Ask the internet: See an allergist?

[beth_leonard]

This evening has been tough. Around 5 pm after a short nap I was discussing evening plans with Jon and I started coughing. It felt as though I'd swallowed wrong and had cheerio dust stuck in my throat. I swallowed, tried to complete the conversation. I coughed more.

To make a long story short, every time I tried to talk I coughed and eventually I coughed so hard I threw up. Twice.

I had no feelings of stomach upset, it was just the coughing that did it, and any talking at all, even to say "hmmm" or whisper set off the coughing. It wasn't laryngitis symptoms where you can whisper but no noise comes out. My throat didn't feel particularly sore, but my voice box felt... "sandy" is the best word I can use to describe it. I drank one glass of milk, two glasses of water, and gargled but could not improve my situation even a little bit.

I considered that perhaps it was a continuation of the allergic reaction I seemed to be having to my Wonder Woman costume from Friday night's party. On Saturday I woke up with very itchy red splotches over the parts of my body that had been in contact with the costume. They got worse through the day to the point that by this evening My legs, arms, and tummy were covered in red quarter-sized splotches with about a millimeter between them.

I e-mailed Jon a plan and we went to the drugstore to buy some Claritin. I took a Claritin tab at 6pm (luckily it seems to be compatible with breastfeeding) and now at 8pm the splotches have reduced to pea-sized with about 1 cm between them. I can talk briefly in a whisper without feeling as though there's sand in my throat and breaking out into a severe cough.


My question to my friends who might read this before tomorrow morning: Should I make an appointment ASAP to see an allergist? If not, why not? What type of doctor should I see if any? I've had a lingering cough as a result of a cold for the last 3 weeks, but it was nothing major. I'd cough a few times a day and a little before going to bed. My nose has been clear.

Thanks,
--Beth
PS. Not talking at all is very annoying. I am very glad that Jon and I took those ASL classes together a few years ago though. It's made the evening functional, if strongly unpleasant.

Comments

[kirinqueen.livejournal.com]

I've had a cough like that, and antihistamines don't seem to do much; as far as I can tell it only wants to go away on its own. The first day of a rainy spell (which is usually the sum of the rainy spell here, sadly) usually makes it start up, when the rain kicks up dust and a bit of mold, both of which trigger allergic coughs for me. The allergist I saw a few years ago diagnosed the allergy, and gave me a bunch of Allegra samples, but since I moved away from the dampness of the beach, I've hardly needed it, and never got a prescription. I've become more sensitive to dust in the last year or so, and I've been thinking of seeing an allergist, but I'm pretty sure I'd just get more Allegra or whatever for it.