I'm just about losing it here.

Reactin isn't working any more, and I doubled up this morning. It's as if I hadn't even taken a pill. I tried Allegra a couple years ago, and I developed a tolerance/immunity, depending on how you want to look at it. I used to use Claritin faithfully for probably 10 years, but they changed the formulation a few years back, and is now ineffective. Heck, even when it rains, and there's no pollen or anything like that in the air, my allergies are still on overdrive. And I was good up until a couple weeks ago, seems like the Reactin is just a bunch of duds now, even with a fresh box.

Short of getting a prescription, what is a guy to do? I guess those 3 I listed are prescription drugs in the US, but I can get them off the shelf up here.

 

Believe it or not, my dad uses local honey for his allergies. A big spoonful on toast in the morning and it really cuts back on his sneezing. Supposedly the bees pollinate plants in the area and this does something with their production of honey. Living out in the country it isn't that hard to find local honey in the store. He had an old timer farmer recommend this a long time ago and he has since rarely had to use over the counter meds.

I haven't tried what my dad uses, but there was a time when I was on 4 different meds for my allergies; three of which were prescriptions. I have bad allergies year round. I don't sneeze much, just my nose runs alot and my chest gets congested. A few months back my symptoms subsided a little, and I have been doing just fine with over the counter meds and haven't had to get a regular prescription.

 

I don't have any allergies, at least nothing worth noting.

 

I can't say what works cause I'm in the same boat. I've tried Claritin non prescription and had semi decent luck. I've tried Allegra and it made me too tired. It's like my body just laughs at allergy meds and I continue to suffer. Doesn't matter what the weather is like, time of year, or whatever.

I hate the feeling most pills give me, and to top it off I'm still sneezing, coughing, can't concentrate, and everything bothers me. I just want to lay down and go to sleep.

I went to a specialist when I was a teenager and started taking shots, six a week, three on Tuesdays and three on Thursdays. Well that didn't last long. I got tired of doing that real fast and quit going.

One thing that helps me on really bad days is a big cup of crushed ice. I breath in the cold air and chew on the ice and it makes me feel a little better.

 

I tried some new stuff rom Tylenol that worked ok, but with me if it has already started it ain't gonna get better. I like you on Claritin also, I use it now and it does absolutely nothin. I'm lookin' for a easy fix also.

 

What worked for me was my yearly shot of some kind of cortisone, looked like milk.

When I lived in Oregon, my allergies went nuclear. When I used the tractor to cut my grass, I was covered with clippings. I would get so red and sniffly and worst of all my eyes would get like a film over them. I could actually see the film wrinkle when I looked in the mirror. And I could actually peel it sometimes. And you don't want to hear what came out of my nose, yuck.

Once I started getting my shots, I could mow the law and get a little sniffly but the eyes were fixed.

The way I might describe it is that if allergies go on a 100 point scale, the shot would protect me up to about 85% of whatever was bothering me. Anything above 85% botherd me but it was WAY reduced. Anything below 85% almost didn't get noticed.

I think it was called Kenalog. Good stuff, but it is a cortisone/steroid with some risks like breakthru bleeding(not a problem for guys), Maybe a dimple in the fat on your butt where they gave you the shot. Not good for someone with heart or diabetic issues. A strain on the kidneys. Could make wound healing slower. I never had problems. Only once a year just before allergy season.

Now that I live is So Cal, I don't need no drugs. At worst I get itchy eyes on occasion.

Jim Henderson

 

You should try "alavert" not the decongestant either it will make you feel all loopy. Get the LORATADINE 10mg disolvables. It works for me. Take one in the AM when I get up and am clear all day.

 

I tried Claritin D and I love it. Much better than regular Claritin. I just hate having the Pharmasist taking down my name and address to get the stuff. Damn methers are ruinning it for everybody.

 

There is some real good information on the internet about bee products. The bee propolis and bee pollen products work very well and the honey is natures antibiotic. There is even some things going on about the use of bee sting therapy for MS and Arthritis. You will have to do a search for this stuff.

 

Zertec worked great for my seasonal allergies.

 

My daughter has real bad allergies. I didn't dust for 2 months to try to get her to move out. She lives on allegra.

 

I use claritin only when my symptoms start, and try stopping it when the weather
report indicates other pollens start from what was initially causing the symptoms.
Any medication will cause tolerance problems with enough use. Try to use them
as sparingly as possible. You might get a copy of the PILL BOOK and see what
is the actual medication you are using, and try rotating to another known different
medication, to keep from devoloping a tolerance.

 

Same here.

 

The honey works! I have lived here all my life, and the allergy symptoms seemed to get worse as I got older. About 4 years ago a local farmer, and old-timer, and I were talking and I started to sneeze. He gave me a bottle of local honey and told me to take a tablespoon at bedtime, and another in the morning. I figured I would try it, but I was skeptical. Ten days later the symptoms lessened, and after another week they all but stopped! I'm still on the honey and off the medication. And, my general health and resistance to colds/flus has improved. But make sure you get local honey; not the kind you buy in the grocery store shipped in from far away............

 

Hmm. We have a honey bee center just 2 minutes down the road from where I live. We'll have to pop in there and try it.