Horrendous spring allergies...anyone else???

[disfan07]

Is anyone else here suffering from horrendous spring allergies this year??

I was doing pretty well until about 5 days ago. I am allergic to basically every environmental alllergen under the sun and it has been terrible!

Normally I use:
2 zyrtec/day
Rhinocort
Saline spray
Pataday eye drops
plus inhalers for asthma

I have had to take benedryl as well in addition to everything else. I feel like I am in a constant fuzzy state of mind right now. And my asthma is taking a huge hit. My oxygen level seems to be stuck at about 91% and won't go up.

I can't wait for spring to be over!!!! I'll take the heat of summer over sneezing in spring anyday!

 

[beachlover9395]

I hear ya! I started having problems back in Feb. The local weather lady said the pollen counts were elevated for alder and maple trees, so I must be sensitive to one of those. And I'm sure this will be a horrible year again for pollen counts. But the worst time of year is when grass seeds in the fall - I'm pretty allergic to fescue and we're surrounded by it. I also have brain fog from the allergies and medications. Allergies truly stink!!!!

Next week, I'm going to see a new allergist/ENT next week and I'm going to beg for a RAST test again, since mine's two years old. I'm going to have to start shots because my year round allergies are ruining my life.


I take: Zyrtec 5mg./pseudoephedrine 120mg. twice a day
Singulair 10 mg./day
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) 10 mg./day
Loratadine (Claritin) 10 mg./day
generic Flonase 2 sprays in each nostril twice a day
And when I'm truly miserable, LOL, I have to go get a Kenalog shot, usually one or two in the fall
My eyes have been bothering me worse this year than any other, so I may have to start something for those if the shots I start in a few weeks don't help.

I've been taking this combo for years. Time to try the shots and hope and pray they start to give me some measure of relief. Good luck - I can really empathize.

 

[JessicaR]

Yes my son and I are both suffering more so than usual. The allergist said to prepare for an exceptionally bad allergy season due to all the snow we had this winter. Tree pollen and mold will be especially high. So many people are complaining around here.

I went online and there are all kinds of news reports about how bad the spring allergy season is going to be.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Yes! The past two days, especially.

 

[disfan07]

I hear ya! I started having problems back in Feb. The local weather lady said the pollen counts were elevated for alder and maple trees, so I must be sensitive to one of those. And I'm sure this will be a horrible year again for pollen counts. But the worst time of year is when grass seeds in the fall - I'm pretty allergic to fescue and we're surrounded by it. I also have brain fog from the allergies and medications. Allergies truly stink!!!!

Next week, I'm going to see a new allergist/ENT next week and I'm going to beg for a RAST test again, since mine's two years old. I'm going to have to start shots because my year round allergies are ruining my life.


I take: Zyrtec 5mg./pseudoephedrine 120mg. twice a day
Singulair 10 mg./day
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) 10 mg./day
Loratadine (Claritin) 10 mg./day
generic Flonase 2 sprays in each nostril twice a day
And when I'm truly miserable, LOL, I have to go get a Kenalog shot, usually one or two in the fall
My eyes have been bothering me worse this year than any other, so I may have to start something for those if the shots I start in a few weeks don't help.

I've been taking this combo for years. Time to try the shots and hope and pray they start to give me some measure of relief. Good luck - I can really empathize.

Good luck with the shots! Unfortunately...I am out of luck with allergy shots. We can't do them because of the allergies I have.

My allergist ran my IgE levels last friday and got them back today and called me and WOW....we had finally gotten my IgE levels down to about 920....It is back up to 1630 This explains the issues lately! I mean, its better than the like 5000 or so I maxed out at but still....it's too high.

I soooo wish I could go back on singulair but it gave me headaches. It worked but the headaches were so bad that I would need serious pain meds when I got them.

Ugghh....well I see my allergist again in 10 days....she's going to LOVE this. She just wants to get it under control so that I don't end up in the hospital for my asthma again. But it sounds like we're going to be changing to:

Xyzal (a prescription allergy med) 2x day
Allegra 1x day
Rhinocort
saline
new eye drops w/ a steroid
benedryl at night

I'm crossing my fingers it works...I have midterms in 2 weeks...I cant have brain fog!!! hahaha

 

[SookieStackhouse]

I am not taking anything for it, but I am definitely suffering a lot. The past couple days it seems as if I can barely breathe.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, the pollen is literally thick here. I take nothing unless I am REALLY REALLY horrible. I did allergy shots for 6 yrs and it helped me.

