allergies/asthma

[fetchspot]

Does anyone else find the weather.com allergy maps (Mold, Tree, Grass, and Weed) helpful to pre-treat for allergies before heading outdoors for a ride? Do you have any other suggestions on finding allergy pollen levels?

Haven't been riding as pollen is high for the trees currently.

fetchspot

[pumpkinpony]

I do, but for me I need to look a few days in advance, not just right before a ride. I find the allergy medicine to be much more effective if I'm taking it up to 48 hours prior. I also travel a lot so find that quite useful.

[Owlie]

Does anyone else find the weather.com allergy maps (Mold, Tree, Grass, and Weed) helpful to pre-treat for allergies before heading outdoors for a ride? Do you have any other suggestions on finding allergy pollen levels?

Haven't been riding as pollen is high for the trees currently.

fetchspot


I can't actually go outside during pollen season (April and May for me) without being miserable, unless it's just rained. Then I'll head outside!

[OakLeaf]

If you don't mind looking weird, you might try wearing a respirator. The ones they sell in the drugstores for pollen are useless, but the slightly more expensive OSHA sanding masks work great for me. I only use them on the moto, not on the bici, though.

[Eden]

most allergy meds work best if you start getting them at least a week before you hit your allergy....

I find I'm just as miserable indoors, unless I'm in a super tight HEPA filtered building.... (like at work, I work in a hospital), so I just ride. My nose runs more initially, but the congestion actually clears a bit with exercise and in the long run I feel better.

[fetchspot]

I am so glad others find these maps helpful. I love that this site has mold allergens also. My relatives are all over the US and I can just tell when they will be miserable. Also it helps me plan vacations to areas.

[Owlie]

most allergy meds work best if you start getting them at least a week before you hit your allergy....

I find I'm just as miserable indoors, unless I'm in a super tight HEPA filtered building.... (like at work, I work in a hospital), so I just ride. My nose runs more initially, but the congestion actually clears a bit with exercise and in the long run I feel better.

I start taking them at the end of March or thereabouts, depending on how bad the winter was. (I should probably pick my pill and stock up, given how mild this winter has been.)
My problem is that I must have stupid histamine receptors or something, because every drug I've tried works for one season and then barely the next. It's not so much the congestion that gets me (I can live with that), it's the constantly itchy, watery eyes.

[OakLeaf]

It's not so much the congestion that gets me (I can live with that), it's the constantly itchy, watery eyes.

If you have drug coverage, see if you can get a scrip for Patanol. I still have breakthrough symptoms even with immunotherapy, antihistamines AND leukotreine blockers, and last year I wound up with a raging case of conjunctivitis. The stuff is expensive, but it works.

I also take the old fashioned sleep inducing antihistamines at night. It helps me get on top of the symptoms and lets my sinuses clear a bit.

[Eden]

I only get the itchy, watery eyes at the absolute height of the pollen. My worst symptom is the post nasal drip that makes me cough - and cough and cough and cough until I want to puke....

[OakLeaf]

My worst symptom (assuming my asthma is under control) is the fatigue and general mental fuzziness. The rest of it is just discomfort, really, to me.

I do think everyone with known allergies who hasn't already done a food challenge should try it. It costs nothing and if you identify some food allergens it can really save you a lot of misery. It's the total allergic load that gets you. I basically manage my food allergies, but when the inhalants are high (and also before a goal event) I clean up my diet, and it makes a world of difference.

[fetchspot]

OakLeaf

Have you read anything about Oral Allergy Syndrome? About food allergies related to the typical pollen allergies. That may help not having to limit foods when you are out of that pollen allergy. That is why I like the maps to let me know which pollens are high where I am located.

fspot

[malkin]

We have a local allergy site sponsored by a medical practice.
I saw one of their allergists a few years ago and it was one of the best 'going to the doctor' experiences I have ever had.

I sometimes use one of the way too expensive nasal steroid sprays too.

[Crankin]

I use Flonase almost everyday, all year round (the steroid nasal spray). I recently ran out of it about a month ago and since I am in the process of switching PCPs, I decided to wait until I go for my physical. Bad decision. About 2 weeks ago, I started incessantly sneezing and feeling achy. Then the headache came. Now, I don't get headaches, even with sinus infections. I started the saline rinse and Claritin, enough to make me feel OK when I went nordic skiing last weekend, but by Monday I felt horrible. I ended up going to the walk in clinic at CVS, where she took a look up my nose and sighed... got my Flonase and 10 days of Bactrim, as she really felt it had developed into a bacterial sinus infection.
The moral is: don't run out of my Flonase! My symptoms started just when I was hearing reports on the news about early allergy symptoms because of the warm winter. I wanted to stop taking this because of my osteoporosis, but my doctor felt for such a small amount going into my nasal passages, it's not worth my suffering. In a way, he was right. Once my allergies start, I leave myself open to asthma, bronchitis, sinus infections and all kinds of other bad stuff. While I usually can stop taking it for a few months of the year, now is not the time.

