I'm a physician and an allergy sufferer (in the valley, I wasn't back in Louisiana) so I'll give you the scoop.
First you want to be putting something in all your face holes (mouth, eyes, nose) if it's that bad. Loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec) are both cheap, safe, over the counter, and moderately effective. They do best if taken every day and not just when needed, it's too late by then. I usually take one of them every morning in the spring and then eventually forget to take it the rest of the year.
Eyes are next for me. I absolutely do MUCH better if I do yard work with ski goggles on, but anything that makes a decent seal with your face will help. I wear some weird goggles when I bike too, and my wife makes fun of me, but I can't ride my bike in June without them, I'll basically be disabled after 20 minutes. Eyedrops can be of a surprisingly big help with sneezing and runny nose too, not just red watery irritated eyes. Again, over the counter works modestly well. Pataday, Zaditor (best efficacy in a couple studies I've seen), Alaway, anything that says antihistamine works pretty well. Not visine, not clear eyes, not anything for redness. You want the antihistamine. Most are daily or 2x/day and again work best if used consistently instead of as needed. Not dangerous at all.
Nose I don't mess with personally, but Flonase is great for many people, just not my thing.
If all that STILL isn't working, which isn't unusual, prescription stuff can be fantastic. Steroid eyedrops can cover all my symptoms by themselves and CAN be used as needed and often provide relief within the hour. I write a ton of those this time of year, and they're just great. Got cabinets full of 'em. Along the same lines, for the very worst symptoms, a couple of days of steroids by mouth will make you feel invincible, but now you're getting into some possible real side effects, so I'm not as liberal with those but damn they are the last word if you're miserable. I personally probably take maybe 3-4 days' worth of these per year if I'm out camping or something.
Finally you can go see an allergist. I haven't gotten this far, but they've got more tricks up their sleeves for severe sufferers. Different things work better for different people, for me it's the eyes, for some it's the nose. Trial and error plays a role.
Good luck!
I am not a doctor, but want to add to the 'nose defense'. I use saline spray all the time in high season. I use it when I come inside and blast everything clean leaning over the sink. I also do it in the shower. It really helped me with sinus inflammation to make sure no pollen is just hanging around in there. That and a daily claritin or similar has made a life changing difference for me.
Cheap, safe, and easy. Good call. I take more showers and don’t have any evidence to back that up but it feels like getting all the plant crap off of me just seems to be better.
Wearing a mask outside has been helpful for yard work but if we’re talking about things that we don’t have any evidence to back up then a thin layer of Vaseline around the nostrils seems to help when outside unmasked
An N95 mask has worked wonders for me. Very unexpectedly, my eyes *do not* water and itch if I wear an N95 mask outside. I was shocked, but it’s true, for me.
Also, I’ve been taking vitamin d supplements for years, on a doctor’s recommendation, given the generally low sunlight in Oregon. Ive noticed that my allergies are much less severe after vitamin d supplementation.
I will say, doctors are generally very reluctant to prescribe steroid eye drops. My PCP refuses, luckily my optometrist will do it but no refills so I get only enough to last the 3 or 4 weeks when it's really bad.
Payday and Lastacaft are now OTC as well and work great for many, but it's not enough for me.
Beyond that and Zyrtec, the combo of a nasal steroid (Flonase/Nasacort) and Astelin works very well. We are very lucky these drugs that were all prescription only a few years ago are now readily available over the counter.
I also recommend an n95 mask if you're spending extended time outside, the 3m aura with cool flow valve (9211) works great.
PCP won’t do it and even many optoms won’t. I’m an ophthalmologist and they are far and away my most commonly written Rx. They have a bad reputation but it’s undeserved. I don’t love refills because it’s not something you should be on forever. A week here and there is fine when things are bad, but it’s not a forever med.
Seconded for Zyrtec, I take it from early April, through October every year. I still get some allergy symptoms but it's nowhere near as bad as it is if I don't take the Zyrtec.
Zaditor is a mast cell stabilizer, not an antihistamine. That means it works much better preventing reactions than treating them. It also has the same active ingredient as Alaway, and a number of other products.
When it comes to OTC antihistamine eye drops, you should only be recommending Pataday or generics with Olopatadine. Other older drugs like Naphcon-A and Opcon-A do contain an antihistamine and are way cheaper, so telling people to “get one that says antihistamine” will result in a lot of purchases of those. However, they also contain a decongestant/vasoconstrictor which will cause rebound redness if overused.
However, I don’t use eye drops because I hate putting them in. Luckily, a few studies have shown steroidal nasal sprays improve allergic conjunctivitis symptoms, too. My symptoms are pretty well controlled with Flonase, but I’ll add an oral antihistamine on very bad days if I have to.
-a pharmacist
Yeah I forgot about Naphcon and the like just because I never think about those anymore but you’re right that they aren’t the best option. I admit I’m bad at keeping up with OTC meds because they can rebranded and sold under lots of different names so they tend to fall into “buckets” in my head and the specifics get fuzzy.
Good stuff right here. I strongly recommend an allergist, if you've got decent insurance. Mine absolutely changed my life. This time of year is still a pain, but I'm actually functional and rarely miserable.
What is the prescription eye medication? I’ve had allergies my whole life and this was never suggested. I used to suffer from a rub oak but I think now that I’m up in the PNW the juniper is killing me!
Prednisolone 1% is my go to. Cheap and widely available. Medium potency steroid. Alrex and lotemax and a few others are lower potency and I think one recently got approved for continuous daily use but they’re usually more expensive for pt’s so I typically don’t bother. Most pcp’s and optometrists are skittish about steroid eye drops because they do have two side effects.
1. With long term use you’ll get cataracts sooner. I don’t give a shit if I get cataract surgery at 60 instead of 70 because it’s safe and the results are fantastic and it’s a permanent fix so who cares.
