Allergy Info

I did the shots for years. They never helped me at all but I'm just one person. I just wanted to share how it went for me good luck

Hi R.,

Have you tried natural remedies? Go to your local health food store and ask for homeopathic remedies for allergies. Another thing is to eat about a teaspoon or two of LOCAL honey every day. YOu can get this at your health food store as well. This will help your body learn to not have an allergic reaction to the local pollens - but it take a little time to show a difference.

Hope this helps,
E.

I also spent years dealing with my allergies with no medicines really helping much at all. My allergies are grass, some trees and ragweed. I had allergy testing about a year and a half ago and began the allergy shots. They have worked a wonder for me. I went through last allergy season with almost no allergy effects at all just a couple stuffy days here and there on the very high pollen days, but even then, it wasn't even really bad enough to take anything for it. I am so glad i went ahead with the shots, those of us who suffer severe allergies know what a difference it makes to be able to walk outside and not have to worry about what's blooming at that time to cause us trouble. I would recommend them to anyone, and because of where they put them in your arm they are not painful at all. Alot of times, depending on who gives me the shot, I barely feel it at all.

Fish oil, Fish oil, Fish oil. A medicinal dose of liquid fish oil (double the dosage on the bottle). My kids used to do shots once a week until I learned all my doctor and Rainbow Blossom (health food/alternative medicine) could teach me. So my then 7 yr old and at the time almost two year old discontinued the shots. I don't mind the allergen in the shots, but they add phenol to it and my children are ALLERGIc to that. Phenol is a tar derivative added to shots as a preservative. Who wants that?

My doc and people at Rainbow educated me to immune boosting with fish oil, probiotic, elderberry, and echinacea. Also, we changed the way we eat. If we eat processed food, like cookies,snacks for lunches, bread and more, we eat organic. We try to eat whole foods locally grown. I go to the Farmer's Market and joined a CSA last summer. The more you know who, what, and where your food comes from the healthier you will feel. My kids were 98% in tree and dust mites. They get stuffed up a little in the Spring I keep their nose constantly washed with saline. A great way to keep the allergens at bay. You also may want to try eating locally grown honey (the bees pollinate the stuff you are allergic to).

Good luck!

You might look into Sinus Buster, at sinusbuster.com. It's not a drug (and hurts like crazy for a few seconds), but works wonders for a lot of people, and it's inexpensive compared with doctor appointments and all that. I've found it on ebay (new) for cheaper than on the website, and with free shipping (I'm frugal!).

Along the drug route, my husband has had terrible lifelong allergies (he is a veterinarian who can't have anything to do with horses/cattle b/c there is always hay around). He uses a few drugs at at a time to get enough help, I think right now singulair and another one that is inhaled in the nose, an oral prescription, and sometimes claritin (generic) and others on top of that as needed. Where you live can make a huge difference in your quality of life. Some places we've been or visited have been absolutely horrible, and it wouldn't be worth living there. Other places (the Oregon coast) he felt much better.

I have a childhood friend who always had a string of snot hanging from her nose (when we were children) who says that seeing (I believe) an accupuncturist took away most of her allergies, and people (doctors) don't really believe her, but she says it's true - her life is dramatically different now.

There are many things to try. I have a cousin who got the allergy shots when she had good insurance, but had to discontinue when the insurance ended because it was very frequent and costly, but I believe it was helping. I'm sure a Naturopathic Physician could help as well. Good luck to you! I don't have allergies, but I see how much my husband suffers with them.

There is a natural alternative to those pesky allergy shots. I have horrible seasonal allergies and have not taken an allergy pill or shots in over a year. My friend Carri introduced me to this isotonix form of OPC3 and it has done wonders you can get more information at

http://www.marketamerica.com/C./index.cfm?action=shopping...

It has so many awesome health benefits from being an anti-inflammatory and natural anti- histamine(this is what helps allergies) to heart health.
C. Howard
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I met an awesome naturopathic doctor and my womens networking event last night that could possibly help. Her name is Crystal Abernathy and you can check out her website at www.abernathynd.com. If you do decide to use her, please let her know that T. Dayton with Dove Chocolate Discoveries referred you to her.

T.

Try the Neti Pot. You use salt and warm water to irrigate your nose and it really works. I had gotten to the point that I was taking one 24 hour OTC in the morning and a different 24 hour OTC at night in order to be comfortable. After 2 days of using the Neti Pot I did not need anything. That was a year ago and I have literally only taken a decongestant once or twice because of a bad cold. It is natural, gentle, and no bad side effects. ( :

Oh, one more, I haven't tried it yet, but bee pollen is supposed to work wonders. And one article I read said that one teaspoon of bee pollen equaled on veggie. (:

As someone who has had allergy shots (twice), I can say they are a double-edged sword. I will give you my pro's and con's on them, and let you decide.

