Am i allergic to something at my friend's place?

[KiloFox]

so i've visited my friend twice now, he lives up in the San Carlos CA hills, and i live in Redwood City, so we're not terribly far from each other. i like to hang out with him whenever i can, especially since he's moving soon. but EVERY time i go to his place and sleep, i wake up with a sore throat and a headache. i don't feel like crap BEFORE i sleep, no matter how long i spend there. but after i sleep for any length of time there, i just wake up feeling terrible. my roommate thinks i'm allergic to something there, but my only KNOWN allergy is Penicillin. the two places arn't really different eaither, the only major difference is that his Girlfriend has a chinchilla, but if i was allergic to it, then i'd feel like crap BEFORE i went to sleep right? this hasn't happened ANYWHERE else i've been, and i've been around...

 

[AWAR]

Where there any plants in the room you slept?

 

[SlaveNumber23]

Well I'd say you probably are allergic to something, you could either experiment with removing different things to see what happens or is there some kind of test you can get to find out your allergies? I'm sure a doctor would be able to help you out.

Given that you only get the reaction from sleeping then maybe its the material of the sheets/blanket/mattress on the bed or even something in the cleaning product used to clean those things?

 

[gazumped]

This might not be how it works at all and I might just be being silly, but is there a chance that he has a bit of a mould problem? And that it might be aggravating your penicillin allergy?

Mouldy walls can go undetected if they're hiding behind furniture, once I moved my bed to find a whole bloody forest of the stuff, and my head had been resting pretty much right next to it for however long it had been there. Not good for you, allergy or no.

 

[KiloFox]

Where there any plants in the room you slept?

nope, i know i'm not allergic to Pollen though. well, only very slightly... my dad and brother have really bad pollen allergies, and to feel ANYTHING from pollen, those with actual pollen allergies basically have to be (literally) dying

Well I'd say you probably are allergic to something, you could either experiment with removing different things to see what happens or is there some kind of test you can get to find out your allergies? I'm sure a doctor would be able to help you out.

Given that you only get the reaction from sleeping then maybe its the material of the sheets/blanket/mattress on the bed or even something in the cleaning product used to clean those things?

i actually did not think of that... i like to sleep with the covers pulled over my head. but they use the same ones and are fine...

This might not be how it works at all and I might just be being silly, but is there a chance that he has a bit of a mould problem? And that it might be aggravating your penicillin allergy?

Mouldy walls can go undetected if they're hiding behind furniture, once I moved my bed to find a whole bloody forest of the stuff, and my head had been resting pretty much right next to it for however long it had been there. Not good for you, allergy or no.

i can say with confidence that there isn't mold around the couch i slept on.
besides. i believe Penicillin only grows on breads or something. (though i do avoid ALL mold out of caution)

 

[lechat]

go to the doctor for an allergy check. it's a real simple process and will tell you all the things you are allergic too

 

[AWAR]

I have to second SlaveNumber23. There is a polyurethane foam couch in my grandmother's house which aggravates my asthma whenever I sleep on it. Polyurethane may also contain PBDEs which are well known for their adverse effects on health.

 

[IndomitableSam]

Allergies can develop any time in life, especially in your teens/20's. I wasn't allergic to anything until my mid-teens I suddenly became lactose intolerant and allergic to cats, dust, household cleaners and scents. No idea why, nothing in my lifestyle changed, but all of a sudden I got very sick due to all of those.

So, basically, go for an allergy test like everyone says. And find an allergy medication that works for you, since there are many differen kinds, then take 24-hour pills for a couple days before and during your stay. For the record, loratadine meds work best for me. First gen stuff like Benadryl puts me right to sleep, and Desloratadine for some reason turns me into a raging *****. I can't stop screaming and yelling at people. Loratadine itself I feel no changes to myself at all. So, experiment with the over-the-counter meds.