[OakLeaf]

Also, why the heck is the worst pollen weather, also the best weather for drying laundry???

I'm doing the workout clothes, socks and dish towels, but blankets are just going to have to wait.

[fetchspot]

I start taking them at the end of March or thereabouts, depending on how bad the winter was. (I should probably pick my pill and stock up, given how mild this winter has been.) ....


Owlie,

If you start looking at the maps two weeks or so before your allergy season you can get an idea when the pollens will be in your area.

http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/allergies/index_large.html

They really do fluctuate according to the wearther though.

Crankin,

I gave up on the year-round nasal spray steroids. I got just as many sinus infections on them as without. I find I can get by on the OTC Nasalcrom in a pinch.


Mid-January everyone here was getting "colds and flu" but the tree pollen was on a major increase. I used to keep bees and new that birch was blooming in January.

Surprisingly since I found out by testing, what allergies I have, I have not had a "cold" if I keep after the allergy and don't let it go into a sinus infection. It took going to a allergy specialist and ENT to figure on my own how to keep my nose passages open. I hate that I miss out on outdoor activities when pollen is high. Once or twice a week I can get out and ride/whatever if I am on top of my allergy treatments.

Here is a note- my kids are getting treated with allergy shots. A few days after a treatment (the 22 yo, she is 2 years into treatment) she got shingles. I think it may have been due to weakness from the immune stress. She did enjoy reading about how the shingles vaccination is suggested for persons over 65yo while waiting for her pain meds at the pharmacy.

fspot

[Eden]

I know someone who is getting cataracts from long term use of nasal steroids... I only use flonase at the absolute peak of my allergies. I don't think that thrills the allergist, but it makes my ophthalmologist happier.

I've never had a sinus infection, and I think I found out, most of what I thought were colds probably allergies. I have no food allergies, unless you count a sensitivity to sulfates - though that's more of an additive than a "food"... and it's not super severe - I get a stuffy nose if I drink red wine that has a lot of sulfates.

[Owlie]

The food allergies I do have are entirely related to the fact I have seasonal allergies (http://www.chop.edu/service/allergy/allergy-and-asthma-information/oral-allergy-syndrome.html ) Guess which pollen I'm allergic to? Birch/oak (they're related). Gah.

[OakLeaf]

I don't know what I'd do if I had to give up almonds, walnuts or cherries. :(

One of my finger joints got all inflamed last week. Hours after my allergy shot. :(:( I am hoping so bad that it isn't related, because I am going to be in very serious trouble if I can't take shots any more. I do NOT want to go on oral steroids.

[Owlie]

I don't know what I'd do if I had to give up almonds, walnuts or cherries. :(

One of my finger joints got all inflamed last week. Hours after my allergy shot. :(:( I am hoping so bad that it isn't related, because I am going to be in very serious trouble if I can't take shots any more. I do NOT want to go on oral steroids.

Yikes, Oak. Hopefully they're not related...

In my case, not all of the foods listed trigger a reaction, and there are some that aren't on the list (peanuts). I can eat parsley, but not celery. Walnuts don't bother me, and almost every food on the list is fine if I cook it. I prefer almonds and peanuts roasted anyway. ;) Cherries are the only iffy one. If they're properly ripe (dark red and slightly squishy), they're fine.

[Crankin]

I know about the cataracts thing. That's why I don't take the Flonase continually. I used to use Nasalcrom when it was a prescription drug. I didn't know it was OTC... my insurance stopped paying for it and that was probably why.
I am allergic to peanuts (not horribly, i.e. I can be around them, touch them, just not eat them), dust, and mold. I am also allergic to thimerisol, IV contrast dye, and penicillin. I have been tested 3X, once at age 7, again at 16, and another time when I was about 33. I tried allergy shots at 16 and 33 and every time I would have a fricking asthma attack after the shot. I suspect the solution had preservatives, Thimerisol. I didn't know I was allergic to that until they started putting it into contact lens solution, when I was about 35. My eyes swelled shut. Thankfully, lens solutions are preservative free now. I gave up on the shots.
I am much healthier, in terms of allergies, since I left AZ. The dust and molds in the desert were killing me. I developed asthma when I was in my early thirties and was on a nebulizer every 4 hours at one point. A couple of years ago, I had a CT scan for back pain, they saw spots on my lung and my PCP freaked. I went to the pulmonologist and he looked at me and said, Cocci? Yes, I had Valley Fever and didn't even know it. And it seems like I must have had it some time in the late 80s, because that's when all of my asthma and bronchitis started. So, my lungs are definitely compromised, but I have very little issues with them, even in very cold weather. For about 5 years I couldn't even walk through a store that had perfumes or make up without getting a reaction, but somehow, I outgrew that.

