Allergies/Hay fever will be the death of me.. HELP! (1 Viewer)

[NickSo]

Oh my god, the last few days have been hell on me, as the flowers are pollinating, combined with wind and very hot weather, i feel like im going to die as my nose is stuffed up, my eyes and throat are itching like crazy, and Im sneezing my lungs out.

Its weird, coz the last year or two I havent had any real serious allergy attacks, but BOOM this year is like 10x worse than anything i've had in the last few years.

I've been using claritin 24-hour (loratodine 10mg) and claritin allergy eyedrops, but still im getting symptoms, and is not helpiong my itchy/sore throat at all.

Anybody know of any effective ways to rid myself of allergies? Prescriptions? Medication? Home-Remedies? Voodoo spells?

 

[MarkHastings]

As long as you don't start getting sinus infections
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=143973

 

[ThomasC]

Try switching to Allegra, Zyrtec, Clarinex, etc. and see if those work better. The longer you use a single medicine, the less effective it's likely to be as the offender grows resistant. As far as I know, they don't help with the eyes too much, so I got Patanol (prescription) for them, and it's worked great for me.

 

[Max Leung]

Yeah, switch to a different drug! I am "immune" to Claritin now. It's no different than a sugar pill to me.

I use reactine, but it isn't as effective as it used to be. Currently, I have stopped taking medication entirely, but will probably start using Chlortripolin (or however you spell it).

I'd go to costco, and buy the generic versions...very cheap!

 

[NickSo]

I've used chloro-triplon (The yellow pills right?) they worked okay.. I just begun claritin the last month (after not using it for a year or so), so i dont think my immunity has gone up that quickly yet.

The best stuff i've tried was benadryl, but that stuff is harsh-drowsy...

Are there any prescription stuff thats worth goin to the doc's for?

 

[ThomasC]

Are there any prescription stuff thats worth goin to the doc's for?

I don't know if they're prescription in Canada, but once again, Allegra, Zyrtec, Clarinex, and Patanol. Have you tried the nose sprays? They work great as well. There's Flonase and others, give it a try.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Nick, try allergy shots...I had severe allergies when I was a teenager, then took allergy shots for a couple of years. Flash forward 25 years and my allergies are virtually gone.

- Steve

 

[Lee L]

I have had horrible spring alergies for years as well. After usning OTC stuff with little success, I fiannly went to an alergist and he prescribed a nasal spray. Rhinocort Aqua works the best for me with a second going to Flonase. It is like a miracle drug and cures my alergies about 99%.

 

[Max Leung]

Oh yes, I forgot about Flonase! I really should get a prescription to that stuff, it worked fairly well for me. Although, perhaps this time I'll try Rhinocort.

Dammit, I wish pubs and bars were smoke-free. I had to resist the urge to literally scratch my eyes out, the smoke is so bad!

 

[NickSo]

Does the nasal spray stuff help with itchy eyes? Coz thats my main problem I have...

I have thought about getting allergy shots, maybe i should look into it.

 

[GordonL]

I personally don't like the idea of taking any medications long term. Allergy shots is really the only way to actually "cure" it. Some people take shots for a couple years, I've been on shots for 12 years. Apparently I'm super sensitive to pollen, dust mites, and molds. The shots do work - if I go off for more than a month, the symptoms return. I started out at 3 injections per week, now I'm at 2 per month.

 

[Max Leung]

Nasal sprays may help a little with itchy eyes, but only because when I take the spray, I do feel it entering my sinuses, and hence, to my eye-ducts!

I just bought myself a bottle of Visine Workplace. Claritin makes an eye-drop medication that is exactly the same as the Visine Workplace drops. It seems to help the itchiness, although I need to take it every 6 hours.

Flonase is neat, because you find that you don't need to take it as often as you use it. However, I'm still not sure about the long-term effects. A doctor told me that he wasn't aware of anyone developing a resistance to it.

 

[ThomasC]

Does the nasal spray stuff help with itchy eyes? Coz thats my main problem I have...

You're just totally ignoring my posts, aren't you? I got Patanol by prescription, and it's worked great for me.

