What do you do for spring allergies?

With the trees blooming outside, my spring allergies are just beginning to kick in. I can knock them out with Chlor-Trimeton, but the problem is that it knocks me out also, leaving me feeling drowsy and a little spacey in an unpleasant way. This time I'm looking for alternatives. What works for you?

Flonase

The nasal spray. (I've tried Beconase, Vancenase, and all the earlier-than-latest-generation antihistamines)
Works great for me. Everybody's different, of course.
The antihistamines just mess me up.
My allergist gave me a sample bag filled with about 25 Allegra's. I have yet to try one. I have developed zero faith in the pills, regardless of the lecture I got about how this generation of histamine blockers is different and won't make me drowsy or just generally feel strange.

You do have to use the Flonase with the understanding that it's a longer-term solution. You have to use it for I think at least 24 hrs before it starts taking effect, but then for me after I use it for a week or two I'm usually good for the season and can stop using it.

Generally, I only have a problem at night. When I have to, I use Diphenhydramine HCI capsules. Works very well, but don't drive, or do anything dangerous, while you are using it. Knocks me right out.

I use the same thing.. diphenhydramine HCL and they don't even make me tired at all, but I have a tendancy to be resistant to pain medications also.

My springtime allergies thankfully decreased to a minor annoyance from what it used to be as a child. I still suffer big time in the fall though.

I never had a prescription that worked as good as over the counter Dimetapp, but that has been withdrawn from the market for years now (severe drowsiness though, I simply got used to it). I have since discovered Loratadine since it went non-prescription (brand name Claratin, available as a generic also) and it works very well for me. On severe days I also combine with a over-the-counter nasal spray NasalCrom (cromolyn sodium solution). Since I discovered that combination a couple of years ago, I control my autumn allergies quite well with only a little bit of drowsiness. Any antihistimine creates some degree of drowsiness, and if you want relief from allergies you just have to get used to it.

I have had severe allergies since childhood. I mean to tell you I was virtually useless when I was suffering with it. I wanted to rip my own eyes out of their sockets. Even my teeth itched. I wanted to stick my head in a tub of water and breathe water instead of air. I had to hide out in air conditioned houses and cars. It was horrible. You rarely see someone suffer as badly as I did (probably because they are hiding indoors like I used to do).

Then, I found an allergy specialist (about 40 years ago now). He did skin tests to identify exactly what I was allergic to. Then he mixed up a concoction that contained the very stuff that I was allergic to. Once or twice a week I had an injection of that potion. The shots really did NOT hurt at all, because they injected it just under the skin – not the muscle. In a short period of time I was symptom free.

This went on for many years, because back then they used a very weak strength of the antigen. Eventually, it came to be that I didn't need the shots anymore. BUT let me tell you, that stuff really works – and with NO side effects! No sleepiness or anything.

Now days, they give you a stronger dose, and you are cured sooner. Yes, actually cured. Any way, this approach really worked for me. I don't take shots anymore, and I don't have to use any other medication either, because all my symptoms are gone.

Look into it.

Chuck

Shhh... don't tell, we can inject anti flashaholic doses into people while they sleep so they wont be allergic to flashlights any more.

Yeh, but you would have to be staying in a hospital where they could sedate you first. Besides, I don't think insurance would pay for it.

Chuck

manits so bad here the lake is yelow at the shore the street signs are almost unreadable.

We bought a couple of Ionic Breeze's, they make a difference.

Chuck, your story sounds encouraging. I might just ask my doctor for a referral to an allergist. The thought of an actual cure sure sounds enticing.

Binky, thanks for the Flonase tip, and guys, thanks for the info on Dimetapp and diphenwhatchahoozit. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif I'll look into those also. Any of these options sound better than the standard antihistamine/decongestant combo.

I take Sudafed. If I don't have any I'm screwed because I can't buy it, and that seems to be the only thing that works for me.

The diphenhoosiwhatzit is about ~$4 for 100 pills at wally world. Equate allergy medication is what the bottle says.

[ QUOTE ]
Lynx_Arc said:
The diphenhoosiwhatzit

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a great name (it's fake obviously...............I hope) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All drugs are fake.... or is it the doctors that prescribe placebos that are fake? I get confoosed about that one.

Thanks. I'll check it out at Wally World next time I go there.

Max, that's the way the name of the drug looks like inside my head. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

my Singulair and inhaler i take for my asthma seems to work great on my allergies too. i can never escape itchy eyes, but everything else is in check.

if i feel i need something more i take 10mg Loratadine.

I use Loratadine (Claritin). $17 for over 100 at Costco -- can't beat that.


Unfortunately my allergies seem to be getting worse and I don't want to say the Claritin is less effective, but it seems to be effective less often -- if that makes any sense.

Flonase was recommended to me and I am going to ask about it the next time I go in.

Diphenhydramine's trade name is Benadryl. It is a very potent antihistamine that crosses the blood brain barrier, which is why it makes you sleepy, be careful with it. One of the lesser known side effects is that it impairs transfer of short term memory to long term memory, causing some people to forget things like where their car is parked, where they are going after starting on a trip, etc.

It is a great allergy med, but be aware of the side effects, like all meds, they can be more than you expect.

Claritin is less potent at the nonprescription level, but much less sedating. Allegra is more potent at presription strength than non-prescription strength Claritin. It is probably the only truly non-sedating antihistamine out there, prescription or otherwise.

However, ANY medicine can have unexpected side effects in any given individual, so some people can get sleepy on supposdedly non-sedating meds, and others can get wired on meds that should make them sleepy.

The nasal steroids, like Flonase, work very well in most people, but Americans seem to dislike nasal sprays as a rule and don't stay on them long enough to get good long term symptom relief. We want to be better, TODAY, dang it!!!

Sudafed is Pseudoephedrine, a decongestant, and works well fast to relieve symptoms, but does not help the cause. It can raise blood pressure, cause, dry mouth, etc.

Bill

I don't get them often, thankfully, but there are some days when I just sneeze and sneeze non-stop. For those days, it's Clarinase (I've tried Claritin before) over the counter. Probably similar. 5mg Loratadine, 20mg pseudoephedrine sulfate. Neither makes me drowsy, which is important. I need to be able to work and function, if not, I'd just sleep it off in the first place.

However, I know two other people, one of whom feels sleepy after taking Clarinase, and the other one experiences the same effect with Claritin, so both switched.

For me, I have to take one or the other, and take it quick. If I manage to get a dose in within the first 10 minutes of symptoms appearing, one tablet will fix everything and it'll go away for a long, long time. If I don't get it within a couple of hours, it's guaranteed I'll sneeze for the next 2 days no matter how many pills I pop (they only alleviate symptoms if taken too late).