Save me from my allergies!

Just_Bri_Thanks

I am a sniffling, sneezing mess. I am allergic to Florida, it seems; the place I am doomed from which never to escape.

Does anyone have any favored remedies that do not involve prescriptions? Because fuck if I can afford a doctor.

(Pollen, dust, mold. Not pets.)

Sevorak

Any of the OTC allergy medications in the allergy aisle of your nearest drug store? I picked up some Claritin tablets last week when I started to get hay fever symptoms for the first time. Works for me, but it might take trying a few different medications before you find one the works for you.

tsmvengy

Claritin or generic loratadine (same thing)

Zyrtec or the generic is another one that works well.

Quoth

I also use Claritin. I have used Zyrtec but would not recommend it because it made me extremely drowsy.

Aphostile

Claritin (loratadine) is the slow acting, weak allergy medication that does not cause drowsiness but often takes a full day to take real effect.

Zyrtec (Cetirizine) is the once prescription now OTC med that is stronger than claritin and can cause minor drowsiness in some people.

Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is the strongest OTC med in my opinion but it will knock you out.

The generic for zyrtec (cetirizine) works fine in my opinion. You can buy 100 of em from Amazon for like 10 bucks.

Chalkbot

I'll second Claratin (or generic versions). I take it daily and feel quite normal. If I forget, I'm a sneezing, snotting, red-eyed mess.

Small pill, once daily. It will reach full effectiveness after 3-5 days of taking it. No drowsiness or any other side effects that I've encountered.

It's OTC, one thing to note though is that it's supremely cheaper if you buy it in bulk. Your pharmacy will have in it various quanties in boxes, and also bottles of it. Whip out your calculator and figure it out.

corcorigan

I use beclometasone (a nasal spray) for my nose. You can get it without prescription from a pharmacy in the UK, and you can get it as a generic so it's pretty cheap. Works well for me.

DusT_HounD

Seconded on the nasal spray- does the job well for me, and my allergies are pretty bad. You may need to take it every day for a short while initially, but can then try going every other day, every two days etc- a lot of people are put off by steroid sprays, but as long as you use them in moderation, there's no problem.

Thanatos

Costco sells enough Claritin to cover you for the next several years in one cheap bottle. And yeah, of the OTC drugs, it's what I recommend for daytime stuff.

Take diphenhydramine (generic Benadryl) before you go to bed, provided you're going to be sleeping for several hours. It will knock your ass out (it's the sedative in Nyquil, but also the most effective OTC antihistamine on the market).

Hypatia

Also, if you're indoors a lot you can invest in an air purifier and it does wonders for your allergies. Even if you just get one for your bedroom, waking up and not having insta-runny nose is fantastic.

Kris_xK

Use a NetiPot. I have bad alergies too, so I'll periodically use Claritan, but if I find I'm having a run of bad alergies (like, 2 days in a row of constant sneezing, itchy eyes, etc) I'll use the Netipot. It's a bit fucking awkward, but it does work quite well.

It's cheap too.

Just_Bri_Thanks

Someone at work recommended that to me. It sounded just as awkward when he described it.

Deathwing

I've found that the NeilMed sinus rinse works pretty well also, and it seems a lot less awkward than their NetiPot would be.

Just_Bri_Thanks

I can confess to have some serious reservations about washing out my nose like that. I have a family history of restricted sinuses, and things like that spark an irrational reaction that is quite uncomfortable to contemplate.

Cimmerii

Benadryl stopped knocking me out years ago, but it varies from person to person. Also claritin simply doesn't work for some people. I seriously have a box full of samples I'm looking to give away because after trying it for two weeks straight, it did absolutely nothing for me. I currently use zyrtec. (thanks for the heads up on the cheap stuff, Aphostile, kept getting it from grocery stores for like 50c a pill >.<)

Paragon

Cimmerii wrote: »

Benadryl stopped knocking me out years ago, but it varies from person to person.

I was going to reply to the thread saying pretty much this (well, latter part anyway), it's the only thing that works for my girlfriend who is severely allergic to a few things, and it doesn't knock her out.

neville

Definitely go to the doctor when you can. Not because it has to be serious, but because it's best to know what is going on.
If it's seasonal it could be allergies, but it could be something else too.

I usually get a cold in the winter here, which turns into a 2+ month cough I can't shake.
Turns out I have atypical asthma. The previous doctors just all assumed it was some weird allergy we couldn't figure out.

variant

The past week was awful for me, so couple of days ago I got a Neti Pot and it has been a day saver!
Instant relief seconds after I used it.
Use it in the morning to clear out your congestion and then use your prescribed inhaler (flonase/nasonex) about an hour after.