Your advice please - (newly developed) Seasonal allergies are killin' me!

[Serpico]

Okay, until last year I've never had allergies. My mother and brother have both had them for awhile, I just thought I was lucky. After 12 years in St. Louis I am beginning to develop seasonal allergies (I'm told this is pretty common, I'm originally from Wisconsin--different weather/climate up there).

Anyways, I was off tuesday and off today--nice weather and the plan was to get some good riding in--BZZT! nope, I have spent much of both days in bed.

My major "symptoms" seem to be nasal congestion, stuffy/heavy head, sometimes headaches, "itchy" eyes, MAJOR fatigue (slept 12 hours and I still feel tired).

I have gotten Claritin at Walgreens, but I am open any suggestions (the Claritin helps somewhat, but doesn't do much for me). I have an appointment with my doctor next week.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[DavidK]

Benadryl has been my life saver, I only acquired allergies 2 years ago and had all the same symptoms.

The only problem is, I believe Benadryl in the US is slightly different from that in the UK. I've read reports of drowsiness and addiction about the US variant, whereas the UK variant is a slightly different mix under the same brand name, and doesn't cause addiction or drowsiness.

So... whilst it's done wonders for me, if you're in the US, this may not be the answer for you.

Most people with allergies will have tried each of the three/four major products and settled on one that works the best.

You've got the right one, when you can take a single tablet in the morning and only start to get symptoms in the evening or night :D

[Argos]

king an appointment with the Doctor was the greatest thing you could have done.

I have had seasonal allergies for 5 or 6 years and just dealt with it. I got hit this March and had had enough. I HAD been taking Alavert every morning with a benedryl and when it's REALLY bad, I'd add in 2 Red Bulls and Day-quil/Ny-quil.

Got the blood work done and now I just have the Alavert every morning and a Singulair before bed.

ZERO problems. Only way I know it works is my Brother in law is getting ABSOLUTELY destroyed.

Good luck.

[davids]

I've had seasonal allergies since I was 12.

They are tricky things. I find that not only do different people respond differently to the same medication, but that my symptoms differ from year to year!

Claritin works really well for me, and as soon as my symptoms kick in, I'll be taking the 24-hour doses. My daughter's already suffering, and a guy on my staff has been hit so hard that he's in a daze, despite perscription-strength Zyrtec...

Seeing your doctor is a very good idea - You can find out what you're reacting to, and get some good drugs. But you'll probably have to try a few different ones before you find the one that suits you best.

I find the worst times for me (lately) have been mid-May through mid-June. It used to be August...

Good luck!

[pbbob]

flonase or whatever similar stuff your hmo gives you may help.

[SManning]

I've been a sufferer since I was 9 years old. Allergies can just make life miserable. The best thing I did was visit an allergist and start taking allergy shots. It hasn't been a perfect fix all, but it's an improvement over taking prescription medicines every single day. I'd rather get poked once a week than be miserable all of the time.

Flonase also works quite well, but it takes about a month to kick in and you have to take it every day. It doesn't have some of the nasty side effects of Zyrtec and prescription decongestants.

Good luck with allergies. I know they can be absolutely miserable.

Sarah

[93legendti]

Mucinex and www.sinusrinse.com.

[Serpico]

doof?




:::cough:::..........:::sneeze:::

[guyintense]

Go to your nearest health food store and buy a bottle of local honey. It has to be from hives in your general vicinity. Eat a spoonful a day, put some in your tea. It's full of the pollen you're reacting to, like allergy shots, but a lot cheaper. It works for me and a lot of my friends, but you have to believe!

[roman meal]

Has changed my life in the Spring.

RM

[Tailwinds]

Nasonex was the only thing that I tried that worked for me in FL.

[Louis]

Last chance option: Move to the desert Southwest???

The riding's probably better there anyway.

[Fixed]

bro if it's that bad go see the doc. .... i hope you feel better fast I bet you feel better after leave the dos'c office after that great big shot.
cheers

[vaxn8r]

The only problem is, I believe Benadryl in the US is slightly different from that in the UK. I've read reports of drowsiness and addiction about the US variant, whereas the UK variant is a slightly different mix under the same brand name, and doesn't cause addiction or drowsiness.


Benadryl=diphenhydramine. It does work but it IS sedating. Possibly less so when you get used to taking it chronically. There is zero risk of addiction. To me the only downsides are limited duration and sedation. There are better products nowadays which have no side effects and last 18-24 hours/dose.

If you have severe allergies an antihistamine isn't enough. Nasal steroids and/or singulair should be added and if those don't bring significant relief then one should strongly consider immunotherapy in addition to the above.

[Dr. Doofus]

and sometimes you just have to ride it out

a week ago doof was flying and feeling perfect

then the rain and pollen kicked it up a notch

now doof is taking all the stuff his doc puts him on, and this week he's still carrying around 5 extra pounds of bloat, can't breathe, is sore all the time, and can't ride above 200w without feeling like he's going to blow up.

in two weeks he'll be fine cause the pollen will back off


in the meantime, he's going to get his azz handed to him by a 4 field tomorrow -- even with that crew, its a hard sport when you can't friggin breathe

[67-59]

Last chance option: Move to the desert Southwest???

The riding's probably better there anyway.

Not necessarily the solution. I know a guy who moved from Madison, WI to Scottsdale, AZ a few years ago. Never had allergies in Wisconsin, but now that he's in Arizona he has to take pills and use an inhaler daily.....

[slowgoing]

Has changed my life in the Spring.

RM


Agreed.

And I have also noticed that seasonal allergies are worse in years where I train harder.

