Allergy misery - help me Obi Wan Flist!

[stormkeeper_lovedoris]

I've been in denial about having allergies for years. But the bottom line is that my throat has been filled with icky mucus for weeks; I constantly have to either clear my throat or swallow the icky stuff.

Do neti pots work? Any other ideas?

Comments

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I just used one for the first time the other day, after resisting for years. They feel really weird, and kind of icky in a "oh god, I have water flowing through the back of my nose!" kind of way, but it did definitely clear things out.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Cool - thanks for sharing your experience!

[rivulet027.livejournal.com]

tea is great

sudafed during the day and nyquil (or generic brand of) at night. But it can't be the stuff you just walk into the store and buy...that stuff is not worth anything you're spending. You have to get the stuff behind the counter that they make you show your licease for and sign a form promising not to make meth out of. If it doesn't have pseudoephedrine it doesn't do anything.

Um, yeah I have a routine to go with my chroic sinus infections.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Ooh, this is great info - thanks! No over the counter stuff for me.

Oh, where to start...

[denisia.livejournal.com]

Since I'm allergic to, like, everything, let's chat. :)

I have something like a neti pot; it's a sinus rinse (http://www.neilmed.com/usa/sinuflo.php) and it works on the exact same principle/method of action. I find that it does help, and it also helps with my migraines because a lot of them are based in sinus issues.

To get rid of the mucus/etc. you have right now: when I get stuffy that way, I use a cocktail of Mucinex (plain, not the one with anything added to it) and Sudafed PE. That combination thins the mucus and helps your sinuses get rid of it.

However, I do still have to take an antihistamine every day. I like Zyrtec. The problem with a sinus wash/Sudafed is that it's going to help clear your sinuses and get rid of the immediate problem, but it's not an antihistamine, so your body is still going to react when it comes into contact with an allergen.

For everyday allergy control you really want to do whatever you can to be proactive and keep your environment allergen-free. It can help if you can pinpoint when and where you are when your allergies start to act up.

I have a small HEPA filter at home (you can get them online for under $100) and I'm maniacal about vacuuming and keeping hypoallergenic bedding, etc. If you don't want to take Zyrtec or another medicine, cutting down on the allergens at home can be a big help on its own.

Also, this stuff is pretty fantabulous (http://www.earthsbalance.biz/shopping/staticpage.asp?staticpage=danderfree.asp) on cutting down on kitty dander, if that's part of the issue. My boys get sprayed with this stuff every week and it takes me about three minutes.

Re: Oh, where to start...

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I personally leave out the Sudafed and rely on the rinses when it's really bad. But Zyrtec works for me with keeping the allergies themselves down.

Re: Oh, where to start...

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

Cool - thanks!

Allergies are very common it seems.

Re: Oh, where to start...

[trixtah.livejournal.com]

I'm mainly going by memory. :-) I haven't had a bad allergy outbreak since I moved away from Auckland 12 years ago. Some places are definitely more allergy-inducing than others!

Re: Oh, where to start...

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

This is great info - thank you. I will try the sinus rinse and your cocktail.

I'm not 100% sure what I'm allergic to but I suspect it's seasonal, the stuff outdoors. But I never considered that it might also be the cats. Maybe I can try Dander Free too.

Re: Oh, where to start...

[denisia.livejournal.com]

I hope it helps!

It really can help a lot to pinpoint what you're allergic to or what's triggering you. Even if you just take a moment to write down the time of day, and where you are, when your allergy symptoms crop up, it can go a long way to helping you figure out what is triggering you. You also might want to look at the pollen forecast--the Weather CHannel website has that--and see if you're worse on the days when the pollen count is high.

Also, if things get really bad, you might want to consider the allergy testing that nytshd3 mentioned. It's horrible (I've been through it twice) but it does help you identify your allergens. Most allergists will immediately try to get you taking all sorts of meds, which I wouldn't recommend--but you can always just go to them for testing and then walk away with that info.

[banee-noel.livejournal.com]

I've heard those work, don't know from personal experience. I'm sure someone on my f-list awhile back talked about them, I'm not even sure they sell them in Canada.

The only thing I've ever used, aside from Advil Cold and Sinus, is sticking my head under a towel over a very hot bowl of water. Very boring way to pass the time, but like you can find much else to do when you feel that awful.

[stormkpr.livejournal.com]

:) So true.

[nytshd3.livejournal.com]

it might also help to pay attention to when you get icky (or more icky) - is it better (or worse) at home? inside? outside? do you notice it getting better or worse after eating? after eating certain foods?

also, keep in mind that over the past few weeks, you've been moving, and that means lots of dust getting stirred up, and the allergens at your new place will be different than what you're "used to" so that might be impacting you too.

trying a neti pot is worth it - if it turns out to be all you need, it means you won't have to load yourself up with drugs like the rest of us have to :)

[nytshd3.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, you also might consider going to an allergy doctor and have them test you to see what you're allergic to. my sister recently started getting allergy shots (it's too soon for it to have a real impact on her yet but hopefully in a couple months she'll be starting to feel better)