PROS
*They are-for the most part-natural. Unlike meds that control symptoms, you are introducing small amounts of the very thing you are allergic to into your body at small, safe quantities. The theory is that you built an immunity.
* If taken as directed they work and can provide life-long immunity!
* They don't really hurt. The needle is small and they don't hurt as bad as the flu shot.
*They are tailor-made for your allergy issues.
*OK to take when pregnant.

CONS
*You must be committed! Usually, you start out getting 2 shots a week, then reduce over time to once every other week. I have never met a doctor who lets you give them to yourself, so you have to either go to the office and get them or find another nurse to do it (such as at a health clinic at your office - I see you are SAHM, so I don't imagine this would work for you)
* You can't miss! If you skip a week here and there, it is not a big deal, but if you miss, say, 2 months as I did when my son was born pre-mature, you'll had to start all over again.
*Usually to get optimal immunity, you need to take them for several years (3-5)
*You can't 'get and go' at most doctor's offices...they usually make you stay for 15-20 minutes afterwards to make sure you don't react to the ever-increasing dose of allergens. Not a huge deal, but we all are busy and who has extra time.

In the end, I stopped before I was finished both times. Once when I switched jobs where I got the shot(and I also didn't like my doc), I stopped taking them...the other was when my son was born pre-mature. I decided not to start over since I had taken them for about 2 1/2 years and felt I had probably gotten a ggod head starts.

Since I have animal allergies as well as allergies to grass/trees/weeds/dust, I got a dog and a cat, which has helped me build an immunity to a greater extent to animals. I can now go to people's homes who have animals and I couldn't before. I also take a spoonful of LOCAL honey daily...preferably blended honey (pollen from a variety of sources), rather than honey from one type of pollen. I also do things like not open my windows when certain plants and trees are pollinating, I wash my hair at night, run the vaccuum regularly, and run an air purifier.

Good luck with your decision!!!

Hi R.
I'm allergic to weeds and grasses and I was prescribed "nasonex". It's a nasal spray used twice a day. I like it a lot. I used to use claritin, but it just dried up my mucous membranes and I really didnt' get relief. I've never tried the shots, this option was not given to me.

Good luck
P.

R.: i used to have severe allergies from the time I was about 11 or 12 until I got married. Back then no one knew wht the problem was. My eyes would swell so big I thought they would bug out. Finally after I got married I said enough and got tested. It was a miracle I have been pretty much allergy free ever since. I took the shots for about 3 or 4 years and then I stopped. I still have problems but nothing that over the counter meds cant handle. Go for it. It will change your life. My shots took probalb y about a month to kick in.
G.

Before you go through with the shots, you might try something else. Often we have multiple allergies and one thing seems to push us over the edge. My sinus problems, as well as my mother's, disappeared when we eliminated corn from our diets. Start reading the labels. Corn is in everything--high fructose corn syrup, etc. Also, when it says ascorbic acid, that comes from corn.

I'm sure the weeds bother you. But if you have a secondary problem with corn, something the tests didn't pick up (and that can happen), then eliminating that could help you deal with the weeds. Try it for about 5 days and see if it makes a difference. If not, you can still go get the shots.

I was having several sinus infections a year, then ear infections from backup in the tubes. I went to an allergist, weeds, trees, dogs are my culprits. I decided against allergy shots. I use Zyrtec (OTC now) and Flonase every night before I go to bed. I can actually breathe in the mornings when I get up. Also I make sure I take a long steamy shower and get my nose really loosened up regularly.
A water soaked washcloth can help if you can't bear to use a netti pot (I can't). The allergist recommends using a cup of water with a little salt to rinse.

Hello R.,

My daughter is eight years old. She has never been tested for allergies to see what actually brings on her asthma. How long does the procedure take place does it hurt at all? My daughter is not a needle person. I do hope that she grows out of it. She does not like the fact some activities she has to be very careful at.

