I, Dr. Erin Merritt, owner and one of the pharmacists at Modern Apothecary, am an allergy sufferer. I have always struggled with allergies, but during my childhood, I don’t recall being overly congested or sneezy. Nor do I remember taking any medications for allergies or even discussing the possibility of having them until high school. Despite facing kidney issues from the first grade and dealing with scoliosis and a subsequent spinal fusion at 16, my frequent visits to the doctor make me doubt these symptoms were overlooked. Being born in the mid-1980s and growing up in the 1990s, it seems allergies weren’t as much on most healthcare providers’ radar as they are today.
I vividly remember the constant irritation of my eyes. Questions about whether I was crying were common, as my eyes were always red and watery. The little tubes of steroid cream the doctor provided for the tops and bottoms of my eyelids were a slight relief against the red, itchy irritation. Now, with my current knowledge, looking back at those pictures, the dark under-eye circles stand out as a clear indicator of my allergies (see a delightful picture of 4 or 5 year old me below). In high school, I was desperate enough to try every remedy from cucumber slices and expensive eye creams to Preparation H (an idea I must have seen in a magazine). The dark circles under my eyes now are likely attributed to stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, and my allergies.
To this day, my battle with allergies continues, now including sneezing and a runny nose along with my watery, itchy eyes and dark circles. Over the last several years, I’ve developed a sensitivity to metals, forcing me to stop wearing my wedding ring and earrings due to rashes, itching, and swelling. Despite trying hypoallergenic metals and pre-treating the areas with hydrocortisone or Benadryl cream, along with natural remedies, my allergies have worsened over the past six months. I’ve had to cease using all facial creams and washes due to rashes on my face and even alternate the arm on which I wear my watch because of rashes under the band, despite changing the type of bands used.
Knowing I needed to try something new, I was open to anything when I learned Wyndly would be offering testing at pharmacies. I was already taking D-Hist by Ortho Molecular Products, cetirizine twice daily, and Flonase to manage my symptoms when they became unbearable. The Wyndly allergy test, an incredibly simple process, doesn’t require a visit to an allergist for skin prick testing but instead uses a finger stick blood spot test. It was so straightforward that I had my nurse, Hannah, administer my test on Facebook Live. A few drops of blood on a card and some pink Starbursts as a reward later, and the sample was mailed off to the lab for testing.
Wyndly’s test, an IgE test, assesses sensitivity to 40 different environmental allergens, including pets, trees, grasses, weeds, and indoor allergens like dust and mold. After mailing the test, it takes about a week or two to process the results, after which you receive a text to schedule an appointment with one of Wyndly’s Allergy Providers licensed in your state. The cost for the allergy test and provider visit is $249. We’re also happy to conduct the test at the pharmacy for those who prefer not to do it themselves.
In my next post, I’ll share the results of my test and discuss the next steps.