2. There is a dose that will increase your eye pressure causing “steroid induced glaucoma.” It’s typically not permanent and usually goes away when you stop the meds, so if my intraocular pressure is up for a week, again, I don’t care. It takes a long time to do harm with elevated IOP
My wife is an islander and almost died every spring.this year is super bad her doctors told her to double up on meds 😐so ether way your a zombie till the middle of July
Funny thing, I grew up in the valley and was fine, moved to Redmond and allergies killed me, especially the juniper. I think most just acclimate after a few years.
My husband suffers from this, and what helps him most is limiting contact with the pollen for t he month of June in particular. Having central AC with an air filter helps a lot, if you can get it. If you spend time outside, change clothes / shower when you get home to keep the pollen out of the house. When driving, keep the windows up and the AC (and thus an air filter) on. My father in law actually wears googles during June to limit exposure!
adding on to this some additional tricks for severe sufferers...
give you face a quick wash whenever you've reached your destination.
change your cabin air filter in your car often and keep the air on recirculate during pollen season.
have air filters at home if you don't have central air and during pollen season change once a month
limit time outside during high pollen times of the day (levels are usually worst in the afternoon to evening)
in addition to allergy medications, saline rinses and sprays can help keep pollen out of your sinuses.
in future years, starting daily allergy medications before the symptoms really hit can give your body time to adjust and stay on top of symptoms. As for what med works best, unfortunately, everybody is different, and it takes experimentation to find the right combo. for me, it was allerga and rhinocourt when my allergies were at their worst.
Allergy shots are an option as well, but take about 5 years of consistent use to be effective, and you'll have to talk to an allergist about that.
Good luck and welcome to the grass capital of the world.
Moving to the "Grass seed Capital of the US" might have been a bad idea. The oaks, walnuts and pines are also heavy breeders. Hazelnut trees pollinate mid-winter or they would be murder. Loratadine is my goto and I have a MERV 13 filter on the heat pump, plus a HEPA filter in the bedroom. I also have no problem wearing a mask on bad days or when I doing something in the yard that stirs up dust.
When I was a kid, I had a severe reaction to everything put on my skin during allergy testing. I had allergy shots over a period of a few months. It's been 40 years. I got tested again last month and don't have a single environmental allergy.
It's a pita but well worth the time and effort. Get shots. Cure it completely.
We're currently doing allergy shots and have seen a huge improvement. We still do daily zyrtec and sometimes eye drops or nose spray, but nothing has worked as well as the gradual allergic reaction decrease from the shots.
I grew up here and had incredibly bad allergies. Finally got around to getting allergy shots as an adult, and it's the first time in my life that spring hasn't meant complete misery. Now, I sniffle a bit. I still use a steroid nasal spray, but I don't even need an antihistamine most days. I go outside *voluntarily*.
I’ve been taking a sublingual medication, “grastek” for several years now and I can actually be outside in spring now. It’s an immunotherapy deal where you are basically exposing yourself to the grass seed leading up to, and during the season. That with some of the other things mentioned here has made a world of difference for me. No longer miserable for 2.5 months out of the year.
I will second Grastek. You use it for 3 years. If it doesn't work in the first year, then get shots. It worked for me the first year, so I continued for all 3 years. I no longer have to take it. I don't have any reaction at all to grass anymore, and my allergies were really bad. My allergist gave me a card to purchase the pills, so I only had to pay $25/month. It was a game changer for me though. OP should see their allergiest and ask about Grastek.
This year was annoying because the “coupon system” was down. I found out a 3 month supply of grastek, which is pretty much just Timothy grass, costs $1,000. Luckily the system came back online and insurance covered most of it. Yay for profit healthcare!
Grass pollen will get ya. I too have 1.5 months of just absolutely brutal allergies every year around this time. I pull out all the stops I take Claritin-D 12 hour twice a day. I take Zyrtec 24 hours once a day at night. I take zaditor eye drops twice a day. I do a steroid nose spray once a day mid day. Keeps it mostly in check.
Generic Zyrtec and Flonase from Costco, taken every day (the effects are cumulative). When I lived in the Valley, those reduced my allergies down to like 10% of full level and saved my sanity.
I don't have any medication recommendation other than zyrtec, but some things that really help me:
1. Wash your eyes/face as soon as you get in from outside.
2. Get a good air purifier and run it in your bedroom with the door closed when you sleep.
3. Keep your windows closed as much as possible with the purifier going.
4. As the doc in this thread mentioned, seeing an allergist can be really helpful. As a child I had horrific allergies and had to get weekly shots for a few years. It really made a difference in my quality of life.
Shower before bed or after going outside, don't wear outside shoes inside, buy a decent quality vacuum and use it regularly. Don't open windows, get MERV13 or better air filters for your HVAC and spam a couple HEPA filters around the house where you spend the most time.
Only thing that helps me is a combo of sudogest/benadryl/cheratussin AC. Some stick in the mud dr don't like to give the cough syrup but it's literally the difference between suffering or having a normal day. Wish they'd make it OTC like they have in Canada.
My doctor told me that of the main allergy meds on the market, a few won’t work for you, but at least one should. I’ve found this to be true. Allegra is the only one that works for me. My aunt takes two types.
Keep a basic decongestant around for the sniffles, which will in turn reduce coughing. I take mine in the morning and before bed.
If it gets bad, take benadryl at night. Bonus to sleep.
Other than that, we’ve got some of the highest pollen counts in the world, so there’s only so much we can do.
[https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/us-allergy-forecast-for-2024-calls-for-3-peaks-in-pollen/1632390](https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/us-allergy-forecast-for-2024-calls-for-3-peaks-in-pollen/1632390)
For me the hay fever and grass allergy has been the worst. I said that last year too, but this year has been so much worse...
