Managing Seasonal Allergies during Chemo- HELP!

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Cottontail
Cottontail Member Posts: 374
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I tried searching but didn't see a thread specifically on this topic.  If there already is one that I missed, kindly direct me towards it......

I have severe seasonal allergies.  Well, actually, I'm allergic to so many things (79 out of 80 tested) they really go year round.  In the past 7 years, they've been especially bad and have led to chronic sinus infections, which in turn led to three surgeries to remove polyps from my sinus cavities.  I was "controlling" my allergies with a combination of Singulair (also helped my asthma) and Zyrtec. Note the quotes around "controlling"- it didn't really help THAT much.

Eleven months ago, I was able to get allergy tested and started getting once weekly allergy injections, and it was like a miracle.  I was able to stop the Zyrtec completely after the first month and got rid of all the side effects I had from that.  Almost no allergy symptoms while this has been a very bad allergy season for most.

I was scheduled to switch to getting my injections (I get three at a time) to every other week late next month.  However, BC has maybe thrown a wrench into things.  My MO has never had a patient getting allergy injections during chemo, and thinks I might need to stop them altogether.  Which might mean starting all over again from the beginning.  (I can't do that.  I just can't.)  I haven't talked to my allergist about it yet, I guess I'll be calling his office on Monday. I was scheduled to go to every other week for 6 months, then every third week for six months, then once a month after that.  The entire course of treatment is 3-5 years, then I would be done.

Does anyone have experience with this, or have some suggestions?   My MO wants me to get Neulasta, the day after chemo, so I guess I'll go ahead and start taking Claritin, but Claritin never worked to control my allergies in the past.  Do I have to stop taking the injections?  They're not drugs, they're minute amounts of the things I'm allergic to.  If the injections wouldn't help during chemo, would it do me any actual HARM to continue taking them?  Maybe my allergist can change the timing so I'm not getting an injection the same week as the chemo?

I know that when a patient becomes pregnant during allergy injections, they drop the woman to a low maintenance dose during the pregnancy and breast feeding, then start the build-up phase again after that.  (I also know this is a totally different situation, lol.)

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  • Cottontail
    Cottontail Member Posts: 374
    edited February 2013

    One or two days of bad allergy symptoms ALWAYS results in a sinus infection for me.  Always.  In fact, I was sniffly on Friday and Saturday, and woke up with one this morning. My head feels like it's filled with concrete.  I'm hoping it's minor, and that I can beat it with hydration and sinus rinses.  The last major one I had took a month of antibiotics to get rid of.

    I don't know what to do right now.  If I can't rinse it out, should I ask for antibiotics?  How will this affect my chemo start date?

    Frustrated.

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  • Sassa
    Sassa Member Posts: 1,588
    edited April 2012

    I don't have any experience with the allergy injections but I do with the seasonal allergies.

    I found that the Decadron (steroid) given during chemo to stop tissue damage also stopped my seasonal allergies.

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  • Cottontail
    Cottontail Member Posts: 374
    edited February 2013

    Thanks for the reply, Sassa.

    I guess since the steroid will help with allergies *during* chemo, that's not so much of a worry.  I do know that stopping the allergy injections for four months might mean starting all over from the beginning.

    I did call my allergist's office today, and they got back to me.  Since I'm already at my "maintenance" dose they are going to let me drop down to every other week early, and they're going to work with me so I don't get the injection in the same week as the chemo treatment.  The allergist doesn't think there will be any interraction or harm in continuing.  Though I guess if there is some sort of interraction, I'll be their guinea pig, lol.

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  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited April 2012

    You should ask your onc what he thinks as it's more important that nothing interferes with chemo instead of the other way around. My severe hayfever was no problem during chemo due to steroids and antihistamines against a chemo rash. The year after was also no problem as my immune system was so comprised, it couldn't mount its senseless defense against pollen. That's just my theory.

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  • MiniMacsMom
    MiniMacsMom Member Posts: 595
    edited April 2012

    I agree with heidi. I have had very little allergies this year... compared to the last two years. I think my immune systrm just cant mount a response. I get very low steroids and now im on chemo once evry three weeks so i dont think it helps. Also ask if patonase is ok to use. Its a nasal allegy spray that works really well for my son. If this is that painful for u i would call around to multiple oncs and get a second opinion from an onc that has dealt with this before. Its really important to put chemo first you dont want to reduce its efficacy.

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  • Sassa
    Sassa Member Posts: 1,588
    edited April 2012

    It would be interesting to find out if the allergy shots will have any effect as the eosinophils (a white blood cell) is what increases in response to an allergen.  If your WBC drops due to chemo (and it probably will), the allergy shots may not be having much effect.

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  • Cottontail
    Cottontail Member Posts: 374
    edited February 2013

    Since the injections are just minute amounts of the things I'm allergic to, I don't think they would have an interaction with the chemo drugs?



    I don't mind if they're not actively increasing my allergy tolerance during treatment, but I'd reallly like to keep a baseline/maintenance dosage going so that I don't have to start over from the beginning. Which is what I would have to do if I just stopped getting the injections for six months or a year (or two years or whatever).



