MY ALLERGIES ARE KILLING ME!!!!

[Mike in Seattle]

OK...something that works for me and a lot of people with sinus & allergy problems - do a Google on "neti pot." It will sound truly bizarre and gross, but you tilt your head to the side, pour a saline solution in one nostril and let it run out the other and it clears out your sinuses. It takes a little getting used to, but I used to have at least one sinus flare-ups every couple of months, and usually 2-3 head colds every winter. Since starting to use this in the fall of '04, I haven't had a cold or sinus infection. I used to take Tylenol Sinus two or three days a month for headaches - again, not anymore. The one I use is SinuCleanse and they have them at Walgreen's. Making your own solution, instead of using the pricey little packets, is easy - 1 cup warm water, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of baking soda & stir.

OK, let's all go "EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" together...

 

[scotrace]

Is this hot? No, it is not!

But I s'pose if it works...

Not something to spring on a first date...

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Needless to say, when I get around to doing an avatar of myself, you may see 40's attire and a fedora, but that's ONE thing you won't see.

 

[Pilgrim]

Ah! Beconase is the other topical steriod I was thinking of. yes, it's equally effective. Thanks for mentioning it. grass and pine tree pollen seem to be my hot buttons, but I also think my allergies are becoming less severe as I age. My doctor says that's not unusual, and that allergies tend to trouble younger people more.

And of course, generic Loratidine rather than the brand name drug is the way to go. I used the brand name Claritin because I knew people would recognize it. I'm big on taking generics - I seldom buy any brnad name drug unless it's called for by a prescription.

Chlortrimeton, Allerest and the related drugs definitely have a sedative effect. Most of them are clearly labeled to tell you not to drive or operate equipment while you're taking them. That's the big adantage of loratidine and the other new non-drowsy antihistamines that are now on the market...you can take them and keep on doing what you need to do.

Incidentally, I find that as the years pass, drugs like chlortrimeton afect me much more than they did when i was a teenager. At age 18, I could load up on Allerest, Teldrin and other stuff and still keep going all day. Now if I tried that at age 55, I'd be in nappy land within an hour.

 

[mysterygal]

But I s'pose if it works...

Not something to spring on a first date...

lol well, it would make for a pretty interesting ice breaker!

 

[Brad Bowers]

It's weird, usually by this time of year I've had a month or two of really bad allergies. So far, hardly a sniffle or a sneeze. I wonder what the difference is?

For those that are suffering, my sympathies are with you.

Brad