by Sentinel 15 Replies latest jw friends
Seems like the pollen count is way up there in our area, due to tree pollen right now. But, if it isn't tree pollen, it's grass, etc. for me, and then Ragweed in the fall. I can't seem to get it under control this year, and have awful problems with nasal congestion.
How many of you suffer from allergies? What do you take? How do you cope? They say the high pollen count is due to the early summer we're experiencing. More and more people seem to be suffering these days.
More and more people seem to be suffering these days.
Well, this is true at least where I live in Northern California. Lot's of sneezing, coughing, not feeling well, going on here. This has been the prettiest I have seen it here since I have lived here the past 14 years.......green everywhere......and lots of pollen!
Sometimes I just take a sudafed as I don't suffer too much. Others are on claritin and all the other "newer stuff" for allergy sufferers.
Gumby
One thing that works is eating lots of honey that is local to your area...innoculates you from much of your local pollen...however, I am dying between the cottonwood, the bad air, and all the other crap that is alive and blooming..As my children would say, I have snots..
Speaking of pollen, if any of you sci-fi fans out there are into Jeff Noon he wrote a really weird piece of fiction called Pollen
Sincerely,
District overbeer of the "Overpollenated" class
I take Zyrtec daily, use perscription eye drops when necessary and a humidifier when necessary.
I'm not sure where you live, but I will tell you about what I use for my seasonal allergies. Up until I had my daughters, I relied on over-the-counter remedies, which were OK, but not completely effective. I used to suffer horribly, especially during my pregnancies, because the OTC stuff was verboten, plus being pregnant tends to make you a little more sensitive to allergens anyway.
When my eldest daughter was a newborn, I begged my GP to recommend something, anything to relieve the misery, but because I was breastfeeding he wouldn't recommend anything OTC because they would make the baby drowsy and he didn't want to prescribe anything either, because there wasn't anything (according to him) that was safe for breastfeeding moms to take.
On the way home, I stopped at the medical library at the University of Ottawa. I had my 3-month-old daughter in a "snuggli" carrier strapped to my body, a diaper bag, my purse and a box of Kleenex with me. For the next three hours I read pharmacy textbooks and finally found the CPS (which is the Canadian version of the Physician's Desk Reference) and found the answer to my prayers. A non-drowsy, non-systemic, safe-for-breastfeeding nasal spray. It was not an antihistamine. It was a mast-cell inhibitor. I learned that mast cells are the ones that cause the release of histamine in an allergic reaction, and antihistamines merely compete with histamines for the sensitive areas of receptor cells. By targeting the mast cells and inhibiting their function, you don't get the release of histamines into the system.... therefore, no allergic reaction. The generic name of the drug was cromolyn sodium.
Armed with this information, I immediately went back to the doctor's office. Without an appointment. He was just about to leave for the day, and he looked slightly annoyed that I'd interrupted his exit. I was pretty much nose-to-nose with him and told him I was not leaving until he gave me a prescription for Rynacrom, the nasal spray version of cromolyn sodium. I told him that I KNEW breastfeeding was not a contraindication to its use and not to bother giving me the breastfeeding song-and-dance routine. At first he was shocked... how dare I challenge him!! LOL Then I told him what page to look at in his CPS if he didn't think I was serious.
I got my prescription. On the way out, he said to me: "Are you sure you aren't a nurse?? Because you sure as hell behave like one." A seed was planted that day. LOL
That stuff worked like a charm. It took a couple of days to kick in, and I had to take it for the entire season, but it worked better than ANYTHING I have ever used for my allergies, and up until that point I had tried EVERYTHING. I never got into a state of stupor-like drowsiness the way I did with chlorotripolon or Dristan, I never got insomnia or heart palpitations like I did with Otrivin or Sudafed, I never got agitated like I would with non-drowsy preparations. I just did not have my allergies anymore. I was pleasantly surprised that the following few summers, I didn't have any problems with allergies, even without using the medication. It's only been the last 2 or 3 years that I've needed to use it again.
The next time I saw my GP, he told me that he had started prescribing Rynacrom for all of his pregnant or breastfeeding patients who had problems with allergies, and they were all as pleased with the results as I was. I guess that was his way of making it up to me for being annoyed that I had barged in on him that day. LOL
Love, Scully
Thanks everyone for your replies. Scully, you sound much like me, in that when I'm on the search for something, I seldom give up. I'm from Northern Virginia, in the US. They may not have Rynacrom by name, but I also have a medical dictionary and I will look up cromolyn sodium and see what I find. Why is it we really have to push to get help from our physicians. THEY are the ones that are supposed to know these things. I commend you for demanding and getting the medication you needed.
