I think I have allergies that I didn’t have as a kid. Runny nose, sneezing, sometimes itching. I think I experienced the same thing last spring after I moved from SoCal to NorCal. I don’t know (1) if it’s age (I’m 32); (2) if it’s because there are more and different forms of vegitation than I am used to in NorCal; (3) a combination thereof; or (4) something else.
Any ideas?
Any good medication out there?
I did a search, but the posts were a bit old. I figure there might be new and better medication on the market now.
I take Claritan (prescription) for my seasonal allergies, but you really need to see a doctor for something like that.
You could try some OTC stuff in the meantime, but for long-term relief you’re going to need something that is prescription-strength.
Allergies are a funny thing. A lot of things in medicine look like allergies but aren’t.
If your symptoms are itchy, red eyes and sneezing, you should consider taking an antihistamine. Second generation, over the counter ones like Claritin are just fine, and you do not need something newer. The best idea is to find out what causes it and avoid the allergen. Common allergies are pets, wood heat and peanuts. Other food allergies are less common and sporadic: tree nuts, shellfish, eggs. Plant allergies tend to be seasonal.
If your symptoms are mainly at night, worse after exercise, involve wheezing or difficulty breathing you may have asthma or a variant. Seek advice from a family doctor.
If your symptoms mainly involve runny nose with purulent discharge and facial pain, you may have sinusitis.
Suggest seeing a doctor who can hopefully diagnose the best thing, like maybe a prescription nasal spray like Flonase or others mentioned above. The reason for the medical exam is to see if you have anything that certain medicines could exacerbate. For example, decongestants can raise blood pressure, so Claritin D would be out if you have borderline high or high bp.
…seriously, don’t be in too much of a hurry to grab the “medication”.
If you moved up there recently, your system may simply need time to adjust.
You may simply “outgrow” this, given a little time…
Or it could be strictly seasonal; some plant, that doesn’t grow in SoCal, may be having its yearly party this week…and you don’t want to be locked in to an allergy-remedy, months from now, for something that’s no longer in its active phase.
An old-time treatment that is actually recommended in homeopathy:
Feed your worst aggravator to a nanny-goat. Then drink the goat’s milk.
(Oh c’mon, SOMEbody up there has a producing goat! And what a great way to meet your new neighbors…)
I take Nasalcort, which means I have to shove a nozzle up my nose and spray steroids into my head.
This is one case where the cure is worse than the affliction.
BUT… according to my doctor, taking this consistently might make me feel better than I have in years (I seem to have some low-grade constant allergy problem that accounts for my crankiness).
Along the same lines as hillbillywoman’s solution is to eat local honey. If you are allergic to local pollens, the honey should have it in minute enough amounts to get your body accustomed to it without causing a reaction.
Definitely see a doctor. Claritin will be going OTC soon. You may pay more for it once it isn’t covered by your health insurance. Ask the doc to prescribe a prescription med for allergies so you don’t go broke.
For what it’s worth, my doctor told me that it’s not unusual to suddenly develop an allergy, nor is it unusual to start suddenly developing it when you’re in your 30s.
Outside of my hideous allergy to poison ivy (I once got blood poisoning – don’t ask), I was never allergic to anything until 5-6 years ago when I suddenly found myself with itchy, watering eyes, a stuffed-up nose, and general malaise in the dead of August. Yep, ragweed. Also pollen, which makes springtime such a blast for me…:rolleyes:
I use OTC antihists, mostly Benadryl, the nondrowsy one. Never had a problem with it!
I’m your typical “allergic to a lot of stuff floating around in the air” kind of person. I mean really allergic. The move to Florida last year didn’t help, especially considering that my office and my house are both surrounded by oaks. Wash my car, and watch it turn yellow in a day.
A one-two punch of Claritin D and Flonaise works wonders – so well, in fact, that I can take one dosage of each maybe once every four or five days, and I’m fine. Perfect. The only thing that gets to me now is cat dander, but even then I can survive for several hours in a clean house with a cat, and do fine.
I’m going to post a question in this thread, instead of starting a new thread.
I’m on Claritin (which I pay $92/month for, btw, no insurance here) for the general low-level stuff. Daily drug of choice for years.
Sometimes, like today, I get hit with AMAZINGLY SEVERE attacks of sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and 100% no-breathe congestion. This is usually a one-day affair, happens several times a year, usually just when the weather changes (like today, it suddenly got warmer, and here I go.)
Sorry, this is incoherent, because I can’t think or see today. I’m trying to imagine what this will be like when I go back to work. See, I’m totally incapacitated on these days, and the allergies stand helpless before Sudafed and triple-dose Claritin. When it gets really bad, like today, these drugs have no effect at all.
What can I take that won’t kill me, but will keep me on my feet when I have to be? I’m thinking like Contac, Benadryl, multi-symptom pills with a lot of old-fashioned antihistamines, followed by several cups of strong coffee. Any other ideas?
Zyrtec has helped me a lot when Claratin quit. The 12 hour also seems to work better than the 24 hour. Odd.
If your alergies are really bad, I have 2 words. Allergy Shots!!!
I got them in college when they were dirt cheap and they are still working now, 6 years later. Sure, I have to take Zyrtec occasionally but my allergies are nothing like they used to be. And I got used to being a human pincushion. My schedule was 2X per week for 3 months, 1 X per week for 3 months, then 1X every other week.
