Allergies

[ThorLyonsSalem]

Has anyone had bad allergies this spring? I am in bad shape - my throat is on fire, my glands are swollen. I take Zyrteck but it doesn't reduce the inflammation. I also take ibuprofin for the pain, doesn't do it either. 

[basil67]

Try nasal steroids.   I find they help me significantly.   

Where I am, you can buy lower dosage from the pharmacy, or a doctor can prescribe a stronger prescription. 

Edited May 10 by basil67

[Sanch62]

While you can take this to a clinic for confirmation, an ENT specialist advised me that Zyrtec works on a different prong than the active ingredients in Claritin or Allegra, and so either of those can be overlapped with Zyrtec for a better address of symptoms. Adding a nasal spray such as Flonase can also be effective once a day.

I was told to ONLY use antihistamines, NOT anything that contains a decongestant. Those dry you out, which would only cause more discomfort and inflammation rather than treat it. Antihistamines work to prevent the release of more histamine into your system. Histamine is what's prompting your body to overreact and produce symptoms to clear it. So limiting your body's production of histamine will prevent the cycle. Zyrtec alone doesn't appear to be doing that for you.

[ThorLyonsSalem]

I HATE nasal sprays of any kind. They just never do it for me, I guess. It'll go away over time, I am improving but have this persistent cough. 

[basil67]

1 hour ago, ThorLyonsSalem said:

I HATE nasal sprays of any kind. They just never do it for me, I guess. It'll go away over time, I am improving but have this persistent cough. 

A cough isn't part of an allergy.  It's more likely you have a common cold

[Sanch62]

18 hours ago, ThorLyonsSalem said:

I HATE nasal sprays of any kind. They just never do it for me, I guess. It'll go away over time, I am improving but have this persistent cough. 

You don't have to include the spray in order to add another prong to Zyrtec. You can take Claritin or Allegra to address the histamine production not being addressed by the Zyrtec. This can curb the cough.

16 hours ago, basil67 said:

A cough isn't part of an allergy.  It's more likely you have a common cold

Unfortunately, I believed this, too, when my respiratory allergies shifted from sneezing and a clogged head to a persistent cough. I believed that this was a cold or infection. But my cough was diagnosed as an allergic reaction where a nasal drip poisons the lungs regardless of not causing a stuffy head.

OP, consult with an Ears, Nose, Throat specialist if you don't opt to find relief from adding a new antihistamine in capsule form. While the nasal sprays work for some, they can be more of a triggering problem for others, and they are optional.