Spring Allergies

TelPerian · Post by **TelPerian** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:33 pm

How do you all deal with spring allergies on your rides? What are you allergic to? I'm allergic to tree pollen and I woke up all itchy and sneezy. Going to be an interesting ride this morning...

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 12:53 pm

I have prescription nose sprays for my tree-pollen-and-so-much-more allergies, which helps. But keeping the wind out of my face with a face shield on my helmet seems to protect me from the worst of it.

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:55 pm

I am allergic to pollen, dust, cats, and a million other things. I take Allegra (D) AND Zyrtec once a day per my pharmacist step-mother's instructions. She had me on a nasal spray one like Flonase for a while before I started the Allegra, but despite getting rid of all of my nasal allergies it gave me gnarly nose bleeds. They all do a pretty good job... but still aren't 100% effective. So I wear a bandana over my nose and mouth most of the time, with any of my helmets (some with, some without face shields), to at least keep a good portion of the pollen out, breathing in car (or other bike) exhaust isn't exactly great for your health either

Sometimes I wear goggles instead of glasses if it is a super high pollen day (according to my local weatherman, who is usually wrong anyway) because my eyes get watery and itchy, they help, but again, not 100%.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:56 pm

I don't really have allergies, but sometimes the ridiculous amount just gets to you anyway, so I'll take some Benadryl.

Sneezing in a FF helmet sucks...

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:50 pm

My allergies have been horrendous for months. (No, I have not seen an allergist. Yes, I probably should.) I build up tolerance to the meds pretty quickly so alternate between over the counter Allegra, Zyrtec and Claritin, doing each for a few days to a week then switching.

It helps a bit but most of the time I'm sniffly, runny, congested-y. I carry tissues in my jacket.

VERY glad I have a modular helmet. A full face would be a biohazard by now.

I have had to pull over due to sneezing fits. Yay.

skully93 wrote:I don't really have allergies, but sometimes the ridiculous amount just gets to you anyway, so I'll take some Benadryl.

I take Benadryl when I need to knock myself out for international flights. I could take it recreationally, but a 15-minute high followed by 5 hours of sleep followed by a day of wooziness isn't all that fun.

Needless to say, I cannot take Benadryl and ride a scooter.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:56 pm

ericalm wrote:I take Benadryl when I need to knock myself out for international flights. I could take it recreationally, but a 15-minute high followed by 5 hours of sleep followed by a day of wooziness isn't all that fun.

Needless to say, I cannot take Benadryl and ride a scooter.

The exact same active ingredient in Benadryl at a similar dose is sold as a sleeping pill.

Skootz Kabootz · Post by **Skootz Kabootz** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:57 pm

Boy do I feel fortunate after reading this thread. I am allergic to nothing but Penicillin. You all have my heartfelt sympathy.

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:07 pm

Switching off of and back on to Zyrtec is actually not a good idea. It's still one of the black-box meds that you're really not supposed to drive ANYTHING while taking because of the drowsiness side-effect (and you can get in big trouble for it if you get pulled over for suspicion of DUI and they somehow find it in your system).
I know everyone is affected differently, but when I run out of Zyrtec before grabbing a new bottle, or even locating the samples that my step-mom sends me all the time (I really should keep track of where I put them), I'm down for the count for at least two days when I start taking it again. I end up being extremely drowsy and grumpy. Occasionally it's bad enough that I have to have someone drive me to and from work... so I try my best to not run out of it anymore. After taking it again for a few days I'm all good, but those first couple days back on it after forgetting to buy more are miserable.

Claritin works for very few people, and generally only those with extremely mild allergies. It took me about a week to realize it was about as useful for treating my allergies as a cube of sugar.

In general, antihistamines need to be taken daily to really be successful, they need to be built up into your system if you want them to work, so switching to a different one every week is just not going to do you any good.

EDIT: I will add this, because I have absolutely horrible allergies, all year long... taking both Allegra AND Zyrtec daily has worked miracles for me for nasal, skin and eye allergies. I have very few sneezing fits anymore (really only when I go to my sister's house.. she had 5 cats at one point, and is now down to 2, her house is also filled with lots of knick knacks and things and is very dusty), and I can usually tolerate the worst of the high pollen season with minimal discomfort.
The one and only allergy-related problem I still have every once in a while are itchy and watery eyes. I was told to start using some fancy pants eye drops that cost more money than my discomfort is worth... and I'm convinced that it was one of the mascaras that I was using, because I barely ever have the problem now that I wear mascara very infrequently.