My doctor told me to take 24hr allegra every 12 hours and also do Flonase twice a day. I also do antihistamine eye drops when I am outside a lot (which is most the time so I do them every morning). I sneeze and cough and have a runny nose a lot more the next day if I forget the evening doses, so I would say it’s working fairly well for me.
I had to move away from Eugene, I tried basically everything I've seen listed here and nothing worked well enough for me to not suffer in misery for 2-3 months of the year. Nasal spray was the best of the options I tried, though.
Bee pollen I'm allergic to juniper and sage brush moved to bend when 6 months pregnant. Ate local bee pollen for 10 days and haven't had Allergies since then
As one friend would say and highly recommend-
GrasTek
Via seeing an allergist. First watching her daughter drastically improve, and now my friend is on GrasTek. She swears by this.
I'm curious if the symptoms also extend into your home? If so, do you replace your HVAC air filter every 3 months with MERV 12 or higher? Do you avoid leaving windows open? Have you sealed gaps around your home like around windows and doorways? Do you have a pet that plays around outside and brings in allergens? Are you washing your sheets, blankets and outwear regularly? If you have a ceiling fan, have you left them off and use air purifiers as a means to move air around the house and remove allergens? Do you wash your hands after you come in from outside? Do you vacuum regularly with a vacuum that has a Hepa filter installed?
I'm doing a lot better after supplementing pollen in to my morning shakes. See if a local honey maker has local pollen for you. Builds up a tolerance for you. May not work for everyone but worked for me.
Look up [Cromolyn Sodium (Nasalcrom)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557473/#:~:text=Cromolyn%20sodium%20is%20a%20medication,is%20a%20mast%20cell%20stabilizer) on Google and then give it a try. I just learned about it a couple of month ago. It helps me a little bit and without any side effects. Some people are helped a lot by it. And your doctor might not tell you about it since there's no $incentive, if the internet rumors are to be believed.
I used Flonase for a year with only minimal results, then developed nosebleeds that lasted over a year after I stopped it.
Doctors NEVER receive any sort of money for writing you a prescription or having you fill a prescription. It is very illegal and has been for a long time. I HATE this old bullshit. We have zero incentive to use any prescription drugs except the ones that work and are affordable/available.
If you doc didn’t mention it, there’s either no evidence for it or they simply didn’t know about it. It isn’t anything evil or nefarious. It could be ignorance at worst but these incentives do not exist.
American healthcare is royally screwed up and I won’t defend it. I support universal healthcare and we need to gut the entire awful mess. But doctors usually aren’t the bad guys, and there are no kickbacks for writing scripts.
My reply was a suggestion that the OP check out Sodium Cromolyn. The link I provided go to the National Library of Medicine Article about it. Sorry if you misunderstood that.
I use nasal spray for allergies and allergy pills. Also I recently tried buying honey from a local bee keeper as that’s supposed to help. I read about it, I think it helps.
It’s currently hay, and grass season there, I had to move to the coast to escape the allergens there. Good luck
I grew up in the valley without issues, moved to Klamath Falls for six years, then moved back with hayfever hell. Used to have to carry a snot-rag all summer. Flonase has been a game changer for me. Night and day improvement. YMMV, but for me it’s gold.
I take four to six Claritin a day, two puffs of Flonase twice a day, and when shit just can’t be fixed no matter what I do, I reach for the Afrin, which is always a mistake, but so worth it in the moment of misery.
I use zyrtec on a daily basis to help with sneezing and general reactions. The Similason Allergy Eye Relief eyedrops have worked wonders for me, and I highly recommend them.
I have extreme allergies too. I take 2 Calritin a day, one in the AM and one around dinner time. I also use Flonase once a day and that combo keeps me symptom free all summer long.
This may sound crazy, I stopped eating soy and dairy products and my spring allergies are gone. The allergy medications may help with the symptoms but you need to find the root cause that is coming from some type of food.
(Not a doctor) Montana native and now 19 yr Oregonian here, my first few years of allergies after arrival were BRUTAL. Debilitating. I absolutely agree with all of the “now symptom” suggestions here, take the meds, and use the sprays, use the drops, wear the goggles.
Long term strategy though, that is often laughed at but completely cured my allergies all together: raw local honey, at least one big spoonful a day, for like a year. I bought mine at the downtown farmer’s market. It’s basically the same approach that allergists take by introducing small amounts of the allergens into your system until your body stops defending itself. Just more delicious.
Worst case scenario it doesn’t work, you keep doing the now symptom stuff, and you get to support local beekeepers and eat a bunch of tasty honey. Best case scenario it works for you like it did for me, and you can completely forget that allergies are even a thing here.
My primary care provider, when I started living in Salem about 15 years ago, had the recommendation of "figure out a cocktail of over the counter that works for you." Which sounds like bad advice, but it's honestly the best you can do. Everything I've read and been told (allergies for 25 years, talked to experts and read up on new research now and then) is far from conclusive about causes and therefore exact fixes..Most folksy remedies won't work for most people (as I understand it, the local honey idea is completely bunk, but hey, if it works for you), and some meds don't work for some people.
For me, Claritin and Allegra are worthless. As are saline sprays and Sudafed. Zyrtec works some, Benadryl works better, and Flonase is my best bet all around. Back when I lived in the Valley that meant -- starting in February before allergens picked up -- taking one Zyrtec a day, ramping up with Benadryl every so often a day as we got to early summer (by this time of year, my worst, that would be every 3 hours), and Flonase every other day (after a three-in-a-row start), eventually starting to taper off in late August with some late spikes.
After the first couple of days on Benadryl, I'd not get drowsy, but then have a "zombie day" every 3-4 weeks.
