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Reply to "Awful, horrible, ridiculous seasonal allergies only getting worse as I age"
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[quote=Anonymous]I'm the long-winded poster from the recent allergy immunotherapy (sublingual immunotherapy, SLIT) thread whose ENT nicknamed her "Allergy Girl" because my allergies are so bad. I'll try to keep it brief here, but if you want to know anything about SLIT, see my posts and a DP's posts there. If antihistamines aren't cutting it and you can't do allergy shots or nasal sprays, SLIT is amazing. Unfortunately, it's not covered by insurance and is a little pricey, but SLIT can be life-changing for those of us with severe allergies. In the same thread, a DP mentioned that there are sublingual tablets that are covered by insurance that treat a limited number of pollens -- seemed like mostly grasses -- which sounds like a great option for people whose allergens are included in those tablets. I agree with the PPs who mentioned climate change and how the allergy season is getting longer. It's not your imagination, seasonal allergies really are getting worse. The PP who talked about cycling on and off and between different brands of anti-histamines is correct. Claritin is a bad offender when it comes to losing effectiveness. Sometimes it works again if you've been off of it for a while. I've had much better luck with Xyzal which is virtually identical to Zyrtec, but you mentioned that Zyrtec is no longer working for you, so you probably need to switch to something else for a while instead of increasing the dosage. Sorry, I haven't kept up with newer Rx antihistamines and local corticosteroids because Xyzal + SLIT has been working so well for me, so I don't have any suggestions. The PP who mentioned that you have to start it well in advance of your symptoms is also correct. I've been taking Xyzal and previously Zyrtec 365 days/year for probably over 10 years (whenever each was first released as a Rx before becoming OTC), but starting a few weeks or even a month before you think you'll need it should be sufficient. If you take an antihistamine at night, then the drowsiness can be a positive and shouldn't affect you the next day. Here are some non-pharmacological things (in no particular order) that may help reduce your pollen allergies -- some that you probably have already tried and some that seem obvious but they're so basic that it's possible to forget about them: 1. As a PP mentioned, face mask and large glasses/sunglasses when outside. 2. Shower in the evening if possible and change your pillow case daily -- especially if you can't shower in the evening. Washing your hair at night gets the pollen out of it so that you're not breathing it in all night. If that's not possible, try to keep pollen out of your hair by keeping it under a hat while you're outside and wash your face as soon as you get home. 3. Keep separate indoor and outdoor clothes. Change into the indoor clothes as soon as you get home and put the outdoor clothes somewhere where they won't get pollen all over your home. 4. Outdoor shoes off as soon as you get inside. Switch to slippers. When guests visit, if they keep their shoes on, have a family member vacuum/mop soon after they leave. 5. High-quality vacuum with HEPA filter, high (12+) MERV HVAC filter, HEPA filters in your bedroom and any rooms where you spend a lot of time. 6. Keep windows closed. 7. Recirculate the air in your car*. Have the cabin air filter changed often -- at least once/year even if the owner's manual says every other year or less often. Keep car windows closed*. *if you're alone or with household members. If sharing a vehicle with a non-vaccinated, non-household member then COVID-19 precautions trump allergy precautions. 8. Limit time outdoors, especially in the morning, on high-pollen days, and on windy days. It sucks, but the allergy symptoms suck more. I find that it actually temporarily gets worse right after it rains but then it gets better. 9. Neti pot. It's actually not as bad as one would expect. Still not great, but again the allergy symptoms suck more. If the Neti pot scares you, there are other saline nasal rinses in squeeze bottles that aren't as intimidating. 10. Eye drops. Even OTC just to lubricate and rinse your eyes out.[/quote]
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