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:19 pm

AWinn6889 wrote:Switching off of and back on to Zyrtec is actually not a good idea. It's still one of the black-box meds that you're really not supposed to drive ANYTHING while taking because of the drowsiness side-effect (and you can get in big trouble for it if you get pulled over for suspicion of DUI and they somehow find it in your system).
I know everyone is affected differently, but when I run out of Zyrtec before grabbing a new bottle, or even locating the samples that my step-mom sends me all the time, I'm down for the count for at least two days when I start taking it again. I end up being extremely drowsy and grumpy. Occasionally it's bad enough that I have to have someone drive me to and from work... so I try my best to not run out of it anymore. After taking it again for a few days I'm all good, but those first couple days back on it after forgetting to buy more are miserable.

Well, that could explain the lethargy I've been feeling lately.

Guess I should find a doctor.

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:28 pm

ericalm wrote: Well, that could explain the lethargy I've been feeling lately.

Guess I should find a doctor.

I've never been to an allergist, because I pretty much already know of everything that I'm allergic to, and I don't want to be put on any crazy ridiculous drugs that don't do much more than the OTC stuff does anyway ( at twice the cost and with more side-effects). My regular doctor had no idea what to do with me after the Claritin I was given did nothing, so I gave up on seeing her about it too.

What you need to do is make friends with a good Pharmacist, or at least have a long talk with the one at your local Pharmacy. As long as they are an actual Pharmacist, not a tech, or a rep, you should be able to get some really good info on what to do to deal with severe allergies.
Thankfully I used to live with one, and she made sure I had all the info I needed to make my own decisions. Even though she and her daughter are like Skootz, allergic to nothing but Penicillin, she had plenty of knowledge to get me through some miserable years of figuring out exactly what would work for me.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:30 pm

I've been on weekly shots for about a year now, and am just about to the point of needing monthly maintenance. But honestly, some days I think it's not worth it. The whole idea of giving you injections of what you weren't allergic to until recently in order to make you not allergic again seems counter intuitive. But I'm not a doctor.

I also take a swig of local honey every morning, and tried this stuff for a while. Friends have told me it works great, it uses the same idea as the shots - but in an over the counter way.

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:52 pm

I am relatively allergy-free; however, I have until recently been plagued nearly nonstop, year-round, with nasal congestion and sinus headaches for a few years.

For the last few years, I've been getting at least two bouts of sinusitis a year, and bronchitis once a year. The bronchitis is usually sinusitis that drips down into my lungs... but sometimes not. The first time I had bronchitis it was REALLY BAD, took 3 rounds of antibiotics to kill it. I've had it up to 3 times a year, on top of the sinus infections, since then (this has been since maybe '05).

At some point in my life, somebody told me about the neti pot. Never heard of it? Curious little teapot-shaped thing. You put boiled water, or warmed up sterile bottled water, into it, then mix up a prepackaged amount of sodium to produce a ph level similar to the body's ph level, bend over a sink, and pour it into a nostril. When done properly (at the right angle, while not panicking over how strange it is), all the water goes through your nasal sinus cavity, gently rinsing it out, and comes out your other nostril. Blow nose, repeat the other direction. Feels pretty darn good if you are sick and stuffy, and really clears you out. When done consistently (up to twice a day, I think... don't quote me; I did it every other night unless I was really bad off), it helps cut down on congestion, drainage, runny noses and I've had other people tell me it cut down on how itchy their nose was when their allergies flared, or that it helped lessen allergies a little.

For me, it really helped lessen the frequency of the infections and clear up my congestion, I always recommend them to friends with congestion problems. My doctor also prescribed me Flonase as a preventative for irritation and congestion, which combined with the use of the neti pot (which is now much less) has cut out my sinus problems altogether- I haven't been sick in months, since sometime in the early fall (knock on wood), and I was fine all summer before that! I've been amazed at the combination.

Those of you who are willing to put your fears aside should DEFINITELY try a neti pot. If you don't like the teapot, the company (NeilMed) also makes a squeeze bottle, although I didn't like how that worked as much. I got mine at a Target, but I'm sure you could find it at CVS or Walgreen's also- they run about $20 and come with a bunch of salt packets.

You may have heard news stories a while back about people dying because of deadly bacteria getting to their brain from the use of neti pots- that's only because they were dumbasses and used tap water instead of sterile water. Just so you know.

As for other allergies... I found out in the hospital that I'm allergic to Dilaudid. I kept telling everybody I was fine. I was convinced I was fine. Looking back, I was not fine. I was on it for maybe the first 4 days I was there, and it sure did a swell job of killing the pain... cause I could move enough to scratch all the places I was itching. Which was EVERYWHERE. It made me itch like a MANIAC. CRAZY PERSON.

EDIT because, this was one of the first funny videos I ever saw on the internets and it still makes me laugh. And it's relevant.
Not for the faint of heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQm7YpxgOnA (Sorry, still haven't figgered out embedding...)

