Christina Perth <[log in to unmask]>  wrote on 2/22/2004, 4:00 AM:
>What is making me desperate though is my boyfriend, and I know some of
>you guys are allergic or know people who are allergic too, so I m asking
>for please any sort of help or ideas on this because I really don t know
>what to do!  I ve had the fuzzies for 3 years and for 2 years was my
>boyfriend ok, didn t feel ANYTHING!
 
As a long time sufferer from allergies and asthma, I can offer several
suggestions for you boyfriend.
 
First, is he seeing an allergist or pulmonary specialist, or just a GP
for treatment of his problem?  I could not get my asthma under control
until I went under the care of a pulmonary specialist.  So, if he hasn't
consulted with a specialist, I would strongly advise it.
 
Next, he should be specifically tested for an allergy to ferrets, to make
sure that is the problem, and that it isn't something else like a shampoo
you are using on them.  There are tests for this available, and it can be
done with a simple blood draw.  If he is allergic to ferrets, they can
make a serum that can be either given as a weekly injection or taken as
a daily oral medication, that will help him build an immunity to the
allergy.  I am currently being treated with the oral med for my allergy
to dogs.
 
Finally, it sounds like he is just using an emergency inhaler, rather
then having a daily medicine to help control the asthma.  I currently
have 3 separate inhalers - 2 I use daily to control my asthma, and a
third that is a fast acting med for emergencies.  One of my inhalers is
an inhaled steroid, which is much safer then using an oral steroid.
The second is a similar medicine to the emergency one, but is a time
released medicine.  By controlling the asthma this way, I rarely need
the emergency one.
 
Asthma can be a serious problem if not controlled, but fortunately, there
are many new drugs and medicines out there to help with its control.
Over time, allergies and asthma triggers can change.  Some people outgrow
their asthma as they age, and others, like me, have it get worse.
Understanding exactly what is causing your boyfriend's asthma can help a
lot in learning to live with it.  For example, for some people, stress
can be an asthma trigger.  If your boyfriend once had a bad reaction to
ferrets, he may be feeling stress whenever he is around them, making him
more susceptible to an attack.
 
It sounds like your boyfriend is a very loving and caring person, who
wants you to be happy.  You are lucky he is so willing to try and work
things out so you can be with him and still have your ferrets.  I wish
you all the best in solving this problem.
--
Danee
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
[Posted in FML issue 4433]