Allergies

ThinkOfTheChildren

ThinkOfTheChildren

Joined
Jul 7, 2000
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What have you guys found that really works for allergies?

I have seasonal allergies that seem to have a mind of their own. I can't nail down what causes them, so I can't really limit "exposure." Sometimes I'm struck at the office, sometimes in the car, sometimes at home... some days I go all day just fine until all of a sudden my nose starts tickling like crazy and I get really stuffed up and start sneezing a storm. It's really weird.

Today is a pretty bad day and so the topic is fresh on my mind.

I've tried claritin, which doesn't seem to help.
I've tried flonase, which seems to have mixed results... sometimes can prevent onset, but not always... and if symptoms are already striking me it seems to do nothing to relieve them.

Over the counter nasal sprays work pretty well, but I know that those become addictive very quickly, so I use them extremely rarely, when I really really can't be stuffed up or sound nasal.

Suggestions? I'm sure there are others out there who have tried many remedies. What have you found that works?
 
When I was kid I had a prescription for Hismana and also Deconamine.

The loratadine & pseudoephedrine I think that is what Claritin-D is, works well for me. If I have a bad day I fire up some Benadryl too.The -D is much more expensive than standard and some people say is makes them tweeky, but I find during peek season this works the best.
 
May sound strange, but I take grapeseed for my allergies. I'm allergic to most grass and pollens(only reason to be thankful for winter:) ), I used to take every kind of allergy medicine out there, often as many as 4 benadryl a day. Now I take grape seed, maybe use an anti-histamine 4 or 5 times a year, when the golden rod is really bad.
 
Some people need to take Claritin for about a week before it begins to work.

Chlortrimetin (sp?) could also work for you. That one has a higher probability of making you drowsy.

note that if you take the ones with pseudoephedrine in them, (the "D" in Claritin-D) to relieve congestion, they may raise you blood pressure.
 
go get an allergy screening, it is a blood test to tell you what you are allergic too, then if you are able there is imunotherapy where I actually get injected with a small amount of the allergens once a week. this is really making a difference for me, and out of the 35 things screened for I am not allergic to dogs or cats, everything else gets me. Also allegra (prescription) and if it gets too bad benedryl in liquid form due to it getting into the blood stream faster works. Immunotherapy can take from six months to three years to complete as the doctor slowly works you up to a level of the allergens then you stay at that level for a time (this is called being on your maintenance dose) then they taper the level off down to zero, I have been able to breath through my nose for the last 4 months without too much aid from pseudofed or other over the counter antihystamines (of course this is after having a roto rooter job done on my sinus cavities due to excessive blockage by tissue and bone)
 
An allergist can really test you and find out the true cause of your misery. I was hyper sensitive but, finally licked the worst of it until I moved to new environment.

I build a tolerance to the presription meds so, they have to be changed every 12 to 18 months becaue they loose effectiveness.

Most stuff treats just the symptoms so, it doesn't work that well over the long haul.



For the drippy nose problem, try Diphenhydramine found in the really cheap sleep tablets. I took that for many years as an allergy medicine until it went over the counter as a sleep medicine. Of course, as a child I had to quit taking it because I slept through everything when I took enough to work.

Now, they don't make me sleepy and on bad days I can intensify the effect with some alcohol. Be careful if you have high blood pressure though. Also I am not a doctor so, try this at your own risk ;)

Right now, Singulair and Allegra-D 180's do the trick but, allergy season hasn't started yet where I live.
 
Dust and pollen allergies from the spring melt through to first snow... and then I still get to put up with dust all winter(but not as bad).

Reactine have worked for me this last couple years, bottle of benadryl is always there though.. I can be doing perfectly well, until I get a lungfull of dust, then my throat closes off over the next 5min or so... either get something into me or I'm going inside for the next 30-45min drinking cold water.
 
For you fellow users of Claritin and other high-priced drug store stuff, you might want to check out http://www.otcwholesale.com. They sell over-the-counter medications with slightly damaged packaging at huge discounts. Last month, I bought a year's supply of Claritin (12 30-count boxes) for $11.99 per box. It retails for $22.99. The boxes are creased or slightly crushed, but still perfectly sealed, with expiration dates in 2007. What's more, they ended up giving me special bonus packages that have 10 extra pills for free. That's 30 cents per pill, compared to 77 cents retail.
 
I would go to the doctor as mentioned before. I believe the last few years of high school, I saw an allergist for several months. No real difference in my eyes, but for the past two years, my allergies haven't flared up at all (fingers crossed). I don't know if the injections I received boosted my system, but I remember three years ago just driving past a freshly cut field, and sneezing my brains out for the next few miles, having to pull over on the side of the road it was so bad.
 
You need to find what is the trigger to the allergic reaction and bring up your tolerance by exposing yourself to small doses of the allergen. I used to be allergic to puss-cats, now my best friend (next to my wife) is Ollie Puss.

If you get a wheezy chest, you need a script for Combivent, which opens up the airways and strengthens them with steroid. For nasal allergies, Beconase, and orally Claritin is good.
 
Try a regular supplement of locally made honey. It works wonders for certain allergies.
 
Lots of good advice here. I'd only add from my own anecdotal experience that it's worth trying all the different medications you can get your hands on.

Allergies that were a pain during my youth in California became almost unbearable once I moved back east to go to school. Fortunately I became very good friends with a doctor and his family in Annapolis. He provided me with samples of every cold/allergy medication on the market, Actifed, Sudafed, 'This'afed and 'That'afed. Nothing worked. In fact, each seemed worse than the last. Then we tried one called Drixoral and it was as if a bolt lightning came down from heaven. I can't tell you how well this med worked for me. One pill would completely eradicate any allergy symptoms for days at a time. Fortunately, it's still effective for me over 20 years later. Moral of the story; you just never know what med might work for you. Good luck.
 
if your allergies are REALLY that bad and you've tried it all then you should see your doctor and ask for a rx for an oral steroid like medrol dose pack. it works, and lasts even after you've finished the pack.

allergy test and allergy shots i hear mixed reviews. some say it's a miracle, some say it works only a little and takes a long time to work. if insurance covers it and you don't mind a shot every week or month or whatever then give it a try...
 
I did the allergy doctor thing as a kid, and it worked; for more than 20 years I had no problems whatsoever. A few years ago I started getting odd symptoms and was given lorantidine(at that time prescription, and it was cheaper than OTC stuff is now) and it worked well.

Jerry Pournelle, the writer, swears by this for relief of his chronic nasal nightmares:

http://www.pharmacy-solutions.com/

a nasal irrigation system. Haven't tried it but I'm leaning towards it as my Wal Mart lorantidine isn't working as well as it used to, for me.
 
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