[zoom-zoom]

Here is a note- my kids are getting treated with allergy shots. A few days after a treatment (the 22 yo, she is 2 years into treatment) she got shingles. I think it may have been due to weakness from the immune stress. She did enjoy reading about how the shingles vaccination is suggested for persons over 65yo while waiting for her pain meds at the pharmacy.

fspot

Shingles is a weird thing. I had it maybe 5 years ago, in my mid 30s. My brother had it in his early 30s. We both deal with allergies and tend to catch colds easily. We also both had pretty mild cases of chicken pox as kids. It's funny to us that it's considered an "old people" illness. I'm hoping that having it once will keep me from catching it again, but I'll be getting the vaccine as soon as I can.

[ACG]

Fetchspot.
I am allergic to all types of trees and all types of grass. I also have asthma. I always look at the allergy maps. It took me years to figure out what was wrong with me. I couldn't figure out why some days on the bike I couldn't breathe. For years I tried everything, changing my diet, taking supplements, nothing, the netty pot, etc. Then one day after my 3rd bout of bronchitis a doctor told me if was obvious I had allergies, and maybe I should stop riding my bike! I now see a specialist and I'm under control.I did go thru the series of allergy shots. I don't take the singular she prescribed for me. I do take over the counter claritin for a week or so when I see the pollen levels spiking. I didn't take the other meds either but finally sucumbed in the name of being able to breathe and see straight. I have an inhailer and a nasal spray that I do use.

Good luck to you!

[KatzPajamas]

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Once in your system, it remains dormant until your immunity is low. 2000-3000mg of L-Lysine daily will stop shingles in its tracks! Studies to prove it have been done at Baylor College of Medicine and University of Michigan Health System-

Aches and pains? Take a double shot of pure cherry juice just before bed. In the morning you will feel like a young gal again. I take it every night, especially if I have eaten alot of sweets during the day. It really does work.[URL=]http://www.cherryjuicepower.com/fruitresearchbenefits.htm (]http://www.livestrong.com/article/274365-l-lysine-and-shingles/[/URL)

Allergies? I have a cup of my vinegar cocktail as soon as I wake up in the morning all year long. During the allergy season, I will drink more throughout the day, even with a meal. Use 1/2 cup natural organic honey and 1/2 cup Dr. Braggs organic vinegar with the mother. Add enough water to make it palatable...I usually add enough to make a total of 2 qts of liquid. It really is not bad at all and it definitely helps alleviate the symptoms of allergy-sneezing and runny nose and cough. Also, Echineacea taken for about 6 weeks, starting just before the allergy season, will build up the immune system to fight off possible sinus infection. Remember what your mom taught you too-keep your fingers out of your nose.

Don't want to sound like a "know it all", but I am old (pushing 60) and I don't like going to the doctor or taking prescriptions. Therefore, I have tried alot of natural remedies and found a few that really work.

[OakLeaf]

My experience with echinacea is the opposite. With me, it ramps up my immune system indiscriminately, making my allergies much worse.

The good news is we decided to go ahead with last week's allergy shot and I didn't have any reaction. Phew. Still wish I knew what did cause it though - inflammatory arthritis scares the cr*p out of me.

[Slowspoke]

It's unseasonably warm here and has been for the past few days. My throat is getting more and more sore and I started coughing. The worst part is the foggy brain and feeling soo tired. My DH has not experienced this and doesn't really get how I can be so tired! I have dealt with alergies all my life. I can already tell this spring will be a hard one.

[Slowspoke]

Honestly, I am so tired of coughing! I went to the doctor. I got nasonex and claritin. By the second day, BAM my throat got more sore and I was up for 30 hours straight! No, not just awake, but cartwheels while I vacuume at 4 am awake! I stopped taking everything and am staying indoors and waiting it out. Thankfully my lungs are clear and I am not wheezing at all.

[Owlie]

Honestly, I am so tired of coughing! I went to the doctor. I got nasonex and claritin. By the second day, BAM my throat got more sore and I was up for 30 hours straight! No, not just awake, but cartwheels while I vacuume at 4 am awake! I stopped taking everything and am staying indoors and waiting it out. Thankfully my lungs are clear and I am not wheezing at all.

