I've taken benadryl which makes me sleepy, I've used some nasal sprays and they seem to make my sneezing worse. I've used flonase which actually worked well for me but I'm not made of money and refuse to pay $80 for a bottle of flonase.
So are there any alternatives? Just some food for thought ....
The information below is often overlooked or missed by both patients and physicians.
This is the best Allergy info.
Being a nurse with over 25 years experience, I have seen a lot of patients with similar illnesses and disorders.
Many Allergy and Asthma problems are caused from common everyday chemicals and fragranced products as well as VOC's in homes, schools and workplace.
This is a growing problem for many people and most are not even aware that it exists as more and more chemicals are being introduced and used on a daily basis.
Many people believe that because a product smells good or cleans well and it is on a store shelf that it is tested, approved and safe for use.
Think again !
We are now seeing more and more children and adults with skin disorders, nausea, Allergies, Headaches, Sinusitis, Migraines, Asthma, Chronic Hives, Eczema, sinus / respiratory illnesses and Hormone related disorders.
I can not emphasize how important it is to educate yourself about the harm you may be doing to your health by using chemicals and fragranced products.
Most doctors will not inform you about this because patients as a whole like to walk out of a doctors office with a prescription for some magical medicine and they do not want to be told that their expensive new perfume or newly installed carpet or fresh house paint may be the culprit. Also, many patients do not want to change their lifestyle to accommodate their new illness. Infact, I have even witnessed patients who increase or take multiple medications for their allergy or asthma just so that they can continue to wear their perfume or use Bounce or Febreeze. The doctor will give patients medications even though often times these meds do not eliminate the problem or often times cause other health problems because they are an added chemical in the body.
Chemicals and fragranced products are often the root of many disorders and illnesses when it comes to your health. Many of the below mentioned items are common triggers to sinus, asthma, itching, headaches, Migraines and allergy problems amongst other health issues. Get rid of them and your immune and respiratory system will thank you and you will breathe easier.
And, it is not only personal body or cleaning products causing havoc on your health鈥?many people become ill after wearing brand new clothing, dry-cleaned clothes, installing new carpet, painting, buying a new mattress or after home renovations because of the Flame Retardants, Antimony, Benzenes, Formaldehydes, etc. used in these products. So the answer is NO, you are not imagining that 2 weeks after your home, office or classroom got renovated you started to become ill, get dizzy or have headaches. This is happening more and more these days and adults as well as children are becoming sicker and sicker.
Unfortunately, too many doctors compound the problem by prescribing chemical medications to try to alleviate the symptoms of an already chemical overloaded body and they rarely tell the patient to eliminate the chemical offenders. How many times have I seen people in the grocery store with Bounce, Glade Plug-Ins and Febreeze in their shopping cart along with a bottle of Benadryl , Migraine Excedrin and a box of Allergy Tablets ? Why don't they make the connection?
Keep in mind that your skin is the largest organ of your body and what you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body. Then ... well... then it has to be filtered by your organs which are already working real hard.
BIG NO-NO's ---- I would SERIOUSLY recommend removing all of the below from your living / working area.
No Bounce or dryer sheets - these are VERY toxic
No Febreeze - your pets will even thank you for this
No Glade Plug-ins - VERY toxic
No drinking of Unfiltered tap water
No Scented candles
No Scented Dish Detergents
No Fragranced Products on Body, Hair or Clothing
No Smoke
No Newspapers and Magazines - The ink is a huge irritant.
No Dander
No Sprays
No Sharpies (marker pens)
New Cartpeting, mattresses, paint, contain toxins that can trigger severe respiratory disorders as well as headaches and Asthma flare-ups.
And remember, it is NOT the smell it is the Chemicals that make up the smell. So, even if something is "Fragrance Free" these products often mask the smell with another chemical ! There are plenty of safe healthy products out there that work well and do not have added chemical fragrances.
More and more workplaces & schools are implementing Fragrance Free policies and creating "Fragrance Free Zones"鈥?why do you think this is? Make the connection, your lungs , immune system and your general health will thank you. Clariton or Zyrtec, I alternate between the two every couple of months.
Zyrtec has a warning that it may cause drowsiness, but if that is a problem (and it's not for most people) you can take it in the evening - it's a 24hr pill anyway.
I've heard people say that Zyrtec works better than Clariton. If you have congestion issues, you will need to take Clariton-D.
Generics are available for both - Clariton is loratadine, Zyrtec is Cetirizine HCl. I find they work just as well and are much less expensive.
It's kind of expensive if you just buy a few pills, but if you find it works for you, buy in bulk and it gets much cheaper. 5 pills usually runs around $5, but you can get 60 for $15 generic. I have a severe case of allergies and for nasal problems i take nasal-nex which is px. I also use Vick's inhaler which is only approx. $2 or $3 if that and it doesn't make me sneeze or nothing. I use Zyrtec as well like everyone else sometimes but i take a sleeping pill every night that has been helping for the following day so don't have to use the zyrtec if use the sleeping medicine. Don't use nasal sprays. People become addicted to them, they only offer temporary relief and then you have to keep using them over and over again to have a clear nasal passage. I like the flonase, too, but over the counter brands like Dristan work fine for me. The only problem is that it doesn't prevent symptoms, like Flonase, it just treats them after you're stuffy. zyrtec its like 25 dollars and you dont need a prescription for it anymore. and use nasacort. its a non-steriod(wont make you sneeze). this is a prescription though... Flonase has a generic. It's called fluticasone propionate. rhinocort nasacrom is good |
