This summer has been a bad one for those suffering from allergies in northern Texas. We've had much more rain and humidity than normal, so the plants have flourished and given off pollen, seeds and what have you much more prolifically than usual. My wife's "normal" allergy to some grasses got so bad she couldn't even cut the yard, or be out there while someone else did it. I've had a really nasty post-nasal drip that got bad enough to affect my lungs, coughing up chunks. It hasn't been fun.
We've tried almost everything. My wife gets a weekly anti-allergy shot, and uses Allegra-D and other medications to try to keep things under control. I've tried almost everything, from Allegra-D and Claritin-D through the gamut of lesser antihistamines. I've finally settled on Fluticasone nasal spray as the most effective solution I can find to cut down my post-nasal drip; it's not a complete answer, but it makes it controllable.
The interesting thing is that almost everyone seems to have their own favorite anti-allergy medication, but few agree on the same one. Among our friends, there are almost as many preferences as there are brands on the supermarket shelf. That being the case, I thought I'd ask you, dear readers, for your favorite anti-allergy medication. What works for you? What doesn't work, in your experience? Perhaps, if enough of us comment, we can figure out whether there's something that works for most people, or whether it's still going to be a guessing game for each individual to work out for themselves.
Over to you!
Peter
Chlorpheniramine and Flonase. I have to use eye drops to help with the dryness caused by the antihistamine.
ReplyDeleteI used to get a shot of Kenalog in the hip every six months. When I had to change doctors, the new one looked at me like I had asked for Heroin and said "We don't do that here". I have found that Nasonex nasal spray and Alka-Seltzer Cold Plus work for me. I'm in Central Texas.
ReplyDeleteCareful with the Flonase. It is a steroid and regular use can mess you up. Also I used the Wallyworld generic and got so dizzy I could not stand up for 12 hours. It does work very well though. My doc said don't use it. Nothing else I have tried works very well including his 60 dollar script. Also in Texas but south.
ReplyDeleteAfter three different allergists, who gave six different sets of tests (the ones where they inject like 60 different things in your arms to see how big a reaction each one gets), and then two or three years of desensitization shots from each allergist spread over decades, I've settled back onto the same antihistamine I was using 50 years ago, except it was prescription only back then. Chlorpheniramine maleate. It's a 4 hr pill but I rarely take more than two/day. The good side is that it works better for me than the longer duration stuff, like Zyrtec, so if the allergy comes back in a few hours, I can take another. If a 24 hour pill doesn't help, you can't take anything else for a full day. Amazon has 300 of these for 3 cents each, or 1000 for a 1 cent each.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, 50 years of allergist treatment was almost entirely useless. The most useful thing an allergist ever did for me was to stumble onto the observation that my "asthma" was being caused by acid reflux, and surgical repair of the hernia causing that fixed it.
For itchy eyes, I use either the once a day Pataday eyedrops preemptively - every morning if conditions are bad. Alaway can be used every 12 hours.
For relief of the itching eye symptoms, I've found Bausch & Lomb Opcon-A Allergy Eye Drops to be effective.
ReplyDeleteI've had good success with this homeopathic, which I start using 2-3 weeks before the beginning of the spring allergy season: evergreennutrition.com/products/northwest-mix-nwmix It's tailored to allergens common in the PNW but I believe there are formulations for other parts of the country.
A friend highly recommends Loratadine amazon.com/dp/B074F18H5N for relief of allergy symptoms.
As a preventative, it helps me to wash my face several times a day to remove pollens etc.
Don in Oregon
For the day, Claritin. At night, Chlorpheneramine. Benadryl was great, but with all the warnings coming out about it, it's only for emergencies now
ReplyDeleteI use capsules of freeze-dried stinging-nettle leaves when my nose won't quit running. They work for both me and my wife.
ReplyDeleteI came across something the other day, and can't relocate it, but it was claiming that the huge increase in peanut allergies in kids correlates pretty directly with the addition of peanut oil in the formulation of childhood vaccines. Interesting if true. When I was a child, peanut allergies were unheard of.
ReplyDeleteOn the advice of my allergist I take 360 MG of Fexafenadine morning and night. Not 100% but it knocks my allergies way back. Buy in bulk from Amazon.
ReplyDeleteI use Costco's Allertec (generic form of Zyrtec).
ReplyDeleteHaving been plagued with sinusitis since I was 5 (I'm 73 now), I've tried them all. Name brand SUDAFED works better than generic, and don't even consider phenylephrine (worthless). AFRIN spray (oxymetazoline) is my other go-to (generic especially).
ReplyDelete1: an antihistamine. try not to use decongestants over the age of 50 as they can cause elevations in BP and heart rate.
ReplyDelete2: Flonase, safer than the decongestants
3: Neti Pot or Neill med sinus flush twice a day. Okay, it does take getting used to, kind of like waterboarding.
