Seasonal allergies and outdoor exercise

MUDDERinTRAINING

We have experienced a LONG, wet winter here in the Sierra Nevadas. I have been (somewhat impatiently) waiting for the sunshine so that I can increase my outdoor exercise regime. Unfortunately, it's turned into the worst allergy season in forever and even a little two mile run is enough to leave me sneezing, congested, fatigued and miserable long after I'm back indoors. I feel like I've tried everything to curb my allergic responses, with no luck. Acupuncture, herbal allergy detox, Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec, Flonase...ect have all failed me. I realize I'm grasping at straws, but I was wondering if anyone had any magic fixes that I may have missed. I really don't want to be doomed to a summer of treadmill running. I get bored SO quickly on that damn hamster wheel, lol.
Thanks in advance for any input,
Stacy

CeejayGee

My doctor put me on singulair b/c I have wheezing with exercise and then this persistent cough. That's all gone now and it works for allergies and I am sooo much better. I have none! No mroe having to take benedryl or allegra, zyrtec, flonaise, etc. This takes care of all of it!

doobabe

Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs organic "with mother") mix 2 table spoons of the vinegar with a splash of water and drink in the morning (through a straw so it doesnt touch your teeth).

I used to have seasonal allergies to the point I couldnt even go to work and they would last for WEEKS............ Now I just get a little sniffly a couple of days per year.

I have tried all of the allergy meds out there, while most make me dizzy or tired, none of them worked. Good luck!

danacate

I went to an ear, nose, and throat doctor last year since I kept getting sinus infections because of my seasonal allergies (I live in Georgia). I was referred to an allergist to have some testing done but I haven't done that yet because (with the help of the ENT doctor), I was able to find a combination of allergy meds that worked for me. I have a prescription for 24 hour Clarinex (I'm not sure how it differs from OTC Claritin but somehow it does because Claritin doesn't work on me at all) which I take once a day. I take a 12 hour Sudafed (the traditional Sudafed as Sudafed PE doesn't work for me) every morning to control my severe congestion. I also use Flonase twice a day. If I skip any of those three meds during allergy season, I suffer.

I also have a prescription for Astepro nasal spray. It is an antihistimine but I was told by my doctor that it can be taken in combinantion with other antihistimines. I only take this occasionally when the pollen count is really bad and I know that I'll be spending some time outside doing yard work. It also will make me a little drowsy.

I would strongly encourge you to go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. I really like my GP but the ENT doctor that I saw was more knowledgeable about allergies and the different medications to treat them. Good luck!

Flyntiggr

I moved to the south three years ago. I had never experienced pollen and seasonal allergies like I did when I got here. I've tried EVERYTHING. OTC, prescription, you name it - short of allergy shots.

My solution? A neti pot. I know, they look gross, but they work like nothing else! I use it twice a day - morning and night, and supplement with tylenol allergy. I feel great, and haven't really had any issues this year.

Charice

I have a very similar problem living in Utah. I have found that I have to have 3 meds: Allegra D (not just Allegra), Nasacort spray, and Advair. I have also noticed that time of day makes a difference. If I wait and go running in the evening, it is a lot worse than earlier in the day. The one thing that has helped me more than anything else is that I had nasal surgery to fix a really badly deformed septum last Fall. This has been the best year for allergies I have had in like forever! I know that isn't an option for you, but it did make the med combo a lot more effective. On particularly high pollen days I still stick to the treadmill...boring but better than being miserable the rest of the day!

MUDDERinTRAINING

Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions! I picked up a NetiPot today and will restart some apple cider vinegar (I tried it for a couple weeks earlier in the season and gave up...maybe it needed longer to work?). I'm also going to try and be diligent about taking a spoonful of local raw honey everyday, as recommended by my Nurse Practitioner. I've seen an allergist, but never an ENT, so I think I will try to get a referral...maybe it is something physiologic?
Again, I appreciate all of the input. Y'all are AWESOME!

~Stacy

wonnder1

Another one to try, that scientifically makes sense. Took about a year, but all my allergies are gone. GONE.

Buy local honey, produced by local bees feeding off local plants. A teaspoon per day. The theory is that, like a flu shot, you're ingesting a little bit of the stuff that you're allergic to every day. Building your resistance. And it's yummy.

Now when I leave the city my allergies sometimes come back, but if I'm there for more than a couple days, I'll do the same with their honey and the symptoms stop in a couple days.

Hah...oops. *smacks head* read ALL the posts....