if you have environmental allergies

[SparklyUnicorn]

and take stuff for it, how well does the stuff work?  Are you completely, or (almost) symptom free?  Is it still not particularly magical and you still suffer a lot? 
 

I dunno.  I'm taking Singulair, Zyrtec, Flonase, and prescription eye drops.  I still am not getting much relief.  Seems ridiculous to me.  *sigh*

 

It is to the point where I'm convinced it's another issue.  I did test positive for various allergies.  So I know for a fact I'm allergic to stuff.  And it's not stuff that I can really eliminate completely.  My worst symptom involves my eyes.  But geesh I can't believe that none of this stuff works all that well for me.  The Singulair and Flonase are new to me so I still need to give it a bit of a chance, but mmm..I dunno.  I am also setting up appointments for allergy injections so hopefully that does something.

 

I'm frustrated.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2017 by SparklyUnicorn

[mom2scouts]

I've had environmental allergies all my life and I think I've tried every medicine ever invented. Nothing works for me! If I'm really miserable and have time, I just take Benedryl because it knocks me out and I don't realize how miserable I am. I tried Flonase and thought it was giving me some relief until I had a violent allergic reaction to it. I've had some success with Nasacort spray though. You have my sympathies.

[BarbecueMom]

I agree with switching to Nasacort. DS9 is on the same general cocktail, and Nasacort helps his eyes more than Flonase ever did.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I've had environmental allergies all my life and I think I've tried every medicine ever invented. Nothing works for me! If I'm really miserable and have time, I just take Benedryl because it knocks me out and I don't realize how miserable I am. I tried Flonase and thought it was giving me some relief until I had a violent allergic reaction to it. I've had some success with Nasacort spray though. You have my sympathies.

 

This is exactly what I do.  Take Benadryl when desperate because at least it makes me too damn tired to care.  LOL

 

This doesn't make me happy that you go through this, but at least I know I'm not nuts and it can happen.

 

big hugs....

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'll try Nasocort next.  Thanks for the suggestion.

 

 

[Arcadia]

How long have you been taking those? For medication that I took for a long time, it loses its effect on me as in I become drug resistant to that.

 

So if I take Benadryl occasionally, it works to a certain extent. If I take it regularly, then the effect is not there anymore.

 

When I was in college, I tried every allergy drug the college health service provided. The dose just got higher each time to cope until it's too high then the doctors would switch me to another drug. My allergies are coexistence with asthma.

 

For me, taking high dose of Vit C and fish oil during hay fever season reduce the symptoms. Mine is mainly outdoor allergens so if I stay indoor I am much better. My DS12 is similar so he does indoor sports mostly.

[Guinevere]

With all the stomach issues and allergy issues, have you considered trying the GAPS diet? It could be that messed up gut health could be causing everything.

[SparklyUnicorn]

How long have you been taking those? For medication that I took for a long time, it loses its effect on me as in I become drug resistant to that.

 

So if I take Benadryl occasionally, it works to a certain extent. If I take it regularly, then the effect is not there anymore.

 

When I was in college, I tried every allergy drug the college health service provided. The dose just got higher each time to cope until it's too high then the doctors would switch me to another drug. My allergies are coexistence with asthma.

 

For me, taking high dose of Vit C and fish oil during hay fever season reduce the symptoms. Mine is mainly outdoor allergens so if I stay indoor I am much better. My DS12 is similar so he does indoor sports mostly.

 

I have been taking Singulair for 2 weeks this coming Wednesday.  Flonase I bought last Thursday.  Doctor told me to give the Singulair 2 weeks to notice results.  I don't know really what to expect with Flonase.  I was taking Xyzal as my daily thing for awhile, but recently switched (as of a week) to Zyrtec mostly because Zyrtec is a lot less expensive. 

 

My allergies are mostly from indoor things (except for tree pollen, but that is only March through June).  I can't live outdoors.  KWIM?  LOL  Although I spent many hours outdoors yesterday and I had a particularly bad allergy day (I also went to many public indoor places and that probably was the bigger issue). 

[SparklyUnicorn]

With all the stomach issues and allergy issues, have you considered trying the GAPS diet? It could be that messed up gut health could be causing everything.

 

I don't know anything about GAPS, but doing a quick search this seems like a low carb diet right?  I've been on a low carb diet for years.

 

Right now, my reflux is 100% controlled.  No problems with that at all.  Which...yay.  I guess I should be thankful for something.

[displace]

There's usually a cocktail of allergy meds the allergists recommend. The allergy shots should help control symptoms and hopefully reduce your meds daily.