4: if need be, montelukast a prescription item.
5: CT sinuses. Is there an obstruction to proper sinus drainage such as polyps or retention cysts? If so, see the ENT. Just thickened mucosa linings? See the allergist.
Get yourself a couple of GOOD, HEPA air cleaners! At least you'll have relief inside your house! Also, if your HVAC system can handle it, use HEPA filters on that. These work well, but their downside is that airflow is reduced. Your A/C will run longer... Your electric bill WILL go up... Some systems can't handle that kind of restriction.
ReplyDeleteThe post-nasal drip is a problem --in my case-- that came on with age, beginning about 65 y.o. I have tried Flonase, Loratadine, and the cetrazine stuff. None work for long.
ReplyDeleteI can't recommend anything because the only things that ever made a dent for me, made me so loopy I couldn't take them unless I was about to go to bed.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I haven't had allergy problems for years. I was stationed in Memphis a long time ago and something that grew there tore me up every year. My sinus allergies would get so bad they'd eventually turn into sinus infections and I'd have to go on antibiotics. It was terrible, so I feel for you.
Got transferred to Norfolk VA and my allergy problems magically went away. Whatever it was that was doing me in there, must not grow here. Thank G-d.
Still get a little stuffy occasionally when the tree pollen is really bad (our cars turn green here every spring for about a month), but nothing worth worrying about.
So, if it becomes a regular occurrence and not just a "this year it was bad" kind of thing, the solution to my problem was: move.
Orthomolecular Products makes Natural D-Hist, which is terrific. You would need to shop around to get the best price. The maintenance dose is 2/day, but if you're already symptomatic you need to take a loading dose first. The product info sheet recommends 2 caps 3 times a day for a week. I've gone as high as 5 times a day for 2 days. Typically, if you do that and nothing happens it's unlikely to be worth taking more. If you see improvement on day You would then step down to the maintenance dose eliminating one dose each day.
ReplyDeleteI've also had good luck with a something called EMIQ (enzymatically modified isoquercitin). The best value I've found is a product called AllerStrength from Source Naturals. 2-6 per day works pretty well for me.
If your allergies are seasonal start your regimen a month or so before the season and you probably won't need a loading dose.
Daughter is allergic to 52 different food, pollen, etc. Went to new ENT and discovered that source of constant infection was all sinus cavities are complexity filled with polyps. Surgery on both sides next month and biggest problem is that some on both sides are pushing on the brain. Those they are not sure they can remove. But she will be on a shot every two weeks for rest of life.
ReplyDeleteMy doctor suggested NeilMed nasal rinse, and it's been a huge help. Wash away the pollen=less alergic reaction. ONLY USE DISTILLED WATER, however. It's quick, easy, cheap, and non-medical. Feola say check it out!
ReplyDeleteIve tried Claritin and loratadine, before settling on Allegra. Less dryness, less congestion, though I do encounter post-nasal drip. As mentioned, Fluticasone is a steroid, and should be used only episodically, i would say no more than a week at a time. I will not that I have developed a resistance to Allegra, the solution is to go off it and use something else for a week. Benadryl, 25 MG, does work well for sleep and night-time allergies, but again, only episodic, no more than 3 days consecutively. And I wake, feeling as if I'd been drugged, which, of course, I was.
ReplyDeleteAllergy relief depends on your genetics. What works for me is when it flares up, if I start with Benadryl for the first 48 hours plus loratadine until the loratadine builds up in my system, I can usually avoid a trip to the doctor for prednisone and knock-you-out antihistamines. Hubby and the kids might as well be eating M&Ms. They use Zyrtec or Sudafed.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you have high blood pressure, they don't recommend using anything with a decongestant in it.
(cracks knuckles, laughs darkly...)
ReplyDeleteZyrtec and 2-4 Benadryl first thing in the morning. 2-4 Benadryl every 4 hours until I go to bed. Pataday when my eyes are flowing too hard. Flonase before bed otherwise my nostrils shut down. One of those rescue inhalers to keep my upper respiratory track open when it closes. Albuteral nebulizer when my lower lungs shut down.
And... caffeine all the awake times in order to keep lungs functioning, usually soda or tea. Coffee only when the lungs really aren't working.
I... have really bad allergies. Like really really bad allergies. If it's green, I'm allergic to it.
My allergist, after 5 years of shots, said if I didn't go out in the nasty world then I would be wasting those 5 years.
Though the best thing I ever did was to move north of the I-4 corridor as everything south is considered 'tropical' for pollens and molds.
Long term use of first generation antihistamines like benadryl may predispose to earlier onset of cognitive problems due to the drugs' anticholinergic action.
DeleteNeil Med sinus rinse, first thing in the morning. In addition to other measures (allergy shots plus daily Zyrtec) it seems to help by flushing "debris" like pollen out of a rather sensitive area.
