Thanks guys!  I live in an apt, so I'm limited to what I can do w/ the filters. 

I last had a (short-haired) dog 4 yrs ago & never had problems, so I think I'm OK w/ dogs.

If you have forced heat/air, you can get filters that go on the registers - it seems to help cut down on the amount of dust.

We have a Roomba as well, and set it to vacuum daily when everyone is asleep.

i don't know about that but one more thing to consider is that if you have pet, you might want to check and make sure you aren't allergic to it.  The difference between living with a pet to which a person is allergic and not can be flared asthma and asthma under control.  Good luck!

I avoid medication if at all possible and eat natural foods but when my asthma flairs, there is nothing but western medication that is going to work.  There are some herbal things that can help but if a person is having actual asthma, he or she can end up with permanent lung damage (scarring inside and more) if they do not take proper medication.  I'm glad you are going to a pulmo doc. 

I have found that knowing allergic triggers (dust, etc) allows me to not need any asthma meds at all if I avoid those things except when I have a cold and then I am more susceptible to an asthma flare.  Taking meds proactively can prevent this.  A good doc will help you figure out your triggers so you will know how to avoid them.  Good luck!

To OP:

In my opinion these are medical questions about diagnosis you should only seek from an experienced board certified allergist/immunologist with a demonstrable knowledge of food allergy.  Reliable data show overuse of food allergy panels by non-allergist medical professionals lead to inaccurate overdiagnosis. 

I've said this a few times but it bears repeating: I don't doubt you experience symptoms.  You have the right to accurate diagnosis by a competent professional.  It's not enough to get "a" diagnosis, but the correct diagnosis. 

In my opinion the internet should only be used to ask how to live with food allergies after a valid diagnosis of clinical history.  I don't even call my MD friends with medical questions.  I call my own doctors for the same reasons.

If you are going to go down the route of ruling out IgE-mediate response--ask for a physician referral in your area, one of good reputation and credentials.  Don't ask for a diagnosis online even if from a medical professional.  Go to the AAAAI website to use their physician locator to find someone in your area or request 2-3 names of reliable allergists.

Something seems off here, with the info you are getting. And the info you are not getting.

Asmanex is a corticosteroid that is meant to be taken daily. To use 'as needed' doesn't make sense, unless the doctor meant something like seasonal use (i.e., for 6-8 weeks during pollen season). It does not work quickly and should not be used in acute situation. I guess it might be prescribed during illness, but it takes time to start working optimally.

Ventolin is a bronchodilator that is used to dilate airways during acute asthma exacerbations, flare-ups (i.e., illness) or sometimes prior to exposure to triggers, exercise, etc.

They are not interchangeable.

It would make sense to see a Respirologist to diagnose or rule out asthma.

I agree that the chest symptoms and pain/tightness sound a lot like they could be reflux. Taking the omeprazole for 4-6 weeks should give you more info there, to see if this helps things improve. Reflux can also cause the throat symptoms you describe. I have similar pain to what you describe -- we are doing tests to rule out other causes but we think probably my reflux meds are just not enough and it is probably breakthrough symptoms.

Also, D.O means doctor of osteopathy (an alternative medicine branch). I'm not sure that an osteopath should be diagnosing IgE allergies without sending you to an Allergist or Internal Medicine specialist, or giving a referral to a Respirologist for asthma, or to a Gastroenterologist for GERD, etc.

Can an admin please merge these two very similar threads? (Here and in Adults). The OP mentions some things in one but not the other.  i.e. no change in symptoms after eating.

A GP gave those prescriptions but expressed that the allergies are minor? 
why havent you been referred to an allergy clinic or immunologist when GP has offered an auto injector? What was your GP's reasoning behind this?

I would seriously consider pushing for a referral to an allergic clinic,  esp if you are certain you have an ige allergy.

However, milk intolerance, food intolerance can give you chest pains, and it can be severe and painful. But it is not life threatening. just worthy of changing diet.

Forever Blue - did they do scratch tests, or blood tests only?

You need to know if you have an accurate diagnosis or not.  What you posted sounds like you should see an actual allergist to me. 

Yes, an epipen is a needle, but it's an autoinjector, so you don't see the needle, or push a plunger or anything.  It could save your life if used when your action plan calls for it.

If you really are allergic, it's about so much more than just not eating a peanut butter sandwich. You will need to learn about manufacturer cross contamination, how to read food labels and call manufacturers because the labels are not required to list possible contamination; restaurant (and home prepared) contamination, speaking with wait staff and chefs, avoiding resataurants where contamination is impossible to avoid, leaving restaurants when you gut tells you they just don't get it; etc.