oyceter | (no subject)

ARRRRRGH!!! Please shoot me now.

Or get me a new sinus system.

I used to be asthmatic, but in the past year, it seems to have changed to allergies. Claritin doesn't work on anything except my cat allergies, Allegra makes me break out in a rash, and Zyrtec just plain doesn't work. And my insurance right now sucks and I don't have the money to get allergy shots. Usually Tylenol Severe Allergy works, but apparently NOT TODAY OMG RAGE RAGE!

I can barely keep my eyes open; half of my nose is still dripping, and I sound like I have cotton stuffed up my brain.

This is actually an improvement over how I was two hours ago, when my nose managed to be both completely stuffed and completely dripping and I couldn't breathe through my mouth either because of post-nasal drip keeping me coughing. Let me tell you, I turn into a cursing monster when I can't breathe.

Why yes, it is windy as all fuck outside. Hopefully now that I am in a flourescent-lit hermetically sealed office building, things will die down soon.

Otherwise, I am going to shoot the next person who attempts to talk to me at work. At least this morning I didn't wake up with hives like I usually do.

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Can you get steroid nasal sprays in the USA? They work better than antihistamine for me.

You know, I have no idea, but I am going to look for it.

i think you can get steroids by prescription only here, not otc. darnit.

Lurker who so feels your pain here. Yes, you can get steroidal nasal sprays, though I think only by prescription. If you can get your doctor and insurance on board, though, Nasonex is a good one. I have allergies and sinus issues, and I've noticed a significant improvement on it.

Woe! If only my insurance were better... I may have to wait until I either have a new job or student insurance for this one.

You may also want to try simple nasal saline solutions. It doesn't help the underlying allergies, but it does help sluice out the nasal passage and sinus cavities and may at least relieve some of the congestion and pressure. Good luck! Sinuses and allergies suck.

Ooo, thank you!

That sucks. :( Hope you feel better soon. FWIW, the only meds that really help me are benadryl chased with some decongestants and cough suppressors, and it renders me as dumb as a box of rocks and about as awake. My brother bought a fancy shmancy air filtering system and swears by it.

ZOMG. Still cannot breathe through half of my nose or keep eyes open. May be completely unfunctional at work today, great.

*Hugs* I hate, hate, hate not breathing. One thing I do when I'm totally desperate is put a bit of Tiger Balm in the blocked nostril, just the edge of it, and sniff like mad. Sometimes it clears things enough to breathe, but sometimes it doesn't. Mostly it just makes me feel like I am doing something and not at the mercy of my lousy sinuses. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you, okay?

Awww, thank you. Mostly right now I am still just trying to breathe. Stupid nose.

Try megadoses of vitamin C. At least 1000 milligrams. I have a cold, and I am taking 1000-1500 milligrams of vitamin C and two Benadryl every four hours. [It doesn't make me sleepy, so I don't take the expensive wimpy modern antihistamines.]

Does that work with allergies too?

Yes. It was an allergist that recommended it to me.

Use the pure vitamin C. "natural" vitamins can be bad for people with allergies.

I use the cheap chewables -- they taste sort of like sweettarts, and I don't have to find a glass of water when I need them.

Awesome, must go find some now!

I'm sorry...I hope something alleviates the allergies soon.

ZOMG ME TOO.

It's amazing how not being able to breathe puts me in "Killing rage hate everyone argh!" mood.

This may sound a bit loony, but I've relieved my sinus pressure with self-administered shiatsu (accupressure) sometimes. This page describes the ones I use, plus a couple more (the thumb-web one is what I use for headaches in general, not for sinus in particular). The trouble is, the effect doesn't last very long. Also, they're not telling you how long to apply pressure: I use a slow count of 8, then go on to the next point, and repeat the whole works 3 times total.

Note that you can usually tell when you've located the right spot - your fingertip will sink in a bit and you'll feel the sinus pressure ease.

(Theoretically I have vasomotor rhinitis, not allergies - that means I get irritated nasal passages and they don't know why ...)

Feel better!

- Cho

Oh huh, I will try that! I'm not having that many problems with headaches due to sinuses, it's more the stuffiness that's getting to me right now. But can't hurt...

Also anti-inflammatory stuff (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) can help a little, if your gut will tolerate it. A lot of the stuffy feeling is your own inflamed membranes, rather than, ummm, stuff you can blow into a tissue. So bringing the inflammation down will make things a little less annoying. (The shiatsu may actually be working on that aspect rather than the pathways that are usually discussed.)

The silly thing I have means I can't tolerate decongestants, so I have learned various other tricks.

Tricks are good! My face sort of hurts now from the massaging, but I think it was pretty helpful, yay.

Oh, poor you. Tried Chlor-Trimeton? Someone suggested it to me last year when I was in the throes of allergies (which I expect are just around the corner here), and it worked really well. Claritin doesn't work on me at all, and Zyrtec, which used to, for some reason doesn't anymore.

Also I like Afrin when my nose is totally stuffed up -- works like a charm.

I haven't! Maybe I'll try that too, and look up Afrin as well.

I use Allegra/fexofenadine, which is still prescription-only, plus a prescription steroid nose spray. Still I cannot stay outdoors as long as I want to. I feel your great and powerful irritation.

Stuff you can feasibly do:
1. Saline nose spray. After you're finished being exposed to the allergen, snort the saline a few times to wash the sinuses out a bit. This can actually help a lot. I do it first thing in the morning, too, on the theory that washing out my head will help the steroid have more effect.
2. Air filtration. I have an ionic whatsit HEPA filter in my bedroom, so I close the door at night and enjoy a chunk of time with a very low allergen exposure level. It helps more than I ever thought it would.
3. Take Benadryl at night, on the same theory and when it doesn't matter if it puts you to sleep. That's if it works for you; you didn't mention it.
4. Read your email. :)

I am very tempted to get air filtration. And hermetically seal my house, now that central air works. And dig out my old nasal wash machine back from the good old asthmatic days. And possibly request a sinus transplant!

Feel better soon, you.

Thank you! It is much better today, thank goodness; Tylenol managed to banish the stuffiness. Air! Joy!