Experiences with montelukast or immunotherapy

[Caline1]

I have recently been given a Hearing Dog. She is a poodle,so one of the least allergenic dogs.

I know I have a dog allergy so my Symbicot was doubled initially to 400mg twice a day. I am, however, still struggling and taking salbutamol a lot during the day.

I have tried all the different antihistamines with out much improvement and have now been prescribed montelukast.

I was wondering if anyone has much experience with the drug and if they found it helpful? I am also interested to hear peoples thought and experiences with immunotherapy injections, as I am considering this.

Thanks in advance 😊

[TeachKat]

Hi, congratulations on your dog! I was just wondering whether it would be worth asking your doctor if you could take a steroid nasal spray like Beconase, for example. They take a little while to build up but can be really helpful for pet allergies/hay fever and so on. You’d need to check interactions with your other medication. Also you could could try washing the dog frequently- I heard a top NHS allergy consultant on the radio a while back saying that he took his Labrador into the shower with him every morning to reduce allergens! That might be a bit extreme, but I’m sure any poodle would love it!Good luck!

[Caline1 in reply to TeachKat]

Thanks TeachCat. I have been washing her once a week with anti dander shampoo. Im not sure a nasal spray would help with asthma? Or am I wrong in thinking that?

[TeachKat in reply to Caline1]

I’m not sure, but as the allergens enter mostly through the nose, it could be helpful in reducing the general irritation ? You could ask one of the Asthma UK nurses on the helpline- they’re super helpful!

[Caline1 in reply to TeachKat]

Thats a thought, thank you.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Caline1]

Steroid nasal sprays in help calm inflammation in the caused by allergies. It doesn’t overtly treat asthma, but calming inflammation in your nose should have an affect further down in the lungs. Plus it reduces the chance of post nasal drip etc.

The issue comes from the fact you are reacting to a constant trigger. This may possibly lead to a build up of issues and an attack. Hopefully you’ll be able to get controlled with GP level asthma treatment (more about GP add ons; healthunlocked.com/asthmauk... ), but you may end up escalating to consultant care if you can’t get control.

I also agree with the suggestion of giving AUK a call. They’ll be able to talk you through everything! The nurses are great and can be reached on 0300 2225800 M-F 9-5. Alternatively their WhatsApp service is 07378 606728.

Hope this helps

[twinkly29 in reply to Caline1]

In addition to Emma's post (which is really important given the potentially problematic asthma issues), Teach Kat is right about allergens entering through the nose. Sinus Rinse solution (eg NeilMed) is good at clearing the nose regularly of allergens to help minimise them invading the body further. However, this is an add-on method and doesn't replace treatments to deal with the inflammation caused by constant asthma triggers.

[Thomas45]

I had immunotherapy back in the late 1970s and it worked for me. In those days it was provided free by the NHS.

[Caline1 in reply to Thomas45]

Oh wow. Thats interesting and also great to hear it worked for you.

[Poobah]

I have a cat allergy and once I started Montelukast I coped alot better with family cats. Even my brother's cat who adopted me while I was staying with him didn't cause the usual flare up even though she became my shadow 24/7. Hope you have many happy years with your new doggy friend.

[Caline1 in reply to Poobah]

Thanks. Thats great it works well for you. I am hoping I get the same results 🙏

[Nanny1086]

Hi , well done on receiving your hearing dog , I to have many allergies , I had alergy tests done at the hospital and they gave up inthe end and said looks like your allergic to lots of things ,,, like you I tried antihistamine tablets ,,,,and then had prescribed ones ,,, then two years ago I wS prescribed Montelukast and I found it To be the most successful. I also use a nasal spray not beconase ,,, this one stops the pollen entering through nasal passages , hope this has helped you , best wishes

[Caline1 in reply to Nanny1086]

I'm glad M has helped you so much. Its great to hear all these positive experiences.