Slowspoke, are you one of those people who react "strangely" to Benadryl?

Claratin does nothing for me. I've tried Zyrtec and Allegra this season. The Allegra controls the snot fountains, but not the eyes. The Zyrtec manages the eyes, but not so much the runny nose. However, Zyrtec is a 10mg pill (much easier to swallow than the 180mg Allegra, and according to most theories, fewer side effects), and it doesn't have nearly the sedating effects that Allegra does. (Non-sedating antihistamines, my a$$.) My attention span is still shot, though.

Can I go live in Antarctica or something, just until the trees stop shedding? Knowing my luck, I'd probably be allergic to penguins, though...

[alexis_the_tiny]

Can I go live in Antarctica or something, just until the trees stop shedding? Knowing my luck, I'd probably be allergic to penguins, though...

+1 for living in Antarctica. I just went to the school doctor. We went over a list of what worked or didn't worked (just about everything) for my allergies in the past. She's now got me on nasal steroids and patanol for my eyes. I'm worried about the cataracts thing but it's summer all year round here and pretty much everyday is allergy season. Plus, people do this ridiculous thing where they refrigerate all indoor areas with air conditioning to 10C under the outside temperatures and the temperature difference will trigger all my symptoms. Lovely doctor also told me that I need a break from any kind of exercise for a few days because she's worried that the current breathlessness and airways itch I'm experiencing means my allergies are going to give me asthma. What kind of exercise can you do when you're supposed to 'take it easy'? Walk?

[OakLeaf]

I'm speaking from personal experience and not from biochemistry, but Singulair (leukotriene blocker) does much, much more for my mental symptoms than any antihistamine ever did. It's expensive as h$ll, but if your insurance will cover it, it's well worth it to me.

(It helps me with my asthma symptoms too, which I'm apparently in the minority there, but I'd still take it if "all" it did was let me think straight.)

[indysteel]

Here's something I've been pondering. In the past few years, my seasonal allergies went from mild to severe. This time of year is typically one of the worst (the flowering trees do me in). During this same 2-3 year time period, it would appear that my thyroid started to go wonky, resulting finally in a mild or sub-clinical case of Graves. I haven't had a thyroid antibody test done since August, but with my regular use of anti-thyroid meds, it's likely that my thyroid-related antibody load has decreased.

Interestingly, I've had virtually no nasal allergy symptoms yet this season. I've been wondering if there's a connection. Has my immunse system stopped fighting me so badly?

[Slowspoke]

I gave in today and tried some Allegra. Within 20 minutes I have almost stopped coughing. I do feel drowsy but I was drowsy before from coughing all night! I read that even though antihistamines all "do the same thing", we don't all react to them the same. We have to do trial and error to find the ones that work. I'll trade you my two boxes of Claritin and Claritin D for some Allegra ;)

[Owlie]

I gave in today and tried some Allegra. Within 20 minutes I have almost stopped coughing. I do feel drowsy but I was drowsy before from coughing all night! I read that even though antihistamines all "do the same thing", we don't all react to them the same. We have to do trial and error to find the ones that work. I'll trade you my two boxes of Claritin and Claritin D for some Allegra ;)

Claratin doesn't work on me. I haven't tried Clarinex, but since it's a metabolite of Claratin, I doubt that would work either. (On the other hand, Zyrtec, Claratin, and Allegra are all metabolites of hydroxyzine, so...)

[alexis_the_tiny]

Weird discovery: it's my 4th day on nasal steroids (Avamys) and my nose is no longer perpetually runny and blocked. Suddenly, I can smell everything, including the sweaty person half the bus away and the perfume of the high school girl walking past me. Wow. :cool:

[WindingRoad]

Patanol is the bomb-digity! BEST runny, itchy and red eye relief out there due to seasonal allergy. It is the ONLY thing that works for me right now.

[ny biker]

I switched to Zatidor last year because I was tired of having to go to a doctor to get a prescription for Patanol. It works okay for me. I went to buy more last night and discovered that Alaway is the same medicine, but comes in a bigger bottle for less money. Yippee.

I'm lucky that pollen does not have a big effect on me, other than itchy eyes (and a filthy car :D). I hope it stays that way.

[alexis_the_tiny]

WindingRoad, since you mentioned that you use Patanol too, do you experience any of the side effects? My eyes are suddenly experiencing a dry, itchy feeling and I've been having ridiculous headaches for two days. Remembered the insert mentioning them. It was working so well though!! :(