The Swamp

All it took was a couple of days (finally) above 60 and I feel like shit.



I've been running with Claritin for a couple of years, but it's effectiveness has been somewhat debatable I'm looking for a new (non-Rx) option. Benadryl knocks me out (I took one this morning because it was all we had in the house). Any Zyrtec or Allegra proponents? I've never tried either. A couple of you swore by royal jelly (or just local honey) at some point, but that sounds like witch-craft.

Local honey helps, in my experience.

But I had some allergy-related symptoms when I was in Denver last month and I took some Allegra. That stuff worked wonders for me. My brother-in-law had similar symptoms and I suggested he try it, and he texted me a few days later that it worked great for him, too.

So, put me firmly in the "Allegra is awesome" camp. And just as an aside, Claritin has never worked for me. Screw you, Joan Lunden!

Sabo wrote:when I was in Denver last month

It was nice to see you again!

Have allergy meds improved in the last decade or so? I get them pretty bad around season changes but the medicine always made me feel a bit floaty and wasn't worth it.

Anyone else have a bloody nose almost every morning?

(Also, we're going to see Huey next month. I think he's one of two guys over 60 my wife would do.)

I'm plugged up but I am also giving up. So far this year I've been diagnosed with nasal polyps, sinus infections, a deviated septum, allergies, and Lyme Disease as the cause of my fatigue and congestion. Sure, all are true but no one can agree on the right course of action.

Lyme Disease--did not see that coming.
Doctor: "Mr Shrew, you have Lyme Disease again"
Me "Again?"

Flonase has been all I've needed in the last few years.

mister d wrote:(Also, we're going to see Huey next month. I think he's one of two guys over 60 my wife would do.)

Don't let her watch "Short Cuts".

Shrew wrote:I'm plugged up but I am also giving up. So far this year I've been diagnosed with nasal polyps, sinus infections, a deviated septum, allergies, and Lyme Disease as the cause of my fatigue and congestion. Sure, all are true but no one can agree on the right course of action.

Get the surgery for the septum/polyps/infections. It works.

Rush2112 wrote:

Sabo wrote:when I was in Denver last month

It was nice to see you again!

I was sick as hell for almost my entire stay, so I wouldn't have been able to get together, anyway.

My allergist prescribed Mucinex D for me a few years back and it works great, as long as I remember to take it every 12 hours.

Mucinex is fantastic for clearing congestion. Fucking pills could choke a horse though.

Whatever it is that is in the "-D" (yeah yeah) makes me jittery.

I've given plain old Allegra a chance the last couple of days and feel better than I did Sunday and Monday. I can live like this, at least until the tree pollen kicks in. I think I'm pretty much hopeless at that point.

rass wrote:Whatever it is that is in the "-D" (yeah yeah) makes me jittery.

By itself, Mucinex is an expectorant, so I would assume the '-D' means they added a decongestant, which means they added sudafed.

ZMan wrote:

rass wrote:Whatever it is that is in the "-D" (yeah yeah) makes me jittery.

By itself, Mucinex is an expectorant, so I would assume the '-D' means they added a decongestant, which means they added sudafed.

Dextromethrophan. So similar to sudafed, but not exactly.

AB_skin_test wrote:

ZMan wrote:

rass wrote:Whatever it is that is in the "-D" (yeah yeah) makes me jittery.

By itself, Mucinex is an expectorant, so I would assume the '-D' means they added a decongestant, which means they added sudafed.

Dextromethrophan. So similar to sudafed, but not exactly.

The stuff that gives you trippy dreams in Nyquil.

Hodor

We were driving on the Natchez Trace yesterday, and with gusts of wind you could see clouds of pollen come wafting off the trees, like a green and yellow fog. It was pretty amazing. I've been in the south for almost a decade and had never seen the like before. We're used to seeing a yellow dusting on everything for two weeks this time of year, but this was that times 1000.

Oh- also, fields of canola blooming are quite possibly the most beautiful field I've ever seen. Couldn't snap a pic because I was driving, but just brilliant dense yellow with dark green underneath below a bright blue sky. Gorgeous.

Square Rob wrote:We were driving on the Natchez Trace yesterday, and with gusts of wind you could see clouds of pollen come wafting off the trees, like a green and yellow fog. It was pretty amazing. I've been in the south for almost a decade and had never seen the like before. We're used to seeing a yellow dusting on everything for two weeks this time of year, but this was that times 1000.

Oh yeah, I saw that the other day. We get it almost every year. Well, we always get the "yellow snow" and most years it's bad enough to look like smog for a few days. That's because it's pine tree pollen, and we have lots of those Carolina Longleaf pines.

Shirley wrote:

Square Rob wrote:We were driving on the Natchez Trace yesterday, and with gusts of wind you could see clouds of pollen come wafting off the trees, like a green and yellow fog. It was pretty amazing. I've been in the south for almost a decade and had never seen the like before. We're used to seeing a yellow dusting on everything for two weeks this time of year, but this was that times 1000.

