How Can You Know Which Allergy Medicine Is Best?

I suffer from Hayfever, Cat Hair, Dust.. you name it. I tried over the counter meds for years.. only to find myself tired , groggy and them immune to them eventually. I tried Several Anti Histamine products and they made me tired as well. I had a friend that was taking Zyrtec and almost immediatly started feeling better without any side effects. She gve me 2 tablets(10mg) I know your not suppose to do that! So don't ! But it worked on the 2nd day. The 1st day I was a little sleepy, so I went to my DR. and he put me on 10mg 30 pills. They are a live saver. Funny thing is I also suffer a little from Anxiety and Zyrtec is also has some properties in it that helps a little from that. The Upside - No More Allergies . I mean NOTHING! Downside - I get dry mouth a lot, and I constantly carry water bottles , yes this is a side effect. I have been on Zyrtec now for 2 yrs and it has changed my life. I have to take it year around now and that is another side effect that the doctor didn't tell me about, My Summers are worse and I stopped taking it in the winter for a week but I get itchy, I have been told since it blocks my histamine this does happen so owell I am on it all year around and I have not built up a tollerance for it same dose 10mg 1 time a day and I function like a normal Human. But I still don't like Cats!! Sorry all Cat Lovers! :)

I checked around on several online Pharms and even Walgreens wants $75.00 for 1 month supply. I get mine at medRxshop.com for $27.00 for a 2month Supply!! I am not selling here just suggesting to try this medication if you have allergies. But I have not found a better and cheaper place for this med than that site where my friend sent me. I can imagine living without it. It's at my door like clockwork every 60 days.

Check with your doctor and see if Zyrtec is the right med for you and please let me know if you have the same relief I did!

Happy New Years ALL!

I'm 33 and have taken allergy medications since I was 12 years old.  At 12 I started the shots and continued for a few years.  My body would become immune to one pill and the doctor would put me on a different one.  Every 2-3 years I would switch pills.  These were all 1st generation.  My pills have always been a combination of antihistamine and decongestent.  When I left one medical provider i was taking two pills per day.  One for each symptom.  I switched medical providers and the doctor oked getting these prescriptions renewed.  I have allergies February - October and if anyone has a pine tree for christmas, you can add to that.  Last year the only manufacturer of my antihistamine discontinued and per my doctors suggestion I started to take chlortrimaton OTC along with my decongestant.  It has worked for the most part, but certainly not allergy free.  Now today I found out that my decongestant is no longer being manufactured.  AGGGG  So today I bought MucinexD (600 mg guaifenesin & 60 mg pseudoephedrine HCI, clortrimaton and sudafed 12hr (120mg pseudoephedrine hydorchloride).  My now discontinued decongestant was 600 mg guaifenesin with 120 mg pseudomedrine).  I have tried zyrtec 10mg & i shouldn't have but even doubled and tripled the dosage, with no relief.  I've also tried claritan & claritan D & allegra all having me show no signs of relief.  I'm going to ask my doctor for Xyzal just to try, but i have my doubts.  I'm researching Semprex-D now.  Blue Cross only has a few decongestants in their plan and I've tried most of them, but almost all are sprays.  I hate sprays. Almost every last one I had side effects of bloody noses, and nasty after taste.  Astelin has been the best of 5 that I've tried so far.  I will start my Astelin tomorrow but won't combine with the other OTC's I bought today and just try different variations.  My allergy season starts in about 30 days!  Does any one have any suggestions to what I should do now?  I'll probably buy Entex LA (Reformulated)
Pseudoephedrine 120mg/Guaifenesin 600mg (called Entex PSE in the USA)
No prescription is required for this product in Canada.  I'll ask my doctor if i can try Entex PSE prescription also.  He thinks my allergies are in my head and no one should need anything as strong as what i take except people who take meth.  I finally got referred to an allergist.  Does anyone have any advice for me as to other alternate steps??

My main allergies include:  Pine/juniper, eucalyptis, dust, mold, grass/weeds per skin tests.  I can personnally can add many different flowers that I'm allergic to, like the lilly or iris families, and definately jasmine.

I hope I do get a response and thank you for reading all of this.

Keri

Hi Keri,

Sure sounds as though you've been through the ringer! Don't let anyone tell you allergies are "in your head" (even though that IS where you feel the symptoms). I know you said you'd been through allergy shots as a child, but you might want to get a second opinion with an allergist who treats adults and ask whether you might benefit from another course of immunotherapy.

DO be careful about overusing decongestants, as they can have what's known as a "rebound" effect, actually worsening your symptoms. You might also want to look into some of the holistic or alternative therapies as a supplement to the prescriptions your allergist gives you.

When going the alternative medicine route one is often left to research and experiment to find the right products and resources. Here is a new site that is beginning to gather all the resources in one place. You can research conditions for various therapeutic modes, including Ayurvedic medicine, and get information about the effectiveness of therapies and remedies. The site is also a launching point for researching integrated alternative medicine therapies on the web. Go to http://www.rvita.com  .