Allergies

[QTOFFER]

My allergies are acting up big time this week. My nose is stuffed, I have bad post-nasal drip, and I have coughing fits that make me sound like a barking sealion.

The same thing happenned last year right around July 4 - I was diagnosed with seasonal asthma and given an inhalant that cleared up the problem in a few days.

Yesterday, the doctor listened to my lungs and said they sounded clear - no asthma. He prescribed a nasal spray decongestant/steroid and a bottle of cough syrup - I picked them up this afternoon.

This cough syrup is absolutely vile! It smells like MelaFix, and probably doesn't taste much better! The only upside is that it contains codeine, so I will be in cough-free sleepyland soon.

Just letting everyone know - in case my posts become incoherent, it's the cough syrup at work!!

 

[Menagerie]

I have coughing fits that make me sound like a barking sealion.

Could you please record that and post it along with a real sealion. I think we should judge it for ourselves.

Sorry to hear about the allergies I have been sort of allergy free since my bout with bronchitis.

 

[talloulou]

Hope you feel better and enjoy that codeine!

 

[TankGirl]

Ask your doctor about Astelin, an antihistamine nose spray that you use every day and it does wonders to prevent the reaction in your nose that winds up in your bronchial tubes and in your chest. A lot of people find that they can go off much of their inhalant medication after they started it.

My allergies are getting worse and worse the older I get, and lately it seems like it is getting worse month to month, so I feel your pain! Chicken soup

 

[zacdl]

Man mine are bad too. Have been all summer. Every single pill out there I have become immune to.

 

[Lepomis]

I feel your pain. Allergies and asthma what a joy just throw in the third point of the triangle the lovely eczema/dry skin and you got it made. Along with myself I have the pleasure of having a 4 and 2 year old in the same boat. Singular, Advair, albuterol, flonase, zyrtec, pulmicort respules, etc......then of course the endless supply of oral steroids and antibiotics. You name it we got it somewhere. It seems like a nebulizer is running at my house 24/7. My pharmacist just shakes his head as soon as I walk through the door. Good news is I have already accumulated enough receipts to file itemized medical claims this next year.

 

[An t-iasg]

QTOFFER, and everyone, I'm sorry to hear about your allergies. I have them bad too -- all the environmental and quite a number of food allergies too. Lepomis, you're lucky that you can take Advair. I can't tolerate that inhaled steroid, so I have to take (and pay for!) Serevent and Pulmicort. I have recently begun to take Spiriva and I do feel that it's helping. I hope your kids feel better too.

 

[Lepomis]

Both my kids on the pulmicort (twice a day). It really has made a difference for them really impressive how well it works for them. I like the Advair, only downside I can't get enough water. I can get buy without it some months of the year. My concern now is all the things I was allergic to as a kid (went through several years of shots to desensitize me to the allergin) are starting to bother me again and found out last fall seafood is no longer a good idea either. So I will have to live with it from here on out. I chucked what cologne I had a few months ago and will most likely be looking at having a lawn service unless my wife starts to mow.

 

[SpikeAZ]

Note that I'm not giving medical advice, just shouting out some options,

Cytokines and leukotrienes (some of the inflammatory mediators of the body) are derived from arachadonic acid. Animals products (diary, meat) are promoters of arachadonic acid (a psuedo-essential fatty acid, but the body can produce it). Therefore one option may be to try a two week elimination diet with fish oil supplementation (increases omega 3 fatty acids and decreases inflammation) and see if it helps (I'm not a vegetarian, but when allergy season comes around, I tend to eat less animal products).

If you have a plethora of sinus congestion, a netti pot of saline 2-3x/day can be extremely useful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neti_pot

A HEPA filter for the home along with a HEPA vacuum can help as well.

 

[TankGirl]

If you can't find a netti pot just use a bulb syringe or even a large medical syringe - (heck, a turkey baster!) - twice a day in the shower. It is very strongly recommended for anyone with any kind of chronic nasal/sinus/allergy condition. Kindof weird when you start but you get used to it. I work for allergists and this is recommended to everyone.

 

[Jchillin]

Sorry to hear about your allergies Andy. I for one suffer the occassional post-nasal problem during the spring.

This cough syrup is absolutely vile! It smells like MelaFix, and probably doesn't taste much better!

I wouldn't suggest making a taste comparison, but just to be sure....

 

[An t-iasg]

In addition to what TankGirl recommends, I would suggest this for post-nasal drip. I fill an empty 24 oz. water bottle with distilled water, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. I found that the sea salt works best for me. Table salt has too much of a salty taste. The sea salt grains are larger, so not as much of them make up 1/2 teaspoon, so you don't get the overwhelmingly salty taste at the back of your throat.

Shake that up and use as your saline rinse. I just pour a bit into my hand and sniff it up. I have way too much of a gag reflex to use the netti pot method. QTOFFER, you can also use this nasal saline therapy with your prescription nasal spray. I do the saline rinse and about 15-20 minutes later, I use my nasal spray. I also use the saline rinse about 5 times a day during the really bad allergy season.