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:04 pm

Not to mention that there are some really fun to watch neti pot YouTube videos!

AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:06 pm

LunaP wrote: Those of you who are willing to put your fears aside should DEFINITELY try a neti pot. If you don't like the teapot, the company (NeilMed) also makes a squeeze bottle, although I didn't like how that worked as much. I got mine at a Target, but I'm sure you could find it at CVS or Walgreen's also- they run about $20 and come with a bunch of salt packets.

You may have heard news stories a while back about people dying because of deadly bacteria getting to their brain from the use of neti pots- that's only because they were dumbasses and used tap water instead of sterile water. Just so you know.

They also sell them at good ol' Wally World.
My bf refuses to take any meds other than Aleve once in a while, so as far as his mild allergies go, he lives by this thing.
(Except if we go to my crazy cat-lady sister's house... then he's just miserable and suffers through it).
I use the squeeze bottle one once in a while when I feel a sinus infection coming on (I usually get them once or twice a year with the change of seasons) or when my allergies get really bad (which is extremely rare these days). It's a little uncomfortable at first, but it does work wonders.
The mixture is non-iodized salt and baking soda btw, so you don't HAVE to buy the packets from NeilMed after you use up all of the ones that come with the pot/bottle, you just have to get the mixture right. I can't remember off the top of my head what the measurements are though.

And yes... go to the store and buy yourself a gallon jug of distilled water if you're going to try this, it should last at least a month if you're using the bottle once or twice daily, don't use water from a tap.
I'm pretty sure I've kept the brain-eating amoebas at bay

ed85379 · Post by **ed85379** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:13 pm

I first started developing spring allergies about 3 years ago. The first spring I had them, I thought I just had a really bad cold that wouldn't go away. But someone suggested I try taking a Claritin, and within an hour I felt normal again.

It appears like it is tree pollen that I'm allergic to, but I just take 1 Claritin (Actually, I take Wal-itin, the Walgreens generic version), every day, and it resolves my allergies 100% with zero side-effects.

Jackie F · Post by **Jackie F** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:39 am

In the beginning, I thought I was developing a bad case of allergies, but I believe it was dust from a construction site. My eyes would get watery and, at times which I hated, matte shut. Opening my visor helped me.

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:43 am

i used to have the worst spring allergies imaginable. and summer. seasons changed and i was miserable

i took Claritin for a couple of seasons and it helped A LOT

so much so i don't get allergies anymore even w/o the Claritin

so i used medicine / treatment

DanielPerrin · Post by **DanielPerrin** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:17 pm

For my seasonal allergies, Zyrtec / cetirizine works best for me. Benadryl puts me to sleep. I have noticed the allergies a lot more on the scooter than in the car.

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:04 pm

DanielPerrin wrote:For my seasonal allergies, Zyrtec / cetirizine works best for me. Benadryl puts me to sleep. I have noticed the allergies a lot more on the scooter than in the car.

I must be weird. Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy. I had to take a double dose of it for 2 or 3 hours for a bad spider bite until I could get from work to the doctor, and it made me feel dumb for about 30-40 minutes then I was pretty okay. Besides the spider bite.

redhandmoto · Post by **redhandmoto** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:18 am

Crap crap crap crap.

Last October, began to display allergic symptoms to stuff I'd been exposed to - no, rolling in - all my life: dust, pollens from every known plant, cats, leaf molds, you name it.

The patch test on both forearms looked like angry red stair tread. The generalized inflammation was so extensive - joints, adenopathy, sinuses - that I started getting opportunistic infections and hadda do courses of Zythromax and amoxicillin to get on top of the tonsillitis.

Now I'm getting Omnaris (of which there is a nationwide shortage), Bepreve, Zaditor, Zyrtec, running micropore air filters throughout the house, have been counseled to wear hats and sunglasses outside, to immediately shower on coming back inside, and to consider moving someplace less planty. Like Ulan Bator.

Was sort of holding my own until yesterday a.m., when I had to make a trip out to the country to pick up tags for the new bike.

Slammo. Roaring inflammation, sick as a gut-shot dog. Eating ibuprofen around the clock. Pain, swelling, pain. Totally closed throat, sinuses full of gasoline, awaiting PA call-back, and praying for a 'script for steroids. Googling for Taos info: anybody wanna buy a house in N Virginia?

EDIT: just checked the nat'l pollen map. Taos is out. Looks like coastal S Carolina and Missoula MT are the places to be. And Ulan Bator. Gee, I liked Missoula...hmmm, the only alternative is to become a 'Bubble Boy'...

