Freakin' allergies!

[HeatherB 0]

So what should I try next?

Yesterday I took two Claritin, a Zyrtec and a Benadryl and I still couldn't breathe through my nose. (they were taken at various times during the day...not all at once!) I did make one jump in the morning but my head just about exploded so I had to stop.

This sucks. I'm constantly blowing my nose, my throat hurts, head hurts and I can't sleep because I'm so congested. I was up at all hours last night. Laying down seems to make the congestion worse but I can't sleep sitting up!

I'm in Texas. I had allergies for a little while in FL but back then one Zyrtec a day did the trick. Not here!



So any ideas on what else to try?? Anyone here get allergy shots? Do they work better than the oral medications?

By the way, I'm not keeping the windows open in the house and I'm avoiding yard work. Trying to keep my exposure down. It's so nice out today though. Dangit.

[Squeak 17]

Staying away from
FREAKS is the only way to alleviate FREAKING ALLERGIES




Gashuntidt (sp)

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[LuvToFly 0]

Hey there Heather!

I can speak to this with some authority -

Since I was six I went through several diagnosis for my pollen allergies with several different allergists. In each case, they called their nurses over for teaching purposes to show an "extreme reaction" to the allergy needle tests.

I had terrible pollen allergies all my life, and then when I was an adolescent, I tried taking what they called shots at this time. But it really did nothing for me.

Later, when I worked in the corporate world and had to give presentations to large groups of people at the Fortune-500 corporation I was a manager at, it was all I could do not to be sneezing mid-way through. A serious pain in the ass.

Fast forward a whole bunch of years later and about 6 years ago I decided that maybe they have perfected the whole shot thing a bit better. So I embarked on a 3 year journey taking shots.

Now you have to understand, in my case, my allergies to pollen were so severe that instead of the usual 1 in 10,000 parts within the serum, mine was dilluted to 1 in 100,000 parts to start - so this was going to take a long time.

Now, with the exception of an occasional minor bout in really bad allergy situations (mostly high winds) I am happy to say that for the last three years I have been almost completely symptom free. This is a HUGE statement from someone that could barely function in public throughout my whole childhood due to sneezing, and horrific itching in the nose, styes in the eyes, and poison-ivy type itching in the ears and throat. (ironically I am not allergic to poison ivy).

You can get cured from this. Seek out a very reputable allergist and do the shots. I had no choice because the over the counter things did not work, but if this is a signficant enough burden in your life, it's worth trying to actually get cured from this malady.

In the meantime, be aware that no matter how tight you close up the house, any pets are absolutely loaded with pollen and they spread it all over the house.

"The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment
of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

[happythoughts 0]

Last night, I was walking through a crowded bar.
A woman, coming the other way, did some impressive projectile sneezing. She quickly wiped a profound amount of mucus with her arm.

As she walked, everyone stepped out of her way because of the slime on her arm.

So, get out, do a little shopping. You have the solution to the issue of the overcrowded aisle.

Accentuate the positives.

[flygirl69 0]

I am so glad that I am not the only one who is having a lot of issues with allergies right now!. Mine have gotten so bad that I had an eardrum rupture because of the congestion! Now I am gonna have to wait until the ENT/Allergist figure out what I am allergic to so I can get cleared up enough to be able to do my classes!! The congestion hurts too bad!! My question is...will the shots really help that much? I hope they do! I will find out on the 28th what road I am headed down. I am hoping the doc tells me I can go on and jump!

[skybeergodd 0]

Have you tried Zyrtec-D or Claritin-D....as a last resort, see a doc and you can get something like Astelin or another stronger allergy med.

[Superman32 0]

Go to your doctor,and avoid the allergens.

The allergy shots, or desensitization shots, which is what I think you are talking about, will not have an immediate effect, its long term therapy that may takes years.

Your doctor can however give you a shot that will suppress your immune system and help the other anti-allergy medication work better

Inveniam Viam aut Faciam
I'm back biatches!

[LuvToFly 0]

Eardrum rupture. Ouch, what's up with that?

Like Superman32 said, (and I mentioned) the shots do take some time.. but if you are looking towards a cure rather than a band-aid, it's the only way to go.

I don't believe that all Allergists are created equal however.

Make sure you do a bit of research on the Allergist to get some idea of their success ratio with folks. I hunted down a practice that was reommended to me by a number of Allergy sufferers where they had good experiences. Nothing wrong with checking them out -

Having said that, I do believe that desensitization shots can work for just about anyone. If they could work for me who was absolutely hyper-allergic to all manner of tree, grass and weed pollens, I would bet they could probably help you too!