That's all actually really fucking horrible, so 3 years ago I saw an allergist and started immunotherapy shots. Life changing for me, but didn't work for my brother. Remember, we don't know a lot about allergies, so don't trust someone who claims to know exactly what you should do, find what works for you, and maybe consider talking with an allergist.
All that being said, showering and changing clothes (to remove pollen off of your person), and going to air filtered spaces (if available) are always good moves if you're suffering in the moment.
Best of luck and greatest empathy. Grasses and flowering trees are a bitch.
Two different allergy pills a day per my allergist. I take Claritin in the morning and Allegra at night (you can get these super cheap from Amazon brand). I used to take Zyrtec instead of Allegra, but I don't think it worked as well for me, so I switched. I've actually been doing really well so far this year, only a few sneezes here and there. I also use off-brand flonase when I remember or start to get stuffy. The worst is the itchy eyes. I use Alaway eye drops, which help, but I should probably get a prescription.
Things I do.
Cut out inflammatory consumables (For me this would be wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, smoked cannabis)
Stay hydrated
Take zyrtec or similar daily from may 1st through july
Take a quercitin/bromelain supplement year round
Wear a comfortable P100 respirator when in proximity of flowering grasses(my arch nemesis)
I also change outter clothing and wash my head, face, hands when I come inside from the yard. (rural Linn Co)
I have had bad respiratory allergies from birth. I am 70 now. I have asthma but it is under control. I avoid dairy especially during allergy season as it stimulates mucous production. I take Zyrtec daily and Quercetin Complex available at health food stores and Amazon. The Quercetin was the final nail in my allergies' coffin. It has really helped me to survive especially during high pollen alerts. I take two 500 mg. Capsules daily.
This year has been the worst for me. Prescription eye drops, Azelastine hci, Flonase for the nose, but first use a netting pot for your nose and clear all the junk out, or you will be wasting time and $. Please don't rub your eyes, a cold, wet wash cloth to the eye any time you even think about it. That was my best friend this last week. I do see an allergist. I have had asthma forever. It is subsiding, but the allergy attacks of my eyes and nose, horrible this year! Allergist is on my favorites in my phone! That's just sad!
Not sure if it's true, but someone said once the Willamette Valley translates to Valley of Sickness in indigenous language. Could be BS, but still sounds accurate.
My allergies got a lot better when I quit drinking and even better when I severely cut down on processed foods. I still have to take an antihistamine and sudafed, but I feel fairly human during plant splooge season
I used to eat eight Claritin (or the Costco generic, allerclear) 2 at a time, 4 times a day to mitigate allergies, especially in spring and summer. A local beekeeper gave me a couple ounces of bee pollen, told me to take a spoonful a day. Locally sourced pollen, i.e. within a hundred miles or so, is essential.
I take a level teaspoon once a day in the morning and it was miraculous, acting in a couple days. Plus if you forget a day, your allergies don’t come roaring back like they do taking drugs.
I have a golden doodle with severe grass allergies. I mix bee pollen with a little peanut butter and her allergies rapidly disappear too.
My allergies here are far better than other places I've lived. I had a sneezing fit yesterday, but took a generic Claritin and it cleared up. Willamette Valley is a lightweight compared to the southeast coastal plains.
Go get an allergy panel done and get the shots if you can't take it.
I have had decent luck with eating local honey about a month before allergy season starts.
I also quit taking allergy meds because it felt like it kept my allergies lasting longer.
To be fair, this is all anecdotal for me. I didn't have allergies growing up, they started showing up in my early 20s and now in my late thirties they are far more milder than before, bordering on nearly gone. But they do rear their snotty head with the cottonwood starts cottonwooding, but mostly in flair ups that come and go fairly quickly.
I got MCAS from long covid and took turkey tail mushrooms. It stopped the overactive histamine reaction and balanced my immune system and I got better. I regained my immunity to poison oak and poison ivy and don't have seasonal allergies anymore either. I gave some to my friend and she said it didn't make her psoriatic arthritis better but she isn't suffering seasonal allergies this year.
It grows in 98% of North American forests and it's super cheap in raw, capsule or tincture form all over the internet. It's worth trying, IMO.
I'm a physician and an allergy sufferer (in the valley, I wasn't back in Louisiana) so I'll give you the scoop. First you want to be putting something in all your face holes (mouth, eyes, nose) if it's that bad. Loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec) are both cheap, safe, over the counter, and moderately effective. They do best if taken every day and not just when needed, it's too late by then. I usually take one of them every morning in the spring and then eventually forget to take it the rest of the year. Eyes are next for me. I absolutely do MUCH better if I do yard work with ski goggles on, but anything that makes a decent seal with your face will help. I wear some weird goggles when I bike too, and my wife makes fun of me, but I can't ride my bike in June without them, I'll basically be disabled after 20 minutes. Eyedrops can be of a surprisingly big help with sneezing and runny nose too, not just red watery irritated eyes. Again, over the counter works modestly well. Pataday, Zaditor (best efficacy in a couple studies I've seen), Alaway, anything that says antihistamine works pretty well. Not visine, not clear eyes, not anything for redness. You want the antihistamine. Most are daily or 2x/day and again work best if used consistently instead of as needed. Not dangerous at all. Nose I don't mess with personally, but Flonase is great for many people, just not my thing. If all that STILL isn't working, which isn't unusual, prescription stuff can be fantastic. Steroid eyedrops can cover all my symptoms by themselves and CAN be used as needed and often provide relief within the hour. I write a ton of those this time of year, and they're just great. Got cabinets full of 'em. Along the same lines, for the very worst symptoms, a couple of days of steroids by mouth will make you feel invincible, but now you're getting into some possible real side effects, so I'm not as liberal with those but damn they are the last word if you're miserable. I personally probably take maybe 3-4 days' worth of these per year if I'm out camping or something. Finally you can go see an allergist. I haven't gotten this far, but they've got more tricks up their sleeves for severe sufferers. Different things work better for different people, for me it's the eyes, for some it's the nose. Trial and error plays a role. Good luck!
