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]