I recently had a bad experience with a new nasal spray, and also the Zyrtec did not work for me. (Thanks Unique1--I have several friends that take it and it works great for them.) My system seems to be super-sensitive to some products. The nose spray makes lots of sense, so if I can locate the product, it shouldn't have the side affects like the other stuff. If it's good for pregnant ladies, with little or no side affects, and non-habit forming, then it should be great for me.
This is kinda funny. I picked up some Vicks Sinex nose spray and was using it a couple days ago. At first it worked great for several hours, then good for like two hours, and then I noticed I was having to use it more and more often--and I thought "what's the deal with this?". The fine print on the bottle was difficult to read, but I managed to read: Using this product for any length of time, may cause nasal congestion. That's pretty funny I think! I had to stop using that, as I didn't want to become a nasal spray addict!
Sudafed Decongestant used to work for me, but the last time I took it, it absolutely did nothing for me exept make me kinda aggitated. My hubby says that he has noticed that when I'm on any type of decongestant for a few days and then stop, I become irritable. I can tolerate somewhat the annoying drip, drip, drip, sneezing, and watery, itchy eyes, during the day if I must; but I can't tolerate not being able to breath through my nose when I go to bed. I prop myself up on two pillows and press my finger against the sides of my nose, trying to get some air through. Sometimes, I'm so tired, I fall asleep like that, and then wake up suddenly when I can't catch my breath.
I have heard about the use of honey, as you indicated Valis; and I have used some that I have (from this area) However, I think it has to be from the actual season you are in, and this is at least a year old. I'm using it in hot tea, but haven't seen any notable difference.
You are so right Gumby, more and more people are suffering. A person can feel really very bad, suffering as if from a bad cold or flu; but because they don't have any fever, employers frown on abscense from work. What makes it difficult, is that we have this SARS thing to consider also. Makes me wonder if after awhile, we will all have to wear facial masks when outside or in public.
AHHHHHH-Choooooooo
This is the first year I remember having problems. My eyes are burning.
Ephedra based products work great. I have lots so use them. They work amazingly well. That's the main ingredient in almost all OTC and Prescription meds. Like Sudafed, Contact, Benadryl, etc. I just use the herb............works the same way.
There are 3 in our house who need allergy med.
2 were on Allegra, then switched to Alavert, Jerry says his Alavert works the same as the Allegra and has better relief using it along with Rhinocort nasal spray.
# 3 uses Clarinex.
from IMANALIENTO logging on to hubby's ID
Hi
I use to use Allegra, Claratin ect ect. but they didn't really help me. So 2 1/2 years ago I started going to an allergist for allergy shots. I'm a new person. My allergies no longer bother me and in another year I won't take shots anymore. I've gotton very lazy about getting my shots since I no longer have any problems. Its amazing!!! I was allergic to trees, grass, bushes, pollen, cats and dogs............. I live out in the country and have 2 dogs and 3 cats. Look into getting allergy shots, I'm soooooooooooo glad I did.
jurs
Thanks, Mulan, Jurs and Imanaliento.
Something interesting happened this morning at work amongst those of us with desks under air vents. I came in to find my work area covered in tiny black specks. The more I looked around, the more I found. I have noticed this before and just wiped them away; now it is getting worse. Whatever it is is raining down from the air vent above..and this is what I'm breathing. I contacted maintenance to have them check it out right away.
It's been said more than once here that our work "air" is contaminated, but no one does anything about it. I'm certain besided normal residue and dust, that there is mold growing above our heads as well. Kinda makes me sick to think about it. Many of the employees are out with upper resperatory illnesses all the time. After some eighteen years here, it does seem to be getting worse, especially since they've begun the new addition to the building.
I really dislike shots, but it is something to consider. What are the side affects of these shots, do you know, Jurs? Perhaps it would somehow break the cycle that allergens produce in the body. Maybe that's why your allergies seem to be gone, even though you missed getting your shot. Interesting.
Well, I hope everyone who suffers will be able to find some relief. This is such a beautiful time of year!
