works ongoing at the home /if so was this something disclosed in the listing ?
If the home is “unliveable” or you are too sick to
Continue with the sit you can Call Urgent Support Line - the number is on your dashboard
