Therefore, in order for 1) to happen, I must eliminate 2). As I am quite fond of Oni no Husband, I would like to dispense with the allergies rather than the husband.
So - anyone been through/know anyone who’s been through the anti-allergen treatments? His allergy isn’t too strong, it doesn’t kick in just from being near cats just from touching them, then touching any mucus membrane without washing his hands very carefully first.
How painful/annoying are they? How much do they cost? Would they likely be covered by health insurance? How effective are they? What should I know?
I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to kill him. There’s no other way.
I’ve looked into anti-allergy treatments, and asked my doctor about them. She told me they were a series of shots over several months. I believe it was covered by health insurance, much as how allergy meds are, but it may vary by insurance carrier. From what I have heard from others, they ultimately work very well to get rid of allergies.
They worked VERY well for me - but be aware that a certain number of people do not get satisfactory results. They work for most people, but not always. An good allergist will discuss this with you prior to starting the treatment.
How much, how often, and how long varies from person to person. In my case, it was five years of shots, but then I had multiple severe allergies. Many people do fine with a shorter course of treatment.
The shots are…well, they’re shots but on the not so bad side for shots and you quickly get used to them.
I got mine 30 years ago - I’m sure whatever was paid for them has changed significantly so I can’t speak to that, but for ME they were worth every penny and every jab.
for immunotherapy to eliminate the allergy reaction permanently.
could be a couple years of treatment. could be twice a week for a number of months then
once a week. they do want to have you wait in doctor’s office 20 minutes or so, at least early in the treatment, to see if you have an adverse reaction. shots are with a small needle like diabetics use daily for insulin. not painful.
could be covered by your insurance.
you might try the hand washing routine. also because the allergy may be due to cat dander keeping the cat localized to rooms you clean with a vacuum cleaner HEPA filter. and don’t get too attached to cat right away until you see how it goes.
I’ve gotten the allergy shots for a long time, steadily for the last 25 years and perhaps a total of 15 years before that. I get two shots every two weeks. The pain is insignificant. The hassle of running out to get shots twice a month is by far the worst thing for me.
I find they work very well, in the sense that when I stop them I gradually get more and more symptoms. It’s news to me that you’re only supposed to get them for a few months or maybe a couple years. If that is true, my allergist is a dirty rat. But it still helps and the symptoms still come back if I wait even 3 weeks before getting shots.
I once had an allergy to cats, but am fond of them and have several. I had cat in the shot serum for a few years but not anymore; I don’t test positive for cat allergy nowadays. I notice no trouble associated with the cats, even if I bury my face in their belly fur and make cute noises at them (which they seem to like just fine).
I’ve been told that allergy shots don’t work as well for cat allergies as they do for other allergens (dust, mold etc.). Didn’t stop me from trying, though, years back when we had cats.
I did find that my first cat wasn’t a huge deal - I spent a couple of weeks being sniffly, then I seemed to adjust to it. It was the second cat that did me in - either the increased quantity of dander, or the fact that he spent a lot more time grooming himself and therefore there was more saliva residue. The shots didn’t do much, and ultimately we rehomed the second cat after the first one died.
One thing that was suggested was to bathe the cat. If you get a kitten, and get in the habit of bathing it frequently (one person we knew would take the kitten into the shower with him), that might reduce the dander spillage.
Try to make a cat-free area for your husband. As wonderful as it is to have a cat curl up in bed with you, that might need to be the safe room.
Bathing cats is not good for the cat, so I certainly wouldn’t go that route.
Having a cat might trigger the same response as allergy shots - after all, the mechanism is slowly building up a tolerance.
I’m quite allergic to cats, but I own five. My cats don’t bother me but other peoples’ do. I also have many other allergies, though, including a nasty dust allergy, so it could well be that they do bother me, I just don’t notice it. I find some relief from antihistamines, but they’re not perfect, and some people get no relief at all from them.
The problem is, if you get the cat, then try all the remedies bu they all fail, what will you do then? Get rid of the cat? I can’t condone that (although I’m certainly aware you didn’t seek my approval) so unless your husband is willing to live with any consequences, maybe you should just volunteer at your local rescue instead. (I know, I know, not the same thing.)
According to my allergist, some people do very well with immunotherapy (allergy shots), some have no improvement, some are in the middle. Not everyone is a candidate for it, so you’ll have to ask his allergist. I got allergy shots for about 2 years before I noticed any improvement, probably another year before it lasted all the way to the next shot. The worst part is you have to go twice a week in the beginning, and it ate up over an hour between driving, waiting before the shot and waiting after the shot. Insurance covered every cent, but I think that can vary.
One thing to consider is that you most likely will not be able to have the cat in the bedroom, even when he’s not there. You also have to consider that living with a cat is different from spending time with a cat. If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have to find a new home for the cat, and you’ll have to clean everything.
