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Thu May 04, 2006 10:13 pm  |
Was wondering if anyone has any advice for helping allergies. I've taken Claritin and Benadryl, it's been 3 weeks and nothing is helping. Went to the doctor but he prescribed Claritin. This doesn't help. Been sneezy, coughing and watery/itchy eyes for weeks.  |
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Thu May 04, 2006 11:45 pm |
I'm not too familiar with allergies but when I get a cold, it definately feels as if I'm allergic to something. My eyes get terribly itchy and watery (people used to ask me why I am crying). Also, a lot of sneezing.
What I use for these symptoms is Theraflu thinstrips (multisymptome). It says on the back that its for relief of Hay Fever (which I think I may get when I'm sick, although I don't know anything about this either  ). But you can try this for temporary relief, until you find something that sticks. Sorry I can't be more of a help  . |
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Fri May 05, 2006 4:40 am |
Oh qisme615, I am so there with you this season! I've haven't had any luck with Claritin or Benadryl, either - my usual staples.
I've been trudging along feeling a little better with... drumroll... after many sleepless nights...:
1. a generic, 12-hour nasal spray from Target,
2. Vicks vapor rub under my nose and on my chest before bed, to open the passages,
3. Visine eye drops with antihistamine for red, watery eyes, and
4. Menthol cough drops for post-nasal drip.
I still get sneezing "spells" but don't feel so much like my nose is leading me around....
Also, I recently posted about how to treat the puffy eyes that I wake up with every morning. I ended up grabbing St. Ives Eye and Face Stress gel, a mixture of cucumber and aloe (couldn't wait to order anything else on-line) and it worked wonders.
Good luck.
You have a pal in suffering over here!  |
_________________
36, skin in a "new" phase? Oil/break-out free but now having bouts of sensitivity and surface dehydration. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 5:51 am |
| Allegra and Flonase (prescription) seem to work best for me. But I found Flonase (spray up the nose) to be a little strong for me and I ended up getting nose bleeds after about a week (and they always happened around 5am!). But my bf uses it and it has a good effect on him, which is good, since his allergies are worse than mine. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 7:15 am |
Well, I am allergic to all 50+ plants in my area that the doctor tested me for, so I've been through about every prescription/over the counter med that's out there. In fact, today is my last day on an antibiotic for a sinus infection, which I get about 5 times per year.
Anyway, everyone seems to react a little differently to the various allergy pills on the market. For example, neither Allegra nor Zyrtec did a thing for me, but Claritin-D (not Claritin) keeps my allergies at bay for most of the year. However, since most people don't have allergies as bad as I do, I'll keep to some basic things to do.
First, I would suggest that when you are getting extra sneezy/congested that you either do your own salt water nasal rinse, or buy the saline nasal sprays found at any drugstore. This basically just helps keep the sinus passages flushed from histamines. Keep with either the benadryl or claritin as well though. If neither of these seem to help, then I would definitely see the doc and ask for an script allergy pill (since C & B are about the only two decent ones found over the counter). I also highly recommend a nasal spray like Flonase. When I do use it, it helps me quite a bit. The problem is that they can be quite expensive but I've just learned that Flonase now has a generic substitute available, so I plan to stay on it. You also have to use these daily in order for them to work.
Finally, one of the best things you can do is to drink more water. This will help keep you flushed as well. I also up my vitamin C since it gives my immune system a good boost. Well, I hope that helps a little bit anyways! |
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Fri May 05, 2006 7:38 am |
Thank you Everyone  . I will definitely try all of these and see if any will help me. (Because I'm so desperate, just want 1 day of peace) I've gone through so many boxes of tissues, not even funny. Everyone ask me why I'm crying and that I should get more sleep cuz I have dark bags under my eyes. 
I love this place, where you can get help/advices. Thank you Thank you.  |
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Fri May 05, 2006 7:54 am |
| I should mention that if you have these congested/sore throat symptoms (especially for more than 1 week), then you need to see the doc and get on an antibiotic. Once you get an infection, none of the over the counter meds will work. Salt water rinses are great for sore throats in the meantime though! Of course you have to do them several times throughout the day. Feel better! |
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Fri May 05, 2006 8:07 am |
TAMgirl99 - Thank you. Forgot about saltwater rinses. Will definitely do that today. I'll probably have to head back to see my doctor. It's been 3 weeks going on 4. The worst allergy I've ever had. Came into work and sneezed so loud, scared one of my coworker cuz he actually jumped. But I sure did feel good.  |
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Fri May 05, 2006 9:18 am |
If you're amenable to "alternative" medicine, I've had ALOT of success with JMT (Jaffe Mellor Techniques) from my chiropractor.
It's a little kooky, but it really works! Normally I have terrible seasonal allergies, but just a few treatments targeting what she determined what the allergens, and I've been feeling great.
In the past, I've also had a lot of luck w/ homeopathic remedies. In particular, there's a line called BioAllers--you can find them mostly online (I think GNC used to carry them, but I don't think they do anymore). They make a bunch of different formulations--pet dander, pollen/mold, hayfever, etc.
They take a while to work--i.e. you're not going to be suddenly feeling better after 20 minutes like a lot of the OTC stuff, but they work with your body and reduce your allergies over the course of a few days/week. The directios for dosing is on the bottle.
