Sneezing, runny nose, runny eyes and itching and rashes… YEAY FOR SUMMER!
Yeah, this year is a terrible one for me as well. I am taking the knock-off claratin stuff but it’s not doing to much

Ouch! That sounds miserable and from the sounds of it, there must be alot of allergy sufferers in your area if they are out of the generic Claritin!

Do you have central air conditioning? Or do you keep your windows open at night? I live in Texas so we have central a/c but when I could I loved to keep the windows up at night and I found that caused my allergies to really act up.

Have you been to an allergist? I’ve been doing allergy shots for years, off and on, and they make a huge difference. Life changing! I’m med-free now, and I used to take at least 3 medications per day.

Also, have you tried nasal sprays? I found that some of them were very effective. Also, the Claritin you can buy over the counter is quite distilled from the prescription strength version, so it might help to get something prescribed. Or try Zyrtec, which I’ve told has more actual meds per pill.

I am highly allergic to any type of tree, grass and ragweed among other plants lol and I live in the hills of KY where all of those are abundant. But I take allergy shots so that I can go hiking with my dogs and be outside all summer long. But I still have a mild reaction (rash or small hives) if I come into contact with them for a prolonged period of time.

Sonn, yay allergy shots! How long have you been on them?

Unfortunately, I found that they took about 1.5 years to start working when I first started on them. I didn’t really notice any difference for a long time, then all of a sudden I realized I didn’t need meds anymore and I wasn’t getting sinus infections all winter (my allergies contribute to my sinus infections a lot). It’s definitely not a quick fix though.

I stopped them for a few years while I was in college and moving around, and started again a little over a year ago. Within 6 months they helped immensely, and since starting them I haven’t had a single sinus infection. My theory is that they work faster when you’ve already done them in the past.

When I was a teen I asked my Dr. about getting allergy shots (Cat Allgery) and she told me no, the shots could kill me…. I’m kinda wondering if she’s full of horse manure, as so many people get these shots. My Mom did when she was younger, but they never worked.
I have a new Dr. now, I will ask her about shots. The allergist I saw never even said anythuing about them, just told me I cannopt have/be around cats. hhmmm.

My allergies are sadly at their worst during this season, plus the minute I start sifting hay for the bunnies…sets me off pretty bad. I agree, I’ve tried Clairitin products to no avail, so either Benadryl (if I don’t mind being sleepy-and then cranky after I wake up) or Zyrtec are the only ones to bring me any relief.
Never had problems as a youngster and until about my 30’s. It’s just been really bad, oh I think since having my kids. Pregnancy must’ve changed my chemical make-up somehow in the nasal department.

I have been on allergy shots since I was 17 I think lol. So about 8-9 years. I will always have sinus and ear issues but not due to allergies.

Andi, are your allergies bad enough that they cause severe asthma reactions? I know my doctor was very concerned about how reactive I was during the skin test, so she split the testing up into 3 sessions. I’m actually not that sensitive, my skin just puffs up more than most, but there are people who can get severe reactions from these things. I highly doubt they’re going to kill you though – definitely look into it again! They build the dose up slowly to avoid any kind of reaction other than some itchy marks on your arm.

They used to not be able to do animals effectively – I remember growing up I never got shots for cats. Now, they can give the shots for just about any pet, which is really convenient. I was recently able to spend a long weekend in an apartment with 3 cats without taking any meds at all.

Sonn, that’s a long time! Haha. My doctor said that some people can stop the shots after 3-5 years and not need them anymore, but it sounds like you’re similar to me and need them for life. I’m just happy I’m not on antibiotics and steroids all winter long. I can get a cold and then recover like a normal person now.