Topic: Damn Allergies: Texas is really suffering !

[AV]

Ok this started soon after Hurricane Ike hit texas.
        
Usually Allergies don't have series effect on me but now its hell.

Stupid Hurricane made things worse

Ragweed in North Texas

C02 solution ??

I tried benadryl which works but makes me sleepy which for college is VERY BAD idea. I have to study for a test this week and work all this week so being sleepy is horrible.

 I tried Walgreens brand claritin and that was worthless. 

My roommate Chris his parents are both doctors and they recommended I take these herbal pills but they had no effect. My rooomate tried to call his parents again but no answer.

When I went to Walgreens they weren't very helpful they said what allergy medicine works for some, doesn't for others and its a crap shoot. They have an entire wall of medications for allergies so I don't know where to start.

I'm going to go return the medicine I bought and exchange it for something else. (I called manager and he said it was fine to do this)

So does anyone have any suggestions to help me ? What has worked well for you?  A google search has dozens if not hundreds of answers but you guys on NWR are a smart group so I am hopeful I will get some good answers.

[that Baby guy]

Zyrtec, or Cetirizine HCl should put you about as drowsy as the Claritin does, but it may be more effective.  Additionally, your symptoms from the allergies could be treated, rather than the allergies themselves.  Is it just a runny nose, sneezing, and perhaps sinus issues?  If so, you may want to try psudoephedrine products, including Claritin D, Mucinex D, Non-drowsy sudafed, or things like that.  I'm trying to remember other things that I've suggested before...

Oh, you'll have to ask for the things with psuedoephedrine in them, they are, by law, kept behind the counter.

If you're having issues with itching, hydrocortizone cream or benadryl cream could help.  Always check the active ingredient, too.  There's a lot of allergy products that are just various amounts of benadryl (diphenhydramine HCl, IIRC), and they only say that on the active ingredient label.  Describe the symptoms, and maybe I'll remember something that may be a little bit better.

[ShyGuy]

Keep in mind an antihistamine can take about three days of regular dosage to become effective.

[UltimatePartyBear]

I've been prescribed Allegra and Zyrtec for an unrelated reason, and I've been fine (although I'm still suffering thanks to a certain coworker's extremely annoying nasal noises which lead me to fantasize about ripping his face off so he can either breathe clearly or just die which are both good outcomes from my perspective).  I was once given some free Allegra samples when I had an upper respiratory infection, and that cleared up my symptoms immediately.  Sadly, that's not available over the counter.  Zyrtec is, and it's not supposed to make you drowsy, although of course everyone reacts differently to drugs.  Before this, I was taking generic Claritin regularly, and it seemed to work pretty well for me.

[NWR_Lindy]

Allegra is awesome.  My girlfriend is a walking allergy attack and it cleared her up completely.

[Bill Aurion]

Yeah, Allegra is a good choice, but Texans should be ashamed to have to use antihistamines in the first place!  SUCK IT UP!

[that Baby guy]

How did the Claritin make you feel?  Did it leave you a little drowsy or tired, too?  Even though it didn't work, there's something close to it, the active ingredient is Desloratadine, Claritin's active ingredient being Loratidine, that, according to wikipedia, might work a little bit better, but that's really the only thing left that hasn't been suggested.

Checking Wikipedia and what I've worked with before, Benadryl will probably leave you the drowsiest, with Claritin and Allegra somewhere in the middle of the field, and Zyrtec (Cetirizine), will likely leave you least drowsy.

When I worked in a Pharmacy, we mostly sold Benadryl, but Cetirizine and Loratidine were high sellers, and that was with keeping the Cetirizine behind the counter due to space issues.  I recommend Cetirizine so strongly based on the number of repeat customers who only wanted the Cetirizine, versus browsing people buying the Loratidine and Benadryl.  I figure that their repeat use is a good sign that it is effect.  I don't recall selling any Allegra, I don't think we carried it, but we did stock Allegra D behind the counter.

[UltimatePartyBear]

I can't be the only one who cracks up at seeing thatguy demonstrate such knowledge with a Dr. Mario avatar.

[ShyGuy]

How did the Claritin make you feel?  Did it leave you a little drowsy or tired, too?  Even though it didn't work, there's something close to it, the active ingredient is Desloratadine, Claritin's active ingredient being Loratidine, that, according to wikipedia, might work a little bit better, but that's really the only thing left that hasn't been suggested.

Checking Wikipedia and what I've worked with before, Benadryl will probably leave you the drowsiest, with Claritin and Allegra somewhere in the middle of the field, and Zyrtec (Cetirizine), will likely leave you least drowsy.

When I worked in a Pharmacy, we mostly sold Benadryl, but Cetirizine and Loratidine were high sellers, and that was with keeping the Cetirizine behind the counter due to space issues.  I recommend Cetirizine so strongly based on the number of repeat customers who only wanted the Cetirizine, versus browsing people buying the Loratidine and Benadryl.  I figure that their repeat use is a good sign that it is effect.  I don't recall selling any Allegra, I don't think we carried it, but we did stock Allegra D behind the counter.

To do it the NeoGAF way, you quote the avatar so the text looks like a speech bubble over their head.

[AV]

I got Zyretc-D it seems to help a good deal. It's not 100% gone but it is a significant improvement.  I'm am hopeful that a good freeze is coming to North Texas soon and kills off the ragweed, it was chilly this morning so that isn't to unlikely since October is here. A good serious freeze is said to help in allergies since the problem is that plant. Freezes are sort of random during fall/winter in texas so I can't count on that.

Keep in mind an antihistamine can take about three days of regular dosage to become effective.

Ok I got about a weeks supply so I'll use that and after that I'll see how I feel. I'm not very drowsy at all but thats probably due to all the Mountian Dew. I was going to study for a mid term last night...I drank the rest of the mountain dew today in the morning to get more awake to cram before the class started.

Pizza for breakfast, Mountain Dew to drink it down, and Cramming for Midterm 30 minutes before class starts. College life and these damn allergies are throwing me off that.