 

There are different types of allergy meds for all routes (oral, nasal, eye). The allergist may have a step up plan (first Claritin for a month, then Zyrtec, then ...). Same with nasal and eye meds. Usually by the second or third tier of meds or many different meds with continual symptoms, that's when the shots are beneficial.

 

It may also depend on location. If you move, the problems can change (like plant X is seasonal can year round, etc). And with global weather changes, there can be more year round vs seasonal plant and animal problems.

[SparklyUnicorn]

There's usually a cocktail of allergy meds the allergists recommend. The allergy shots should help control symptoms and hopefully reduce your meds daily.

 

There are different types of allergy meds for all routes (oral, nasal, eye). The allergist may have a step up plan (first Claritin for a month, then Zyrtec, then ...). Same with nasal and eye meds. Usually by the second or third tier of meds or many different meds with continual symptoms, that's when the shots are beneficial.

 

It may also depend on location. If you move, the problems can change (like plant X is seasonal can year round, etc). And with global weather changes, there can be more year round vs seasonal plant and animal problems.

 

I'm allergic to 2 types of very common dust mites, 2 types of very common molds, German cockroaches, and the pollen of 5 kinds of trees.  The tree pollen is only March through June. 

 

So moving won't do squat unless you happen to know a place where dust mites and mold can't live.  Maybe if I move to an arctic region and live in an ice house.  Which obviously isn't going to happen.

 

I am REALLY hoping the shots work. That's the one thing I have not tried.  These indoor allergies are new to me though.  I had the tree thing forever and the meds work well enough for that (which is why I never pursued allergy shots).  But this?  Nope.  This is new and nothing is working all that well. 

[Guinevere]

I don't know anything about GAPS, but doing a quick search this seems like a low carb diet right? I've been on a low carb diet for years.

 

Right now, my reflux is 100% controlled. No problems with that at all. Which...yay. I guess I should be thankful for something.

 

It winds up being low carb, but that isn't necessarily the goal. It's a gut healing diet done in stages. You begin with bone broth only, and reintroduce foods slowly from there.

 

But yay for the controlled reflux!

[Arcadia]

I'm allergic to 2 types of very common dust mites, 2 types of very common molds, German cockroaches, and the pollen of 5 kinds of trees. The tree pollen is only March through June.

A SAHM friend uses the Sharp Plasmacluster in her living room and it helps her and her kids feel much better. They are usually in the living room which is why she puts it there. Her medium size unit is on rollers/castors I think so she can easily move it around.

 

Another friend runs a Honeywell HEPA filter in her bedroom as she works long hours so bedroom is the most utilized room. Hers is a compact unit so it is easy to move it around. The filters get really dirty.

[SparklyUnicorn]

A SAHM friend uses the Sharp Plasmacluster in her living room and it helps her and her kids feel much better. They are usually in the living room which is why she puts it there. Her medium size unit is on rollers/castors I think so she can easily move it around.

 

Another friend runs a Honeywell HEPA filter in her bedroom as she works long hours so bedroom is the most utilized room. Hers is a compact unit so it is easy to move it around. The filters get really dirty.

 

Yeah I do have a small unit, but I don't notice a difference.  Probably a larger one would be good, but I don't really have the money and my house has so many areas I hang out in.

 

I have been trying really hard to minimize dust, but of course "I" an the one doing the cleaning.  Basically I did everything on the list of things to do that the allergist gave me.  I notice no difference.  And of course all of this is moot if I go anywhere out in public.  This stuff is EVERYWHERE. 

[happypamama]

I get a ton of relief from Zyrtec.  The only allergen I tested positive for on testing was dust, but I do get itchy eyes and feel sniffly during certain times of the year.  If my eyes are watery and itchy on a particular day, I can take a Zyrtec (okay, the WalMart brand), and I'll feel noticeably different in a bit.  Maybe not 100% but close enough.  I also notice that if I'm feeling sniffly and starting to need my inhaler for wheezing, there's a good chance I haven't vacuumed my bedroom thoroughly in a while.

[melmichigan]

Flonase will take a minimum of two weeks.  The singulair and flonase are recommended to start a month before whichever allergy season you are fighting.  I quit taking singulair years ago because of side effects and find Pulmicort via nebulizer with a mask effective as my maintenance (eyes, sinus, lungs).  I then add flonase during allergy season.  I take zyrtec, 1/2 twice a day because I get better relief that way with the half life, and I add Zantac for synergist effect during allergy season.  HTH!