Mine also get worse in the desert soutwest, especially in red rocks areas like Sedona or St. George or Moab. The red dust does a number on my sinuses.

[wwtsui]

I (like some others here) have suffered seasonal allergies since childhood, and agree that seeing a doc is probably your best move. I got weekly allergy shots for about ten years, which seemed to help some, but then real life intervened (i.e., I got busy/lazy). In recent years, I've settled on the following mix of prescription meds:
Rhinocort nasal spray -- I've found this to be the only steroid-based spray that doesn't smell like a bouquet of flowers and therefore doesn't make me sneeze
Patanol and Elestat eyedrops -- work much better than the OTC items, and you can use them for as many days in a row as needed
Allegra -- seems to work a little bit better than Claritin for me; also I've found this to be more effective against sneezing than congestion. YMMV.

In general, I start with the more specific meds (Rhinocort & eye drops), and use Allegra when those two alone aren't providing enough relief. I also have found that Allegra by itself will often do the trick if I take it ahead of time when we're headed somewhere that's likely to be problematic (friends' homes with pets, flower shows, etc.).

One last thing: while the eye drops and nasal spray reach maximum effectiveness after you've used them for a while, I've found that subsequent "ramp up" times are much shorter -- i.e., I now mostly just use these meds as needed, as opposed to continuously during allergy season.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[OldDog]

See your Doc. Get a referrel to an allergist. Go through the shot program. Feel better without steriods. It's a long road but worth it.

[deechee]

I've tried all kinds of drugs and desensitization shots but I always come back to Claritin and lately, Nasonex. I agree, you can get away with taking the drugs periodically but for maximum effectiveness you need to take them continously for the season.

Doctors/Allergists can be good or bad. Mine was set on desensitization shots even after few improvements over 3 years - so I went to see another and we just stuck with the Nasonex. (I didn't like the first guy's helper either - she didn't really warn me and just started poking mutiple holes in my arm, sees my frown and asks while sticking a needle in me -"oh, you don't like needles?"... dumbass)

Being aware of your environment can help. Yes, you can't control the air while biking outside, but in the car you can turn on the a/c, at home you can get rid of carpets, use air filters etc. which can really get rid of pollen/dust mites in the air. Having a safe haven for your body can help reduce the swelling and sensitization developing in your throat and nose.

[CSIRider]

I am generally VERY miserable during spring and fall because I have strong reactions to mostl allergens apparently, especially tree and grass pollen, and leaf mold.

I almost don't want to share the following for fear that if I do the near-tolerable situation I've been in for over a month will suddenly deterioriate back to what I usually experience.

In any case, what I've thus far been having some luck with this year is:

- Bioallers Tree Pollen. This is one of those homeopathic concoctions that comes in a little bottle with an eyedropper, that you use to put 10-15 drops under the tongue three or four times a day. Apparently this has several pollens in it that give your immune system time to build up defenses before the seasonal onslaught starts. Many health food stores carry Bioallers products (grass pollen, mold, etc). Runs about $9 a bottle - lasts two-three weeks.

- I also use Nasocort - one of those prescribed steriod sprays.

- And I take either Claritin- D or Sudafed non-drowsy (the little red pills) when I need them to be alert and energetic, but not routinely because I understand (I can't confirm this) that they lose their effectiveness with repeated use.

Having said all this, I am still somewhat fatigued, irritable at times, and my power output on my CSI has plummeted. But I would say - again fingers crossed - that the misery I usually encounter this time of the year has diminished considerably.

Thanks for posing the question.

[shoe]

drink lots of water. rinse your face after riding. what you eat can help to. i try to avoid dairy eat more fruit and vegetables and just eat cleaner...won't cure you but will help. dave

[Ray]

All the meds others have recommended are good - I've been on every frickin' one of them at one time or another. You need a good doc to think about what might work, but there's a LOT of trial and error involved. I have all sorts of allergies (not just seasonal), terrible sinuses, asthma, and a thing called Samter's Triad, which is a combination of asthma, nasal (and sinus) pollyps, and allergy to aspirin. I've had sinus surgury (about 6 year ago) and will probably need it again at some point or two in my lifetime.

A combination of allergy shots, Allegra D, nasarel (like nasonex, but they're all a little different), Advair for the windpipes, and singulair work pretty well for me. But you gotta suffer to sing the blues, and I still sing 'em a lot. Allergies are a problem you live with and manage - you don't really cure. I was concerned that all of these meds were gonna kill me, but my docs have assured me that if nothing else gets me, I can be hacking and wheezing well into my '80s. My Dad had pretty much all of the same stuff and he lived to 88, hacking, wheezing, and blowing his nose on a pretty regular basis.

And, yeah the desert southwest - stay the he!! away from there. It used to be the cure, but then all the dummies who moved there to get away from their allergies wanted green lawns and trees and flowers like they remembered from back home. So now there's LOADS of pollen out there AND the air is dry and windy so that Pollen doesn't sit on you car and house like it does back east - it's ALL in the air. Tucson's pretty much outlawed non-desert vegetation (for water conservation purposes) and I suspect its getting better there, but I'd still stay away. I grew up there and it was heaven when I was a kid, but by the time I was a young man, it was horrible. I can barely go back to visit any more.

-Ray

[palincss]

I have gotten Claritin at Walgreens, but I am open any suggestions (the Claritin helps somewhat, but doesn't do much for me). I have an appointment with my doctor next week.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Seeing your doctor would have been my #1 suggestion. In my case, Flonase worked wonders. Everybody who moves here gets seasonal allergies, too, it seems.