My parents have cats and I'm very allergic, so I try to start taking this a few days before I go visit and keep taking it while I'm there and it prevents me from having all the allergy symptoms. |
_________________
29--oily somewhat acneic skin, hazel eyes, long dark brown hair |
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Fri May 05, 2006 5:59 pm |
| I've suffered from allergies my entire life, and tried just about everything. Right now, I take Zyrtec-D am and pm along with nasocort nose spray. They're both prescriptions. In addition to that I use advil cold and sinus, which helps provide extra relief on really bad days. I also like Visine allergy relief when my eyes are itchy. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 6:16 pm |
| Ehm. If you're not opposed to pseudoephedrine, Sudafed Allergy and Sinus works. I mean, WORKS. I had the worst allergies, clogged sinuses, and bought this simply because nothing else worked and I was sick of not being able to breathe through my nose. It cleared my sinuses within a couple days. You have to get it at the pharmacy counter and show ID. Be careful, though, and read the box. If it's not for you, don't try it. |
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Fri May 05, 2006 10:10 pm |
i can get pretty brutal allergies and something that helps keep them in line is a non-medicated lubricating spray called "Rhinaris"
I think it's similar to a salt water flush/spray.
but it really helps. |
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Sat May 13, 2006 7:56 am |
I have had allergies all my life as well as asthma. I find Flonase helps me alot but here in Canada we have a very good Drug store product called Reactine. It is good for all allergies not just enviromental, at least for me it does the trick. I know alot about allergies because I used to work for an immunoligist and this is product they have recommended for years over Clariton. Allegra did nothing for me and many of our patients. In my experience in the clinic, it is similar to skin care, nothing works for everybody, but this one, if you can get it, is by far the best of what's out there.
Get educated, learn about the product your taking and most importantly watch what you put in your nose, big addictions and big problems start with nose sprays. :-& People start taking them and then never know if they are ok without them until it's too late.
Sorry for the rant, I've just seen it all! |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Sat May 13, 2006 7:24 pm |
| I don't know if this will help you but my mum has quite severe allergies and she has noticed that taking a high dose vitamin C (1000mg/day) significantly reduced her sinus problems in the mornings. Mind you, there are also studies that show that high doses of vit C can harden arteries so read up about this before you decide to try. |
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45, NW20, combination skin |
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Sun May 14, 2006 7:48 am |
FYI, here in Canada it's called Reactine, in the US it's known as Zyrtec.
When allergies are really bad, my doctor has even prescribed taking two different types of allergy medication. The reasoning is that they work on different pathways, ie. Benedryl and Reactine, but do check with your doctor first. |
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Sun May 14, 2006 11:04 am |
| I too am allergic to just about everything outdoors and indoors. I have had chronic sinusitis, 5 ear surgeries caused by repeated ear infections and sinus surgery twice. After my last ear surgery last year I had a persistent sinus infection that would not go away. My doctor prescribed antibiotics, 2 different nose sprays, and Allegra with no relief. I was frustuated spending $100/month in prescriptions and feeling sick all the time. After much research on the internet I have eliminated ALL sugar from my diet. I started treating it originally like a yeast infection which goes hand in hand with sinus infections. I have to say I have not seen my surgeon/doctor in over a year and I feel great all the time. If I take a little sugar like in pizza or something it is like I know it immediately and get really congested. I would actually do some research on candidas such as http://www.stopyeast.com/news2.html. I did take olive leaf extract and still do. After all the years of high allergies it has really taken a toll on my skin especially eyes and am trying different eye creams now to get my eyes back in shape. I do hope this will help someone in the same way that it did me. It's nice to not be supporting my surgeon anymore |
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Sun May 14, 2006 12:04 pm |
| I had an allergy fit a few weeks ago (Sneezing) and I think it was a mix of the pollen in the air and the dust in the house. I think cleaning everything spotless might also be a really good thing to prevent (indoor anyway) problems you might be having |
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Extremely fair/sensitive skin(mild rosacea)that burns very easy.acne is rare/skin is dry.27 years old. |
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Tue May 16, 2006 11:47 am |
| My son is having the same problems right now. I have found liquid benedryl at night for about a week, helps keep it under wraps. The problem is, as long as allegery season lasts, he will be suffering. Even know it can get warm in the house for us in CA now, do not sleep with the windows open. I have to turn the air on, because he will not be able to breath if I leave them open. I do put a fan in his room, but do not point it at his face. I would hate to have allegeries. I am not sure how I got so lucky, a little sneeze here and there is all I get. |
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Tue May 16, 2006 11:25 pm |
if it grows, i'm allergic to it. and i have taken everything and i mean *every*thing that people have mentioned since i was a little girl.... i was so ill from allergies when living in england 20 years ago that i threw up almost daily so i knew i had to do something serious when i started to feel nauseous all the time when i moved to paris.
i went to a doctor who tested me for allergens and i swear he was gleeful -- i was in the top percentile of reactions for absolutely everything (except the mold they use for wine -- go figure) that i couldn't help but be helped by getting allergy injections. you slowly build up your tolerance/antibodies to everything you're allergic to.
for the first three months i had to do three weekly shots and now i'm only injecting myself monthly (next month i build to my maintenance dose). i swear to god that it is the best thing i have ever done. i'm not allergy free yet and may never be, but the difference is night and day. if anybody has severe allergies, i highly recommend looking into this. |
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Wed May 17, 2006 7:18 am |
| bergquis wrote: |
| My son is having the same problems right now. I have found liquid benedryl at night for about a week, helps keep it under wraps. The problem is, as long as allegery season lasts, he will be suffering. Even know it can get warm in the house for us in CA now, do not sleep with the windows open. I have to turn the air on, because he will not be able to breath if I leave them open. I do put a fan in his room, but do not point it at his face. I would hate to have allegeries. I am not sure how I got so lucky, a little sneeze here and there is all I get. |
Your son's allergies sound a lot like my son's. Do you use an aircleaner? We've had one in his room for the last 8 years with varying success. We first started with the Bionaire models but they didn't seem to help much. Recently we got a Sharp model w/ HEPA filter and that seems to make a difference. |
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