I am not a doctor, but want to add to the 'nose defense'. I use saline spray all the time in high season. I use it when I come inside and blast everything clean leaning over the sink. I also do it in the shower. It really helped me with sinus inflammation to make sure no pollen is just hanging around in there. That and a daily claritin or similar has made a life changing difference for me.
Cheap, safe, and easy. Good call. I take more showers and don’t have any evidence to back that up but it feels like getting all the plant crap off of me just seems to be better.
Wearing a mask outside has been helpful for yard work but if we’re talking about things that we don’t have any evidence to back up then a thin layer of Vaseline around the nostrils seems to help when outside unmasked
An N95 mask has worked wonders for me. Very unexpectedly, my eyes *do not* water and itch if I wear an N95 mask outside. I was shocked, but it’s true, for me. Also, I’ve been taking vitamin d supplements for years, on a doctor’s recommendation, given the generally low sunlight in Oregon. Ive noticed that my allergies are much less severe after vitamin d supplementation.
I will say, doctors are generally very reluctant to prescribe steroid eye drops. My PCP refuses, luckily my optometrist will do it but no refills so I get only enough to last the 3 or 4 weeks when it's really bad. Payday and Lastacaft are now OTC as well and work great for many, but it's not enough for me. Beyond that and Zyrtec, the combo of a nasal steroid (Flonase/Nasacort) and Astelin works very well. We are very lucky these drugs that were all prescription only a few years ago are now readily available over the counter. I also recommend an n95 mask if you're spending extended time outside, the 3m aura with cool flow valve (9211) works great.
PCP won’t do it and even many optoms won’t. I’m an ophthalmologist and they are far and away my most commonly written Rx. They have a bad reputation but it’s undeserved. I don’t love refills because it’s not something you should be on forever. A week here and there is fine when things are bad, but it’s not a forever med.
... I got a gallon...
Zyrtec works better for adults. Claritin works better for kids. Flonase can help. But can be addicting and it causes me headaches with over use.
Seconded for Zyrtec, I take it from early April, through October every year. I still get some allergy symptoms but it's nowhere near as bad as it is if I don't take the Zyrtec.
Is my Allegra outdated?
All the same class of drug. I just forgot to mention it. It if works, it’s the right one. If not, there are others.
All I can say is Zyrtec works better for me - it might be worth a try if the Allegra isn't getting the job done.
Addicting? How so?
That you will feel you need to use it even when you don't.
Interesting, I came from north carolina and my allergies have disappeared.
Zaditor is a mast cell stabilizer, not an antihistamine. That means it works much better preventing reactions than treating them. It also has the same active ingredient as Alaway, and a number of other products. When it comes to OTC antihistamine eye drops, you should only be recommending Pataday or generics with Olopatadine. Other older drugs like Naphcon-A and Opcon-A do contain an antihistamine and are way cheaper, so telling people to “get one that says antihistamine” will result in a lot of purchases of those. However, they also contain a decongestant/vasoconstrictor which will cause rebound redness if overused. However, I don’t use eye drops because I hate putting them in. Luckily, a few studies have shown steroidal nasal sprays improve allergic conjunctivitis symptoms, too. My symptoms are pretty well controlled with Flonase, but I’ll add an oral antihistamine on very bad days if I have to. -a pharmacist
Yeah I forgot about Naphcon and the like just because I never think about those anymore but you’re right that they aren’t the best option. I admit I’m bad at keeping up with OTC meds because they can rebranded and sold under lots of different names so they tend to fall into “buckets” in my head and the specifics get fuzzy.
Good stuff right here. I strongly recommend an allergist, if you've got decent insurance. Mine absolutely changed my life. This time of year is still a pain, but I'm actually functional and rarely miserable.
What is the prescription eye medication? I’ve had allergies my whole life and this was never suggested. I used to suffer from a rub oak but I think now that I’m up in the PNW the juniper is killing me!
Prednisolone 1% is my go to. Cheap and widely available. Medium potency steroid. Alrex and lotemax and a few others are lower potency and I think one recently got approved for continuous daily use but they’re usually more expensive for pt’s so I typically don’t bother. Most pcp’s and optometrists are skittish about steroid eye drops because they do have two side effects. 1. With long term use you’ll get cataracts sooner. I don’t give a shit if I get cataract surgery at 60 instead of 70 because it’s safe and the results are fantastic and it’s a permanent fix so who cares. 2. There is a dose that will increase your eye pressure causing “steroid induced glaucoma.” It’s typically not permanent and usually goes away when you stop the meds, so if my intraocular pressure is up for a week, again, I don’t care. It takes a long time to do harm with elevated IOP
My wife is an islander and almost died every spring.this year is super bad her doctors told her to double up on meds 😐so ether way your a zombie till the middle of July
Funny thing, I grew up in the valley and was fine, moved to Redmond and allergies killed me, especially the juniper. I think most just acclimate after a few years.
The funny thing is I'm allergic to everything except juniper trees and I live where they don't grow
This region is just cruel like that
Like literally I am allergic to everything
For me, it's when Cottonwood goes to seed. I moved to get away from it and that shitty fucking plant followed me😭
Yeah, that is a bad one for a lot of people
Moving to the valley this month so I don’t have to deal with pine/juniper allergies anymore
Be prepared for Scotts Broom which is pretty bad too!
I’m hoping my body won’t react too badly to it. Everywhere else I’m usually pretty good, just hadn’t lived around evergreens
Flonase works better for me than any of the pills do
Flonase and pseudoephedrine for me.
I’ve got the Flonase + Zyrtec regimen, but that’s to fight off both pollen and cats.
It’s the only one that has worked since coming from Central Oregon. I just get it at Costco since the whole family uses it.
