Looking for reviews/advice on allergy meds

[Fierce Critter]

it appears going off Zyrtec for half a year has done something to my system in that I'm not reacting as well to it as I used to. Before, it made me like I had NO allergies. Now, I'm still battling attacks that last days. It's horrible.

I'm thinking about adding a seasonal spray for when I come down with these attacks. Once upon a time, I used Nasacort in addition to Allegra, and that seemed to help.

Has anyone here used anything like Flonase? How did it help you?

Any other suggestions I might talk to my doctor about?

I think I'll talk to the pharmacist before going to the doctor, too.

[JaneDead]

i had flonase but never used it. back then i hated the idea of nasal sprays.

then i was on zyrtec and it was great. then it just didnt seem to work for me anymore.

now i use nasacort and love it.

but now that it is spring i am feeling i might need a little more than just the nasacort.

i have been taking aleve sinus stuff and my nasacort and that seems to be doing more too than just the spray. BUT it all doesn't seem to be enough!

i wish i knew a good "combo" myself - as it is, not *one* thing on it's own seems to work for me.

i wonder what the benefits are of nasacort vs. flonase or if they are completely different and not comparable? i haven't looked them both up to see what they are made up of to see what is the same/different about them.

i think (if i recall correctly) nasacort has steroid in it??

[gothicmom]

Bishop uses Flonase. Seems to work well for him nasally, if I can make up my OWN words! LOL

He has broken out lately, we think it's probably that skin condtion that starts with an 'e' eczima no clue how to spell. anyhow....carry on!

[Fierce Critter]

American Academy of allergy asthma and immunology

This website has tons of information for this sort of thing, including a breakdown of the various medications etc.

It was a good thing for me to consult. For instance, I know my allergies are not seasonal - which is a problem I have with many medications. Most of them are meant to be taken 3 months a year at most. I have these problems year-round, aka perennial.

There are only about 2 meds available for perennial allergy sufferers, in addition to some nasal sprays. So my choices are few.

I talked to the pharmacist today. She says that what I've got is a congestion problem. This makes sense - I never had to take the -D type of meds before (Seldane D, etc) as if I had an allergy attack, it was more like my face exploding - including horribly watery & itchy eyes. Now, it's just the stuffy nose. So I apparently have to add a decongestant on top of the antihistamine. The pharmacist recommended Sudafed, so I'll pick some up tomorrow. She also said I could take Flonase on top of the Zyrtec. I'll get the scrip for that, but I won't fill it until I see how I do on the Sudafed.

Nasacort never did anything for me, honestly. But then again, I wasn't on Zyrtec yet, so who knows if it would help me now.

By the way, they make a Zyrtec-D, but I think you can't get it here in the States. I know you can get it from Canada.

[JaneDead]

actually, i was on zyrtec-d before. it was when i was on zyrtec and i was really sick and congested and i got a script for it just one time.

[Brenda Starrr]

I use Rhinocort. I know it's not a sexy name, but I love it. It works so well for me!

[Fierce Critter]

Went to the doctor Tuesday.

She gave me samples of Zyrtec-D and Flonase. Warned me that I might be best off taking the Zyrtec in the morning (it's a 12-hour) and the Flonase at night, as Zyrtec-D has stuff in it that'll keep you up.

I was so miserable from the congestion, I took one that night anyway. I was pretty damned tired and figured I'd sleep anyway.

Whoo-hoo. She was RIGHT. I ended up organizing the CD shelf, then the big box o' wires & patchcords & stuff, then my needlework cabinets. And still couldn't get tired. Ended up in bed at 3:30, but pretty much just lie there, not sleeping until my husband got up for work at 5:30.

I took a Nytol and was able to sleep after that.

But DAMN - that worked GREAT. The congestion got a lot better.

The next day, I took her advice. Took the Zyrtec-D around 11:00 a.m., and at night used the Flonase for the first time.

Gonna have to give the Flonase a few days - says it can take up to 3 days for it to work. If it works for me, I might keep using the generic regular Zyrtec I get from Canada and just add the Flonase at night when needed.

