Allergies

[rickbell19]

Anyone having sever allergy problems this Spring that normally doesn't get them. I never had issues before but have been in agony the past 4 weeks

 

[Benvolio]

Anyone having sever allergy problems this Spring that normally doesn't get them. I never had issues before but have been in agony the past 4 weeks

Are you not taking an anti-histamine? Some good ones are sold aver the counter. Claritin is good with no drowsiness.

 

[birddog7]

I've had seasonal allergies for years, but this spring has been really bad. Even doctors are talking about how bad this allergy season has been. The late cold spells caused everything to be in bloom at once. Antihistamines do help, but they're no miracle cure.

 

[Corny]

If this is the first time, try to get through it with over-the-counter histamines. if they don't help, let a doc prescribe you stronger ones (warning: some of them make you sleepy).

If your problems return next year, or keep getting worse this year, it's time for an allergy test to determine the cause of your problems. if the anti-histamines don't help in the long run you might want to look into an allergen immunotherapy they traditionally take 2-3 years but help you for at least 10 years. recently they started testing new therapies that take less time and help you longer.

 

[RaKroma]

I've seen ENTs but they were never able to pinpoint exact cause of allergies. I tried Flonase and Astelin. Astelin spray works for me.

 

[Benvolio]

Yeah me too, I bought some allergy medicine at Walmart for $1 worked great.

Diphenhydramine HCI, 25 mg

Hope that helps.

The same drug is sold as a sleep aid: Sominex, Unisom etc. It will make you drowsy. Try Claritin or the generic, cheaper, Loratidine. Allegra and Zyrtek and their generic versions work for many people.

 

[Corny]

Zyrtec is also known to make people sleepy - don't know about the other ones.

 

[birddog7]

Being a lifelong allergy patient, I've had many different antihistamines, and researched many others. Not all people are made sleepy by antihistamines. Some will cause problems, while others won't. It's a matter of trial and error to see what will help allergy symptoms without sleepiness.

Claritin and Allegra don't normally cause sleepiness. In the clinical trials the incidence was about the same as the control placebo. Zyrtec is know to cause sleepiness in many people. So far, Allegra has been the best I've tried for controlling my allergies without sleepiness. I'm going to try Zyrtec and see what it does. I've read that it helps more with itching than any of the others. My eyes have itched so badly this spring that I could barely stand it. Allergy drops helped some, but not all that much.

It's just too expensive for me to see a doctor for prescription allergy medications, or the desensitizing shots. I just can't afford anything like that. Like I told one doctor who recommended the nasal steroid sprays, "it's too expensive, and nobody ever died from sneezing". The OTC antihistamines are cheap, and they help make spring time bearable...

 

[Benvolio]

A Doctor could suggest a combination of over the counter generic anti-histamines. Several years ago I had a bad case of the hives which would not go away. A dermatologist recommended Claritin 10 mg twice a day.(the label says once), cimetidine 200 mg twice a day, (this is found in the anti-acid section of the drug store but it is also and anti-histamine). I would not suggest you self prescribe any large dose combination. I am only suggesting that if you tell the Doctor you cannot afford prescription drugs, he can prescribe a combination of generic over the counters.

 

[JoeyJoeJoeShabadu]

Another option is to try the supplement Quercetin.
Quercetin is a bioflavonoid that has demonstrated an ability to block the release of histamines, which would definitely relieve the symptoms you are having.

Keep in mind that this is a supplement - not a drug. Some people feel that 'natural' solutions are always better/safer than drugs, though a supplement will not have the conclusive evidence a drug has to back up its efficacy. There aren't many side effects to taking Quercetin, so it might be worth trying out.