Hi np741,
While I can’t give you any specific “advice” because I don’t know the underlying cause of your allergy attack or your symptoms … I can outline what I would tend do in your circumstances.
It appears that the odds are very low that it’s the latex itself that you are reacting to so the first step I would look at is other possibilities that could be triggering your symptoms. This could range from your pillow (especially), the mattress cover (the wool?), your mattress protector, any mattress pad you may be using, your bedding, or any other environmental “triggers” that could be causing your symptoms including one of the most common which is dust mites. Just to rule out any other possibilities … it could even be the odor of the latex itself (even though it’s not harmful, some people are sensitive to odors) or even anxiety about sleeping on latex which could be affecting you even if it isn’t likely that this is the cause. It could also be that you are sensitive to the odor of one type of latex but not another so changing the type of latex may also be a solution. Talalay has a “sweeter” and often less persistent smell than Dunlop which has a more “rubbery” smell that can affect some people (see post #2 here)
I think the first thing I would do is consult with your doctor in a followup appointment so that they can “effectively” rule out that there is any “danger” in sleeping on a latex mattress. I would also consider a skin test (now that a blood test has been taken) to determine whether you have a type IV allergy which could be connected to the chemicals or substances used to make the latex (see post #2 here).
I would also invest in a mattress encasement and a pillow encasement which can protect you from any particles or dust mites that could be part of the cause. This would probably be a good idea anyway with any allergies or Asthma no matter which mattress you are sleeping on (see post #2 here).
If you take a step by step approach to rule out the possibilities one by one … the odds are much higher that you can isolate the underlying cause of your symptoms and can have some confidence about the cause of your symptoms and the materials you are sleeping on.
If it still turns out that you do want to or need to replace your mattress then some of the better options and possibilities I’m aware of in the Wichita area are listed in post #2 here (manufacturers) and in post #4 here (retail stores) but IMO it would be a shame to replace a high quality latex mattress when the latex itself may not be the cause of what you are experiencing.
There is another forum member that is in a similar position to you and my reply in post #6 here to her has a list of the most common materials that you would normally find in a mattress that you could choose from. Outside of latex … most innerspring mattresses would include either memory foam, polyfoam and/or natural or synthetic fibers.
Phoenix