What do you do to combat the allergies?

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

Answers

I cannot tell you how much I sympathize.

From the age of 3 to about 16 I usd to break out every fall and spring with the most horrible allergies which include vats of snot, eye puss and rashes. One year it was so bad I was literally covered from head to foot in pink calamine lotion, walking around like a robot and trying not to sit down. For a few years I had to giive myself shots. I don't know if you are afraid of needles but since that time I've never had a horrible episode. I don't know if I grew out of it or if it was the shots but either way its a beautiful thing.

A few tips:

keep a warm wash cloth handy. This will soothe you and breifly give a little relief. Unfortunately, you will need lotion, as wel,l since if you have dry skin it might cause it to chap a little.

Visine is like nectar from the gods.

If you have trouble sleeping through the night, try sleeping on two pilows that prop up your head. Its weird at first but it keeps the phlegm from strangling you.

Milk is bad. So is chocolate. Oj, hot tea good.

I'll add if I think of anything new. Good Luck!

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

If you are already taking allergy medicine, the only thing I can think of is that maybe you need to have it adjusted. It can't hurt to talk to an allergist.

I sympathize, by the way. Sacramento has the same problem, although the pollen isn't so bad in the winter. (Right now it's the wood smoke.) But everyone here gets allergies, too.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

Oh fuck, ow ow ow ow, Pamie, I am right there with you. This last week has been from hell. I managed to escape the dreaded flu, but I can't escape the Cedar.

I'm one of those people that didn't develop allergies until I moved to Austin, and now, as I write this, my eyes feel like they cracked, my nose is runny and my joints ache from all the sneezing.

My eyes get really, really red from the allergies, plus I wear hard contact lenses, which is a lovely combination. Last night, I thought I was getting Pinkeye.

I use the Visine-A Allergy drops. Those work pretty well. And usually my Claritin does the trick, but lately it's just not working. I'm thinking of getting my doctor to prescribe Claritin D or something stronger.

For those of you who don't live in Austin -- I can't tell you how miserable this town is right now. Everybody here is either down with the flu or up with allergies. Bad, bad, bad...

omar

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

I've lived in Austin for 8 years and I don't have allergies. I kind of wish I did, because then I could have allergy shots and be done with it. I saw an allergist and even though they stuck rows and rows of little needle-y things in me, I didn't have one teeny allergic reaction.

Instead I just have hypersensitive sinuses. Anything can trigger them so I spent lots of time with a red nose or a headache, and a full-fledged infection a couple of times a year. I may not be allergic to cat hair or cigarette smoke but they sure do annoy my stupid prima-donna sinuses. Allergy drugs help if I take them year-round, but they don't stop everything.

So I'm the only person in Central Texas who does NOT have cedar fever this week. Instead, I had a bloody nose from the heater being on and drying up my sinuses. (Although now that it's 80 degrees outside, that's stopped.) And I'm going insane at work with everyone out sick, or coughing and sneezing on me. I'll wait, and have a nasty infection later on when I can stay home alone while the rest of you do my work.

By the way, Flonase definitely helps ... if you start taking it before a big pollen/mold/cedar invasion. I take it year-round along with Semprex-D, which is proving to be one of the most effective antihistamine-decongestants I've taken.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

First off, I have learned the hard way that DayQuil (and nyQuil) seem to have a toxicity level, whereby after about 4 consecutive doses you turn into a raving lunatic. I've got bronchitis right now and the drugs keep making me break down and weep at things like infomercials and lint. I also can't sleep.

I've switched to yellow Triaminic (because it reminds me of my mommy (offering me money to quit hiding and come out and take it)) during the day, and nyquil at night.

For the floating stuff (and heater-induced sinus scalding) I strongly recommend a humidifier. I can't think of the name of mine right now, but it looks like a water cooler, with the clear plastic jug on top. I have tried all the others, and they suck. Get that one. It keeps the air moist, and makes it harder for the pollen to float so much. Does you no good outside, but at home it's very nice. Keeps your throat from being so sore from snoring all night, too.