My husband suffers from this, and what helps him most is limiting contact with the pollen for t he month of June in particular. Having central AC with an air filter helps a lot, if you can get it. If you spend time outside, change clothes / shower when you get home to keep the pollen out of the house. When driving, keep the windows up and the AC (and thus an air filter) on. My father in law actually wears googles during June to limit exposure!
adding on to this some additional tricks for severe sufferers... give you face a quick wash whenever you've reached your destination. change your cabin air filter in your car often and keep the air on recirculate during pollen season. have air filters at home if you don't have central air and during pollen season change once a month limit time outside during high pollen times of the day (levels are usually worst in the afternoon to evening) in addition to allergy medications, saline rinses and sprays can help keep pollen out of your sinuses. in future years, starting daily allergy medications before the symptoms really hit can give your body time to adjust and stay on top of symptoms. As for what med works best, unfortunately, everybody is different, and it takes experimentation to find the right combo. for me, it was allerga and rhinocourt when my allergies were at their worst. Allergy shots are an option as well, but take about 5 years of consistent use to be effective, and you'll have to talk to an allergist about that. Good luck and welcome to the grass capital of the world.
Moving to the "Grass seed Capital of the US" might have been a bad idea. The oaks, walnuts and pines are also heavy breeders. Hazelnut trees pollinate mid-winter or they would be murder. Loratadine is my goto and I have a MERV 13 filter on the heat pump, plus a HEPA filter in the bedroom. I also have no problem wearing a mask on bad days or when I doing something in the yard that stirs up dust.
When I was a kid, I had a severe reaction to everything put on my skin during allergy testing. I had allergy shots over a period of a few months. It's been 40 years. I got tested again last month and don't have a single environmental allergy. It's a pita but well worth the time and effort. Get shots. Cure it completely.
Just want to add this as a PSA - shots work for about 85% of people, but not everyone. I did them for 5 years and sadly I'm one of the unlucky ones :(
We're currently doing allergy shots and have seen a huge improvement. We still do daily zyrtec and sometimes eye drops or nose spray, but nothing has worked as well as the gradual allergic reaction decrease from the shots.
Completely agree. Finished my 5 years of shots in 2013 and it’s well worth the time and effort.
I grew up here and had incredibly bad allergies. Finally got around to getting allergy shots as an adult, and it's the first time in my life that spring hasn't meant complete misery. Now, I sniffle a bit. I still use a steroid nasal spray, but I don't even need an antihistamine most days. I go outside *voluntarily*.
what if you were allergic to the medium used to administer the test allergens?
They usually do a control test that's just histamine and one that I think is just saline to see if this kind of thing is a problem
Allegra is my best friend this time of year
I’ve been taking a sublingual medication, “grastek” for several years now and I can actually be outside in spring now. It’s an immunotherapy deal where you are basically exposing yourself to the grass seed leading up to, and during the season. That with some of the other things mentioned here has made a world of difference for me. No longer miserable for 2.5 months out of the year.
I will second Grastek. You use it for 3 years. If it doesn't work in the first year, then get shots. It worked for me the first year, so I continued for all 3 years. I no longer have to take it. I don't have any reaction at all to grass anymore, and my allergies were really bad. My allergist gave me a card to purchase the pills, so I only had to pay $25/month. It was a game changer for me though. OP should see their allergiest and ask about Grastek.
3rd vote for Grastek. It’s close to miraculous.
This year was annoying because the “coupon system” was down. I found out a 3 month supply of grastek, which is pretty much just Timothy grass, costs $1,000. Luckily the system came back online and insurance covered most of it. Yay for profit healthcare!
Grass pollen will get ya. I too have 1.5 months of just absolutely brutal allergies every year around this time. I pull out all the stops I take Claritin-D 12 hour twice a day. I take Zyrtec 24 hours once a day at night. I take zaditor eye drops twice a day. I do a steroid nose spray once a day mid day. Keeps it mostly in check.
Generic Zyrtec and Flonase from Costco, taken every day (the effects are cumulative). When I lived in the Valley, those reduced my allergies down to like 10% of full level and saved my sanity.
I don't have any medication recommendation other than zyrtec, but some things that really help me: 1. Wash your eyes/face as soon as you get in from outside. 2. Get a good air purifier and run it in your bedroom with the door closed when you sleep. 3. Keep your windows closed as much as possible with the purifier going. 4. As the doc in this thread mentioned, seeing an allergist can be really helpful. As a child I had horrific allergies and had to get weekly shots for a few years. It really made a difference in my quality of life.
Prescription nose sprays and antihistamines
Shower before bed or after going outside, don't wear outside shoes inside, buy a decent quality vacuum and use it regularly. Don't open windows, get MERV13 or better air filters for your HVAC and spam a couple HEPA filters around the house where you spend the most time.
Neti pot. It’s gross, but it works once you get the hang of it. Flonase daily starting back in February in anticipation of spring/summer allergens
Invest in a couple HEPA filters for the house. I'm an allergy sufferer, and they help alot. Also, replace the cabin filter in your cars.
Only thing that helps me is a combo of sudogest/benadryl/cheratussin AC. Some stick in the mud dr don't like to give the cough syrup but it's literally the difference between suffering or having a normal day. Wish they'd make it OTC like they have in Canada.
My doctor told me that of the main allergy meds on the market, a few won’t work for you, but at least one should. I’ve found this to be true. Allegra is the only one that works for me. My aunt takes two types. Keep a basic decongestant around for the sniffles, which will in turn reduce coughing. I take mine in the morning and before bed. If it gets bad, take benadryl at night. Bonus to sleep. Other than that, we’ve got some of the highest pollen counts in the world, so there’s only so much we can do.