Hopefully, this congestion bout is a temporary or occasional thing. I already suffer from perennial allergies, thus the full-year doseage of Zyrtec. Hate to have had it degenerate into allergies with congestion.

[JaneDead]

this past week i have had major issues. the allergy and congestion thing. soooooo bad.

today i finally feel almost "normal". so keep us posted on the flonase/zyrtec d combo so next time it happens i might ask my dr to put me on that.

i have allergies to things year round like dust, mold, some cats/dogs, perfume, other various stuff...

but come every spring and then fall i get hit majorly and i get "sick" every time. i know i am not actually sick, since it is allergies. but i feel, look, sound, act sick. then it just goes away. i have no idea what my actual "seasonal" allergies are, but it happens every spring and fall so i guess it is just the typical stuff. but i want to have something i can take to relieve this! i don't want to just put up with it every year if i don't have to. but so far, i haven't found anything that works.

this time around i took my nasacort and some aleve sinus stuff.

it helped but not much. just sort of gave me a whole set of other issues to deal with.

[Fierce Critter]

She only gave me 6 of the Zyrtec-D tablets. So once those are gone, I'm back to the Canadian, generic Zyrtec, at least until I'm ready for a re-order. If the congestion continues and the Flonase kicks in, I'll use the Flonase in addition, which both she and the pharmacist said was o.k.

If the Flonase doesn't kick in, I'll probably get some Sudafed, which both the pharmacist & doctor said might do the trick.

If this congestion problem isn't a one-time thing, next time I need a reorder from Canada I'll get the -D version and use that instead.

Spring/fall is bad for seasonal sufferers due mainly to a couple things. In the Spring, it's pollen. In the fall, it's mold from fallen, dry leaves mixing with moisture on the ground.

Perennial allergies, like I have, need to be medicated year-round. There are only a few meds out there designed for that - two being Zyrtec and Flonase. The rest of the meds - Claritin/Loratidine, Clarinex, etc. - are designed to be taken no longer than 90 days. Sounds like that's what you need, Dyno.

I am NOT a doctor. But while I was off the Zyrtec, Claritin/Loratidine helped me more than anything else has ever helped. Better than prescription Allegra, better than Chlor-trimeton or any other over-the-counter drug. I use the store-brand generic version (chemical name: loratidine), which is a LOT cheaper than the name-brand Claritin. Both come in a -D formula. I would highly suggest you give the -D version of one of those a try. But be forewarned: These meds can take as long as a week to start being effective. You have to be patient, and DON'T double-up meds without talking to a pharmacist. You can suffer bad heart problems by overmedicating with antihistamines.

I talked to both my pharmacist & doctor about the safety of using Flonase on top of Zyrtec first, and wouldn't do so without their o.k.

[JaneDead]

yeah i was on zyrtec for quite some time there. and i do NEED it, so i should get back on it.

i always thought the fall allergies were just the mold but i really had no idea if it was something else on top of that , that i was not aware that am allergic too? it almost seems like it is, though like i said i don't know what.

same with spring. i know it is the pollen but i think i have some other spring irritatants as well.

[Fierce Critter]

Update on this.

I used the Zyrtec-D for the 6 days I had samples for, taking it in the morning, then using Flonase at night.

The congestion cleared up great. Once the Zyrtec-D was gone, I went back to taking my regular Zyrtec at night, and still used the Flonase at night. Figured I must need it to keep the congestion away.

Then I started having major asthma-like symptoms. Figured, "oh, no - looks like I went and let myself go and here comes the asthma again".

But then I checked the adverse reactions possible with Flonase. Amongst other things, "Asthma & bronchitis". Quit the Flonase on Friday, and today, Monday, the asthma symptoms are almost gone.

If the congestion comes back, I'm going to try Sudafed. At least until I end up needing more Zyrtec, at which time I'll switch to Zyrtec-D so I won't need a 2nd added medication.

[JaneDead]

ooh good to know that. i will stick with my nasacort for sure then.