Hay fever

[fpb]

To judge by the advance warnings, this hay fever season will be the worst in years. It started in earnest yesteday and the day before, with violent and repeated sneezes, constantly blocked and runny nose, the indignity of mouth-breathing, which dries the mouth out and leaves a foul taste, dehydration and the attendant weariness and wooziness, constant water from the eyes forming painful and irritating solid salt deposits... enough. Anyone familiar with the misery will not need description; those who are not, be grateful you will never be familiar with this sickening and humiliating state. My usual remedy, loratadine, seems completely ineffective, and I am going to try a different one. (If anyone suggests homeopathic remedies, I will belt you. I tried them. They're a joke.) Meanwhile, I cannot even sleep, since the steady blocking of my nose means that every time I drop off I feel like my breath is going, and I awaken with a great snort.

The worst thing is that this is only the beginning. If I cannot get the medicines to work, I cannot imagine how I will get through the next three months. They say that the country badly needs a lot of rain, prolonged and steady, to avoid a major drought; well, so do I.

Really, the ferocity of the symptoms is astonishing. It feels as though I have fallen into a pollen hot spot; and that is not unlikely, since there are several parks and one cemetery, all well supplied with trees and grass, within walking distance. If that is the case, I will seriously have to think again about staying here for several years. Meanwhile, there is not much I can do except keep drinking a lot to stop the dehydration, and hope that the alternative remedy - cetirizine dihydrochloride - works better than what I used for decades.

Comments

[neigedens.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that stinks. I hate allergies, too. I tend to get them bad at the end of the summer, for some reason, so I sympathize.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

You probably are allergic to something that pollinates at the time. There are, I am told, more than 2000 things one can be allergic to, so you have a choice.

[avus.livejournal.com]

My family & I battle inhalent allergies.

Until we got a truly effective aircleaner, for which we paid an arm & a leg, nothing worked well for us except change of weather.

You have my deepest sympathies, along with prayers for good luck, good doctoring and/or a speedy return to sane weather.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[super-pan.livejournal.com]

Um, claritin usually works well for me, but is loratadine basically the same thing? Also saline drops(different ones for the nose and eyes) will help with the dryness and itchiness of eyes and throat and nose.

We're in a drought too here, despite flood and too much rain in other parts of the country.

I sure hope you find something to help. I guess if nothing else, maybe benadryl, although it will knock you out.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Yes, clarityn is one of the names under which loratadine is sold.

[goreism.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I know exactly how you feel; I'm perenially plagued by allergies.

But hey, on the bright side, the Triduum begins today for you lot.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Yes. I want to see if I can fast through today (Good Friday). Are you one of the Churches that have it two weeks from now? (I.E. use the Julian calendar.)

[goreism.livejournal.com]

Just one week this year, but yes. Good luck on the fasting, and I hope you have a blessed Easter.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

You too.

[patagonian.livejournal.com]

*smooches*

The only thing that works well for me is taking hot showers, which only really relieves symptoms for awhile and benedryl. But benedryl makes me sleepy for days. Zombie-ish really.

Regardless, I hope you have a good Easter. Take care.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Happy Easter!

[dreamer-marie.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. I'm glad I moved before this season of hay fever kicks in. I hope you will be OK. Maybe the plant you're allergic to flowers early and will wilts early too.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

As a rule, it lasts till early July, so I would not say so. The thing is, this year it seems quite exceptionally strong.

[sporty233.livejournal.com]

I am so glad that I have never suffered from hay fever so far! :O (but never say never, right?) That must be so annoying...and you actually cannot enjoy the most beautiful time to be outside in nature!

[rfachir.livejournal.com]

Benadryl has never let me down, but it will make you sleepy. Still, at night, it beats sneezing. I think the other one that doesn't make you sleepy is cetirizine, like in Piriteze.

I don't know whether they sell pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) over there - it caused a horrible chrystal meth problem on this side of the pond when people without allergies discovered it - but it also works really well.

[fishity.livejournal.com]

You definitely have my sympathy! Hayfever is evil - I only have it for about two months every year but that's more than enough for me. Three years of injections for desensitization (does this word exist?) hardly did anything for me at all. The only drugs that work for me are called Zolim.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I thnk desensitization is indeed an English word, but I would not like to be quoted as an authority. Remember, like you, English is my second language.

[fishity.livejournal.com]

Kept wondering about it, so I looked it up...and it really does exist! I was so certain that I had put at least one syllable too much in there :)