Too much typing. Need to go lie down again.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

so weird- i was having terrible trouble since moving here, even though i was taking claritin and decomine (sp?), BUT, about 2 weeks ago, i started spraying a steroid thingy (nasonex) up my nostrils, and am having NO ALLERGIES. it's a freakin' miracle, i swear! i was getting steroid ass shots for two months in a row, my allergies were so bad, then i was convinced to do the nose spray- can't believe i suffered so long!

for the bloody nose types, a humidifier or saltine spray are great tools.

keep the tissue industry healthy! goooooo team!

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

I had allergies really bad the first year I lived here. I couldn't do anything. This year, it's not so bad, but I wake up every morning with the sneezes, watery eyes and lungs full of snot. I constantly have that "after-cold" feel where I cough stuff up but I'm not completely miserable. I've got all this Allegra to use but I haven't felt bad enough to use it. I pray my allergies don't get worse.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

Jette - sounds like your sinuses came from the same evil spawn that mine did. Try children's Benadryl - the clear kind (a good-sized shot), and then take a nap. That will knock those headaches right out.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

I've had allergies FOREVER. The things I've found to work for me are Sudafed (the little red pill kind) and some nasal spray who's name escapes me at the moment. But nasal spray is pretty good. What else? Hmmm...hot showers...lots of sleep work too. But those are good all the time:)

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

San Antonio is no better, so I can relate. I've suffered from allergies ever since I moved to Texas with my family when I was a child. I used to have asthma, too, so I spent most of the year fighting allergies or the infections that my asthma and reduced immune system allowed to take hold (I must have had strep at least a dozen times... I swear all someone had to do was say its name and I would catch it! It got so routine I could tell with 100% accuracy whether or not I had strep throat or something else... doctor's stopped even wasting their time and our money running the strep culture on me.) Now I'm an adult and have outgrown my asthma--thank the gods--but I'm still a raving allergic freak this time of year. I've spent the last month feeling like someone's strangling me AND squeezing my head. I sneezed something like sixty times several days ago...my husband threatened to take me to the emergency room it was so bad. By the time the sneezing was over, I felt like a semi had backed over me and decided to remain parked there...my ribcage hurt, my nose was Rudolph red, my eyes were a wonderful Christmasy color of red... no fun.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

I feel victim to Austin's Cedar Fever today (because I haven't been taking my Claritin). Spent almost all day in bed, finally crawled out to go grocery shopping. I made sure to take my medicine before I left, and it worked wonders (Claritin-D 24, fyi). It does work best if you take it daily. I tend to forget, then it makes me groggy the first day or two I start it again.

For the eyes, I once had a dr. give me a tiny trial bottle of some Bausch & Lomb eyedrops. I searched the pharmacy for the same brand, but I think it's prescription-only. It's main ingredient was chrolom, and it was like rain from the gods. 15 min after using eyedrops, even my sniffles would go away. Currently, I take Bausch & Lomb Opcon-A Itching & Redness Relief everywhere I go. It's not as good as the stuff with chrolom, but it works pretty well.

Now, if only I could get rid of my headache, and manage to walk across a room without getting tired....

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

allergies no, but i can sympathize with the dayquil thing. when i was working retail over break and sick as a dog, i was taking it twice a day, along with ibuprofen to combat the aching in my lower back, and i was a complete nut. i terrorized my coworkers and the customers. they sent me home early two days that week because i was such a nut.

dayquil is evil.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

Hmmm, feel should have been fell in my post above.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2000

Never: worse than weeping at them, does Dayquil make you WATCH infomercials? Ick. I'll live with the allergies, thankyouverymuch.

And hey, who doesn't weep at lint?

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2000

Allegra-D. Allergy wonder-drug! I've tried every over-the-counter allergy 'remedy', to no avail. Used Claritin for 2 years and had a headache, but fewer allergy symptoms. Moved on to Claritin-D, worked better, but not good enough.