    I have to say, if it turns out I have to stop and start over, and possibly face the extremely severe sinus issues and surgeries, etc, I had pre-allergy injection, I might just give up and roll over to die now. I once had an infection so bad - triggered by a particularly heavy maple blooming season, that I couldn't walk in a straight line and would sometimes just fall off of chairs. It took nearly three months of intense antibiotics to clear that one up. I'm allergic to pretty much every tree, grass, and flower pollen, plus all commonly occurring molds, dust, dogs, cats, and the pets (and their food) that share my house with me.



    I do use Singulair (for asthma) and Flonase spay (steroid sinus spray) daily in addition to the injections ad occasional OTC antihistamine in the mornings. (I also have to take Benadryl at night to be able to breate while I sleep.)



    I can see the point of my immune system being too sluggish to try to combat the allergens during/after chemo. In which case the injections wouldn't hurt, right, and I'd already be gettin my maintenance dose once thing started to kick back in?



    There are several oncs at the treatment center I'm going to, so I would hope mine would consult with her colleagues. I also gave her my allergist's name so she can contact him for additional consultation.



    :/

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  • 3boysformesusan
    3boysformesusan Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2012

    I also have severe allergies, indoor and outdoor.  Before chemo, I got 2 weekly injections.  In 2007 I had my first sinus surgery, followed by another in 2008.  I was also on the maintence dose, but my onc told me I would have to stop shots while taking chemo.  He said I would be "wasting my money" on them.  So my last shots were in Oct. 2011.  He has given me the go ahead to begin them again, since I am only on Herceptin now.  But my allergist put me back at the minimal doseage amount for my shots.  I have been having severe watery eyes now for 1 month, I constantly dab at them with a tissue!!  I do not know if this is allergy related or a side effect from chemo.  I see my onc this coming Tues. and will definitely be bringing this up!!  There HAS to be some solution!!  Will let you know what he has to say.  I also take Singulair, Flonase, Zyrtec, and I add Sudafed 2x daily as a decongestant.  Don't feel like the antihistamines do a darn thing!!

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  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited April 2012

    Let me begin by saying that I didn't do chemo, so can't speak to any side effects. 

     However, we swear by sinus rinses in our house. Both DH and I have severe allergies, and I have asthma. We use the rinse by NeilMed, because "passive" rinses (like a neti pot) just won't get up into my very tiny sinus passages.

    I also use Flonase, and QVAR, an inhaled steroid, in addition to my rescue breather.

    But what worked the absolute best for my DH was last year, when he was diagnosed with kidney disease, (and was put on massive doses of Prednisone for six months which destroyed his immune system) was wearing a disposable surgical mask outside.

    In addition to protecting him from other people's germs, he never had a serious allergy attack.

    Of course, he would always shower and wash his hair every night to rinse out any pollen that was stuck to him, and his clothes got laundered regularly as well.

    Hope you find some relief!

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  • Cottontail
    Cottontail Member Posts: 374
    edited February 2013

    3boysformesusan, thanks for sharing.  Starting over is what I'm really afraid of.  I don't mind "wasting my money" on shots that might not be doing much, if anything, during chemo.  That would actually cost me less than starting back at the beginning.  (Especially now I'm on my maintenance dose, and they've bumped me back to every other week.)

    Blessings2011, I do use the NeilMed bottle and rinses.  They help a lot, but I'd have to rinse about every hour for it to help me on a continual basis.  :D  I don't think wearing a mask oustide would really help me too much, since I'm also slightly allergic to my rabbits and their hay.  I do wear a mask when I empty out the Shop-Vac after I clean pens.

    Kayb, I've got my "chemo class" on Tuesday morning, I'll ask then if my MO has spoken with my allergist. 

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  • melmac64
    melmac64 Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2012

    I have been taking allergy shots for about 9 months and just reached maintenance level about a month ago. I am now at 2 shots once a month. I'm allergic to all grasses and 5 trees and then some molds.

    I was diagnosed with breast cancer on 4/25 and had my first chemo on 5/24. I met with 3 oncologists before selecting one and I asked each of them if there would be any conflicts with the allergy shots. They all said no. Yesterday, I had an appointment with the allergist's PA to refill my scripts. I take NasaCort, allegra-D and do a daily sinus rinse. I went to the doctor early to have my allery shots. While in with the PA, I began to feel a little rasp in my throat and my ears became very hot. The PA had me use an inhaler which cleared up my throat. I declined the Benadryl as I had another (non-medical) appointment down the street. Within a 2 hour timeframe, I started having tingling above my lip and the skin around my mouth and nose became very red and puffy and my scalp started itching. Then I had bright red rashes appear on the insides of my elbows, wrists and under my arms. I went back to the allergist office and by that time, my throat felt like it had a knot in it when I swallowed. They gave me an Epi injection and an Alavert. My throat returned to normal quickly. The redness and rashes disappeared over a couple of hours.

    My onc and allergist both said they are not aware of any conflicts but the onc wants me to stop taking the shots for now until she does some more research. I don't really want to stop if I don't have to as I don't want to start over either.

    Has anyone found out any possible connections? I'm also on Metoprolol for high blood pressure.

    Thanks for sharing any info you have!

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