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General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: eskimo2 on June 01, 2007, 03:10:55 AM

Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: eskimo2 on June 01, 2007, 03:10:55 AM
This spring is killing me.  In past years I wondered if I had spring allergies.  This year I’m a pathetic sneezing, pitiful allergy poster boy.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: rpm on June 01, 2007, 03:15:45 AM
The only time in my life that alergies didn't bother me was when I was at sea. Now I can't even buy a decent otc decongestant in Texas.
Title: Re: I Am Alergyman
Post by: AWMac on June 01, 2007, 03:16:16 AM
Quote
Originally posted by eskimo2
This spring is killing me.  In past years I wondered if I had spring allergies.  This year I’m a pathetic sneezing, pitiful allergy poster boy.


Dammit I thought you was a "Man of the Cloth" seeing this thread...

I was fixing to confress alotta crap to you.. now I have nothing to do but attend to my dammm allergies!!

Thanks Alot!!!

:D

Mac
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: megadud on June 01, 2007, 06:38:51 AM
allergyman :aok
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Angus on June 01, 2007, 08:05:11 AM
Have some myself, - typical farmers have hayfever!
Am ok. with pollen, but bad with dusty straw or hay.
Do you use Histasin to raise your threshold? The only thing thad did anything for me.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Masherbrum on June 01, 2007, 08:05:36 AM
Quote
Originally posted by rpm
The only time in my life that alergies didn't bother me was when I was at sea. Now I can't even buy a decent otc decongestant in Texas.
I shoulda joined the Service then out of HS.   I have hayfever and am on Allegra from Spring to the beginning of Winter.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Ripsnort on June 01, 2007, 08:41:01 AM
When growing up in the midwest, allergies affected me the same way, Eskimo.

Once I moved out West, they disappeared.

The short time I lived in New Jersey and Florida, no effect.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: cav58d on June 01, 2007, 08:46:49 AM
Claritan D
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Maverick on June 01, 2007, 10:21:28 AM
I grew up in Southern AZ. and as a result most of my allergies are from the plants there. Sagebrush really tears me up. Away from the SW desert I am usually doing pretty good and can drop taking decongestants all the time.

I found a new one however. I went with the grand kids to the river to do a bit of fishing. I found that I am susceptible to poison ivy. I recognized the plant and tried to stay away from it but must have gotten a little on each arm, sigh.......
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Masherbrum on June 01, 2007, 10:50:38 AM
Quote
Originally posted by cav58d
Claritan D
I took it when it was experimental.    From 5th grade to 12th grade, whatever pill worked in Spring, had no effect in the Fall.   I probably have taken more than 40 different "Hayfever related prescription drugs".
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Eagler on June 01, 2007, 10:50:40 AM
Quote
Originally posted by cav58d
Claritan D


Allegra-D
never had any of it until I hit my 40's some 8 years ago..
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: rogerdee on June 01, 2007, 11:08:55 AM
i get hayfever over here in england.

so far i havent found a single pill that works for me,bt the strange thing i did found out was when i was wearing contack lenses that i dint get sore or runny eyes or the sneezing.but as soon as i went back to wearing glasses i couldnt sotop:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: cav58d on June 01, 2007, 11:09:51 AM
To all ones own I guess.  Funny how different medication can give some people relief, and nothing for others.  Claritan is the only pill that can clear up my allergies.  Better than prescribed Allegra believe it or not.

However, I started taking shots last year, and I am noticing excramental relief each month.


Funny someone said whenever he leaves the SW his allergys are gone.  Whenever I GO to the SW my allergys are gone.....lmao

pollin sucks.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Roscoroo on June 01, 2007, 11:11:18 AM
benedril  2 atta time .

vacanase works great but lead to nose bleeds everynow and then .

sudafed ...gets the DEA following you home.

thousands of others but they never worked for long , and the best working ones got pulled .
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: flakbait on June 01, 2007, 11:42:05 AM
I hear ya, Rosco. Beconaise was the greatest nasal spray invented for seasonal allergies! Sagebrush, blooming meadows, not even nature's artillery (scotchbroom) could make me sniff. I used that stuff from 14 until 24 when my allergies started calming down to the point over-the-counter crap worked fine. However, knowing this year would be a real kicker, I went to the doc to get more last month; it's discontinued. "Try Zyrtec" says he, so I do... I'm still sneezing and ripping through Kleenex at a record pace. Between Wednesday and now I ran through three boxes of snot rags and close to five TP rolls. About typical for this time of year, unfortunately. Hell, my personal record is a whole 12-roll pack of TP in a single day.

Seasonal allergies + hay fever = a lot of SNOT!

Even more fun is how variable the OTC stuff is. Claritin-D works every 3rd day (no kidding) while Tylenol Severe Allergy stops me up two out of every four hours. I'm contemplating getting the shots so I can stop popping a veritable drug factory worth of pills for the next couple months.


-----------------------
Flakbait [Delta6]
(http://www.wa-net.com/~delta6/sig/life_modem.gif)
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: LePaul on June 01, 2007, 05:42:10 PM
Eskimo, I had that happen last year

After never having allergies, I developed em.

