Spring allergies

[mikeymikec]

ashtma

If you're pronouncing it like that, maybe you have hayfever too?

I'm taking 10mg Loratadine for my hayfever atm. I tried to go without medication in recent years because I had a bad reaction to Citirizine, but near the end of last summer, I had enough.

It doesn't completely wipe out my hayfever, but it takes the edge off it and allows me to breathe freely and sleep properly.

 

[bignateyk]

there is a shot (ass shot i believe) that knocks allergies down HARD and it lasts for many weeks (maybe a month and a half...i don't know for sure). anyway, i know somwone who has bad allergies and those shots work wonders.

better than pills

It's not a single shot that you can just take when you want allergy relief. It takes months to build up the dosage at 2x shots per week, and then eventually you get to the point where you get one shot per month. And you have to keep getting the shot once a month, otherwise you have to start at the beginning again getting shots twice a week.

I've been on the shots for about two years now and my allergies/asthma have almost disappeared except for the worst of tree pollen season I get some small symptoms that don't even require medicine.

edit: Also, it's not an ass shot. It goes into your arm. In my case I get one in each arm once a month. The shots are also more effective in some people than others.

 

[Murloc]

I don't have any allergy at all.
I know you can get shots to cure allergies though, you have to do it regularly like once a month though, and it won't last forever, maybe a few years or something. Still worth it if you really can't function.

 

[blackdogdeek]

I have tree pollen allergies, too. It usually lasts from late April to late May/early June. I have similar symptoms to you but I take Claritin-D 24 hour and all is good (or at least sufficiently better).

 

[wirednuts]

day 3 of not being able to keep a contact in my right eye! its close.. i had it in for an hour this morning, and it wasnt really irritated but i could tell my eye didnt like it so i just took it out.

bulls game tonight, gotta be able to see that. maybe i should get glasses... ugh...

 

[thestrangebrew1]

I get a shot for my allergies because I get them so bad every year. It seems like it gets worse in intensity and frequency every year as I get older. The shot is awesome though. For a good 2-3 mos I'm allergy free. I try to only get it once a year and just deal with it the rest of the time. However, this year, I'm contemplating going back for a 2nd round at the end of this month. I'm dreading the summer months.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

It's not a single shot that you can just take when you want allergy relief. It takes months to build up the dosage at 2x shots per week, and then eventually you get to the point where you get one shot per month. And you have to keep getting the shot once a month, otherwise you have to start at the beginning again getting shots twice a week.

I've been on the shots for about two years now and my allergies/asthma have almost disappeared except for the worst of tree pollen season I get some small symptoms that don't even require medicine.

edit: Also, it's not an ass shot. It goes into your arm. In my case I get one in each arm once a month. The shots are also more effective in some people than others.

This wasn't my case. I didn't have to build it up or take multiple shots per week. I usually just got a shot for the spring and used claritin for the rest of the year.

 

[Gibsons]

Kind of. It is a prescription-only 3rd gen antihistamine. I've never taken anything so effective and I've tried Claritin (1st gen) and Zyrtec (2nd gen) for years. Only costs me $5 a month and worth every penny. I saw my allergy doc last year after a long break from him (had shots when I was younger). He prescribed this stuff and I am a believer. Its the only thing that can really knock out serious seasonal allergies, and I am in a rough city for pollen.



Better than Zyrtec, no contest.

Claritin is 2nd gen. Zyrtec should be about 50% Levocetirizine by mass. So it's pretty much the same thing.

There's a bit of individual variance to the various antihistamines. What works best for some isn't always the best for someone else.

I eventually gave up on all the pills, switched to azelastine spray. Works better than any pill for me, and I've tried about all of them. One thing for sure, it works much much faster. My symptoms are almost strictly nasal though, might not be much benefit for the OP's eye problems.

Currently doing flonase and finding I don't need the azelastine so much, so I just save that for the occasional bad day.

 

[I Saw OJ]

I've had insane year round allergies for as long as I can remember and no OTC meds even made a dent. I figured I was just going to have to be blowing my nose every 1.5 minutes for the rest of my life...until my doctor recommended veramyst. Its a nasal spray that i use in the morning and im good for the rest of the day. It works wonders, no more watery eyes, runny, stuffy nose. I had forgotten what it was like to breathe normally through my nose before this stuff.

 

[wirednuts]

Claritin is 2nd gen. Zyrtec should be about 50% Levocetirizine by mass. So it's pretty much the same thing.

There's a bit of individual variance to the various antihistamines. What works best for some isn't always the best for someone else.