"The helicopter approaches closer than any other to fulfillment
of mankind's ancient dreams of a magic carpet" - Igor Sikorsky

[HeatherB 0]

Quote

Staying away from
FREAKS is the only way to alleviate FREAKING ALLERGIES

Crap, no more skydiving for me then!

[HeatherB 0]

Thanks for the info. You poor thing! I can't imagine dealing with allergies for that long. I never had them at all until about 5 years ago. (and they've only been severe recently) Maybe the shots are a good long-term solution for me! Or moving to the arctic or the desert. I've been thinking about seeing an allergist...I will do some research as you suggested.

Forgot to say that zyrtec, claritin etc will work for a little while when I first start taking them, but after several days they don't seem to help anymore.

I just took a Benedryl. It probably won't help much, but maybe it will help me sleep tonight! I really need some solid sleep.

happythoughts: cute. lol

skybeergold: I don't know if I've tried the "D" ones...I didn't realize there were two types of Claritin and Zyrtec. The ones I have at the house right now don't say "D" on them. You've had luck with those? edit: Oh, ok, the Zyrtec "D" has pseudoephedrine in it too. I've tried some generic drugs with that in it. Didn't help too much.

[bradk04 0]

I too have had allergies since I was little but out of everything,I absolutely SWEAR by flonaze spray. In addition to pills. I am pretty sure the only way to get it is by prescription. Def worth a shot!

[DFWAJG 4]

a nettie pot. You can pick one up at a health food store. Fill the pot with warm salt water. Turn head over sink, insert stem into nostril, flush and allow water to come out of other side of nostril. Works wonders and no pesky side-effects. Also, stop dairy. Dairy is a huge propronent to allergies.



btw...since I became a raw foodist, my allergies have decreased by about 80%.

[FlyingJ 0]

I feel for you. I've been dealing with allergies for as long as I can remember. Have you been through a thorough allergy test? I thought docs were crazy telling my sickness while living in NYC was allergies as I had allergies all my life and had never been sick with a cough year round. Finally went for an updated test and found out I was allergic to cockroaches (and all the assorted goodness, like shed exoskeletons, droppings, etc. that go with them) in addition to all of the pollens, dusts and furry creatures I've always had a known allergy to.

Keep in mind that medicine takes some time to work. Any of the decongestants (Claritin-D, etc.) need some time to build up in your system and kick in. It's not a take it once and your problems are gone kind of drug. You might see a little something right away, but the main difference will be after you've been taking it on schedule for a few days at least. Benedryl will help to stop the reaction causing your allergies, but if it has already built up for a while your sinuses are probably past the point that Benydryl is going to do much. You might ask your doc about a corticosteroid, something like prednisone or a similar drug. They aren't to be considered lightly as they can have some pretty heavy side effects, but one of their many uses is kicking the crap out of your clogged sinuses, leaving you in a position to use lighter weight medication to help them from becoming clogged again. I visit my family once or twice a year and am around cats when I do, my worst offender when it comes to allergies. It's gotten to the point that I drive from Texas to Atlanta to visit because I couldn't stand the plane trip home with clogged sinuses. The last couple years I've been given a prescription for prednisone immediately after returning home to clear up the damage of 7 days in a home with a cat. I've tried every kind of OTC medication and almost all of the prescriptions. I've tried herbal stuff and stuff you squirt up and pour down your nose and so far the only thing I've found to work at clearing up severe congestion is the corticosteroid followed by some regular decongestants for a few days.

I'm not a doc by any means so of course you would need to ask a doc about all of this, but I've been dealing with exactly what you describe for 31 years and this is what I've found to work for me.

Killing threads since 2004.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Hi Heather
Try the Netti Pot...

http://www.wpr.org/zorba/resource_netipot.htm

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[d_squared431 0]

You will notice a huge difference with seasonal allergies if you get a kenolog shot. Ask your doctor about it.

TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1
I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH
You having a clean thought is like billyvance having a clean post.iluvtofly

[jwilson 0]

I have pretty bad allergies that have been causing some issues for me lately. I have been taking regular Claritin along with Mucinex D and it has actually helped to clrar me up. Hope ya fel better!!

[Rick 67]

The only solution is to move back to Florida I think you are allergic to Texas

but hey I'm not a doctor

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!