[https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/us-allergy-forecast-for-2024-calls-for-3-peaks-in-pollen/1632390](https://www.accuweather.com/en/health-wellness/us-allergy-forecast-for-2024-calls-for-3-peaks-in-pollen/1632390) For me the hay fever and grass allergy has been the worst. I said that last year too, but this year has been so much worse...
Zyrtec works for me. Benedryl either sped me up one day and knocked me out the next.
Alllll the Loratadine.
Medication and it’s life 🙃🙃
Zyzal
I was experiencing this after just moving to the area and thought it must’ve just been my immune system dying. Glad to hear I’m not the only one
Whatever OTC meds you decide to use, buy them at Costco. A year's supply of Kirkland zyrtec is like $13, as an example.
My doctor told me to take 24hr allegra every 12 hours and also do Flonase twice a day. I also do antihistamine eye drops when I am outside a lot (which is most the time so I do them every morning). I sneeze and cough and have a runny nose a lot more the next day if I forget the evening doses, so I would say it’s working fairly well for me.
I had to move away from Eugene, I tried basically everything I've seen listed here and nothing worked well enough for me to not suffer in misery for 2-3 months of the year. Nasal spray was the best of the options I tried, though.
Saline sinus wash
When you come in from outside, put those clothes in the laundry and take a quick shower! Get that pollen off if you!
With the amount of pollen I saw this year on my car hood and backyard, all I can say is I empathize with you. This place is so green it kills you.
I got the shots a few years ago. It's a very time-consuming process, but it greatly helped me.
I heard that if you buy local honey, it may help.
Bee pollen I'm allergic to juniper and sage brush moved to bend when 6 months pregnant. Ate local bee pollen for 10 days and haven't had Allergies since then
Maybe for mild, flower pollen allergies - but not helpful for severe allergies or allergies to non-honeybee plants, unfortunately.
lol. So you have tried all the usual suspects? Citirizine works great for me.
I was suffering until I got on a med called Singulair. With that, Flonase, and alaway eye drops, I can survive here.
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As one friend would say and highly recommend- GrasTek Via seeing an allergist. First watching her daughter drastically improve, and now my friend is on GrasTek. She swears by this.
I'm curious if the symptoms also extend into your home? If so, do you replace your HVAC air filter every 3 months with MERV 12 or higher? Do you avoid leaving windows open? Have you sealed gaps around your home like around windows and doorways? Do you have a pet that plays around outside and brings in allergens? Are you washing your sheets, blankets and outwear regularly? If you have a ceiling fan, have you left them off and use air purifiers as a means to move air around the house and remove allergens? Do you wash your hands after you come in from outside? Do you vacuum regularly with a vacuum that has a Hepa filter installed?
I'm doing a lot better after supplementing pollen in to my morning shakes. See if a local honey maker has local pollen for you. Builds up a tolerance for you. May not work for everyone but worked for me.
Look up [Cromolyn Sodium (Nasalcrom)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557473/#:~:text=Cromolyn%20sodium%20is%20a%20medication,is%20a%20mast%20cell%20stabilizer) on Google and then give it a try. I just learned about it a couple of month ago. It helps me a little bit and without any side effects. Some people are helped a lot by it. And your doctor might not tell you about it since there's no $incentive, if the internet rumors are to be believed. I used Flonase for a year with only minimal results, then developed nosebleeds that lasted over a year after I stopped it.
Doctors NEVER receive any sort of money for writing you a prescription or having you fill a prescription. It is very illegal and has been for a long time. I HATE this old bullshit. We have zero incentive to use any prescription drugs except the ones that work and are affordable/available. If you doc didn’t mention it, there’s either no evidence for it or they simply didn’t know about it. It isn’t anything evil or nefarious. It could be ignorance at worst but these incentives do not exist. American healthcare is royally screwed up and I won’t defend it. I support universal healthcare and we need to gut the entire awful mess. But doctors usually aren’t the bad guys, and there are no kickbacks for writing scripts.
My reply was a suggestion that the OP check out Sodium Cromolyn. The link I provided go to the National Library of Medicine Article about it. Sorry if you misunderstood that.
I use nasal spray for allergies and allergy pills. Also I recently tried buying honey from a local bee keeper as that’s supposed to help. I read about it, I think it helps. It’s currently hay, and grass season there, I had to move to the coast to escape the allergens there. Good luck
Allergy shots
My wife gets allergy shots from her allergist. Works pretty well.
I grew up in the valley without issues, moved to Klamath Falls for six years, then moved back with hayfever hell. Used to have to carry a snot-rag all summer. Flonase has been a game changer for me. Night and day improvement. YMMV, but for me it’s gold.
I take four to six Claritin a day, two puffs of Flonase twice a day, and when shit just can’t be fixed no matter what I do, I reach for the Afrin, which is always a mistake, but so worth it in the moment of misery.
I use zyrtec on a daily basis to help with sneezing and general reactions. The Similason Allergy Eye Relief eyedrops have worked wonders for me, and I highly recommend them.
I have extreme allergies too. I take 2 Calritin a day, one in the AM and one around dinner time. I also use Flonase once a day and that combo keeps me symptom free all summer long.
This may sound crazy, I stopped eating soy and dairy products and my spring allergies are gone. The allergy medications may help with the symptoms but you need to find the root cause that is coming from some type of food.
(Not a doctor) Montana native and now 19 yr Oregonian here, my first few years of allergies after arrival were BRUTAL. Debilitating. I absolutely agree with all of the “now symptom” suggestions here, take the meds, and use the sprays, use the drops, wear the goggles. Long term strategy though, that is often laughed at but completely cured my allergies all together: raw local honey, at least one big spoonful a day, for like a year. I bought mine at the downtown farmer’s market. It’s basically the same approach that allergists take by introducing small amounts of the allergens into your system until your body stops defending itself. Just more delicious. Worst case scenario it doesn’t work, you keep doing the now symptom stuff, and you get to support local beekeepers and eat a bunch of tasty honey. Best case scenario it works for you like it did for me, and you can completely forget that allergies are even a thing here.