ReplyDeleteCetirizine HCl (genertic Zyrtec) is my anti-histamine of choice, but I think that Vitamin D3 (in combo with K2) supplementation has been reducing the severity of my allergic reactions.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe I've just stopped doing yardwork. An allergen mask and long clothes are still essential if I'm going to kick up dust/plant debris or touch plants.
Heavy environmental allergies for the last 20 years. Not a whisper of allergies before that. I have tried most every OTC and prescribed common allergy med. Most do little for me, and none do anything for long.
ReplyDeleteThe latest thing I have tried, on advice from an old guy, is a Navage nasal flush gadget. It pumps saline in one nostril while sucking it out the other. The battery powered widget is designed to require the use of VASTLY overpriced Navage saline cartridges. Sort of like the old inkjet printer scam where you could get a printer for cheap only to find the ink cost more than the printer. I finagled the Navage I bought and now it operates with anything I wish.
Frankly, it seems to work better than anything else I have tried. I've awakened at 2am gagging and unable to breath well, hit the bathroom to do a couple Navage flushes, and gone back to bed to sleep the rest of the night in peace.
As a result I am off pretty much all allergy and cold meds. On a truly bad night I will take Mucinex after flushing.
If this Navage unit goes belly up, instead of buying another I think I will build my own. One that holds a LOT more saline solution for a good long flush. Should be an easy and simple build.
Xylitol nasal spray nightly
ReplyDeleteAmazing results, no side effects
UTSW Anes doc
i moved to tx from the midwest back in the early 90's...never had allergies...threw hay bales when i was a teen, could walk through nettles and never break out...tx doesn't have a winter winter that kills the spores and whatever else is floating around year round...i spent 20 year on claritin d...probably took 5 years off my life...my pharmacist told me to try cromolyn...it's old school allergy meds and this stuff works great...a shot in each nostril as soon as you get up and works all day...stuff works 99% of the time for me...there are tx days when i have to take an alegra d but that's rarely any more with this stuff...$19 on amazon for 2 bottles...bottle will last me a couple months... https://www.amazon.com/Cromolyn-Sodium-Nasal-Solution-Bottles/dp/B00I3CO2Y2
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the generic Claritin (loratadine) I've found a teaspoon a day of local raw honey from the farmers market to help, as it has a bunch of the local pollens in it.
ReplyDeleteDon’t take any allergy medication. I took them for years. Constant nasal and/or bronchial infections. Occasional pneumonia. This included steroid shots and z-packs. I have stopped all of the medication. I have not been sick as a result of allergies for more than five years. And I live in north Texas also.
ReplyDeleteNeti pot after any real amount of time outdoors, Azelastine spray before bed so I can breathe, cycle through generics of Allegra, Zyrtec, and Claritin, buying the next as I empty a bottle of one
ReplyDeleteCederq, I use a nasal lavage at really bad times.
ReplyDeleteBoth my wife and I have had good luck with replacing the expensive packets with 1/8th teaspoon pickling salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. You may want more or you may want less.
I have used this up to 4 times a day on really bad days to knock out blockages.
OK. Everyone is probably going to think this is crazy. But I use dandelion leaves. Usually give me about 2 hours relief when in the thick of it. Now I don't kill the dandelions anymore.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of good advice here. Benadryl tablets I use sparingly, but I have found that gargling with children's cherry flavor Benadryl syrup and spitting it out helps clear allergy sinus congestion without making me sleepy.
ReplyDeleteClaritin.
ReplyDeleteI'm allergic to a variety of pollen types and to cats, and we have three cats. I've had virtually no symptoms after taking two cetirazine (generic Zyrtec) every morning. In peak ragweed/goldenrod season, I take three. I could not do my job as a farmer without it. Oddly, it does nothing for my wife, who takes Allegra instead.
ReplyDelete6 decades in, finally NeilMed. Daily. At least.
ReplyDeleteI'm in North Texas too (I think we're actually neighbors) and I've been having these sudden sneeze attacks all summer which is unusual for me. I take Benadryl at night but you have to be careful with it. Over use has all kinds of symptoms.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for me has been Swedish Bitters. They go back to some of the first Greek doctors. Mithridates was a king who was deathly afraid of being poisoned. But he had all these prisoners in his dungeon. So he had his doctor test a bunch of antidotes on the prisoners. The ones that worked were combined into Theriac. Then some Christian monks added to the formula. The formula grew until Maria Treben came across it. Now it has a bunch of herbs in it. It helped me with my asthma. I can run outside now.
ReplyDeleteIgnore it during the day unless at peak pollen season - then Flonase. I can't take Claritin or any related allergy drugs. After a few days on them I get the worst nightmares (rare but documented side effect). Benedryl at night; it makes me sleepy.
ReplyDelete