[SparklyUnicorn]

Flonase will take a minimum of two weeks.  The singulair and flonase are recommended to start a month before whichever allergy season you are fighting.  I quit taking singulair years ago because of side effects and find Pulmicort via nebulizer with a mask effective as my maintenance (eyes, sinus, lungs).  I then add flonase during allergy season.  I take zyrtec, 1/2 twice a day because I get better relief that way with the half life, and I add Zantac for synergist effect during allergy season.  HTH!

 

I do want to give them a chance.  This combo is quite new for me.

 

So far I have had no side effects from any of it.  Maybe a slight scratchy feeling in my throat, but compared with my allergy symptoms that's nothing.

[ElizabethB]

Nothing did much for me until I got allergy shots.

 

After taking them for years, I now do under the tongue drops, they work well too and may start working faster than the shots, plus you can take them at home.  But, not many allergists do them, I go out of state once a year to a clinic in Wisconsin that also does food drops, they have helped my food allergies a bit.  The allergists that do them generally only do the environmental allergies, not foods.  It is called sublingual immunotherapy, here is a bit about it from the place I go to:

 

https://lacrosseallergy.com/why-the-la-crosse-method/

 

I'm not sure if the drops would have worked as well if I didn't do the shots first, they are supposedly a bit less effective than the shots for pollen and a bit more effective than the shots for cats.  My cat allergies were ridiculous until I did the drops, now they are just really bad. I like cats, though, I just don't like how I feel after I visit a house with cats.

 

 

[Guest]

I'm being driven nuts this year too. Even all maxed out on medicine, my ears and throat are going bananas. And now oral allergy syndrome.

 

If ragweed could all just drop dead, that'd be great.

[Seasider]

My seasonal allergies are greatly helped but I am a lightweight when it comes to side effects. Any systemic antihistamine (even a HALF dose of children's Benadryl) makes me feel spacey at best or often knocks me out. I only use it when I am desperate (like when my ears are totally plugged up). Claritin is least likely to make me drowsy, but not as effective to relieve symptoms as Allegra, which knocks me out fast and often overdries my head.

 

I do use a nasal corticosteroid and that is what works best for me. I don't usually have too much trouble with my eyes, but when I do I find that non pharmaceuticals help the most - saline rinse, change pillowcase, frequent showering, running a wet brush through my hair, rinsing off eyebrows even, that kind of thing - tonkeep pollen out of my eyes.

[Ali in OR]

My allergies are things like grass seed in June, plus I have eczema/dermatitis that can flare due to triggers known and unknown. If I miss a day of zyrtec, I definitely notice it in itchier skin and possibly stuffed up nose by the end of the day. For me, flonase is helpful as immediate relief--I do not take it daily. If I can't quite get enough air breathing through my nose when I'm trying to fall asleep, I use the flonase and in about 20 minutes I can breathe. I can feel it working. My eyes only get bad in June (itchy and red) and I get the most relief from OTC Naphcon A drops.

[Ellie]

and take stuff for it, how well does the stuff work?  Are you completely, or (almost) symptom free?  Is it still not particularly magical and you still suffer a lot? 

 

I dunno.  I'm taking Singulair, Zyrtec, Flonase, and prescription eye drops.  I still am not getting much relief.  Seems ridiculous to me.  *sigh*

 

It is to the point where I'm convinced it's another issue.  I did test positive for various allergies.  So I know for a fact I'm allergic to stuff.  And it's not stuff that I can really eliminate completely.  My worst symptom involves my eyes.  But geesh I can't believe that none of this stuff works all that well for me.  The Singulair and Flonase are new to me so I still need to give it a bit of a chance, but mmm..I dunno.  I am also setting up appointments for allergy injections so hopefully that does something.

 

I'm frustrated.

 

I'm allergic to dust mites. Those little buggers are everywhere in the entire known world. :glare: My only symptom is chronic congestion, which usually means coughing and zonking for half the morning, and sort of a low-grade runny nose all day.

 

I eliminated dairy products almost completely a few years ago, and my goodness, that really cut down on the congestion.

 

When I finally saw an allergist, just to confirm my suspicion, she suggested putting dust mite-proof covers on my bed and my pillow, and getting an air purifier. I did the covers but not the purifier, because the ones that really work well are pricey. I take Allegra (generic) before I go to bed, and sometimes I do an antihistamine nasal spray in the morning (it's by prescription only, and I have to see the doctor once a year to get the prescription; it seems like such a waste to do that, lol, so I'm out of the spray at the moment). Flonase helps, but this spray is better. So between eliminating dairy and doing the other things, I have really seen an improvement.

