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I'm still getting the allergy shots and wearing a mask and not going outdoors at all (except to get the allergy shots.) After today's shot I went and bought Allercetin. Thank you for mentioning it because it certainly does something. What it's done is to finally loosen up this stuff and I'm coughing it up. Hoping it keeps on working--I haven't worn the mask since I got home and would LOVE to not be trapped in the house until the first frost!
OP ask your ENT doctor about prescribing Prednisone 10mg or a dose-pack. It works wonders in a very short time.
Don't get hooked on Afrin, it's addictive, you'll eventually be miserable.
I'm still getting the allergy shots and wearing a mask and not going outdoors at all (except to get the allergy shots.) After today's shot I went and bought Allercetin. Thank you for mentioning it because it certainly does something. What it's done is to finally loosen up this stuff and I'm coughing it up. Hoping it keeps on working--I haven't worn the mask since I got home and would LOVE to not be trapped in the house until the first frost!
The Allercetin sorta wore off after a couple weeks. Now I still have a major sinus issue, am scheduled for allergy tests, so cannot take anything at all for 7 days prior to the testing. And they won't test for food items. That seems ridiculous. I know my mother was allergic to strawberries and I recall being told I should never eat fresh asparagus, cause it made me wheeze once. So, whether or not to do the tests is my dilemma. If it's just pollen, shots will take years; I cannot wait that long for relief. And I refuse to walk around with a mask on all the time. And finding a doc who will give me antibiotics for the sinus is impossible unless I go to urgent care.
As I type this, I am sitting with a warm sinus mask on my forehead, wishing for cold weather. The allergist prescribed singular, which I bought but now cannot take.
I take something called Astelin and since that doesn't work too well, I've started taking Flonase. That doesn't work either. Neither does Sudafed. Neither do the allergy shots, so far. I used to get a great type of allergy testing and shots but no one around here uses it. The doses were accurately tailored to exactly what you were allergic to and how allergic you were, not a "mold mix" or a "weed mix." Called SET.
But this Allercetin sounds like it works for some people so I guess I'll give it a try. I also use hot compresses and sometimes a sinus rinse but the sinus rinse is getting really boring to use, daily, week in and week out!
I tried Flonase and I got bloody noses. Turns out this can be a side effect, so I stopped. I now use generic Zyrtec (cetirizine). It helps, but only with the dripping. Still stuffy all the time.
I used to have lots of sinus issues and gave up on all the meds, which either didn't work or had nasty side effects. I just let it drip, used plain saline when it was sore, and eventually it all tapered off (except when eating spicy foods). They recommend local honey if it's "just" pollen, not sure if it works. I think sinus membranes are sensitive and mine were already irritated; the less I irritated them with supposed solutions, the less awful they felt.
The Allercetin sorta wore off after a couple weeks. Now I still have a major sinus issue, am scheduled for allergy tests, so cannot take anything at all for 7 days prior to the testing. And they won't test for food items. That seems ridiculous. I know my mother was allergic to strawberries and I recall being told I should never eat fresh asparagus, cause it made me wheeze once. So, whether or not to do the tests is my dilemma. If it's just pollen, shots will take years; I cannot wait that long for relief. And I refuse to walk around with a mask on all the time. And finding a doc who will give me antibiotics for the sinus is impossible unless I go to urgent care.
As I type this, I am sitting with a warm sinus mask on my forehead, wishing for cold weather. The allergist prescribed singular, which I bought but now cannot take.
Why won't they test for foods? Most people who have allergies have a few food allergies too. I'm on six months of the allergy shots and they still haven't worked at all. If you can ever find serial end titration testing, that was wonderful. Drs don't like to do it because it takes a lot of testing--like two days of testing instead of maybe one hour. I read that it also takes more training on the part of the staff members who are doing it.
But the results are so much better for the patient. They find exactly what you are allergic to (important with pollens and molds--right down to the species of mold or pollen) and they find out to what extent you are allergic to it. So it's educational because you know exactly what to avoid and it works better because after about two shots, you feel great. It's not some "pollen mix" or "mold mix" that's the same for everyone.
There's a blood test for foods called RAST. That's how I found out I was allergic to dairy. They say it's not 100% accurate but it's fast. Just draw some blood.
What about these steroids that people are talking about? Personally, I wouldn't take them and now that the Allercitin is working, I don't need them, but they might get your through the ragweed season. I guess you
could always get the testing to find out what you're allergic to and then decide what to do. I know how it is!
Why won't they test for foods? Most people who have allergies have a few food allergies too. I'm on six months of the allergy shots and they still haven't worked at all. If you can ever find serial end titration testing, that was wonderful. Drs don't like to do it because it takes a lot of testing--like two days of testing instead of maybe one hour. I read that it also takes more training on the part of the staff members who are doing it.
