Cedar Fever remedies?

[DeadHeadHorn]

I just got back to Austin after a month at home and BAM! became instantly stuffed-up, watery eyes, the whole nine yards. Last year I suffered almost intolerable symptoms of Cedar Fever and don't want to go through another hellacious month or two of that.

Are there any home remedies for Cedar Fever that are effective? What about store-bought stuff? Anyone know the best way to relieve the symptoms?

I've heard you should avoid milk (easy; do that already) and beer (not so easy) are ways to reduce symptoms. Anybody got any more advice?

Allergies are definitely the worst part about living in Austin.

 

[MeaHorn]

Go to your doctor and describe your symptoms and ask him about the allergy shot. It's a cortizone shot that is effective for 6 or so weeks. Helps with all but the really high cedar count days.

 

[JohnnyM]

i simply take claritin (well, wal-itin) once a day and it does an OK job. i am still stuffed up most of the day, and at night when i take my contacts out my eye itching sometimes becomes unbearable. however based on life without any medication it is livable.

as an aside, does anyone else not have watery but hellaciously ITCHY eyes? i try Naphcon-A and/or Visine-A (same ingredient) and while it helps some, it doesn't help all that much. also do NOT put ice on itchy eyes. it feels great when you have the icepack applied, but the itching feeling is 10 times worse as soon as you remove it.

i have some people that have told me that zertec (sp?) is the drug of choice these days and is great. needs a prescription though. you also might want to ask your doctor about a nasal spray. i used to use flonase in conjunction with my claritin and it worked well. the only reason i don't use it this year is my reluctance to go back to the doctor for more.

what i have also been doing, which is probably a really bad idea but it helps me, is taking nyquil before bed. it helps with the itchy eyes and congestion so i can sleep.

also, AVOID the claritin-d, like the plague. the added decongestant will make your nose run like a bad faucet. i took it for a few days and was miserable.

as for avoiding beer, **** it. it's a miserable enough time of year and the effects of the beer aren't so great that the sobriety is worth skipping a few drinks.

 

[DeadHeadHorn]

For the itchy eyes I would reccomend Similisan eye drops. They may not be too effective with the absolute worst case of itchiness, but they work really well for me.

 

[wolfman]

I have been using a perscription nose spray called Nasonex. One puff in the morning daily. You have to use it regularly for a few days for it to be effective though.

 

[DeadHeadHorn]

Now if only I had health insurance I could see a doctor...

 

[98HornGirl]

BioAllers Sinus and Allergy Nasal Spray (homeopathic stuff - get it at Whole Foods or CM)

Similisan Allergy Eye Drops

I use both of these year round with no addiction, no sinus problems, and no cedar fever!

 

[Cancer Man]

Try Gleemonex.

Seriously, Cedar Fever KILLS me. Fortunately, we don't get it as bad up in Dallas as we did growing up in SA or going to school in Austin. For three months, life is brutal. Now, I get it for like a week, maybe two. I've been taking Claritin all week -- can't really tell if it's working.

Oh, it's Zyrtec, I think. I also believe that's the drug that helps you avoid pet allergies. I'll never own a cat but allegedly, it really helps fight against pet dander allergies. (If I'm thinking of the right drug.)

 

[idigTexas]

The wife uses a combo of Flonase and Allegra. Claritin doesn't work well for her.

You can cope a little better by limiting your outdoor activities; keeping your windows closed at home and in your car; and avoiding other allergy triggers such as pet dander, cigarette smoke, and colognes/perfumes.

 

[Campus Loop(y)]

I let my script of Flonase go and need to get it redone, thanks for the reminder. I generally use the over the counter Claritin (not the D) for maintenance but when I am really congested I use over the counter store label Psuedafedrine. The litte red tablets work. So I can take either the antihistimine alone w/ claritin to stop drainage or use the psuedafed for the congestion or both. It gives me choices that Claritin-D does not.

For headaches, use Excederin. The combo of caffeine and aspirin attacks headaches faster and better. But don't take on an empty stomach for I have found it upsets it. The combo of pseudafed and excederin can make some jittery too but not most.

I have thought of shots but have not made it to an allergist yet. Good luck.

 

[MeaHorn]

you don't need to go to an allergist for the cortizone shot. My general practitioner gives me mine. It really really helps.

 

[MrPhlegm]

Me, I went to the allergist and got the desensetizing shots where they inject you with a very dilute solution of whatever they are trying to desensitize you from.

These work but they are a long term solution as you have to take them for a while for them to be really effective.

I had really bad allergies (see my handle

) and even taking three or four benadryls didn't help, I still had a massively phlegm spigot of a runny nose and would sneeze 30 or 40 times in a row. The allergy shots worked and reduced my cedar fever to where a claritin D would control it in Austin. They also pretty much made my other allergies disappear.

Of cours moving to Florida really helped as I have not developed allergies to anything here yet and the cedar only bothers me when a cold front brings it over from Texas.