Redhand thanks you for this opportunity to whine.

agrogod · Post by **agrogod** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:52 am

And if anyone is digging the crazy music from LunaP's video here's the link to it
http://blog.toothpastefordinner.com/ind ... blogid=363

Thanks LunaP, last one on the clip got me chuckling

KABarash · Post by **KABarash** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:57 pm

Yeah well, this year it's been and will be horrendous. Like 'Skootz' I've been lucky, the only known thing I'm allergic to is naturally derived or 'Horse serum' Tetanus (do they even use that anymore???)
But however, pollens are in great abundance this spring and even I have had the 'ichy-eyes-runny-nose' thing going on, damnit......
Makes me wish I can pop my eyes out and swish them around in some cool seltzer water sometimes!

Good luck to all those who are 'real' sufferers, I feel for you......

PeterC · Post by **PeterC** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 5:57 pm

In all the years that I lived in New England, I was never allergic to anything. After we moved to southern AZ, I noticed that during certain seasons I would have sneezing and runny nose episodes, mostly early in the day. After trying several prescription meds with no great success, I settled on the Walmart equivalent of Benadryl, which seems to work quit well, and I've really noticed no drowsiness. The only thing that effectively puts me to sleep is TV; works every time!

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 10:47 pm

agrogod wrote:And if anyone is digging the crazy music from LunaP's video here's the link to it
http://blog.toothpastefordinner.com/ind ... blogid=363

Thanks LunaP, last one on the clip got me chuckling

Hehehe you're welcome, I think it's really the music that makes that clip so funny anyhow... I get it stuck in my head.

OMG Redhand

!!! We should put you in a bubble! You're brave to scoot around with allergies like THAT.

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AWinn6889 · Post by **AWinn6889** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:01 am

LunaP wrote:
DanielPerrin wrote:For my seasonal allergies, Zyrtec / cetirizine works best for me. Benadryl puts me to sleep. I have noticed the allergies a lot more on the scooter than in the car.
I must be weird. Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy. I had to take a double dose of it for 2 or 3 hours for a bad spider bite until I could get from work to the doctor, and it made me feel dumb for about 30-40 minutes then I was pretty okay. Besides the spider bite.

Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy either.
Idk about you, but I definitely AM weird, my old PT/OT guy told me so. Muscle relaxers don't knock me out let alone relax my muscles, pain killers don't make me loopy (though they do give me weird dreams once I finally fall asleep) and one type of migraine medication that is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory, and make you fall asleep, keeps me awake for at least 5 hours more than I normally would be.
It happens though, everything works different with different people.
(Especially allergy meds!)

LunaP · Post by **LunaP** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 12:26 am

AWinn6889 wrote:
LunaP wrote:
DanielPerrin wrote:For my seasonal allergies, Zyrtec / cetirizine works best for me. Benadryl puts me to sleep. I have noticed the allergies a lot more on the scooter than in the car.
I must be weird. Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy. I had to take a double dose of it for 2 or 3 hours for a bad spider bite until I could get from work to the doctor, and it made me feel dumb for about 30-40 minutes then I was pretty okay. Besides the spider bite.
Benadryl doesn't make me sleepy either.
Idk about you, but I definitely AM weird, my old PT/OT guy told me so. Muscle relaxers don't knock me out let alone relax my muscles, pain killers don't make me loopy (though they do give me weird dreams once I finally fall asleep) and one type of migraine medication that is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory, and make you fall asleep, keeps me awake for at least 5 hours more than I normally would be.
It happens though, everything works different with different people.
(Especially allergy meds!)

ME TOO. *cue twilight zone music*
Most muscle relaxers don't make me sleepy... there was one the rx'd me that didnt make me sleepy, but did just kind of suck all the energy out of me- and didn't really help my back. 'Course, I was also depressed at the time due to a divorce so it may affect me differently now. I also seem to have a high tolerance for pain killers, I've never been heavily affected by them until I was in the hospital and on stuff like Morphine

Mostly, they just made me really sleepy. I slept all the time. And yeah, weird dreams.
I take a migraine med that's also an epilepsy medication- Topiramate (that's the generic, the brand is Topamax), and it can have crazy side effects, but I have none... except weight loss. I lost about 50lbs when I started it, it was one of the reasons my Dr chose that medication. One time I ran out of it though, before the generic came out, and had to wait for a paycheck to refill... I hallucinated rain ("Is it raining? I felt a raindrop just now" "No, it's not, the sky is clear..." "Are you sure?"). Turns out it has a few side effects if you stop it suddenly.

kmrcstintn · Post by **kmrcstintn** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:30 am

prescription Flonase (corticosteroid nasal spray); fexofenadine (formerly Allegra prescription) OTC antihistamine; dyphenhydramine (aka: Benadryl) OTC antihistamine; phenylephenrine (aka: Sudafed) OTC decongestant

depending upon severity of symptoms I will use one of the above listed; the benadryl has a major drowsiness side effect on me so I reserve it for use at home