But the results are so much better for the patient. They find exactly what you are allergic to (important with pollens and molds--right down to the species of mold or pollen) and they find out to what extent you are allergic to it. So it's educational because you know exactly what to avoid and it works better because after about two shots, you feel great. It's not some "pollen mix" or "mold mix" that's the same for everyone.
There's a blood test for foods called RAST. That's how I found out I was allergic to dairy. They say it's not 100% accurate but it's fast. Just draw some blood.
What about these steroids that people are talking about? Personally, I wouldn't take them and now that the Allercitin is working, I don't need them, but they might get your through the ragweed season. I guess you
could always get the testing to find out what you're allergic to and then decide what to do. I know how it is!
I hope that's the test I had - I was allergy-tested about a month ago and they gave me paper with the specific names of trees, type of molds, etc. that I am allergic to. Well, to rephrase it, basically I'm allergic to everything and the items on the list that were highlighted are my worst allergies - Ragweed #1. I decided to start allergy shots, had my first ones yesterday - I have three vials/three shots, which I understood to be a mix specifically for me, but I could be wrong. In the meantime, I have to take Singulair (rx generic), Allegra (otc, Zyrtec made me too sleepy), Nasonex (they said any of the otc nose sprays such as flonase would also be fine)and Astelin (rx) for six months while I'm going through the shots. Then I guess hopefully at the 6 month mark, I'll be somewhat better and don't have to take all four of these meds plus the shots. Was told allergy shots are usually for 3-5 years and they guess I'll be closer to the 5 year mark w/ them.
They tested for food allergies with bloodwork, said I didn't have any.
I hope that's the test I had - I was allergy-tested about a month ago and they gave me paper with the specific names of trees, type of molds, etc. that I am allergic to. Well, to rephrase it, basically I'm allergic to everything and the items on the list that were highlighted are my worst allergies - Ragweed #1. I decided to start allergy shots, had my first ones yesterday - I have three vials/three shots, which I understood to be a mix specifically for me, but I could be wrong. In the meantime, I have to take Singulair (rx generic), Allegra (otc, Zyrtec made me too sleepy), Nasonex (they said any of the otc nose sprays such as flonase would also be fine)and Astelin (rx) for six months while I'm going through the shots. Then I guess hopefully at the 6 month mark, I'll be somewhat better and don't have to take all four of these meds plus the shots. Was told allergy shots are usually for 3-5 years and they guess I'll be closer to the 5 year mark w/ them.
They tested for food allergies with bloodwork, said I didn't have any.
Good luck with your allergy shots. At least Ragweed is only seasonal, although it sure can be horrible.
You may not be getting serial endpoint titration. It doesn't take six months, just a couple of shots and you feel a lot better. It would be interesting to know, though.
I think there are different levels of regular allergy testing. I had one who simply slammed a (like a piece of wood!) thing on my arm. It had needles sticking out of it and that was it. Allergy testing.
I never went back to that place. They had only tested for a few things and the attitude was that they didn't care. Next place I went to and got shots for months. The shots never did work and when I finally stopped going, I asked for a list of what they had tested me for. Took the list home and looked online. Turned out they had tested me for plants that only grow in Florida mostly! The place was based in Florida and they never even bothered to change things so that they would be testing for plants that grow around here.
This new place--I'm going on six months and so far, no results. I know it's not serial end titration because they just tested me once for each allergen. It's like a Yes or a No. Allergic or Not Allergic. And I have to sit there for 1/2 hour after the allergy shot because their testing isn't accurate and I might have a reaction.
With serial endpoint titration, there's barely any chance of a reaction so you just get your shot and leave.
You would also know by the testing--they give you a shot, set a timer, and you go and wait. When the alarm goes off, they measure the size of the red spot on your arm. Then they repeat. I don't remember how they decide which dose is correct but it has to do with the size of the wheal on your arm from the shot.
So it might take 1/2 hour just to be tested for the mold called Alternaria. BUT you would not only know if you were allergic to Alternaria, but how badly you were allergic to it. If you're not allergic to it, it wouldn't be included in your mold mix.
You have a lot of knowledge about allergy testing, in_new england. I guess it's not the SET then, although I wish it was from what you said. They did do what they called a "wheel" test, had my three vials made up and gave me a shot of each, then I had to sit in the waiting room with a timer for 10 minutes, then she measured them with the circle template. Said I had a reaction, but was still within range to go ahead and proceed w/ allergy shots. I would have had to wait an hour for the shots, so I went to work and came back the next morning for them. The wheel test shots were in my shoulder, but the allergy shots were in the back of my arms.
Ha! They did the initial allergy tests as what you described as the piece of wood slammed onto my forearms - they had four of them, I believe, two on each arm or maybe it was four on each arm. That is where I had a reaction to everything. After that, they then gave me shots (I guess just under the skin) on my upper arms, and those two tests gave me the results on the piece of paper that indicated the specific types of mold, weeds, trees, etc. that I am allergic to (again, all of them but some worse than others).
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