[PeterPan]

I'm religious about taking vitamin C (2 capsules, 3X daily), bee pollen (chew and eat), and running the roomba. Also hardwood floors and washing the dog. If the dog isn't clean, that really gets me with the itchy eyes. 

 

Maybe try to figure out which thing in particular is causing the itchy eyes and focus on that one? We have a whole house air filtration system. There are things like that, depending on what is doing it to you.

Edited September 17, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[RootAnn]

I have a kid who is allergic to just about every living person, place, or thing, especially green things & animals. She's on Zyrtec pretty much year round. It keeps things from being super terrible. She's done allergy shots for a few years now. Her allergy symptoms were knocked way down (like GONE) after a year of shots. Then, the allergist knocked her dosage in half & assured us that it wouldn't do anything to her immunity. (He was wrong.) Her symptoms are back, but not as bad as they were before she started shots.

 

The allergist is a quack & I wish we could find a good one to switch to, but there just aren't any good ones around us. We drive 30 minutes for this guy & he comes an hour in our direction. (It is a mobile office thing once per month for people in the area.) I'd drive the 1 1/2 hours if I could find someone that people have liked. So far, no dice.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I'm religious about taking vitamin C (2 capsules, 3X daily), bee pollen (chew and eat), and running the roomba. Also hardwood floors and washing the dog. If the dog isn't clean, that really gets me with the itchy eyes. 

 

Maybe try to figure out which thing in particular is causing the itchy eyes and focus on that one? We have a whole house air filtration system. There are things like that, depending on what is doing it to you.

 

dust mites, molds

 

It's not easy to deal with either of those.

[Tammi K]

How are your Vit D levels?  Vit D plays a role in dealing with allergens.   Perhaps a supplement might help.

[Wheres Toto]

I'm allergic to everything furry, feathery, and fuzzy, everything that has blooms, or leaves, or pollen, all bugs, trees, grasses.....  And I have allergy induced asthma so I really have to keep it under control.   

 

I'm the worst in the fall but spring is also bad.  

 

Claritan and Zyrtec don't work at all for me.  Allegra works but makes me anxious and crazy.  Singulair works but makes me even nuttier than Allegra.  The nasal sprays only seem to work for a little while. 

 

I take a half dose of Benedryl when I first feel anything.  I've been taking it for a long time so I don't feel any drowsiness from it at all.  I also found that making sure my Vitamin D levels are up in optimum levels helps quite a bit.   Tea with honey and lemon can help with an itchy throat, and clears my sinuses some.

 

I did the saline sinus rinses for a while too and they helped some.

[LarlaB]

dust mites, molds

 

It's not easy to deal with either of those.

No it's not.

 

I'm allergic to dust mites, mold, a host of grasses, trees and weeds as well as some food allergies (and Celiac). And have asthma.

 

The Fall is the worst for me....i think the allergy load from ragweed, tree leaves and grass is too high and it feels like no amount of anti allergy mess even help. I struggle with chronic sinus infections that escalate to bronchitis and laryngitis- so my only goal is avoid those- LOL. My bar is lower than it should be for how "good" I feel.

 

Allergy shots are my next approach...but we aren't in a financial position to do that.

 

I use a lot of mucinex and decongestants as well as REDD sinus plus VIt C. Benadryl at night works best for me- and I've tried everything else.

 

ETA- and yes, we have dust mite mattress and pillow covers, $$$ filter in my bedroom, use essential oils, salt inhaler and occasional Neti Pot.

Edited September 18, 2017 by LarlaB

[wintermom]

I take 20 mg Cetirizine when my allergies become unmanageable. This is by prescription, not over-the-counter.. It's usually quite effective.  I also have a puffer if allergy-induced asthma occurs. I only used these when things get really bad. 

 

I'm allergic to more outdoor things than indoor (except the cat). Dh is allergic to dust and mold.  What has really helped him is when we got rid of all our carpets. He's almost asymptomatic now, after years of Flonase, etc.  It's help me, too. No more post-nasal drip. 

 

Hope you find some relief!

Edited September 18, 2017 by wintermom

[SparklyUnicorn]

How are your Vit D levels?  Vit D plays a role in dealing with allergens.   Perhaps a supplement might help.

 

I take a supplement, but I wasn't told it was low (had that done twice within the past year by two different doctors).

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I take a supplement, but I wasn't told it was low (had that done twice within the past year by two different doctors).

I would check what your actual number was. The standards have changed but not all doctors are up to date in that. It's not a miracle cure but enough Vit D sure can help a lot of things.