How do you treat your allergies?

[amitten]

Mine are killin' me and the usual meds aren't working...

[KitchenWitch]

1. I treat them kindly.

Would not want them mad at me.

[SeattleGirl]

2. Better than they treat me.

Been using one of the Tylenol allergy meds, but they aren't working so well any more.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

3. I can't do most OTC meds

. . . because they make me wired (in a bad way) or comatose (in a bad way). I can, however, take loratadine (generic form of Alavert/Claritin/et al) as well as Nasalcrom, which is a spray that basically plugs your histamine receptors so your body doesn't recognize you're ingesting things that normally make it go nuts. Either one can be taken indefinitely without side effects or tolerance issues, though I tend to only bother when I really need them. Otherwise, I make sure I take my multivites and other supplements, and I wash the crap out of my head regularly with my neti pot so that nothing can fester.

Between punk trees and pine pollen, I'd gotten pretty bad, but especially since the neti pot, I rarely have a problem.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. Costco gives a hell of a deal on generic Claritin. Worth the membership

I second the Nasalcrom

I also use a prescription eyedrop called Patinol that is awesome for the eye itch. When that is your only symptom, this is all you need. It should be generic soon.


Also, get a NetiPot.

[amitten]

9. Neti pot doesn't work for me! I don't know why. All it does is

get a bunch of water stuck up there. (Yes, I know how to do it correctly, and I still get water stuck.)

[prolesunited]

12. Well, does it stay stuck

or does it drain out. If my passages are pretty clear, it drains right out, but if I'm a bit plugged, it gets stuck but clears out after about 10 to 15 minutes.

I've been able to cut my Rx allergy and asthma meds by about half and haven't had a sinus infection in nearly a year.

It's a little awkward to get used to, but I think the Neti pots are great.

[amitten]

13. It stays stuck, without draining. So some water remains in there

and acutally ends up causing me more pain and trouble.

[old mark]

4. Claritin is the only thing I have found that works without

giving me the fits.
I can not take any type of decongestants at all.

I like those breathe-right strips that allow you to sleep better, and I use tha salr-water mist nasal spray a lot - getting away from the chemical stuff whenever possible.

Adding: I have been treated by MD's DO's GP's Internal Med docs and allergy specialists. Went to an ENT guy who told me I have a deviated septum, not really allergies at all.
I stopped taking my allergy meds after that, been getting fewer symptoms ever since....

mark

[dropkickpa]

6. zyrtec and singulair

The combination of the two was a wondrous discovery for me. I was comfortable for the first time in YEARS. Wally-world has super cheap generic zyrtec, singulair is still Rx.

[Crazy Dave]

10. Zyrtec

:thumbsup:

[DarkTirade]

7. Like a red-headed stepchild.

[mnhtnbb]

8. Allegra 180 mg. Works within 20 minutes.

[Deep13]

11. Benadryl and Sudaphed

I mean the Sudaphed with psuedoephedrine and not that new stuff.

Also, reducing exposure to the allergen as much as possible.