Mort Canard

I have been having a few symptoms of hay fever for a couple of weeks but the last couple of days the allergies have really kicked in. Yesterday I set out to do 24 miles but had to cut it short after just 15 and get back inside. This morning we had some rain so the problem will probably be manageable for the next few days.

I have been using Claritin and one or two other over the counter medicines. I don't particularly like the idea of steroids and the other prescription medicines don't work any better than the over the counter stuff.

Is anyone else fighting allergies? What works for you, or at least helps?

david58

I use Allegra (well, the generic). If you haven't tried it, you should. My doc explained the chemistry differences between the two drugs to me, but that was a while ago. But the upshot was almost instant relief from the symptoms with Allegra, Claritin was just sort of an improvement. I only am really affected by seasonal allergies, but when they hit I have a pretty violent fit of sneezing, eye swelling, and sore throat. Literally only takes minutes for the Allegra to work for me if I take the pill when it first hits.

qcpmsame 

Mort,
I'm very limited in what I can take for allergies and "hay-fever" due to the renal failure so it isn't so much a wide choice variety, it is simply fiinding something that will do anything at all. My pharmacist recommended Mucinex DM (actually formulated for coughs and chest congestion) so I could at least get rid of the drainage. It actually works very well for stopping the sinus drainage and swelling, too. Now if I could just stop the teary, scratchy eyes. My wife is the one that gets laid low by allergies from all the pine. oak and other trees we have on our lot (wooded) that are pumping out pollen so our car and truck are yellow in colour now.

Bill

RonH

I have really bad allergies and heve tried all the otc stuff (Zyrtek, Claritan, etc) and nothing helped.
I talked to the folks at our health food store and the owner recommended taking quercetin. I take 3 capsules in the morning and 3 capsules in the evening. As allergy season goes away I lower the dose. Now I have no allergy problems.

pursuance

Only allergic to indoor cats and black mold.
If I visit someone and they do not have a cat.. They got mold issues. Comes on within 5 minuets.

John E

With your mold sensitivity, you would be a great home inspector.

John E

Fortunately, my allergies come and go. I never take any OTC meds, but I sometimes like a good spicy meal to clear out the ol' sinus cavities.

Retro Grouch 

I have them but they're not too unmanageable.

I take Claritin as needed but buying it requires a prescription in St Charles, the county that I live in. My wife buys it for me over the counter in neighboring St Louis County.

DowneasTTer

I have them as well. The typical animal fur, hay fever stuff since I was a little kid. Always had some kinda of prescription drug with the letter D on it every day. It was a little challenge living in the woods of Maine, burning wood and having pet house rabbits running around. Then retirement and the move to North Central Florida.... end of the allergies right... wrong. I stopped taking anything the day I went to the hospital and found out I was in congestive heart failure. That was a couple of years ago. So now I just deal with the fact that most meds including OTC ones are not in my best interest. The not being able to breathe out of my nose is SO much better than the not breathing at all.

jdon

Oh yes I do but you would never know. Allergies include dust, tree pollens, mold, grass pollens, most flowers, dogs, cats, horses etc. Unfortunately, my allergies trigger asthma as well. Had both allergies and asthma all my life.

I treat them proactively with Patanol for the eyes, Symbicort for the lungs and Nasonex for the nose. Use them first thing in the morning and carry on with a normal life. Cycle through grass, trees, dust, farms, do my woodworking and enjoy the company of our dogs. I don't use any otc meds and have both allergies and asthma well under control.

Mort Canard

Went out to the drug store and got some generic allegra. Will have to check out the quercetin. It seems like every year I have to experiment with what works this year because last year's cocktail doesn't work any more. Of course the season for me is only about a month long and the real serious symptoms only last about 7 to 10 days.

Zinger

Oh yeah and was having some mild bronchitis too before the gods figured what season it is. Prescribed "Nasonex" helped that but it was pretty a mild case. Just before I started riding I had to go through 2 prescriptions of antibiotics for some sinusitis. I used to have real problems with that when I lived in Texas and sometimes had to get "kenalog" shots in the nose just to kick it for century rides. That's a steroid but it seemed to work pretty good at allowing me some riding time before centuries when antibiotics wouldn't finish it off. Mesquite, ragweed and maize used to hit me right in the sinuses when I rode past it down there.

I didn't have too bad a problems with it up here until recently and it's not nearly as bad as it was in Texas. Like I told somebody the other day: It will just set you back sometimes.

Mort Canard

Update, Thanks to some early morning rain that washed the pollen out of the air, I had a pretty good day and was able to get in 32 miles on some rural roads that were just repaved late last fall. Good road and easy breathing and I was happy! Hope to get in at least 20 miles tomorrow.

David Bierbaum

The Yew bushes outside the house will leave white streaks on your clothes if you brush by them. Shake the bush, and it looks like it's on fire from the cloud of pollen that comes out. I had been wondering why my sneezing had picked up these last few days...