I eventually gave up on all the pills, switched to azelastine spray. Works better than any pill for me, and I've tried about all of them. One thing for sure, it works much much faster. My symptoms are almost strictly nasal though, might not be much benefit for the OP's eye problems.

Currently doing flonase and finding I don't need the azelastine so much, so I just save that for the occasional bad day.

what eyedrops should i try? sudafed works magically for my stuffiness... but right now im not really that stuffed up but my eyes are just sensitive as hell. i need some sort of anti histamine thing for my eyes... that wont hurt my acuvue oasis contacts

 

[Gibsons]

what eyedrops should i try? sudafed works magically for my stuffiness... but right now im not really that stuffed up but my eyes are just sensitive as hell. i need some sort of anti histamine thing for my eyes... that wont hurt my acuvue oasis contacts

There are anithistamine eyedrops, including azelastine (I use it as a nasal spray, but it's also available as eye drops. 'scrip only). Word is they work, but don't last long. I've no idea how compatible they are with contacts.

If you see your doc, you can ask about flonase, it might indirectly help your eye problems. It's made a huge difference for me.

 

[cheezy321]

there are times when i wish i lived in AZ, this is one of them

Its getting really bad here in AZ when it comes to allergies. The month of March was brutal for me, its slowing down a lot and May has been pretty good so far.

 

[Gooberlx2]

In addition to whatever helps your acute symptoms. Eat raw honey made locally to improve your systemic reaction to local pollens over time.

 

[wirednuts]

so its seeming like across the country allergies are up this year. i wonder why? is it the late spring we had? long cold winter, basically no spring, and now trees and flowers just exploded with sex powder... ugh...

 

[Mixolydian]

Well fortunately my itchy/watery eyes and stuffy/runny nose have cleared up. Still dealing with itchy throat and I've now developed a dry cough. Fuck me.

 

[wirednuts]

^ im definitely doing better today too! my eyes stopped watering.. i think i might be able to keep my contact in...

 

[Mixolydian]

Supposed to get rain/thunderstorms tomorrow, so that should clear a lot of the pollen out of the air.

 

[Born2bwire]

I got hit really hard last week. Congestion, itchy eyes and itchy throat which zyrtec and OTC eye drops weren't relieving. My GP gave me a prescription for flonase, saying that it would clear things up despite the zyrtec only being able to deal with my congestion. Don't know if he was right or if the pollen dropped off but after a couple of days the itchiness did go away.

 

[Gibsons]

Supposed to get rain/thunderstorms tomorrow, so that should clear a lot of the pollen out of the air.

... and bring the mold right up to compensate. :\

 

[Scarpozzi]

I've had a sinus headache all week. Never had one before that I can remember. I just about have to take 3-4 ibuprofen and 2 tylenol to feel more normal. I think it's the ibuprofen helping me most....knocking the inflamation down.

Here's a tip. If you take Zyrtec and want to get it cheap, go to Sams Club and buy it there. Generic Zyrtec is like $15 for a year's supply.

 

[EagleKeeper]

When I lived with 50 miles of the I70 corridor from the Chesapeake to St Louis, I dreaded mid April through May.

OK indoors or outdoors, but it was hell for a 30 min transition between

 

[Mixolydian]

Really bad today. Could barely work - almost had to go home. My eyes and nose are okay for the most part, now it's my throat and I have a cough.

Feels like I have a cold/respiratory infection now. God damn. Rain is on the way though, so I really hope that will help lower the pollen counts. I've taken so many allergy meds the past couple of days it's amazing I'm still conscious.

 

[vi edit]

The last few days my whole team was a cloudy headed, red eyed, miserable looking crew. Allergies knocked the crap out of out hard last week and into the beginning of this one.

 

[Matthiasa]

I've had insane year round allergies for as long as I can remember and no OTC meds even made a dent. I figured I was just going to have to be blowing my nose every 1.5 minutes for the rest of my life...until my doctor recommended veramyst. Its a nasal spray that i use in the morning and im good for the rest of the day. It works wonders, no more watery eyes, runny, stuffy nose. I had forgotten what it was like to breathe normally through my nose before this stuff.

Odd... I found veramyst close to worthless even after the several week build up it needs to be effective.

 

[J Macker]

This spring has been brutal for my family.
My wife had a fever of 102F last sunday.
Our 3 month old baby also has had a cold for 2 weeks and our 2 year old has had the same cough that I've had for 3 weeks.

It's a dry cough mostly, with minimal other symptoms.
Today I'm starting to get a sinus headache though.