C. AUTRY

Hi R., I read your other responses and noticed no one mentioned sinus irrigation. It is a little gross at first but does work wonders. I moved to Louisville - allergy capital of the world! - 18 years ago and in the first 10 years I lived here had 3 sinus surgeries to clean out and open the nasal passages to help w/ the headaches and frequent sinus infections. After the 3rd surgery (which was w/ a different doctor) he told me about sinus irrigation. It's simple and all you need is canning salt, baking soda, and a nose syringe (bulb type like you used w/ your babies)...mix together 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt (I shake in a rubbermaid container w/ lid) then dump into a small bowl you can leave in your shower stall, squeeze all air out of syringe & put in the bowl to fill up w/ water solution, then (the gross part), insert in your nostril and shoot the water up. Do both sides several times til you run out of water solution (usually about 3 times per side w/ the bigger syringe). This clears out the "gunk" that causes your headaches. There is probably information w/ printed instrux somewhere on the internet but I don't have a website name, sorry. One thing that helps me when I do it is to put the stuff up your nostril, plug your nose and lean your head upside down (almost between your knees)....hold a little, like maybe 20 seconds...that works on the sinus cavity that is in your forehead. The ones on the sides of your nose you can clear out by plugging your nose and tilt your head to that side and hold. It has helped me tremendously. In the first 10 years I was here, 3 surgeries. Now I'm almost to the 9th year w/o any surgery...just irrigation and the occasional nasal spray. I hardly ever get a sinus infection now (maybe once a year compared to every couple months before). I wish this wasn't such a gross solution, but it does work! And you get used to it...just do in the shower because over the sink makes a major mess. Good luck, hope this helps you!

R.:
Hello, I have HORRIBLE allergies. When I did the skin tests I broke out in big red hives and they were scared. It should have been little red dots. I have tried the shots twice and both times they worked a little in the beginning and then it seemed like they were not working as every time I turned around, I would have a sinus infection and be on an antibiotic.

I have tried almost every kind of allergy medicine/nasal spray, etc. I make my own saline solution. use 6-8 oz of distilled water, 1/4 tsp of salt (I use sea salt) and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. I bought a baby nasal aspirator (I think that is what they are called) and fill it and then squirt up my nose. I have heard netti pots are good also. It took me years to find something that worked half way for me. I am on singulair (10 mg), Palgic (4mg) and then use flonase nasal spray.

My worst time is in the spring when everything starts blooming. Last year, I found something on the internet that has been a God send to me. They are called Nasal Allergy Filters and the website is breathepurenap.com they are little filters that go in your nose. You have to kick vanity out the window to wear them as people stare and ask questions, but they work like nothing I have ever found. I can be in the bad stages of an allergy attack (running nose, watery eyes, sneezing, can feel myself flushing and getting a fever) and I put them in and after a while calmed right down.

Hope this info is helpful as it is no fun to deal with allergies and the season is coming up. I also use pollen.com and then type in your zip code. They will send you an update on the pollen count in your area and what the allergens are for that day. it is very helpful.

Also, in the winter I use cool mist humidifiers in my house. I couldn't survive the winter without them!

Good luck!
A.

My daughter who is 11 yrs old started having recurrent sinus infections with fever around the 2-3 grade. They were so bad that she needed antibiotics approx every 3 months.

Not seeing an end to it, our pediatrician recommended a local allery group (Allergy and Asthma Care in Memphis) and I had her tested. Turns out she is allergic to literally everything except animals. So we started the weekly shots about a year ago now.

It took about 6 months before I could start to tell a difference but now I can definitely tell! She has not had to take her daily preventative meds (Versmyst and Xyzal) since November and she has not had a sinus infection for about 6-9 months.

She will still catch the occasional virus but it doesn't turn into a severe sinus infection---YEAH!!

We are definitely going to keep the shots up as long as it takes! That could be a couple of years but if that means no more daily prescript. meds, no more sick days and no more heavy duty antibiotics then it is worth it!!!!

Our insurance also covers all of it except for whatever annual decuctible we have to meet per person....not a bad deal at all!

We have really enjoyed the Allergy group--they are nice, have several locations and try to accomodate by being open different days and hours for those that take shots.

There are also several realatives in my family and my husband's family that have taken allergy shots over the years and they have also worked extremely well for them too!

Good Luck and hope you get some relief!!

I did allergy shots 2X a week for a year and then I quit it wasnt worth my time and money. They did not help. I discivered saline sinus rinses using the neti pot and it works great. If I know I'll be outside a lot that day I will still take a clairton but I have not had a sinus infection since I started the rinses in January 2008 (or even a head cold as it flushed out virus too). I have also heard local honey can work but I havnt tried it yet.

I took the shots for 3 years and still have to take Zyrtec on a daily basis and deal with sinus infection 2-3 times a year. Honestly I really dont believe they do anything. Good Luck!

I have had allergies for much of my life. I have been on allergy shots for about 5 years and they really help. It is not instant. It takes a while (months to years) to build up in your system but I feel better and rarely have the headaches and bronchitis/ear infections I used to. In addition to the shots, I suggest you also take an antihistimine during high pollen times, and use nasal spray as well. These two really help.

An alternative or supplement is the use of a saline rinse. You flush you nose and throat with a saltwater solution. You can get this at drugstores. I do this occasionally, but don't use enough to realize true benefit.

A natural anti allergen is a table spoon of local honey every day for at least the the first week of the major pollen season. it works for me. My friend gets the shots and they work wonders she says. Good luck it is never fun to have allergies. My family and I have many from hay fever to food allergies.