Running and allergies!

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Okay, so some of you may not have this problem, but if you do please comment and help me solve this!
I have allergies, and I ALWAYS take my allergies meds everyday. It's just some otc claritin, but it helps me not end up sneezing my head off and being miserable haha. EXCEPT for when I go jogging! Whenever I go I always have to end up bringing tissues in my pockets because I end up with a running nose which in turns alters my breathing and then all I am concentrating on (pardon the gross factor here) is not trying to swallow all that nastiness that is draining in the back of my throat. Then I end up not being able to breathe through my nose becasue there is too much snot. (Again, sorry for the gross description). Is there any cure to this madness?! It is seriously affecting my jogging, and I am open to ANY suggestions on how to help it go away! Thank you :)

Replies

  • jolson54829
    jolson54829 Posts: 32 Member
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    I have really bad allergies, indoor and outdoor. I've been on medication for about 15 years, and have been tested for my allergies 3 times. I'm currently in my third year of allergy injections, and I'm off the allergy pills at this point. However, my biggest allergy is grass, so even mowing the lawn can give me a runny nose. I suggest taking some of those pink Benadryl pills before heading out the door, as an addition to the medication you already take. (It's safe to do. I was told to take them on top of my normal meds before I got each injection.) Take up to the maximum dose if you need to. This is probably your best bet, since you said you get Claritin over the counter. If this isn't helpful, you could see your doctor about getting a nasal spray prescription. I actually have 2 different kinds I take: Flonase and Astelin (I THINK it's called Astelin). They both work differently. Flonase is what most people take, and it's the easiest one to get insurance to cover. The other one works really well for drying up the nose a bit; it helps clear up drainage that goes down your throat.


    So....if you don't want to go to the dr, take the pink pills...otherwise check out nose sprays. I hope this helps!
  • Superbritt2drescu
    Superbritt2drescu Posts: 273 Member
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    I'm like you, I have allergies and take Zyrtec daily. When I first started running mine where like that. I would take a bendryl about 30 mins before I went out to run. Only one though, as two would knock me out. I tried sinus meds but they didn't really do much. I just hacked the stuff up and drove on. Eventually I out ran it. :)
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    when i lived someplace that i needed to take allergy meds, i would take half the dosage before a run (i run first thing in the morning when i go) and take the other half after the run
  • crastatter86
    crastatter86 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas! Gonna try a few and see which ones work the best. So far the only thing I have done is taken my meds an hour before I go out and while running I am just hacking and pushing through it's just a terrible distraction. Hopefully something here helps! Thanks again!