Get yourself tested so you can narrow down what's ailing ya and take the right med.

For me, it was grass.  I mow the lawn every week, do some landscaping...and couldnt figure out what made my ears fill up.  I'd feel woosey and spacey for days.  Sudafed would dry me out but once I mowed again, another 5 days of ickiness.

For me, Alavert is the cure.

I've been taking one daily (the dissolve in your mouth variety) and thus far, no issues what so ever this year.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: eagl on June 01, 2007, 06:10:59 PM
You need a Grossan nasal irrigator from these guys:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=150424

I have the Grossan Hydro-Pulse system and it works very well for allergies.  Get the basic system and it comes with a decent amount of the solution powder so you can decide if you want to make your own solution (basically salt and baking soda) or if you like their custom powder better.

At least one other pilot here at Sheppard AFB uses this thing religiously and for one guy with really bad sinus problems, it's pretty much the only thing that lets him keep flying.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: LePaul on June 01, 2007, 06:36:25 PM
I forgot to add:  Get a good air purifier.

I bought a HEPA one from Sears last summer for about $79.  You replace the charcoal layer every 4 months, the HEPA one yearly.

Made a big difference for me.  I leave it running 24/7
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Sandman on June 01, 2007, 06:42:06 PM
Hmmm... there are other non-medical solutions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jala_neti). Might help, might not... but it probably can't hurt.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: eagl on June 01, 2007, 06:52:45 PM
LePaul and eskimo,

I have a better idea for an air filter that I've been using for a while now.  Get a $10 20" square box fan from wal-mart or some other store, and tape a high quality 20"x20" air conditioner air filter to the intake side of it.  I like the 3M "Filtrete" brand ones because they have several different kinds all rated to filter out various size particles, but there are others that work ok.  Just read the label to see what level of filtration it's rated for (particle size).  The best filters ought to cost no more than about $16 each (less if bought on sale or in bulk), and even though this setup won't qualify as true "hepa" due to a small amount of air that leaks through and around the fan blade tips, the setup costs 1/10th as much as a good true hepa air filter, moves/filters a lot more air through the filter, and is much quieter.

I wasn't sure how effective the box fan and filter setup would be until I set one up in the same room as a true HEPA filter and ran them both on low speed for a month.  The box fan was nearly silent, but the hepa filter was very loud even on the lowest setting.  After just one month, the box fan filter was very very dirty indicating it had pulled a ton of stuff out of the air, while the true hepa filter was still fairly clean.

They're so cheap, you can put one of these in every room you routinely use.  You'll notice less dust on the furniture too.  Very cheap, quieter than almost every true HEPA filter on the market, and still very effective at removing particulates and allergens from the air.

Yea it looks a little bit ghetto but who cares?  If it bugs you that much, put it behind something.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Vulcan on June 01, 2007, 06:53:15 PM
(http://www.allergyanswers.info/img/products/flixonase_lrg.jpg)

and this helps me (believe it or not):

(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/5/57/Pepsi_Max.jpg)
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: eagl on June 01, 2007, 07:01:15 PM
For what it's worth, I also take allegra and use Flonase.  Claritin doesn't do anything for me but allegra seems to work pretty well.  It's not a miracle drug but it does keep my eyes from itching all the time and so far I've survived a spring in Texas without losing a single day of flying due to sinus problems.

The flonase helps some people more than others.  It's a corticosteriod that is supposed to reduce inflammation in the sinuses.  It helps me just enough that I keep using it, but another instructor pilot I know here at Sheppard swears by it.

Even if you don't get the nasal irrigator, saline nasal irrigation of any sort should help a lot.  Do it once or twice a day for the max effect.  If you make your own solution, expect it to sting a bit until you find out how much salt and baking soda to put into the water, and make darn sure you use body-temp (slightly warm) water otherwise you'll get a nice headache.

The downside to allegra of course is it's cost...  I don't pay for the stuff myself but I was told that street price for the 24-hr allegra is about $5/pill...   OUCH!  That's why many health care insurance policies don't cover allegra because too many people were getting prescriptions for it and then turning around and selling it again.  The military had such a problem with this (prescription fraud and high medication costs) that it takes a special waiver to get allegra through TRICARE, and even then they strongly discourage it's use unless it's the only effective treatment option.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Estes on June 01, 2007, 07:05:26 PM
Flonase is the only thing that helps mine.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Booz on June 01, 2007, 11:10:24 PM
Quote
Originally posted by cav58d
... I am noticing excramental relief each month.
 


 I'd rather have allergies
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Excel1 on June 02, 2007, 06:57:28 AM
A corticosteroid like Prednisone can be worth a try if the allergies are real bad and the over the counter and milder prescription only allergy meds arnt giving releif. The only problems with Prednisone is the potential for side effects and it's not a drug that can be used long term without issues. But it works well on severe allergies amoung other things.
Title: I Am Alergyman
Post by: Halo on June 02, 2007, 10:03:13 AM
Eagl, your box fan and filter idea sounds ingenious.  

In the Northern Virginia spring, it is standard procedure to find your car covered in golden pollen many mornings.  Although easy to dust off, it's surprising how gritty pollen feels -- not at all like the talcum powder feel you might expect.