Now since I am older allergy meds dry me out. My allergist found something for me called AllerRX that I can split in half. I try to do other things first before taking meds though.

I washed all my blankets, clean sheets, took a shower before getting into bed. YEA! It helped. I was able to sleep all night long.

HUGS to all suffering....

 

[MickeySP]

I have been sneezing and runny eyed for about a week - 10 days.

So popping Claritin. My poor DS is miserable, he may finally cave and get shots.

 

[beachlover9395]

Good luck with the shots! Unfortunately...I am out of luck with allergy shots. We can't do them because of the allergies I have.

My allergist ran my IgE levels last friday and got them back today and called me and WOW....we had finally gotten my IgE levels down to about 920....It is back up to 1630 This explains the issues lately! I mean, its better than the like 5000 or so I maxed out at but still....it's too high.

I soooo wish I could go back on singulair but it gave me headaches. It worked but the headaches were so bad that I would need serious pain meds when I got them.

Ugghh....well I see my allergist again in 10 days....she's going to LOVE this. She just wants to get it under control so that I don't end up in the hospital for my asthma again. But it sounds like we're going to be changing to:

Xyzal (a prescription allergy med) 2x day
Allegra 1x day
Rhinocort
saline
new eye drops w/ a steroid
benedryl at night

I'm crossing my fingers it works...I have midterms in 2 weeks...I cant have brain fog!!! hahaha

You know, while I am truly thankful humans have immune systems, sometimes I really dislike them, LOL. With all of the allergies, asthma and autoimmune issues that people have, it makes it so hard to treat, and treat effectively.

As far as I know, I will be able to do allergy shots, but won't know for sure until my appt. next week. I haven't had an IgE level drawn and not sure if he'd want one drawn because I don't have asthma, but I think I'll ask anyway.

Has your doctor said anything about Xolair (IgE blocker), or have you taken it before?

Fingers crossed you don't have to go back in the hospital, the meds do their trick and the brain fog lifts before your midterms!!

And yes, hugs all around for everyone suffering and hope everyone gets relief very soon!

 

[disfan07]

You know, while I am truly thankful humans have immune systems, sometimes I really dislike them, LOL. With all of the allergies, asthma and autoimmune issues that people have, it makes it so hard to treat, and treat effectively.

As far as I know, I will be able to do allergy shots, but won't know for sure until my appt. next week. I haven't had an IgE level drawn and not sure if he'd want one drawn because I don't have asthma, but I think I'll ask anyway.

Has your doctor said anything about Xolair (IgE blocker), or have you taken it before?

Fingers crossed you don't have to go back in the hospital, the meds do their trick and the brain fog lifts before your midterms!!

And yes, hugs all around for everyone suffering and hope everyone gets relief very soon!

I had IgE levels drawn originally because of my eczema.

Most people can do allergy shots. My problem is the combination of allergies including chemical and preservative allergies as well as my history of adverse reactions to seemingly benign treatments.

Yeah. Xolair's been mentioned. We're trying to avoid it as along as possible because my allergist is very uncomfortable with the idea of it.

I have some severe chemical and preservative allergies and Xolair can cause immediate anaphylaxis as well as delayed anaphylaxis so she is very concerned about putting anything like that into my body.

I also have joint problems that we think might be RA and one of the most common side effects is joint pain and inflammation. So that is a concern as well.

We also have no tests confirming that my asthma is allergic asthma. While my IgE level is still high, my asthma seems to have gotten worse even though my IgE level has dropped. And my allergies don't usually cause a problem with my asthma (this is a bad situation right now). My asthma is usually complicated by illnesses. So my allergist is doing research to see if I even qualify. She talked to someone she knows who was a part of the clinical trial for it and was told that I probably wouldn't qualify anyway if we can't prove that my allergies are causing my worsening asthma. And all of my asthma hospitalizations have been flu, bronchitis and pneumonia related.