Does anybody know of any good allergy doctors in the Triangle?

I never had any allergies until about 2 years ago when I had a bad reaction to a certain cat. Since then, I have been allergic to everything. It's weird b/c I had never had trouble with cats before. I've never seen an allergist about it, so I'm curious to see if they can help.

1/16/2007 6:39:19 PM

same exact shit happened to me 6 years ago. i've had cats all my life so i don't know what happened. all i know is i got what i thought was a cold but it never went away. my co-worker at the time had allergies and he suggested i try some benedryl so i did and it cleared them up. i talked to my doc about it and he ran some tests. he said i was allergic to pretty much everything. i asked him why the sudden onset and informed him that no other family member has allergies and he said there isn't an explanation (amazing how scientifically advanced "they" say we are). i also asked him if allergies were contagious. he laughed and said anything's possible since there wasn't an explanation on why i got them suddenly. the cat i had at the time i had for 3 years before "catching" allergies. the cat is no longer with us but yet i still have allergies. i take generic claritin every morning and that seems to keep them in check until spring. when i do have flare-ups and when spring rolls around, i take gen. claritin and gen. benedryl. the benedryl will make you a little drousy until you get used to it but it does work.

1/16/2007 6:57:31 PM

i have had allergies all my life, i got tested in Durham when I was a kid(they put different liquids of stuff on your back, if it goes red, you are allergic, they like prick it first) My whole back was red, they said i was in the 10% in terms of stuff allergic too. Well, after college I decided to stop taking Allegra D to see if I would really have to take it the rest of my life.....it was good for 2ish years, then all of a sudden the symptoms started coming back.....i still take it as needed. When I get a cold it is 10 times worse though now then when I took the meds regularly.

1/16/2007 7:06:39 PM

primary health care on new bern avenue performed a blood panel on my fiance to check for asthma and allergies. it sure beats the hell out of 200 pin pricks that can itch you to death.

1/16/2007 7:53:05 PM

Dr. Judge, 401 Keisler Drive in Cary (also has a Raleigh office) is great. Very thorough & down-to-earth. He is also certified in pediatrics and my doctor-phobic son loves him, in case that's relevant for anyone.

1/16/2007 8:24:29 PM

I'm hoping my allergies will just go away as suddenly as they came. I don't know though.

I take Zyrtec about once a week and it works pretty well, except when I have a full fledged cat attack. When I'm around cats for more than a few hours, I later have an uncontrollable nasal drip (like a faucet) for about 24 hours and if I don't take Zyrtec, I wheeze. I haven't found anything to treat the nasal drip.

I've tried Claritin, but it doesn't work as well as Zyrtec for me. I might try benedryl next time I'm around cats.

I hate it, b/c my fiance wants a cat so bad. But that shit would kill me.

1/16/2007 9:10:04 PM

I totally read this as alligator doctor. I was really dissapointed.

Good luck with the allergies though.

1/16/2007 9:18:53 PM

Dr Judge on Kiesler Drive is a good MD. Dr. Faulet in Fayetteville is the best in that area. If you want a bigger practice Carolina Allergy has location on Lake Boone and Ashville Ave in Cary.

you know I would suggest asking you PCP to order a blood allergy test, ImmunoCAP. It will test you for rht most common allergens (cat, dog, dust mites, cockroaches etc) and no cause you any discomfort or time. Not only will it tell you what you're alleergic to but how allergic you are to it. Level 1 is low up to level 5 which could be painful and life alltering.

1/17/2007 7:50:55 AM

yeah, i CANNOT be around cats at all. Even the Monorail Cat thread makes my eyes itch. What about shots? I have had one before, but didn't get around cats afterwards. I can't visit my girlfriends family because they have a cat and i have to stay outside. Help me O Great TWW

1/17/2007 8:07:32 AM

^ I'm in the same boat. My fiancee's family has 3 indoor cats. Holidays are hell for me.

I haven't tried shots, but I've heard you need them weekly for years for any permanent effect.

1/17/2007 8:27:07 AM

I used to go to Dr. LaForce at Carolina Allergy and Asthma on Lake Boone Trail. He was really good and really friendly.

1/17/2007 9:59:13 AM

Quote :

"I've tried Claritin, but it doesn't work as well as Zyrtec for me. I might try benedryl next time I'm around cats."

Is Zyrtec OTC? Also, go to walmart and get the generic (Equate) of benedryl. it'll save you a lot of money and i've noticed no difference between the two.

1/17/2007 10:11:37 AM

No, Zyrtec is prescription only (and expensive). I got it from my regular doctor. Yea, I've noticed that generic OTC claritin and benydryl are cheap as dirt.

1/17/2007 2:11:58 PM