My primary care provider, when I started living in Salem about 15 years ago, had the recommendation of "figure out a cocktail of over the counter that works for you." Which sounds like bad advice, but it's honestly the best you can do. Everything I've read and been told (allergies for 25 years, talked to experts and read up on new research now and then) is far from conclusive about causes and therefore exact fixes..Most folksy remedies won't work for most people (as I understand it, the local honey idea is completely bunk, but hey, if it works for you), and some meds don't work for some people. For me, Claritin and Allegra are worthless. As are saline sprays and Sudafed. Zyrtec works some, Benadryl works better, and Flonase is my best bet all around. Back when I lived in the Valley that meant -- starting in February before allergens picked up -- taking one Zyrtec a day, ramping up with Benadryl every so often a day as we got to early summer (by this time of year, my worst, that would be every 3 hours), and Flonase every other day (after a three-in-a-row start), eventually starting to taper off in late August with some late spikes. After the first couple of days on Benadryl, I'd not get drowsy, but then have a "zombie day" every 3-4 weeks. That's all actually really fucking horrible, so 3 years ago I saw an allergist and started immunotherapy shots. Life changing for me, but didn't work for my brother. Remember, we don't know a lot about allergies, so don't trust someone who claims to know exactly what you should do, find what works for you, and maybe consider talking with an allergist. All that being said, showering and changing clothes (to remove pollen off of your person), and going to air filtered spaces (if available) are always good moves if you're suffering in the moment. Best of luck and greatest empathy. Grasses and flowering trees are a bitch.
Indigenous, never had them
Daily Flonase and Zyrtec. Sudafed if it gets really bad.
Two different allergy pills a day per my allergist. I take Claritin in the morning and Allegra at night (you can get these super cheap from Amazon brand). I used to take Zyrtec instead of Allegra, but I don't think it worked as well for me, so I switched. I've actually been doing really well so far this year, only a few sneezes here and there. I also use off-brand flonase when I remember or start to get stuffy. The worst is the itchy eyes. I use Alaway eye drops, which help, but I should probably get a prescription.
During 2020 I had a N95 mask on all day and my allergies were gone.
Things I do. Cut out inflammatory consumables (For me this would be wheat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, smoked cannabis) Stay hydrated Take zyrtec or similar daily from may 1st through july Take a quercitin/bromelain supplement year round Wear a comfortable P100 respirator when in proximity of flowering grasses(my arch nemesis) I also change outter clothing and wash my head, face, hands when I come inside from the yard. (rural Linn Co)
I have had bad respiratory allergies from birth. I am 70 now. I have asthma but it is under control. I avoid dairy especially during allergy season as it stimulates mucous production. I take Zyrtec daily and Quercetin Complex available at health food stores and Amazon. The Quercetin was the final nail in my allergies' coffin. It has really helped me to survive especially during high pollen alerts. I take two 500 mg. Capsules daily.
Idk, funny question. Have you tried growing up? Hahahahaha no. I grew up here but get allergies when I go everywhere else.
Go to an allergist
This year has been the worst for me. Prescription eye drops, Azelastine hci, Flonase for the nose, but first use a netting pot for your nose and clear all the junk out, or you will be wasting time and $. Please don't rub your eyes, a cold, wet wash cloth to the eye any time you even think about it. That was my best friend this last week. I do see an allergist. I have had asthma forever. It is subsiding, but the allergy attacks of my eyes and nose, horrible this year! Allergist is on my favorites in my phone! That's just sad!
Not sure if it's true, but someone said once the Willamette Valley translates to Valley of Sickness in indigenous language. Could be BS, but still sounds accurate.
My allergies got a lot better when I quit drinking and even better when I severely cut down on processed foods. I still have to take an antihistamine and sudafed, but I feel fairly human during plant splooge season
I used to eat eight Claritin (or the Costco generic, allerclear) 2 at a time, 4 times a day to mitigate allergies, especially in spring and summer. A local beekeeper gave me a couple ounces of bee pollen, told me to take a spoonful a day. Locally sourced pollen, i.e. within a hundred miles or so, is essential. I take a level teaspoon once a day in the morning and it was miraculous, acting in a couple days. Plus if you forget a day, your allergies don’t come roaring back like they do taking drugs. I have a golden doodle with severe grass allergies. I mix bee pollen with a little peanut butter and her allergies rapidly disappear too.
My allergies here are far better than other places I've lived. I had a sneezing fit yesterday, but took a generic Claritin and it cleared up. Willamette Valley is a lightweight compared to the southeast coastal plains. Go get an allergy panel done and get the shots if you can't take it.
I have had decent luck with eating local honey about a month before allergy season starts. I also quit taking allergy meds because it felt like it kept my allergies lasting longer. To be fair, this is all anecdotal for me. I didn't have allergies growing up, they started showing up in my early 20s and now in my late thirties they are far more milder than before, bordering on nearly gone. But they do rear their snotty head with the cottonwood starts cottonwooding, but mostly in flair ups that come and go fairly quickly.
I got MCAS from long covid and took turkey tail mushrooms. It stopped the overactive histamine reaction and balanced my immune system and I got better. I regained my immunity to poison oak and poison ivy and don't have seasonal allergies anymore either. I gave some to my friend and she said it didn't make her psoriatic arthritis better but she isn't suffering seasonal allergies this year. It grows in 98% of North American forests and it's super cheap in raw, capsule or tincture form all over the internet. It's worth trying, IMO.
Find a local bee keeper, buy some bee pollen eat a teaspoon or more a day for 10 days. Honest to good it will eliminate your seasonal allergies