super allergies

[mizanation]

for the first time in my life i am suffering from seasonal allergies. i thought i had a cold, but i realized that i have finally developed an immune response to pollen.

the season is starting early this year in new york.

anyone else suffering from allergies? any tips?

[emaze]

it just started bothering me yesterday Miz! these last couple of days in NYC have been great but the allergies are already starting? I usually use Claritin but when it gets bad out in the city with the pollen in the air I just pretty much suffer. you think with the lack of trees and grass us city folk would be ok? I'm actually considering going to the doctor for something stronger. it's so early in the season to already have my nose acting up. if this is any sort of indication of how the spring is going to be I might just have to rock a mask Hong Kong S.A.R.S. style!

[mizanation]

yo emaze, everybody's allergies are acting up now. i read that the warm winter, plus the late freeze we had, jumpstarted the allergy season.

make sure you're consistentent with that claritin (but don't take more than the recommended dosage). i'm feeling a lot better today, the claritin is keeping things at bay.

the funny thing is, i have a lot more problems INSIDE the office than i do outside. it's like the air conditioning system is pumping pollen at me. outside it's not too bad. and since i have a couple air purifiers in the house, i'm pretty good at the crib.

[emaze]

since you bring up the air purifier and it's related to the topic,

which one do you recommend? they're so damn pricey and if I'm going to make the jump to buy one for my bedroom, might as well be a decent one.

first off should I buy one with a filter or one of those ionic sharper image ones that has no replaceable filters?

second I don't want it to be too loud & lastly what about the oreck air purifiers?

I've being looking on ebay at the oreck's and they range in the 100-200 dollar price range.

EDIT: just did a quick search and found this helpful site:

http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/airpurifiers.html?CMP=KNC-pkgoap-030107&HBX_PK=air+purifier&HBX_OU=50

[mizanation]

hey emaze, i got the ionic breeze air purifier and it's ok, but it really doesn't do a great job. i paid a shitload for it too.

but, i also have a cheapo air purifier that i got from duane reade. it does a really good job. you have to replace the filter once in a while, but since there's a duane reade on every corner in new york, it's not a big deal. not the quietest thing in the world, but it will get you through these rough couple weeks.

[RAISED BY WOLVES]

hey emaze, i got the ionic breeze air purifier and it's ok, but it really doesn't do a great job. i paid a shitload for it too.

but, i also have a cheapo air purifier that i got from duane reade. it does a really good job. you have to replace the filter once in a while, but since there's a duane reade on every corner in new york, it's not a big deal. not the quietest thing in the world, but it will get you through these rough couple weeks.

Early mid-life *Sniffle, sniffle* Crisis, Miz?

[mike lowrey]

I've had different allergies since I was a toddler.. worst being pollen from certain plants and trees. seems like it has started here too now that spring hit here so fast.

last spring it was really bad and I think I tried every single allergy medication but none help for me. so I got a prescription of cortison tablets in such dosage that I had to actually gradually stop taking them as stopping at once wouldn't have been good. it actually helped, I had some allergies later in the summer but seemed like regular medication helped for those.

[mizanation]

Early mid-life *Sniffle, sniffle* Crisis, Miz?

Hrrrnnn...

[mizanation]

my wife had horrible allergies two springs ago.

we went to our local chinese herbal doctor who said he "found the cure" for new york's seasonal allergies. he was OLD, OLD dude with a long white beard and glasses. looked like he came straight out of a run run shaw movie. he was always stroking his long white beard. he didn't speak any english. we had to communicate using gestures and writing (japanese writing is similar to chinese).

anyhow, he sold us brown paper bags full of stuff. he told us to make a tea out of it and drink it. when i emptied it into the pot, it was full of all sorts of shit that i didn't want to see. we're talking funny roots, herbs, even dead bugs.

the tea was worst smelling, foulest-tasting shit i have ever experienced. my wife downed it like a trooper for like 5 days.

afterwards, her allergies were gone. she didn't suffer at all last spring. this year, she's fine also.

i don't know if the tea worked or not, but after she drank it, no more allergies....

[Chicken]

my seasonal allergy has been horrible since i moved to the states. i once went to get an allergy test, the one where they prick you about a hundred times with different allergens. when my allergist saw my back to check the results, she keeled over laughing because she couldn't believe how allergic i was to tree pollens. the usual allergic reaction is to get something that looks like a mosquito bite, maybe about half-an-inch large. some of mine were two-inches-plus. i should live inside a bubble.

the key is to try to prevent your system from having allergic reactions beforehand. people usually try to deal with allergies after they get a lot of symtoms, when it's too late. so after the first sign of your allergy, keep popping those anti-histamines.

speaking of histamines, red wines have histamines in them, so they're a big no-no during your allergy season.

if you're getting bad allergies at your work, there's probably something crappy going on with your a/c system. most offices have horrible, dusty, never-been-cleaned, no-air-purifying vent system. it might be worth sealing the vent in your office if you can.

and as ridiculous as it might look, like emaze said, sars mask might be the way to go as a last resort. or, live in a bubble.

