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lasuz's avatar

Has anyone dealt with a serious allergy to fleas?

Asked by lasuz (105points) October 24th, 2015

I am a pet lover with dogs and cats but have just developed a flea allergy. I have had all of them treated and had the outside of the house and the inside treated with natural flea products-specifically powder and also a spray. I additionally purchased some electronic pest repellants from Amazon. I also am now taking oral odorless garlic tabs and Vitamin B-12.

Every flea bite I get turns into large welts and spreads up and down my body. It really scares me. I am now on an antibiotic, Benadryl, something for my stomach. I have been under a lot of stress the last several years and I’m guessing this is why this allergy developed.

Anyway I’d like to hear from anyone who has dealt with this and how you handled it. Something positive would be appreciated too!

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5 Answers

msh's avatar

Oh my gosh! I have had a similar experience, maybe what I learned will help you also. I hope so!
I have a killer-allergy to iodine= red dye. Food, candy, lipstick, drinks- you name it. It is a long, ugly story.
So, I too was undergoing an incredibly stressful period in my life. ( I seem to find stress- or it finds me! It’s exhausting! ) I believe allergies get stepped up also when the body is trying to cope with it all.
During this particular time, I had a physical reaction that was serious enough to go to a Dermatologist. While he was listening to my condition, he came up with a really sensible answer to everything!
One of my daily RX prescriptions really magnified my allergic reactions. He caught it, and gave me a prescription for an antihistamine like Benadryl, only in a much larger dosage than is allowed over the counter.
It worked. I healed, the welts all disappeared!
After this, my regular GP switched the daily RX group, so that my touchy reactions all but disappeared. Flair-ups had me take the regular OTC Benadryl.
Now, I have had to shuffle the daily RX intake, so during the touchy periods of reactions to the dye, I have a course of action to fall back on.
When reading your question, and saw the Benadryl, and thought maybe this idea might help you.
Good luck, bless your heart. Let me know if this works- or how you are doing. Take good care of yourself :)

Buttonstc's avatar

Natural flea repellants are exactly that. They repel fleas but do no eliminate them.

Since you have such a severe allergy, you can’t afford to keep hacking around with half measures. You need to use a product like Frontline which KILLS THEM.

24 hours after treating each pet ALL fleas on the animal will be dead. Then you need to follow up with 2 more treatment spaced 30 days apart. NO LONGER. This kills all the eggs and larval stages as they hatch out. If you do this exactly as described you will be completely free from fleas. Not because they are just being repelled but because THEY’RE DEAD.

If you keep trying to get rid of them with the products you are currently using you’ll be miserable year round.

The choice is yours.

lasuz's avatar

I mentioned my pets are all treated with regular flea methods that kill the fleas. For the inside and outside of the house I used natural products. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

Buttonstc's avatar

So, where are the flea bites coming from then. If you used Frontline (or similar IGR-type flea control) all the fleas should be dead.

And any fleas outside or elsewhere in the house would promptly hop onto one of your pets since they need to feed regularly. And then they’d be dead also (IF and only IF you are following the 30 day protocol).

So, if your pets have been treated, where are the flea bites coming from to which you’re having the allergic reactions?

lasuz's avatar

They were coming from the backyard and in the house. Now all treated as well as the pets so okay for now but need to retreat every 6 or so weeks.

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