Oh yeah, I saw that the other day. We get it almost every year. Well, we always get the "yellow snow" and most years it's bad enough to look like smog for a few days. That's because it's pine tree pollen, and we have lots of those Carolina Longleaf pines.

Fucking humblebraggers.

Fucking tree pollen. Does Visine really expire?

Fucking sinus infection. Fuck it right in the ear.

BuffloSoldier wrote:Fucking sinus infection. Fuck it right in the ear.

You there. Neti Pot.

And Mucinex D

And for you allergy cohorts, the OTC Zyrtec in the liquigels is the only thing that has come close to providing relief for me the way Chlor-Trimetron 12 hour did before they discontinued it. That stuff was the shit. Take a pill and 20 minutes later I could snort a cat covered in tree mold without a tingle.

My allergy regimen for many years was Allegra (fexofendine). In recent years this seems to be less effective. I added using a neti pot and flonase. On an allergenist's advice, I switched from Allegra to Claritin a few weeks ago. And I'm now splitting the 2 hits of flonase so they are 8-10 hours apart.

It seems to me that there are a lot of things in the air now in SE Michigan. The allergy season is still young, but this new regimen appears to be working pretty well. Though for the first time in my life I'm routinely getting a bloody nose, as Mr. D mentioned a few days ago. Any idea what causes this?

DC47 wrote:Though for the first time in my life I'm routinely getting a bloody nose, as Mr. D mentioned a few days ago. Any idea what causes this?

Not keeping your hands up?

I've never had a serious sinus infection so I had only a vague notion of this neti pot previously mentioned. For the fellow uninitiated, here's a quick training video:


I'd have to be in some kind of discomfort to do that. I can absolutely see myself getting nervous, trying to sniff and choking to death trying to do this.

Rams Fanny wrote: I'd have to be in some kind of discomfort to do that. I can absolutely see myself getting nervous, trying to sniff and choking to death trying to do this.

Greatest thing ever. I just started using one (same one used in this Dr. Drew Pinsky clip below), and I've been pimping it everywhere, including the Swamp. Sorry for sounding like a broken record, but it helped when I was on the verge of a sinus infection, and it is helping with allergies. Plus, immediately afterwards, I feel amazing. I feel a burst of energy and just feel clean! It's kind of like the feeling after an enormous perfect shit, and your bowels just feel great, but magnified, because it's your head.

I was a little apprehensive and freaked the first time, but it is no different that swimming in the ocean. It feels like getting a little ocean water in your nose without the choking. It took a couple tries to get the proper flow like the creepy chick in Ram's video, and I finally got that down in both nostrils. My technique looked more like Dr. Drew pouring in the left nostril until recently. One warning, you shouldn't neti if your ears are congested. I actually blew out my ear today. I blew my nose when there was too much pressure still on the ear drum, and it hurt pretty bad for a couple hours. Seems fine now. My wife and son freak out if they see me neti, my daughter is fascinated and disgusted, yet can't look away, while laughing at the scene. Then she runs to my wife and tells on me.

The brand is Dr. Neil something Indian sounding.

I looked like I got punched in both eyes last night. I look slightly better this morning.

I think everyone has a different cure for allergies/sinus.

I take a generic product, sold by CVS. Sinus and Allergies. I can take one every 4-6 hours, and it works great for me.

Try it, you'll like it.

HDO45331 wrote:I think everyone has a different cure for allergies/sinus.

I take a generic product, sold by CVS. Sinus and Allergies. I can take one every 4-6 hours, and it works great for me.

Try it, you'll like it.

I take various off-brand sinus meds. It did wonders for me today, or maybe it was the neti pot. Spent the day in Central Park and felt like someone put a balloon in my sinuses and blew it up as the day progressed. It was very similar to a horrible hangover combined with a sinus infection couple with (happily) screaming kids. Makes for a beautiful afternoon. It's weird that I just get the sinus issues, while my wife has full face swelling, itchy, red eyes, itchy throat and essentially cold symptoms.

bump!

Looks like we're a little behind last year in NJ, presumably because the winter sucked. I couldn't remember what I went with last year, but it looks like it was Alegra. I need to pick some up this week.

We're past the peak of allergy season around here, and Dynista did the trick for me this year. My doctor explained it is Flonase, plus another ingredient. It has saved my life this past few months.

Spent about 18 hours in Nashville this past Friday/Sat and their allergy season is in full swing, so I got a jump start on mine. Yay?

My allergies have been brutal the past few weeks. I think as I get older my allergies get worse.

Ugh. Even with the rain today. Just ugh. I'm going to sneeze to death or drown in snot.

rass wrote:Ugh. Even with the rain today. Just ugh. I'm going to sneeze to death or drown in snot.

For some reason, my wife's allergies actually get worse when it rains.

Does anyone here (or, more likely, anyone's kids) get hives from environmental allergies? Nate woke up this morning with huge welts on his arms. We took him to the doctor who noted that he was in for a milder case last year at almost this exact time of year.

Nasocort is really saving my ass this year. I am incredibly surprised it's doing so well.

Gross, but thanks for the quick response.