[Chicken]

i don't know if the tea worked or not, but after she drank it, no more allergies....

shit, you have to introduce me to this sage. i'll try anything.

i've also heard about acupunctures that are good for allergy problems. maybe i should try that too.

[doctorgnar]

I'v heard that eating honey fom local bees helps for seasonal 'gies. I just take Claritin. Beer helps too, but not wine.

[emaze]

Miz.... sign Chicken and me up for that chinatown special tea!!!

[viv1984viv]

Im allergic to honey and bees ( stings ). Came on about a year ago, dont know why. It doesnt bother me too much.

[arem]

I've had so so results from Claritin, but last year I tried a sample of Astelin, which you inhale nasally as a mist. It worked really well, only side effect is that it can leave a bitter taste in the back of your throat for a little while after you take it. But it lasted for a long time and had no other negative effects,so I'd recommend it. Ask your doc for a sample or something.

[emaze]

[mr fluffernutter]

i don't know if the tea worked or not, but after she drank it, no more allergies....

probably because she didnt want to drink that ever again

i'm allergic to dust and black mold(?), makes it hard to clean sometimes...

[mizanation]

emaze and chicken, did you read the part where i said it's the worst smelling and tasting shit ever made by the god-fearing chinese?

did you read the part where i told you it has the dead carcasses of huge beatle like bugs?

even chinese people can't drink this shit. when my wife told her chinese schoolmates that she's drinking the chinese tea, they laughed and said she should just get a shot.

frankly, i'm not completely sold if it works or not. plus, it's somewhat pricey. one day of tea costs about $10. you do it for 1 to 2 weeks.

this is really, just a last resort for super allergy sufferers.

but, if you really want to try it, i'll take you there. deep in the heart of sunset park chinatown.....

[Chicken]

i like the way it sounds. perhaps, it'll give emaze and i some superpower, too.

I've had so so results from Claritin, but last year I tried a sample of Astelin, which you inhale nasally as a mist. It worked really well, only side effect is that it can leave a bitter taste in the back of your throat for a little while after you take it. But it lasted for a long time and had no other negative effects,so I'd recommend it. Ask your doc for a sample or something.

i'd say just make sure whatever nasal spray you're using doesn't have steroids in it. because then your system will become dependent on it and things will keep getting worse.

[emaze]

Teamaster... not to be confused with Teabagger.

(same guy from Gremlins)

[snugglepony]

i've had some pretty bad hayfever since i can remember.

growing up in minnesota, it was sort of low- to mid-level bad all summer long; since i've moved to the pacific northwest, i usually get hit with a two-week period of misery, and then it's over.

i'm not a huge fan of popping pills or whatnot for every minor medical issue, but i've had pretty consisitently good luck using the 24hr claritin/alavert/loratidine tablets (pretty cheap), and also either flonase or nasalcrom sprays (prescription, coming down in price).

a quick aside: i worked as a bike messenger for four years during and after college. there was one spring where my allergies got so bad that during a multi-sneeze fit, i actually sneezed myself off my bike(!)

[herpsky]

the allergy is being teh worst suck ever today in atlanta

[mike lowrey]

i actually sneezed myself off my bike(!)

haha thats awesome!

I've sneezed myself of a skateboard, tilted to the side and board went flying

[Chicken]

the allergy is being teh worst suck ever today in atlanta

i've heard from one of my friends there few days ago that the pollen count there is above 5000 already. i don't know exactly what that means but it sounds horrible.

[superBobo]

im pollen allergic and eat pills every day from arond now to mid june... sometimes it doesnt work that well though, and leaves me scratching and sneezing...

[lilodxd]

shit, spring is coming.

i go through so many tissue boxes and claritin d it's ridiculous.

[mizanation]

goddamn trees.

[Chicken]

btw, i also know of someone who had terrible seasonal allergy symptoms for years, but after trying a lot of things she quit eating wheat. yes, wheat.

no pasta, bread and beer.

and she hasn't had seasonal allergies since. crazy?

[mizanation]

not crazy. many scientists think that there is an allergen threshold. if you combine a couple allergies, it might trigger symptoms, whereas just having one will not.

i am not fucking giving up pasta, bread or beer. NO FUCKING WAY!

[mike lowrey]

haha I live on pasta, bread and beer