 

[Lee L]

I did not have time to post a comprehensive response before, but here you go. The way my alergist explained it is that Decongestants just generally dry your sinuses out, stuff like Claritin blocks histamine from causing problems like runny nose, etc, the spays like Flonase and Rhinocort, actually stop Histamine from even being produced. Since Claritin only works as an antihistamine, it si very easy and probable that it cannot stop all the histamine that is produced for attacking your body and causing the runny nose. Since the Rhinocort stops the histamine from being produced it basically stops the process before it even starts.

For me he prescribed the Rhinocort spray which, let me tell you, I would willing pay $300 a bottle out of pocket for. This eliminates 99% of all my problems, I can walk around in April, May and June and have no symptoms, just like anyone who is not allergic to pollen. For the 1% of times that I do have some symptoms, like maybe in May if I am playing Golf, exposing myself to the max amount of allergens, he prescribed Claritin RediTabs but I went and got a generic equivalent and have only used 3 of the 8 tablets. This is from someone who has taken OTC allergy med for 3 months a year for most of his life. Also, he prescibed Patanol for the eye sysmptoms, I have used that maybe 5 or 6 times, on the worst days.

I have been kicking myself (and my wife has too beleive me) for not going sooner, I had heard people say that the allergist did not help them and figured I would stick with the good old Dimetapp, when they took PPA off the market I had to change medicine and used benadryl and literally, I could not think straight, I felt high all day so That is why I went to the DR. Now, I mow the grass, play golf, etc with virtually no allergy problems at all and still have the ability to revert to a second line of defense on the worst days without having to take a pill every day and worry about how I feel, can I drink a beer tonight or whatever.

 

[ThomasC]

Lee, have you tried Flonase or just Rhinocort?

 

[Ted Lee]

FLONASE!

i have been through the entire medication chain. i've tried every over the counter drug and many prescription drugs - even in combinated doses (allegra/claritan). nothing worked until i discovered flonase.

this stuff is like crack to me during allergy season. i will kill anyone who tries to take it from me.

double-shots in the morning for the first couple of weeks to get it into my system, then a shot every couple of days for maintenance --- and i am a happy camper.

seriously though, give it a try. it's the only one that's ever worked for me.

 

[Lee L]

I was originally prescribed Rhinocort but my insurance at the time only covered Flonase so I changed to Flonase. The Flonase worked OK but not quite as well as the Rhinocort did for me, also, the Flonase has a weird smell/taste, almost like flowers that I don;t notice with the Rhinocort.

My guess is the Flonase probably works a little better with certain allergens than the Rhinocort and vice versa.

 

[Jeremiah]

I have tried Flonase and Rhinocort and they work about the same for me, my firend loves Flonase. I just take two small red Benadryls 4 times a day right now b/c for some reason I have been getting hives and the benedryl helps the most for Hives and runny nose. I didn't like Claritan.

A side note/question...

I get Hives(not as bad as awhile back) but now if my skin rubbs against something it will get welts(they usually don't itch though). I was digging under my seat(1 example) once and my forearm was rubbing against the metal and I had a bunch of big welts on my forearm for about an hour. Also, recently I was in the hot sun shooting baskets and my face will kind of get red and blotchy, it goes away after awhile but I have never experienced these sysmptoms before. Any thoughts?

 

[NickSo]

Ah cool...

ThomasC: Yeah i read up on Patanol, but since those are only for eyes, i'd rather have one medication that takes care of all symptoms.

Max: Yeah, i got the claritin allergy eyedrops as well, they work fairly well i suppose.

SO you guys say products like Flonase and Rhinocourt Aqua will stop the production of histamines? So that would even rid my itchy eyes correct? IF it is true, that is awesome, i gotta get myself to my doctor and get me some. Is this stuff expensive though?

Thanks alot guys, i owe you a HUGE one if I can rid myself of these allergies!

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Funny, no one has mentioned Entax LA - works wonders for me (prescription in the US).

I alternate with Claritan on the weekends so I don't build a resistance to either - hopefully...

Good Luck !