Then, came my friend, Allegra-D. I am forever indebted to this 12 hour, take on empty stomach or else you get the worst bowel movements, sour taseing at times, Allergy WonderDrug!!!

If you haven't already, try it. As a contact wearing, allergy sufferer for the better part of my 27 years, this is the best 'cure' next to massage therapy.

Hope you're feeling better.........

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2000

Dear Dallas,

Hey! Did you read what Pamie said about Austin? Well, guess what? It's all about you too. Hey, you know what else? It's January. It's 82 degrees outside today. Is this a joke? Let's have some freezes and knock out the freaking pollen, how 'bout it? It's so hot now, the bugs this summer are going to be like a biblical plague.

And another thing: cut it out with the trying to pretend you're Chicago. You're all "Windy City." Well, the pollen and stuff is blowing right up my nose and I don't like it. Every time I walk outside, I sneeze so violently it makes people reach for their concealed weapons.

I don't feel pretty anymore, Dallas. I blame you and your heat and your wind and your airborne allergens.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2000

It was monday. I was working on some time share properties out in Lakeway. It was a beautiful day. Unseasonably warm. I was standing there in shorts and a t-shirt thinking how lucky I am to be back in Austin. I was standing on this deck overlooking a scenic cove that meanders in from Lake Travis. Large homes sat on the other side, complete with boat docks and jet skis. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw what appeared to be wisp of smoke coming off the tops of trees. I tried to find the source when I saw more smoke lifting up closer to me. I thought about calling 911 when a sudden gust came through and like magic every tree in the canyon was tipped with smoke. It wasn't a fire, it was the cedar. The sky was filled with a yellow smog. I felt like I was standing in the Hollywood Hills. Once I ventured out I was overcome with sneezes, aches and chills. My throat closed up and it became hard to drink any water. My eyes felt like they were lined with felt. I felt like the idiot who ventures out into the field when radiation experiments are being conducted. I was miserable until I got home. My girlfriend has a subscription to Claritin--bless her heart. It has been two days and one side of my head is always congested so I don't know how well these pills work. As a matter of fact I think I'll get up right now and take another one. They are supposed to last for 24 hours. I took mine last night at 9. . .close enough.

TL

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2000

claritin gives me anxiety and weird spurts of hyperactivity that actually make me very productive if i'm at work and annoying as hell if i'm anywhere else.

also, when i stopped taking it, the withdrawal was not unlike an acid trip. i got that funky metallic taste in the back of my throat and i felt all tingly and anxious. it felt a lot like the one time i did exctasy (sp?). both sucked! now i take it as i would an otc....whenever i need it rather than daily. it works just fine as a temporary reliever, but wow! daily doses of that stuff is just wild.

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2000

this old dude fights shy of over the counter medications. i take approximately four to five prescriptions a day, one of which is fexofenadine 60 mg. capsules (prescribed by doctor) trade name, "allegra." it seems to work alright, at this late stage of life it seems that particulates from operation of gasoline engines are a lot to blame, plus ordinary dust, which in a dry climate is in the air all the time. the things i was allergic to as a kid were, burning bush, a small plant in flower gardens and russian thistle a.k.a. tumble weed which grew in every vacant lot in denver and the prairies surrounding town. from about age 10 through 18 i took shots in ever increasing dosages. i can still walk hip deep in a field of it when the wind is blowing and not pop a sniffle.......wouldws been fatal as a kid. also i have "blepharitis" which is an inflamation infection type of thing of the eyelashes more or less incurable but controllable by using 3 drops of johnson's baby shampoo in a cup of warm water (small drops) applied gently with a q tip. i am not a doctor - - it does work for me - - but check with your own personal physician and get his/her approval. it was recommended to me by a doctor. the reason i mentioned this was remembering the mornings i woke up with my eyelids glued shut and the constant eye rubbing as a kid i think was the beginning of that complaint.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2000