Allergies Suck

Ganluan

I think I posted a while about allergies raping my face, and was hoping for some more advice from people here.

I've been taking Claritin D (since Loratadine seems to work fairly well and Pseudophedrine works a lot better than that new crap they put in Sudafed PE), but lately even that isn't working well enough. Normally, my allergies appear a bit in the morning but subside during the day.

However, because I pissed off some deity somewhere, the day after playing golf my allergies are unbelievable. Right now I'm at work trying to breathe and probably look like I'm on something because my eyes are so red.

I only take the medicine when they're getting particularly bad or BEFORE I'm doing something I know will aggravate them (golf, yardwork, etc.) but lately that doesn't seem to work. Is there a stronger prescription medicine I should ask my doctor about? Does anyone have other recommendations? Would something like a humidifer or some kind of filter really make a difference? We have 3 pets but pet allergies haven't been an issue before.

Neaden

I believe Claratin-D should be taken every day if you want it to have an effect, not just when you think you will need it.

EggyToast

I got a prescription for Nasonex/fluticasone from my doc, for mild allergies. Since going on it, I haven't had a single day of runny or clogged nose. I love the shit. I can breathe every damn day.

Bonus for having no negative side effects, unlike the occasional light-headedness of pseudoephedrine.

Usagi

Neaden wrote: »

I believe Claratin-D should be taken every day if you want it to have an effect, not just when you think you will need it.

This. I take Claritin year-round to keep my allergies in check, and if I stop for even a day or two I end up having an allergy attack.

urahonky

Xyrtec is infinitely better than Claratin-D. At least it was for me.

Nasal sprays work really well too.

Ganluan

Usagi wrote: »

Neaden wrote: »

I believe Claratin-D should be taken every day if you want it to have an effect, not just when you think you will need it.

This. I take Claritin year-round to keep my allergies in check, and if I stop for even a day or two I end up having an allergy attack.

Wow really? Claritin D costs a lot more than generic Claritin (which just has the Loratadine) - I wonder if that would work well taking it every day?

I'll have to check out Zyrtec, is there a non-prescription strength?

EggyToast

Ganluan wrote: »

Usagi wrote: »

Neaden wrote: »

I believe Claratin-D should be taken every day if you want it to have an effect, not just when you think you will need it.

This. I take Claritin year-round to keep my allergies in check, and if I stop for even a day or two I end up having an allergy attack.

Wow really? Claritin D costs a lot more than generic Claritin (which just has the Loratadine) - I wonder if that would work well taking it every day?

I'll have to check out Zyrtec, is there a non-prescription strength?

Zyrtec is OTC. Claritin D is just 10mg loratadine and a 24hr dose of pseudoephedrine, so you could get them in generics separately. I believe the dose is 240mg, since I think a single pill is 30mg.

Usagi

EggyToast wrote: »

Ganluan wrote: »

Usagi wrote: »

Neaden wrote: »

I believe Claratin-D should be taken every day if you want it to have an effect, not just when you think you will need it.

This. I take Claritin year-round to keep my allergies in check, and if I stop for even a day or two I end up having an allergy attack.

Wow really? Claritin D costs a lot more than generic Claritin (which just has the Loratadine) - I wonder if that would work well taking it every day?

I'll have to check out Zyrtec, is there a non-prescription strength?

Zyrtec is OTC. Claritin D is just 10mg loratadine and a 24hr dose of pseudoephedrine, so you could get them in generics separately. I believe the dose is 240mg, since I think a single pill is 30mg.

To be more specific, I take 10mg of loratadine in generic OTC form every day, sometimes the CVS version, sometimes the Walgreens version. I don't need the decongestant if I don't have allergy symptoms, so I avoid the medications with additional pseudoephedrine and the plain antihistamine generic is hells of a lot cheaper.

I tried both Allegra and Zyrtec and found that the Claritin worked better for me, but to each his/her own.

Ganluan

I'll probably start taking the 10mg Loratadine pills every day then, especially with the weather changing (which seems to cause a lot of the flare ups). If it doesn't seem to help I'll give Zyrtec a shot.

tsmvengy

Yes, allergies suck a lot. If you're taking claritin (or generic equivalent) you should take it every day no matter what your symptoms are. And look into taking the generic if you're taking brand-name. I think Alavert makes a version with sudafed included that is cheaper than Claritin.

I think my body got used to Claritin after a while - it seemed like it wasn't working. I switched to Zyrtec equivalent and am doing a lot better.

Also if your allergies are still bad after taking Claritin every day look into getting a prescription for Flonase (there are generics as well).

Thanatos

Allegra worked way better for me. It's not OTC, but it's good stuff, IMO.

GameHat

For what it's worth,

I use three products for my allergies:

Fluticasone nasal spray (a prescription)
Cetrizine Hydrochloride (OTC generic equivalent of Zyrtec)
Benadryl (usually generic equivalent)

I used to take Claritin (or a generic equivalent) but I found the generic Zyrtec OTC to be more effective.

I'd rate what I use or what I have used as follows:

Claritin - 40%. Works OK, no side effects. But not terribly powerful.
Cetrizine Hydrocholoride (Zyrtec equivalent) OTC - 60%. Better than Claritin. No side effects.
Fulticasone - 80%. Pretty good. No side effects. Requires a prescription, gets expensive. Nasal sprays are annoying. They drip down the back of my throat and taste awful. I typically only use when my allergies are bad.
Benadryl - 90%. Takes care of allergic symptoms. But as a side effect they make me sleepy as hell. I can't use them on working days because of this (safety, industrial/chemical lab). Taken only as a last resort when I don't have to be working for 12 hours or so.

Good luck!

Thanatos

Benadryl is pretty universally acknowledged as hands-down the most effective antihistamine on the market.

Unfortunately, the side effects make it non-viable for days when you have to be doing anything, though there's nothing wrong with taking them before bed on particularly bad days (you probably don't want to make a habit of it, because they can cause dependence).

Hypatia

My boyfriend has some really horrible allergies and this last summer we invested in a really high quality air filter that we would turn on at night in the bedroom. He has the same problems with allergy medication not working well some of the time.

The air filter at night makes a -huge- difference. I have a vague theory that having some downtime where your body isn't trying to breath through all kinds of crap in the air makes it work better during the day, but I have no idea really.

But yeah, I'd highly recommend getting a really nice air filter, if you need a suggestion for brand just PM me or let me know and I can tell you what we got. It's based on square footage and it means you can't have your windows open at night but it was a real life saver for us. (This isn't to say you stop taking your allergy pills, keep taking them but it helps a ton).

GoodOmens

Hypatia wrote: »

My boyfriend has some really horrible allergies and this last summer we invested in a really high quality air filter that we would turn on at night in the bedroom. He has the same problems with allergy medication not working well some of the time.

Yeppers. A good air filter is a life saver.

Also, if you allergies are worse in the morning, it's likely a result of your bedding. Could be the material it's made of, or else fibers or spores trapped in the fabric. Might be worthwhile to invest in hypoallergenic bedding materials, and make sure you launder your sheets frequently.